Manchester, Vermont
Town Plan Update
VISION Manchester - Town Plan Update
The Town of Manchester VT is looking to update its Town Plan, and would like your help.
A Town Plan is a document which serves as a blueprint for a community, establishing a vision for our future, with different goals, policies and strategies to achieve that vision.
Such plans often cover a wide variety of topics, such as land use, zoning, community character, housing, historic preservation, recreation, economic development, infrastructure, and protection of natural resources. A successful Town Plan should articulate a clear vision for what we want our community to look like in the future, and needs to be updated every several years to ensure it reflects our current needs and values.
But we need your help! This plan needs to be developed using the input of our community—we want to hear your thoughts and ideas. Please join us at our upcoming meetings/events announced below to hear different ideas and share your own.
This webpage will serve as a central clearinghouse of information, updates, and draft materials for the public as the planning process evolves over the next year, and we hope that you can participate. You can also submit comments and suggestions here at any time using the “CLICK HERE FOR COMMENT FORM” button in the next section below. All comments will be collected and considered by the Planning Commission for the plan development.
Thank you!
Take Our Visioning Survey!
Manchester residents, business and property owners, and local employees are invited to take our Visioning Survey for the 2026 Plan update. The input collected from this survey is anonymous, and will help us to identify goals for the plan update as well as design specific topics of discussion for our upcoming workshops this spring.
This survey can be taken online or in paper format, as follows:
ONLINE: Click the button below to access the online copy of the survey.
PRINT: Click the button below to download and print a paper copy.
PICKUP: Printed copies of the paper survey can be picked up at Town Hall.
Note: Completed paper copies of the survey should be returned to Town Hall in person or via mail at: Town of Manchester, Attn: Town Plan Comment Box, Planning & Zoning Office, 40 Jeff Williams Way, Manchester Center, VT 05255
Submit Comments!
ONLINE: Public comments regarding the Town Plan Update can be submitted at any time over the course of this planning effort. Comments can be submitted electronically using the yellow “Click Here for Comment Form” button on the right, which will open an online form where you can write and submit your thoughts, and optionally sign up for email announcements.
PAPER: For those that prefer paper & pen, we have you covered. Written comments can be dropped off at Town Hall in the Town Plan Comment Dropbox provided in the Planning and Zoning Department, or can be mailed by U.S. Postal Service to the address shown here.
TOWN OF MANCHESTER
Attn: TOWN PLAN COMMENT BOX
PLANNING & ZONING OFFICE
40 JEFF WILLIAMS WAY
MANCHESTER CENTER, VT 05255
Documents & Downloads
Background Documents
CURRENT TOWN PLAN
HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN
ZONING MAP
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STUDY
DEPOT STREET HISTORIC DISTRICT
MIXED-USE MARKET FEASIBILITY STUDY
NORTH MAIN STREET HISTORIC DISTRICT
LAND USE & DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE
DOWNTOWN STRATEGIC PLAN
BONNET STREET HISTORIC DISTRICT
2022 EMPLOYER SURVEY
MANCHESTER CTR HISTORIC DISTRICT
Draft Plan & Meeting Materials
Public Comments & Draft Materials
ONLINE COMMENTS Updated Feb 1st
COMING SOON
[COMING SOON]
January 20th Introductory Meeting
Meeting VIDEO
January 20, 2026
Presentation Slides
January 20, 2026
Meeting Notes
January 20, 2026
Anticipated Schedule
Request for Planning Consultant Proposals / Consultant Selection: Completed Fall 2025
Municipal Planning Grant Award: Completed Spring 2025
WE ARE HERE
PHASE I
Tuesday, January 20th 5:30pm - Manchester Public Library
Introductory Public Meeting
Visioning Survey
January 20th - March (Online)
Join us January 20th for our Introductory kickoff meeting to learn how to get involved in the planning process and provide early input on the future goals for Manchester. This meeting will also launch our Visioning Survey to collect input on a variety of topics over the weeks that follow. This phase will also be used to conduct direct outreach to area schools, young families and local workforce employees in Manchester for their perspectives and input.
PHASE II
Visioning Workshop
March 16, 2026 - Taconic Hotel, Manchester Village
Housing Workshop
April 9, 2026 - Maple Street School, Manchester
Economic Development Workshop
April 29, 2026 - Burr & Burton Academy, Manchester Village
Utilizing the public input from Phase I, we will design a series of public workshops to discuss the future goals and vision for Manchester in more detail, as well as discuss other priority topics for housing and ways to diversify our local economy.
PHASE III
Presentation of Draft Recommendations
Summer 2026
Presentation of Draft Plan
Fall 2026
Adoption of updated Town Plan
December 2026
The third phase of this effort will be developing draft goals and recommendations for the new Town Plan, which will be presented to the public for feedback before the new p[an is drafted. After a presentation on the draft plan in the Fall of 2026, it will be prepared for public hearings and adoption by the Manchester Selectboard.
News
Introductory Public Meeting - January 20th 2026
The Town of Manchester will be hosting an introductory public meeting on JANUARY 20, 2026 at 5:30 pm at the Manchester Public Library to introduce and discuss our VISION MANCHESTER Town Plan Update process. This first public meeting is an opportunity to meet our local planning consultant, Regrowth Planning, learn about the planning process, and find out about the many ways you can participate and contribute to the discussion. This will also provide an opportunity to provide early input on the planning process. More details about the meeting will be provided in the weeks to come.
