Vol. 41, No. 2, Fall/Winter 2003- "The Pennsylvania Geographer"

MASTER PLAN REVIEW IN RESORT DEVELOPMENT:

THE CASE OF STRATTON MOUNTAIN, VERMONT

Robert M. Sanford

Environmental Science and Policy Program

University of Southern Maine

Hubert B. Stroud

Department of Criminology, Sociology, Social Work and Geography

Arkansas State University

Abstract

Act 250, Vermont's landmark environmental legislation, contains provisions for master plan review of large developments. These provisions allow citizen input into the regulatory process yet also allow development corporations to vest rights of development. This master plan process improves environmental protection while helping the overall planning process to be timely and strategic. This paper describes a case study of master plan review for a large ski resort in southern Vermont, which demonstrates an unusually effective application of planning by a regulatory review agency and a cooperative developer.