Op-Ed: Momentum is not a plan for Waterbury

October 10, 2025  |  By Amy Marshall-Carney

Waterbury is making two major decisions that will shape the town for generations: purchasing the Stanley-Wasson parcel from the State of Vermont for a large-scale housing project, and acquiring another state-owned parcel for flood mitigation.

I appreciate that our Selectboard is looking for ways to make the best use of both properties. Addressing housing and flood resilience together shows initiative. Good intentions alone don’t guarantee positive outcomes, especially when an integrated plan, clear financial modeling, and a long-term view are lacking, turning today’s ambition into tomorrow’s burden. 

The Request for Qualifications for the Wasson site calls for a market-rate, multi-family housing project designed to “maximize development potential.” Yet most of the land sits in the Flood Hazard Overlay District. Meanwhile, the Selectboard hopes to acquire another state parcel to absorb floodwaters.

We’re buying one flood-zone property to build on and another to protect against flooding. It’s ambitious—but ambition without coordination is a risk, not a plan, especially when public funds are at stake.

Waterbury isn’t alone in facing these decisions. Across Vermont, towns that expanded housing faster than they updated infrastructure plans later faced unanticipated costs for water, sewer, schools, and roads—costs that fell to local taxpayers. What looked like growth turned into a long-term expense for taxpayers. The problem wasn’t the housing itself; it was the lack of integrated planning before approval. Locally, 90 more housing units and the pending return of state workers will surely, at a minimum,  increase traffic congestion and public safety concerns. 

The point I assert isn’t to block development; it’s to insist that growth be matched with forethought so that benefits don’t become unexpected liabilities. It costs money to make money—but it costs even more when we skip the planning. That’s the lesson for us.

I believe Waterbury urgently needs affordable housing for the people who already live here—teachers, tradespeople, emergency workers, young families and families trying to stay local. Any plan for Wasson should prioritize housing that serves existing Vermonters first, not as an afterthought. Market-rate units alone won’t meet that need. 

Affordability and sustainability can’t exist without careful, fully informed planning at the ground level. 

Waterbury’s Unified Development Bylaws call for “orderly and coordinated development” that protects public safety. Yet there’s no single lead or framework connecting housing development, infrastructure, and flood management. Some have suggested the town manager could fill that role, but that’s unrealistic and unfair—the position is already stretched managing day-to-day operations. Integrated, long-range, cross-discipline housing and land development planning demands dedicated expertise and clear public accountability. 

Independence isn’t about saying yes or no to change—it’s about making decisions that stand the test of time. Before Waterbury takes its next big step, let’s plan wisely so today’s choices strengthen, not strain, tomorrow.

Amy Marshall-Carney lives in Waterbury Center, where she balances her work as a strategic program management consultant with life as an organic farmer and caregiver for a disabled adult. She chairs the Waterbury Conservation Commission and serves as treasurer for the Waterbury-Stowe Fish & Game Club Foundation, promoting independence, affordability, and sustainability in both her work and community service.