All residents, property and business owners, as well as people who are employed in Manchester, are invited and encouraged to attend. We hope to see you there!
ZOOM Option & GNAT Coverage
ANNOUNCEMENT - For those who are unable to attend our January 20th Introductory Meeting in person, a Zoom option is being provided which will allow you to view and listen into the presentation and discussion. Comments and questions may be submitted during this meeting using the Zoom chat feature. A link to participate via Zoom will be provided below on the day of the meeting. (Does not require Zoom software, can be accessed through your web browser.)
The meeting will also be covered by GNAT TV - Greater Northshire Access Television. A link to access the GNAT video coverage of the event will be provided below on the day of the meeting.
12/6/25 - Introductory Public Meeting Announced
The Town of Manchester will be hosting an introductory public meeting on JANUARY 20, 2026 at 5:30 pm at the Manchester Public Library to introduce and discuss our VISION MANCHESTER Town Plan Update process. This first public meeting is an opportunity to meet our local planning consultant, Regrowth Planning, learn about the planning process, and find out about the many ways you can participate and contribute to the discussion. This will also provide an opportunity to provide early input on the planning process. More details about the meeting will be provided in the weeks to come.
All residents, property and business owners, as well as people who are employed in Manchester are invited and encouraged to attend. We hope to see you there!
This introductory meeting will be followed by a visioning survey and a series of planning workshops over the spring of 2026 to collect public input regarding the future of Manchester before new goals are identified.
DEC 2025
The Manchester Planning Commission is launching VISION Manchester, a town-wide planning effort to update the Town Plan. Consultant selection is complete and preparations are being made to schedule a series of public meetings and workshops beginning in January.
(Additional news and announcements will be posted here once available)
FAQ
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the goal of this effort?
The goal of this effort is to develop a long-range strategic plan which will help guide the Town of Manchester on achieving both short and long-term priorities. The plan will be used by local town officials, community leaders and residents to work toward a common vision for improving our community, and will help leverage future grant funding for specific projects which the community has identified as important.
Who is overseeing this work? How is it paid for?
The Town Plan update is being overseen by the Town of Manchester Planning Commission, with the help and support of our planning consultants, Regrowth Planning and Saratoga Associates. This work is funded through a Municipal Planning Grant awarded to the town by the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development.
Didn’t the Town recently adopt a new plan?
Yes. In order to comply with state statutes, the Town Plan was revised and updated in May 2025 to meet the 8-year update requirement. However, the changes made were limited to selected data and other necessary revisions only. Due to the deadline and budget constraints, that update was unable to incorporate or reflect the public input and visioning which was desired. This planning effort is designed to pick up where the the prior effort left off, and continue to collect public input which will inform the plan and provide us with the foundation we need to identify new community goals.
What are the boundaries of the Town Plan study area?
The focus of the Town Plan will be all lands within the jurisdiction of the Town of Manchester. Although the Town Plan does not technically include the Village of Manchester, many discussions will need to take place regarding town and village coordination because of our very close relationship. A map showing the boundaries of the town (zoning map) is provided in the documents section above for reference.
Will this plan change my zoning?
The Town Plan itself will not change any zoning, however it is expected to make zoning recommendations for future changes once it is complete. These recommendations, if made, would need to be considered by the Selectboard, and would need to go through an adoption process with a public hearing before any changes are made official.
Who should participate in these discussions and meetings?
We encourage everyone to be a part of the discussion, young and old, including Manchester residents, business and property owners, as well as people who work in town and help run our local economy. We are particularly interested in getting input from younger generations who may provide a unique perspective on our future but who historically do not often participate in these town governing discussions. The plan we hope to put together should reflect the wider spectrum of viewpoints across our diverse range of ages and backgrounds.
How can I submit comments or suggestions?
If you are not able to attend our meetings in person, you may submit comments and suggestions at any time over the course of this project by clicking on the “COMMENT FORM” button shown below, which will open a separate page. All comments submitted will go to our planning consultant, who will review them and periodically share collected comments with the Planning Commission.
All comments submitted are anonymous.
What if I am not able to attend the meeting(s)?
If you missed or are unable to attend one of the meetings, this webpage will still provide you with recap summaries and notes from each meeting in the Documents section above, as well as video recordings of public meetings which you can watch at a time which is more convenient for you. You can also submit any comments or suggestions you may have via the comment form, linked at the top and bottom of this page.
I have other questions about this process. Who can I contact to ask questions?
If you have any additional questions regarding this planning effort which are not answered above, you can submit them via the COMMENT FORM linked on this page. Any questions submitted will be answered during the next public meeting (announced above), and we may add your question and answer here to this FAQ on the webpage for others to see. The Comment Form also has an optional field where you can provide your email address to be notified of future updates, and our team may be able to respond to your question directly. Comments are checked weekly.
How long is this process expected to take?
The overall process timetable is outlined above in the Schedule, and is roughly anticipated to take about one year to complete. It may eventually be longer or shorter depending on the timing of meetings and other factors. Our goal is to complete the process by the end of 2026.