Vermont can’t build its way to affordability

Dear Editor, Act 250, now maligned by builders, real estate agents and financiers, has kept unmitigated growth and sprawl at bay in Vermont for years. It was enacted by people who wanted to keep the natural beauty of Vermont’s woods, fields and open spaces protected from the wanton destruction of urban growth and capital greed. And it worked. But the Vermont of half a century ago is gone. The idyllic, romantic view of old rural Vermont has somehow persisted while our towns have become cities and suburbs and our state population has grown nearly 50%. That’s a lot of growth. So much that our infrastructure and resources struggle to keep pace. And during that time, nothing got more affordable. The narrative that municipal sprawl and population growth are our salvation is an oft-repeated story from real estate agents, business associations and chambers of commerce who put money in and want money out.

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