Characteristics of Different Rural Areas in Thetford

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1 Characteristics of Different Rural Areas in Thetford Vermont is the most rural state in the United States. You can look it up. According to the Census Bureau, 72.3% of Vermont s population was rural in And Vermont has been getting more rural in recent decades, increasing from 61.5% rural in There are several definitions of rural, and according to all of them Thetford is 100% rural. By one definition, for example, a census-designated place must have more than 500 people per square mile to make the place urban. Thetford had slightly over 2,600 people in about 35 square miles in the whole town in the 2000 census, or just 74 people per square mile. No matter what the definition, Thetford is rural. Just as there are several definitions of what a rural population is, rural areas can have many kinds of characteristics. All rural areas have few people. But all rural areas aren t alike, and, though Thetford is 100% rural, all parts of it are not alike. There are three general types of characteristics that distinguish different kinds of rural areas in Thetford. Natural Characteristics are characteristics such as topography and patterns of forests and fields. Lifestyle Characteristics are characteristics that affect the lives of the people living in the area, such as privacy, access into and out of the area, and commercial activity. Existing Characteristics are characteristics that are now attached to each area, such as location of houses, type of roads, and volume of traffic. Types of Rural Areas in Thetford Look around Thetford, and you ll see many different kinds of rural areas. We ve identified seven distinct kinds, and given them these descriptive names: 1. Village Rural 2. State Highway Rural 3. Main Town Road Rural 4. Dirt Road Rural 5. Back Road Rural 6. Inaccessible Rural 7. New Cul-de-Sac Rural Here is a description of what distinguishes each of the seven areas: Village Rural Areas Village Rural Areas include East Thetford, Thetford Hill, Thetford Center, North Thetford, Post Mills, and Union Village. Characteristics of Different Rural Areas in Thetford February 2010 Page 1 of 6

2 Natural Characteristics of Village Rural Areas. The terrain is generally flat and usually open. All of the Village Rural Areas except Thetford Hill are near rivers. The village areas are typically open, with shade trees. Woods are on the edges of the villages, and most villages end when the woods start and hills rise up. Agricultural uses are on the outskirts of most villages. Lifestyle Characteristics of Village Rural Areas. People who live in Village Rural Areas have more interactions with their neighbors because neighbors are closer and traffic is not as fast as on state highways. In many Village Rural Areas, services are closer, sometimes within walking distance. There is less privacy in Village Rural Areas. House and yard activities are generally visible to the public. In Village Rural Areas, a resident can see perhaps three, five, or more other houses; that is, residents see not only their neighbors, but their neighbors neighbors. Houses have curtains or shades in Village Rural Areas, and they are used. Residents of Village Rural Areas expect to see a variety of people on roads in their village their neighbors, as well as people they don t know. Existing Characteristics of Village Rural Areas. Village Rural Areas are on state highways or main town roads. Houses and other buildings are most dense in the Village Rural Areas. Access into and out of Thetford is easy for residents of Village Rural Areas. Traffic is heaviest in Village Rural Areas because the roads are through roads carrying traffic between towns. Traffic moves quickly in Village Rural Areas because the roads are good, but not as quickly as on the state highways. Most commercial and public activities, such as stores, churches, and schools, are in Village Rural Areas. State Highway Rural Areas State Highway Rural Areas are on the state highways outside of villages. US Route 5, and Vermont Routes 113, 244, and 132 are State Highway Rural Areas. Natural Characteristics of State Highway Rural Areas. There are two kinds of State Highway Rural Areas in Thetford: those that follow the rivers, and those that cross the hills. US Route 5 follows the Connecticut River. Vermont Route 132 follows a branch of the Ompompanoosuc River. Vermont Route 244 crosses the hills from Ely to Post Mills. And Vermont Route 113 crosses the hills from East Thetford to Thetford Center, then follows a branch of the Ompompanoosuc River. Much of the agricultural land in Thetford is near the state highways. The land in the State Highway Rural Areas tends to be more open, with some woods a bit away from the roads. Lifestyle Characteristics of State Highway Rural Areas. Residents of State Highway Rural Areas have the best highway access, both within Thetford and to drive out of Thetford to other towns. There is the easiest access to services and employment for residents of State Highway Rural Areas. State highways have the widest rights-of-way, and more of the area in the rights-of-way is likely to be kept open than along main town roads, dirt roads, and back roads. State Highway Rural Areas are not as private as Main Town Road, Back Road, or Dirt Road Areas because of the volume of traffic passing by. Activities in yards are visible to the traffic passing by. From most houses in State Highway Rural Areas, you Characteristics of Different Rural Areas in Thetford February 2010 Page 2 of 6

