The town of Wilton approved an upgrade for more detailed aerial mapping photos. Franklin County is covering costs for 18-inch orthoimagery mapping, but Wilton opted to purchase a “buy up” for 6-inch resolution photos. Pictured is a comparison between the 18-inch and 6-inch resolution mappings. Screenshot
WILTON — The Wilton Select Board approved funding for orthoimagery mapping (high-resolution aerial photos) for the town at their Feb. 15 meeting.
The orthoimagery program was first approved by the Franklin County Commissioners Jan. 4. The commissioners opted into the program to obtain 18-inch pixel mappings of the entire county conducted by GeoLibrary. The county will cover one-third of the costs (at $40,382) for the 18-inch resolution maps. The remaining two-thirds will be paid for by GeoLibrary.
GeoLibrary’s goal is to “develop reliable, consistent statewide data, promote cost-efficiency, make timelier decisions, reduce unwanted costs [and] promote data sharing.”
The GeoLibrary said that the mapping can be used by the town and private landowners for economic development, parcel mapping, land planning and zoning, emergency management, surveying and mapping, permitting, site analysis, natural resource inventories, etc.
The Select Board approved an upgrade to the program for 6-inch resolution, which will make the mapping more detailed. The upgrade, which costs $8,500, will be paid for by Wilton’s American Rescue Plan Act funding.
The mapping, and subsequent “buy up,” will help the town with shoreland-zoning matters, other code-enforcement related uses, the town’s E911 system and public-safety uses, Town Manager Rhonda Irish said.
The board first heard about the mapping program at the Feb. 1 meeting.
Irish told the board at that meeting she felt the upgrade to the 6-inch was the best for the community.
Other options included 12-inch and 3-inch resolutions. Irish felt the 6-inch was the good midway point, of best use to the town.
The board unanimously approved the buy-up for 6-inch resolution mapping.
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