[suz1023]

Don't forget Jonesville and Bolton as they are both in Chittenden East School District, of which I am a big fan.

[Mediamedusa]

Thanks suz1023!

[URob]

Mediamed, not sure if you were able to make it up to check out Richmond, but as to the grocery question, there is a nice little grocery store right there in Richmond that covers all of the basics. It is right near the railroad tracks. If you want a full-scale supermarket, there is both Hannafords & Shaws in Williston at Tafts Corners (the big box area). They are both probably closer than Essex - Tafts Corners part of Williston is only one exit away from Richmond down the Interstate or straight down Route 2. There is also a little health food store tucked in somewhere behind the big box stores, kind of near Bed, Bath and Beyond.

[URob]

To expand a little more on your original question about comparing communities, you will find long-time residents and transplants in most of these communities. Chittenden County and Burlington are the de facto "growth center" for Vermont, meaning it is where there is the highest concentration of jobs and growth. So transplants move here because if you want to be in Vermont, it's where the jobs are. I live in the penultimate McBurbia of South Burlington that you would think would be filled with nothing but transplants. However, while there are indeed tons of transplants and transient residents (short-term like college & grad students), there are also plenty of people who were born and raised in South Burlington.

If you look at the town boundaries, Williston has a huge back-country to the south and east of Tafts Corners. Very nice residential areas. To Williston's credit, they have had a reckoning of sorts, caused by the explosive growth of the Tafts Corners big-box shopping area. The town residents fought this for literally 2 to 3 decades (going back to the original Pyramid Mall proposals in the late 70's or early 80's) until developer Jeff Davis and his lawyers forced it on the town over their long-time objections. It caused them to get very serious and tighten up their zoning, meaning Tafts Corners area is the designated growth area and the rest of Williston is fairly protected now. And, as much as people object to Jeff Davis, the Tafts Corners area has poured tax money into the town coffers that has helped balance the tax base and provide more money for the schools.

Hinesburg is growing too & like Williston has tried to strategically locate the growth. It is more walkable village center. Also Hinesburg has Lake Iroquois, nice summer swimming area. Good central location with easy access to Burlington, Williston, and Addison County points south (Bristol, Middlebury).

Charlotte has done lots of strategic town planning and has large amounts of permanently protected/conserved open space. In addition, they have seen that the supposed tradeoff of increasing density in some places to save large open tracts of land in others does not always work. Developers always want more and then use the precedent of the increased density to then attack the land zoned for open space. This happened in South Burlington when developer Jim MacDonald (JAM Golf) did a large McMansion development next to a nice golf course he built. He then sued So.Burl. to further develop land that was zoned for natural resources protection and the town chose to give him what he wanted instead of defending the zoning (i.e., "settle" by making wetlands that could not have been developed under Act 250 anyway the new "open space" and let JAM Golf build where they wanted). So Charlotte has stuck with the 5 and 10 acre lot zoning that is a uniform standard that cannot be attacked in court, as well as private septic, private water, etc. which limits growth and puts it on the homeowner to provide infrastructure. This also balances the taxes because the town is not responsible for maintaining sewer, water, etc. The Charlotte town plan revisions may allow for Greenbush Rd./Old Brick Store village area to grow a little bit more and have some slightly more dense development in the long term but nothing like South Burlington or Tafts Corners.

Current town plan and selectboard leadership in Shelburne is in favor of continued growth and suburbanization, although it is much less dense than South Burlington so far and somewhat upscale. More "slow and steady" growth than explosive. There has been big debate about extending town water, sewer, natural gas lines, into more rural Shelburne, east of the village.

Richmond has struggled over its zoning recently, with voter proposals to strategically designate growth areas defeated the last few years in favor of a more live and let live approach. Richmond growth is naturally happening in the village area anyway so doesn't seem to be an issue there. Richmond has Cochran's ski area, which is great place for kids to learn. Great walkable downtown, local restaurants, the beautiful historic Round Church. Good auto mechanic, Mann & Machine (former Washburn's). Good location on highway and central to Burlington and Montpelier.

I don't know anything about Jericho's town planning and zoning. They have preserved some nice parks and some were donated to the town. If you live in Jericho, you will do more shopping in Essex. Jericho is part of same school district as Richmond and Underhill. Nice proximity to Mt. Mansfield State Park in Underhill if you like hiking and camping. Jericho has 3 village areas, 1 close to Essex on Rt. 15; Jericho Center, which has the town green, library, general store (pretty much quintessential picture of traditional Vermont); and another area closer to Underhill.

Completely anecdotal based on people we know, but all of the towns you mentioned have a mix of people in them, even Charlotte and Shelburne. I.e., police officers, teachers, state and federal government workers, childcare teachers, landscapers, as well as small to medium-size business owners & professionals like doctors, lawyers, college professors, accountants, architects, nurses, plus retirees.