The Vermont Natural Resources Council announced the latest grant recipients for the Small Grants for Smart Growth program, May 27. Grantee selections are made on a rolling basis. The committee chose the Bridport Housing Task Force, the Chamber & Economic Development of the Rutland Region (CEDRR), and the South Burlington Energy Committee to be awarded a combined $6,750 in the most recent round of funding.
The Small Grants for Smart Growth grant initiative was developed by VNRC in 2018 in partnership with Beth Humstone, co-founder of the Vermont Forum on Sprawl and former chair of the VNRC board of directors, and her son, Chris Gignoux, to support community-based programs seeking seed capital to provide capacity for affecting change on a local level.
For CEDRR, the $2,500 will be used to bring together a working group of stakeholders, designers and community members to develop an alternative vision for the space vacated by the downtown Walmart that is closing its doors.
CEDRR’s Executive Director Lyle Jepson explained that the organization’s goal for the use of the small grant funds is to, “preserve the historical integrity of the area, simultaneously enhancing downtown foot traffic vibrancy,” and he continues, “The Small Grants for Smart Growth grant comes at a particularly important time as we begin to navigate the recently approved Tax Increment Finance District process, which will be a tool for supporting infrastructure enhancements that will allow for planful development.”
