Sterling Mountain Community Planning & Design, LLC
What we do...
Sterling Mountain Community Planning & Design, LLC has more than 30 years of diverse and direct experience in a wide range of planning topics - land use, urban design, transportation, economic and downtown development, resort and institutional development, housing, land conservation, and historic preservation
Master Planning
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Community Master Plans
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Downtown, Waterfront, Institutional and other special district planning
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Redevelopment Planning
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Institutional and Resort Master Planning
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Municipal and Regional Planning
Development Codes
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Form and Character Codes
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Content-Neutral Sign Codes
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Parking Reform
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Missing-Middle and Affordable Housing Revisions
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Downtown, Neighborhood Mixed-Use and Special Districts
Strategic Advising
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Regulatory process assessment and modernization
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Organizational Development
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Strategic Planning and Policy
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Policy Research
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Mentorship for new and emerging leaders
We specialize
in...
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Strategic planning and policy development
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Progressive and innovative land use policies and practices
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Policy research and analysis
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Analysis of land use and development patterns, diagnosis of challenges, and exploration of opportunities
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Plan development - project/site, community, neighborhood, district, downtown, institution and regional
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The unique challenges and opportunities experienced in resort and college towns
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Land Use and Character Code development
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Regulatory process assessment and modernization
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Project conception, design and scoping
Recent Projects...
Sterling Mountain Community Planning & Design is working in collaboration with Plymouth NH based Resilience Planning & Design, LLC, to update the 2018 Jericho Town Plan and make recommendations on a series of "housing-friendly" improvements to the Town's development regulations.
Sterling Mountain Community Planning & Design is working as part of a multi-disciplinary team of consultants led by Seattle-based Framework, LLC to prepare an update to the City of Sammamish (WA) 2018 Comprehensive Master Plan, and develop the necessary changes to the development code to implement the recommendations of the new CMP in compliance with state and county requirements.
Jericho (VT) Professional Planning Services
Sterling Mountain Community Planning & Design was hired by the Town of Jericho VT during a period of transition by assisting with the solicitation and hiring of a a new Town Planner, and providing professional guidance to the Town Administrator and Planning Commission Chair.
Sterling Mountain Community Planning & Design has been selected as part of a group of pre-qualified consultants to provide Land Use Planning and Development Regulation Consultant Services to the CCRPC, the nineteen communities in Chittenden County, and other Vermont municipalities participating in the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Planning Grant: Transit-Oriented Development Plan for Northwest Vermont.
Plan Bangor (ME) Lecture Series
As part of a virtual lecture series kicking-off the City of Bangor's (ME) Comprehensive Master Plan Update process, Sterling Mountain Community Planning & Design was invited to deliver a presentation on the topic of Downtown Pedestrian Spaces.
Subject Matter Advisor and Expert Witness
Sterling Mountain Community Planning & Design served as a subject matter advisor and expert witness to the Vermont law firm of Tarrant, Gillies and Shems, LLP in the defense of a local Development Review Board decision before the VT Superior Court - Environmental Division.
Selected Portfolio
Below are just a few examples of past projects undertaken while employed by the City of Burlington VT.
In partnership with the Town Planning and Urban Design Collaborative and others, this award winning plan heralded in a new era in Burlington's planning efforts as the first true sub-area plan for the City.
Adopted 2013
A comprehensive revision to Article 7 of the Burlington Comprehensive Development Ordinance, these changes introduced clear and objective form-elements helping to ensure content-neutrality in the City's sign regulations.
Adopted 2019
In partnership with Goody Clancy and others, this plan sets the stage for the future evolution of the City's commercial and industrial Enterprise District.
Adopted 2019
Burlington's first true form-based code focused on the City's vibrant downtown and directly implementing key recommendations of the planBTV: Downtown and Waterfront Master Plan.
Adopted 2018, revised 2021
Developed in partnership with Landworks and the Burlington Conservation Board, this was Burlington's inaugural land conservation and natural area protection plan. It was the first to match high-priority sites with appropriate protection and management strategies, and led to the creation of the City's Conservation Legacy Program and Fund to ensure long-term protection.
Adopted 2000, revised 2021.
This multi-year effort resulted in significant strides in making Burlington's zoning regulations more objective in their application, clearer in its presentation and navigation.
Adopted 2008 with subsequent amendments through 2021