Vermont Zoning GIS Data Standard

Purpose

This data standard does the following:

Defines a data framework for using GIS to digitally map municipal zoning district information
Enables an up-to-date geographical representation of zoning districts as amendments occur
Enables archival and retrieval of historical or prior zoning information
Provides a data framework that supports data integrity, spatial reliability, and appropriate data use
Specifies uniform zoning data that can be used to meet local and municipal business needs
Specifies a process to intake zoning map data from Regional Planning Commissions to be integrated into a statewide municipal zoning dataset to be shared publicly as an open data resource.

Scope

Standard computer field names, codes, categories, and formats for spatial records of zoning in Vermont as stewarded by Vermont's Regional Planning Commissions (RPC's) and aggregated by the State of Vermont.

Applicability

Compliance with this standard is recommended for any municipal, regional, state, federal, or non-governmental data manager who creates or updates geospatial data describing zoning in Vermont. This standard, however, primarily pertains to zoning maps as created and maintained by Municipalities, non-governmental data managers or contractors, or Regional Planning Commissions (RPC's), reviewed and aggregated by the State of Vermont.

Specifications

Data Format

The zoning map data set must be stored and maintained within a version 10.x or higher geodatabase, a geopackage, or a set of 1 or more shapefiles. It can be served via any suitable format/protocol-e.g., ArcGIS Online feature layer, REST, etc.

Schema

Domains

District Type (DIST_TYPE)

Further information on district types is available in the following state statutes: 24 V.S.A. § 4414 and 24 V.S.A. § 2791.

Regional Planning Commissions (RPC)

2-character codes representing Regional Planning Commissions from the most current Vermont Geographic Area Names and Codes Standard are to be used. As of October 2025, these are:

Treatment Types

The domain values below apply to the following fields: ADUDP, ADUS, PRDDP, PRD_MHP, UT1, UT2, UT3, UT4, UT5.

GEOID (GEOID)

Data will be assigned unique identifiers per the Vermont Geographic Area Names and Codes Standard by ANR/ACCD GIS support staff upon submittal to the State. A concurrent update to the Names and Codes standard is expected and will add a new code type to reflect a concatenation of TOWNGEOID and VILLGEOID fields, likely to be called TVGEOID. This new field will likely be the code to use for zoning geometries that intersect administrative jurisdictions, enabling stable identification of applicable jurisdictions.

Combined Town/Village Codes

Spatial Reference

The future land use map data set, in its master-copy form, must be in the current version of Vermont State Plane Coordinate System. When the data set is exported or copied for provision to external entities, its spatial reference properties must be set (e.g., shapefiles must have .prj files).

Submittals

The zoning map submission guidelines to be followed by the Regional Planning Commissions will come from the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD).

Naming

Layers that compose a zoning map dataset must meet the following naming convention specification. Each zoning map dataset should be named as:

[RPCCODE]_ZONINGMAP_poly_SP_[YYYY]

Metadata

When the future land use map data set is exported or copied for provision to external entities in file form (e.g., file geodatabase), it must be accompanied by metadata that conforms to the Vermont GIS Metadata Standard.

The metadata abstract or the ArcGIS Online hosted feature layer’s item summary and description must have conspicuous content that indicates the adoption date of the regional plan if applicable, approval date by the LURB, and the status that the data set models. See information in the data fields section for more information on status.

Cartographic Presentation

When cartographically presenting zoning areas on a map, symbolization by DIST_TYPE should be done according to the color codes for each category listed below.

DIST_TYPE	HEX #	Reason
Downtown	#B2182b	Commercial (variations of red)
Village Center	#EF3B2C	Commercial (variations of red)
New Town Center	#FC9272	Commercial (variations of red)
Growth Center Districts	#FDAE6B	Commercial (variations of red)
Agricultural	#238B45	Agriculture
Rural Residential	#FFF0C8	Residence or accommodation functions
Forest	#006D2C	Forestry
Recreational Districts	#ADDD8E	Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation
Other: Neighborhood	#FED976	Residence or accommodation functions
Airport Hazard Area	#969696	Transportation, communication, information, utilities
Shorelands	#4292C6	Regulated areas around water
Design Review Districts	#D8568F	Distinction from the rest
Local Historic Districts and Landmarks	#FBB4C3	Distinction from the rest
Buffers	#9ECAE1	Protect public safety, habitat, waterways
Other: Commercial	#FEE5D9	Commercial (variations of red)
Other: Industrial	#6A51A3	Manufacturing and wholesale trade
Other	#D9D9D9	General for other

Data Template

VCGI provides data templates that can be used as starting points for utilizing this standard. A data template will be available here shortly after the final standard is approved by the EGC.

Updates and History

Date	Notes
March 11, 2026	Minor clarifications to fields and field descriptions per RPC request.
November 12, 2025	Version 2.0 / 2025 Version adopted by the VT Enterprise GIS Consortium
October 8, 2025	Version 2.0 / 2025 - Draft for Enterprise GIS Consortium review and open to 30 day public comment
September 4, 2025	Version 2.0 abbreviated schema agreed upon by RPC's, DHCD, VCGI building on National Zoning Atlas (NZA) efforts.
December 12, 2018	Version 1.2.2 adopted by the EGC (Enterprise GIS Consortium)

Statutory Authority

The Vermont Center for Geographic Information (VCGI) has the statutory authority to craft and adopt Vermont GIS standards and guidelines. The State’s Enterprise GIS Consortium (EGC) has been established as the organization responsible for reviewing and approving Vermont GIS standards crafted by VCGI (in collaboration with the Vermont GIS Community). The standard will be adopted according to the EGC Procedure.