A new generation of affordable housing was unveiled Thursday in Rutland.

The Hickory Street community is the first of it’s kind in New England. The project includes 33 mixed income units ranging from one bedroom apartments to single family homes.  The neighborhood was ten years in the making.  It has new streets, energy efficient buildings, solar panels, basketball courts and even onsite maintenance.

“I think that the unique part of Hickory Street Apartments is that we moved out of a traditional public housing model, which tends to isolate folks from the rest of the community, into more of a mixed income community that sort of naturally flows into the surrounding neighborhood,” said Kevin Loso with the Rutland Housing Authority.

Leases have already been signed for nearly two-thirds of those units.

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On the heels of a request from Vermont Energy Partnership and queries from regional planning commissions and the Vermont Public Power Supply Authority, the department extended the comment period by nearly a month. Public comments will now be accepted through Nov. 4.

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Source: Comment Period for Vermont’s Comprehensive Energy Plan Extended

On the heels of a request from Vermont Energy Partnership and queries from regional planning commissions and the Vermont Public Power Supply Authority, the department extended the comment period by nearly a month. Public comments will now be accepted through Nov. 4.

For a PDF of this article click here

Source: Comment Period for Vermont’s Comprehensive Energy Plan Extended

The morning session will include presentations introducing complete streets followed by a panel discussion on compliance with Vermont’s Complete Streets Statute. The afternoon session will include a tour of nearby streets followed by discussions with experts on complete streets design.

Where: Gateway Center, Newport, Vermont

When: 9:30AM- 4:30PM

Cost: 20$ for morning sessions and 35$ for entire day

PDF: 10-28-11 Complete Streets announcement

Air sealing is one of three steps the owners of the 336-unit affordable housing complex have undertaken this year to enhance energy efficiency and shrink heating bills for residents.

By winter, families in 60 units will have beefed up insulation in their attics and basements, air-tight rooms and new high efficiency boilers. These changes are expected to save residents at least 25 percent on their heating bills, said Kathleen Tyrrell Luce, vice president of Maloney Properties Inc., which manages the apartment complex.

“We intend to set Vermont on a path to attain 90 percent of its energy from renewable sources by mid-century.” Currently, only 23 percent of the energy Vermonters use for electricity, for heat and for transportation comes from renewable sources.

The broad strategies to achieve the goal would include:

• - Enhanced efficiency.
• - Greater use of clean, renewable energy sources for electricity, heating and transportation.
• - Electric vehicle adoption.
• - Use of natural gas and biofuel blends where nonrenewable fuels remain necessary.

Public Comments:

Vermonters have opportunities in the coming weeks to comment on this challenge to give up fossil fuels and the strategies proposed to achieve it. Several hearings have already been held and two more are scheduled next week. The Department of Public Service also will accept comments by email, mail and online through Oct. 10.

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