Parcel Data Now Available in Google Earth-Compatible Format
Have you ever wanted to look at a town’s digital parcel data but you don’t have the necessary GIS software? Now you can look at that data in Google Earth, a popular and free mapping software that many people already have on their computer.
WRC GIS staff have recently converted all available digital parcel data in the Windham Region to “KMZ” files. A KMZ file is a compressed version of a KML, or Keyhole Markup Language file, a file used in Google’s map products.
WRC’s KMZ files include parcel boundaries derived from tax maps, the parcel number, and in most cases land hooks, which are Z-shaped lines that denote common ownership across roads and rivers. Property ownership information, such as the owner’s name, is not included. It's important to mention that this information is not survey-quality; the data show the general location of boundaries as derived from tax maps, but they should not be used to determine actual boundary locations.
We have made available the most current digital parcel data we have, and in some cases these data are quite old. There may be more current tax maps out there, so if you want to be sure you have the most up-to-date information, you’re encouraged to visit the town office.
KMZ files of digital parcel data are available on the WRC website. Go to http://windhamregional.org/gis/parcels, and follow the link to download KMZ files.
Parcel data in ESRI shapefile format is still available, and can be downloaded from VCGI’s web site. Go to http://vcgi.vermont.gov/warehouse/search_tools and type in the keyword “parcels.”
