By Alexandra Leslie | aleslie@nexstar.tv
BURLINGTON, Vt.
In a 10-1 vote, the Burlington City Council has approved the predevelopment agreement for the Burlington Town Center. It moves the project one step closer to construction.
Monday’s City Council meeting ran late, with nearly two hours of public discussion and one hour of discussion from councilors.
One of the biggest concerns was about the height of the building.
“Well, in a perfect world, it would be nice to get the stimulus without going vertical. The center core of Burlington is the place to put this tax generating green development. The small impact by the height of the building will be offset by the benefit of this project,” said Burlington resident Scott Baldwin.
Others, like Burlington resident Lynn Martin, disagreed.
“I see this big building coming and being super imposed on the downtown, and I’m very concerned about how that will change the social climate,” said Martin.
Executive Director of the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission Charlie Baker focused on the benefits of the project.
“The transportation benefits, the street network, the benefits for walking, biking, and right next to the transit center. And finally, the housing benefits, of having thousands of units that are available to the mix of incomes, just all are very important for making our community more sustainable,” said Baker.
Others disagreed, arguing anything that may go wrong with the project could cause far greater problems than any benefits from it.
City Councilor Max Tracy called to postpone the vote until May 16, but was outvoted.
Other city council members, like Sharon Bushor, said while they still had concerns, they were confident in moving forward at Monday night’s meeting.
Don Sinex, owner of the Burlington Town Center, has said following the approval at the City Council meeting, he would begin the permitting process.
A zoning permit still needs approval from the Development Review Board. The Planning Commission needs to review the proposed zoning amendment and return it to the City Council as a draft ordinance for final approval within 120 days. Next, the public would vote to approved the proposed Tax Increment Financing, or TIF, by the City in November. Lastly, a final development agreement would be reviewed and approved by the City Council before construction begins.