Vt. House Passes Resolution Against NewVistas

Montpelier — A resolution opposing the NewVistas vision for a large planned community in the White River Valley passed in the Vermont House of Representatives on Friday.

Sponsored by several Upper Valley legislators, including Rep. Tim Briglin, D-Thetford, the resolution says Utah engineer David Hall’s plan to build a 5,000-acre intentional community in the hills of Royalton, Sharon, Strafford and Tunbridge would “undermine the historic character” of surrounding communities and “degrade the area’s natural resources.”

By passing the measure, the House resolved “that this legislative body urges David Hall and the NewVistas Foundation to discontinue plans for the Vermont NewVistas development as proposed and to manage the lands for which they are responsible in accordance with Vermont’s land use goals.”

Hall, for his part, appeared at a hearing on the resolution last month, where he told legislators and area activists that his plans were aligned with Vermont’s eco-friendly priorities and would not be accomplished within his lifetime.

The Vermont House of Representatives’ voice will be heard in Utah, as well, where copies of the resolution are headed to that state’s governor and attorney general.