Urban planning precedents suggest that resilient rebuilding—staying near the water but building differently—is a viable third option that was bypassed in this funding round.
Excellent breakdown of the shovel-ready trap. The paradox here is brutal: neighborhoods that need funding most get excluded becasue they're complex, while simpler greenfield projects get prioritized. I've seen this logic play out in infrastructure decisions where what's easiest to measure (project readiness) crowds out what actually matters (preserving communty fabric). The FEMA open space rule locking land into zero tax revenue forever is wild.
794045
It should be noted that your cover photo is of Barre Street in Montpelier. Not the North end of Barre City.
David Ertel
Thanks for the catch. Image replaced from Barre.
Excellent breakdown of the shovel-ready trap. The paradox here is brutal: neighborhoods that need funding most get excluded becasue they're complex, while simpler greenfield projects get prioritized. I've seen this logic play out in infrastructure decisions where what's easiest to measure (project readiness) crowds out what actually matters (preserving communty fabric). The FEMA open space rule locking land into zero tax revenue forever is wild.