Zoning & Floodplain Administrator
Kristen Leahy
802-472-1686
zoning.administrator@hardwickvt.gov
Summer and Fall 2025 Office Hours
| Monday – 11 am to 1 pm Tuesday – 8:30 am to 2 pm Wednesday – 9:30 am to 2 pm On July 30, the office will be closed. Thursday – 8:30 am to 2 pm Friday – By Appointment Saturday – By Appointment | |
| Outside of daily stated hours, by appointment. |
FLOOD RELATED ZONING REGULATIONS
Unified Zoning Bylaws with integrated Flood Hazard Area Overlay regulations – 2024
Understanding Floodplains, Floodways, and River Corridors (2025)
HISTORIC STRUCTURES IN THE FLOODPLAIN
Guidelines on Flood Adaptation for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings – 2021
Guidelines for Reducing Flood Risk to Residential Buildings that cannot be elevated – 2015
AFTER A FLOOD
Prioritize Your Health and Safety – 2024 (Neighbor to Neighbor)
Mental Health Resources for Flood Recovery – 2024 (The Vermont Department of Mental Health)
Guide for Cleaning up Mold After a Flood – 2015 (FEMA)
Four Ways to Reduce Flood Insurance Costs (FEMA)
Flood Resistant Materials for Rebuilding After a Flood – 2024 (State of Vermont)
Repairing Your Flooded Home – 2010 (FEMA)
Protecting Building Utility Systems from Flood Damage – 2017 (FEMA)
Flood Damage Resistant Materials – 2008 (FEMA)
Post Flooding Technical Assistance Toolkit for Agriculture – 2024 (State of Vermont)
FLOOD RELATED PLANNING DOCUMENTS
Understanding Flood Storage and Floodplain Restoration (2025)
Recommended Actions to Improve the Safety of Vermonters During Major Flooding Events – UVM – 2024
Lamoille River Tactical Basin Plan – 2021
Lamoille River Tactical Basin Plan – Story map – please note that this link takes you away from our website to a story map – Lamoille River Tactical Basin Plan Overview
Basin 7 Lamoille Assessment Report -2016
A Strategy to Protect Communities and Ensure Clean Water by Mike Kline – 2016
Notes from the Draft Tactical Basin Plan – 2016
Upper Lamoille River Geomorphic Assessment – 2009
River Recovery in the Wake of Large Floods – 2024 (Jordan Fields at Trout Unlimited) (YouTube Video)
JACKSON DAM
Hardwick Lake Dam 2019 Visual Inspection
Hardwick Lake Today and Tomorrow by the Northern Rivers Land Trust – 2013
Report on the Jackson Bridge Dam by the Vermont Natural Resources Council – 2001
Hardwick Lake Dam 2024 Visual Inspection
ADDITIONAL DAMS IN THE LAMOILLE WATERSHED NEAR HARDWICK
EAP for East Long Pond, Nichols Pond and Mackville Pond – 2012
EAP for Mackville Pond Dam – 2016
Mackville Dam 2022 Visual Inspection
East Long Pond Dam 2022 Visual Inspection
Nichols Dam 2023 Visual Inspection
FLOOD RESILIENCE PROJECTS
Town of Hardwick – Flood Recovery and Resilience Update
Understanding Our Five-Section Approach
As Hardwick continues to recover from the July and December 2023 and July 2024 flood events, the Resilience & Adaptation Office and the Zoning and Floodplain Office have adopted a five-section approach to guide response, recovery, and future resilience investments. This method recognizes that different areas of town face different risks and levels of engagement and allows us to better match our time, capacity, and available funding to each area’s unique needs.
The five sections include:
- East Hardwick Village Center
- Granite Street Historic District and Cooper Brook Area
- Vermont Route 14 South Corridor
- Wolcott Street and Commercial District
- North Main, Mill Street, and Core Downtown
This structure helps ensure that less vocal or more dispersed areas are not overlooked and resources are distributed in a way that reflects both the severity of flood impacts and the realities of community communication and capacity.
TOWN-WIDE INITIATIVES as of July 14, 2025
1.) EDA grant for Flood Models of the Lamoille River and the Cooper Brook. SLR International Incorporated has been retained, and the work has begun and should be done by December 2025
2.) The Hardwick Plan – 2025 has been adopted and includes a Volunteer Amendment with four new local categories: Emergency Volunteer Mobilization, Emergency Communications, Emergency Shelter, and the Supply and Support Center. This local management plan provides guidance to each component of the community, including businesses, farms, and residences.
