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Community Development

The Community Development Department reviews and makes recommendations for Planning and Zoning applications and staffs the Planning Commission and Development Review Board. 

County and region-wide, the department represents the City with the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission, the Vermont Department of Transportation, and major employers such as GlobalFoundries and New England Central Railroad.  

Contact Information

Chris Yuen​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​Community Development Director
​​​​​​​cyuen@ essexjunction.org​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​802-878-6944  EXT: 1607

Terry Hass
Assistant Zoning Administrator
terry@ essexjunction.org
802-878-6950

Land Development Code (LDC) Amendments

The City of Essex Junction is currently considering major changes to the Land Development Code- the zoning bylaws regulating what can be built in different parts of the city. These changes, drafted by the City’s Planning Commission with input from the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission over the past two years, aim to:

  1. create opportunities to build more housing,
  2. strengthen standards for design and historic preservation,
  3. add flexibility for the provision of parking,
  4. improve standards for bicycle parking facilities,
  5. incorporate Green Stormwater Infrastructure and enhanced landscaping practices, and
  6. adjust the Permitting Fee Schedule to reflect the cost of processing and review better.

The Community Development Department has compiled an overview of the proposed LDC amendments for residents and businesses interested in learning more about these amendments. 

Land Development Code Amendments

The public is encouraged to learn more about the proposed LDC changes and to provide feedback through a short survey.

Take the Survey

There will also be an opportunity to provide comments at a City Council Public Hearing on the amendments on June 14, 2023.


Current Community Development Projects:

  • Crescent Connector
  • Essex Junction Multimodal Station
  • 1 Main Street Park

Current Projects