3 can see one or more of your neighbors. Residents would have shades or curtains, but might not use them all the time. Commercial and industrial activities are generally on the state highways, so residents may be close to these activities. Neighboring houses may be close, but interaction among neighbors is less than in villages because of the traffic on the highways. It is difficult to walk or run on state highways. Existing Characteristics of State Highway Rural Areas. State highways move traffic between villages and between towns and carry the highest volume of traffic. Along with the most car traffic, state highways carry significant commercial traffic and high-weight traffic that is not permitted to travel on Interstate 91. Older houses were nearly always built close to the state highway. Many newer houses have been built close to the highway, too, but some are built further from the highway. There is a variable density of houses; sometimes houses are quite close, sometimes they are more distant. Main Town Road Rural Areas Main Town Road Rural Areas include Latham Road, Academy Road, Tucker Hill Road, the north end of Godfrey Road, Gove Hill Road, New Boston Road, and the West Fairlee Road. Natural Characteristics of Main Town Road Rural Areas. Main town roads are typically fairly straight and paved. More of the width of their rights-of-way are kept clear than along dirt roads and back roads. More main town roads have hills than do state highways. Main town roads are wide and generally unconstricted. Many have had significant upgrades in the last 30 years. These roads provided access to many farms in years past, so there is quite a bit of open land and land that has grown over in the last 40 years. There are significant wooded areas in Main Town Road Rural Areas. Lifestyle Characteristics of Main Town Road Rural Areas. Main Town Road Rural Areas offer more privacy than State Highway Rural Areas. Compared to state highways, the rights-of-way for the roads are less clear, the roads are not as straight, and there are more trees and woods nearer to the roads. There is good access to other parts of Thetford, and there is good access to the state highways for traveling to other towns. In areas where there has not been sprawl development, houses are more secluded and further apart. Yard activities are not as visible to the passing public. In some Main Town Road Rural Areas, neighbors cannot see each other, but from some houses in such areas it is possible to see one or more of your neighbors. Many residents in Main Town Road Rural Areas don t need to use curtains or shades. It is easier and safer to walk, run, and ride bicycles on main town roads than on most state highways, but not as easy or as safe as on dirt roads or back roads. Existing Characteristics of Main Town Road Rural Areas. Main town roads are comparatively straight, comparatively wide roads for moving traffic to other towns, to the state highways, and within town. Main town roads carry significant intra-town traffic, but the traffic volume is less than that on state highways. Commercial traffic moves on main town roads only to reach individual residences. Older houses in Main Town Road Rural Characteristics of Different Rural Areas in Thetford February 2010 Page 3 of 6

4 Areas are close to the road; many new houses have been built close to the road, too, but some may be farther back from the road. Main Town Road Rural Areas have seen some sprawl development, such as along Godfrey Road and Latham Road. Other than home occupations and agricultural activity, there is not much commercial activity in Main Town Road Rural Areas. Dirt Road Rural Areas Dirt Road Rural Areas can be found on Sawnee Bean Road, the south end of Godfrey Road, Quail John Road, Stevens Road, Rabbit Run Road, Old Stone Road, Burnham Road, Five Corners Road, Barker Road, Schoolhouse Hill Road, Clay Road, Cadwell Road, Sanborn Road, Robinson Hill Road, Quinibeck Road, Cross Road, and Pavilion Road. Natural Characteristics of Dirt Road Rural Areas. The smaller roads in Dirt Road Rural Areas connect these areas to other parts of the town. They go up and down hills and twist around obstructions. They are usually dirt roads, though some, such as Pavilion Road, are paved, and some, such as Sawnee Bean Road are partially paved. Dirt roads are more likely to follow the topography than are main town roads or state highways. There are more woods bordering dirt roads, and the woods are closer to the road. Dirt Road Rural Areas have well-maintained roads because they receive so much use. Lifestyle Characteristics of Dirt Road Rural Areas. Dirt Road Rural Areas offer more privacy than state highways and main town roads. There is also less traffic on dirt roads. There are more trees and narrower cleared areas. The roads in Dirt Road Rural Areas are all roads that go through to other roads, so they provide good access to the bigger collector roads for travel to other towns. But it can also be easier to get back into the woods on dirt roads, for increased privacy. Depending on house location, neighbors may not be able to see each other. Yards are generally more private; houses may not need to use shades or curtains. People walk, run, and bicycle on dirt roads. Residents of Dirt Road Rural Areas expect to see their neighbors walking and riding on the roads. Residents of Dirt Road Rural Areas often have easy access to woods and undeveloped areas. Existing Characteristics of Dirt Road Rural Areas. The roads in Dirt Road Rural Areas all go somewhere; they do not dead-end. As a result, they carry more traffic than do back roads. They have wider cleared areas in their rights-of-way compared to back roads, but not nearly so wide as the cleared parts of the rights-of-way for main town roads or state highways. There is little commercial activity other than home occupations. Back Road Rural Areas Back Road Rural Areas include Pero Hill Road, Houghton Hill Road, Poor Farm Road, Mud Pond Road, the north end of Turnpike Road, the north and south ends of Potato Hill Road, Vaughan Farms Road, Whippoorwill Road, Picknell Road, Garey Road, Apple Tree Road, Colby Road South, Colby Road North, Cream Street, Stowell Road, Jackson Brook Road, Lower Bailey Road, Norford Lake Road, Berger Road, Evans Road, Wilson Road, Ely Road, and Tefft Road. Characteristics of Different Rural Areas in Thetford February 2010 Page 4 of 6