3.) The Neighbor to Neighbor Supply Center is a sustainable and ready-to-go element of emergency response.
4.) The Town Flood Resilience Website pages at Hardwickvt.gov have been updated and have more information for the public.
5.) The Hardwick Unified Development Bylaws were updated in September 2024 and the Flood Hazard Area Overlay rules now match the requirements from the State of Vermont and FEMA and will be ready for the anticipated update to the Floodplain maps.
6.) Six bridges will have engineering under way for permanent replacements/upgrades by 2026.
7.) Eleven damaged roads will have updated culverts by the end of 2025. Additional mitigation projects are ongoing on all roads in town.
8.) The expanded Emergency Alert notification system (TextMyGov) has been implemented and a physical emergency siren warning system will be implemented in fall 2025.
9) A watershed alert system is under construction and will be ready for implementation by 2026 (at the latest).
FLOOD AREA SPECIFIC INITIATIVES (PDF)
Downtown Hardwick (Lamoille River) Flood Resiliency Projects in Process:
- Mill Street restoration project – (EDA/NRCS)
- EWP 2024 – 3 projects
- Scoping study for the Downtown section (CBDG-DR)
- 3 Buyouts – 1 finished
- Retaining wall restoration (FEMA)
- Scoping Study – possible CDBG-DR
Vermont Route 14 South (Cooper Brook) Flood Resiliency Projects in Process:
- 1 potential elevation
- 2 buyouts – both finished
- Restoration project after two buyouts finalized (NRCD)
- 1 EWP 2024
- 1-2 proposed EDA projects
- 2 Lift stations for WWTF (FEMA)
Wolcott Street Commercial (Lamoille River) Flood Resiliency Projects in Process:
- Wastewater Treatment Facility Plant – elevation or removal (FEMA)
- Jackson Dam Feasibility Study
- 7 buyouts (Sawmill Park – Future concept) – 2 finished
- 1-2 proposed EDA projects
- 1 Elevation
- Floodproofing Concept (Additional EDA)
East Hardwick (Lamoille River) Flood Resiliency Projects in Process:
- Better Connections Stormwater Overview
- 1 proposed EDA projects
- 2 FRCF buyouts in 2025
- EWP 2023 – 1 historic property
- 1 FRCF buyout (complete) in 2023-2024
- School Street Bank Stabilization (FEMA)
Granite Street Historic District (Cooper Brook and Lamoille River) Flood Resiliency Projects in Process:
- Fire Station removal from the Floodplain (FEMA & MTAP)
- Future mitigation project at the Fire Station site
- Municipal Planning Grant for Flood Resiliency in process – flood mitigation and flood resiliency planning.
- Flood proofing concept in process – CRDMF
- Possible Mitigation project on Lamoille River (CDBG-DR)
Understanding Flood Storage and Floodplain Restoration (2025)
Hardwick Future Flood Resiliency and Mitigation Projects – March 2025
Hardwick Flood Resiliency Projects – 2023 and 2024 (Town Report Version) – January 2025
Hardwick Floodplain Acquisition list – March 2025
VT Digger article on the Civic Standard’s building and possible floodplain acquisition
Hardwick Projects from 2023 and 2024 – October 30, 2024
Hardwick Projects from 2023 and 2024 – August 13, 2024
Hardwick Projects from 2023 and 2024 – August 1, 2024
Hardwick Projects from 2023 and 2024 – July 26, 2024
Community Meeting – 9-16-24 – Slides
Adaptation for All: How to Build Flood Resilience for Communities of Every Size (American Flood Coalition – pdf) – page 36 has the Dog River Park in Northfield, Vermont. Stay tuned for a local version!!
HELPFUL LINKS
Neighbor to Neighbor – Hardwick Area Neighbor to Neighbor – Need anything? Want to help? Get in touch. Call or text 802-441-3301 or hardwickneighbors@gmail.com
New England 511 – State Road closures and construction information
Vermont.gov/flood – Vermont Flood Resources
The Hardwick Plan – 2025 (our Local Emergency Management Plan with a Flood Annex)