Other Plans and Studies

Capital District Master Plan

The City of Montpelier and the State of Vermont, working jointly through the City-State Commission, developed the Capital District Master Plan in an effort to identify, encourage, and coordinate mutually beneficial development plans for the Capitol Complex, downtown Montpelier, and the Winooski River corridor.

Completed in 2000 and endorsed by the City Council, Planning Commission, City-State Commission and others, the Capital District Master Plan (PDF) presents recommendations and concepts for meeting the State's projected office space needs, establishing a greenway along the Winooski River, and considering numerous physical improvements to improve pedestrian and vehicular circulation and stimulate downtown redevelopment.

The Capital District Master Plan can also be downloaded in PDF format here: 2000 Capital District Master Plan


Stormwater Master Plan

The Stormwater Master Plan (2016) can be downloaded in PFD format here: Stormwater Master Plan (2016)

River Environment Plan

Enhancing our River Environment (PDF) is a proposed plan for the management of the Winooski Riverbank Vegetation in Montpelier. This report was produced by the Montpelier River Corridor Restoration Committee in July 2002. The plan grew out of recognition that the Winooski River and its tributaries require a long-range vision and consistent attention. Implementation of these recommendations should help to reduce riverbank erosion, mitigate threats of flooding, and fulfill the river's potential as an outstanding natural resource.

Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP)

The City of Montpelier worked with the Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission, along with an ad-hoc LHMP, the City's Emergency Management Team, and other City Departments to identify hazards, analyze past and potential future losses due to natural and human-caused disasters, and identify strategies for mitigating future losses. These collected strategies to mitigate loss of life and property is the City's Local Hazard Hazard Mitigation Plan (PDF), which was updated in 2021. 

Generally, hazard mitigation is any action that reduces or eliminates long-term risk to people and property from disasters and their impacts.

 The goals of the LHMP are to:

  • Reduce or eliminate threats to life and property,
  • Ensure that a comprehensive review of all possible activities and mitigation measures is conducted so that the most appropriate solutions will be implemented to address the hazard,
  • Ensure that the recommended activities meet the goals and objectives of the community, are in coordination with land use and comprehensive planning, do not create conflicts with other activities, and are coordinated so that the cost of implementing individual activities is reduced,
  • Solve repetitive problems,
  • Build public and political support for activities and projects that prevent new problems and reduce losses.
  • Build a constituency that sees the plan's recommendations implemented.

Having a Local Hazard Mitigation Plan makes towns eligible for FEMA grants such as the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, Flood Mitigation Assistance, and the Pre Disaster Mitigation Competitive Grant. 

Every year as part of our annual review for the CRS (Community Rating System) program we conduct a review of our LHMP.  Review linked below.

2022 Review


Montpelier Flood Hazard Mitigation Plan - Replaced by LHMP above

Although the city government, state government, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency have constructed flood mitigation devices, enacted legislation, and initiated numerous activities and programs designed to mitigate flooding and flood damage to the city, the threat of flooding and flood damage remains significant. The Montpelier Flood Hazard Mitigation Plan (PDF), adopted in 1998, presents strategies to mitigate future flood losses in the event a flood does occur.