5 Natural Characteristics of Back Road Rural Areas. All of the Back Road Rural Areas listed above are roads that are not through roads. Most turn into unmaintained Class 4 roads; some are dead end roads. These roads used to reach into parts of Thetford that, many years ago, had more activity, or they used to be main roads for connections between villages. Some of these roads were cut off or modified by Interstate 91. Berger Road and Evans Road became dead-end roads when Route 113 was moved to the north in the early 1800s. Other roads fell into disuse because they climbed into difficult terrain. As cars got faster and the main roads got better, it became easier to drive around the difficult terrain than to drive over it. These roads follow the topography, which can be steep, and they can have narrow and twisty parts. Back Road Rural Areas have less of the right-of-way cleared and have shorter sight lines. Because they carry much less traffic, back roads have not been upgraded as regularly in the last 40 years. Back Road Rural Areas often have the woods coming right up to the road. The Back Road Rural Areas are some of the most lightly inhabited parts of Thetford, and there are often large uninhabited areas nearby. Lifestyle Characteristics of Back Road Rural Areas. Back Road Rural Areas are the most private rural areas. People move to these areas to live in the most private parts of Thetford. These areas became Back Road Rural Areas because they led into areas of difficult accessibility. That difficult accessibility continues to make these areas the most private rural areas. Activities in yards and woods are private. Though it is possible to see another house or two in some Back Road Rural Areas, from many houses one cannot see any neighbors houses. People don t need shades or curtains on their windows. People frequently walk and ride bicycles on back roads because traffic is light. Residents of Back Road Rural Areas expect to see their neighbors walking in the roads; sometimes they see others who have driven to the back roads in order to exercise, hunt, or walk their dogs. Existing Characteristics of Back Road Rural Areas. Back Road Rural Areas have roads that are narrow, steep, and twisty. The roads carry only local traffic, so traffic is light and speeds are low. There is little commercial activity in Back Road Rural Areas. Many houses have been built at a distance from the road for privacy. But, as with all roads in Thetford, the oldest houses are right on the road. Inaccessible Rural Areas Inaccessible Rural Areas include Turnpike Road from the interstate underpass through to Turnpike Road North, the middle of Colby Road, the northern part of Whippoorwill Road, the northern part of Poor Farm Road, parts of Picknell Road and Cream Street, and most of Potato Hill Road. Other Inaccessible Rural Areas are those areas where there are not existing roads. Natural Characteristics of Inaccessible Rural Areas. These areas are inaccessible because they are in the steepest, most remote parts of Thetford. The roads that do exist in these areas are Class 4 roads that receive very little maintenance. Characteristics of Different Rural Areas in Thetford February 2010 Page 5 of 6

6 Lifestyle Characteristics of Inaccessible Rural Areas. There are very few residences in these areas. There are some seasonal residences. Any residences are very private because they are so hard to get to. Existing Characteristics of Inaccessible Rural Areas. Inaccessible Rural Areas either have roads that are the most difficult to travel on, or they have no roads at all. New Cul-de-Sacs in Rural Areas Many new cul-de-sacs have been built in the last 40 years, including Cobble Hill Road, Asa Burton Road, Alton Drive, Macs Way, Church Lane, High Ridge Lane, Old Strong Road, Cranberry Hill Road, Ulman Road, Upper Bailey Road, Hauger Road, Apian Way, and O Donnell Road. Natural Characteristics of New Cul-de-Sacs in Rural Areas. Most of the new cul-de-sacs were built by developers to provide access to subdivided lots. Some followed former roads that were revived, such as Cranberry Hill Road and Old Strong Road. Others were built in areas that were convenient to the developer. Some of these new cul-de-sacs were accepted by the Town as public highways up until 35 years ago. Almost no new cul-de-sacs have been accepted as public highways in recent years, and they remain private roads. Lifestyle Characteristics of New Cul-de-Sacs in Rural Areas. New cul-de-sacs are less private because houses are closer together. The houses are often placed in order to accommodate subdivision requirements. If lots are large, such as on Cobble Hill Road, houses can be more private. Where lots are smaller, such as Macs Way and Alton Drive, houses are closer and privacy is similar to that of Village Rural Areas. If the road is a private road, residents of the road must cooperate in maintaining and repairing the road. Existing Characteristics of New Cul-de-sacs in Rural Areas. New cul-de-sacs are typically dead-end dirt roads. They often have wide, clear right-of-way areas. The only traffic is local traffic. Church Lane and Ulman Road have commercial activity, but most have only residential uses. Notes on Writers These comments were written by Dan Grossman and Dana Cook Grossman. Dana has lived her whole life in rural areas. While growing up, Dana lived in Dirt Road Rural, Main Town Road Rural, and Village Rural Areas. In their 38 years in Thetford, Dan and Dana have lived in State Highway Rural, Village Rural, and Back Road Rural Areas. Characteristics of Different Rural Areas in Thetford February 2010 Page 6 of 6