HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - Planning Commission - 07/18/2023South Burlington Planning Commission
180 Market Street
South Burlington, VT 05403
(802) 846-4106
www.southburlingtonvt.gov
Special Meeting Tuesday, July 18, 2023
Allard Square Community Room, 146 Market Street
7:00 pm
Members of the public may attend in person or digitally via GoToMeeting. Participation Options:
In Person: Allard Square Community Room, 146 Market Street
Interactive Online: https://meet.goto.com/SBCity/pc-2023-07-18
Phone: (571) 317-3122; Access Code: 443-045-485;
AGENDA:
1. Welcome, instructions on exiting the building in the event of an emergency (7:00 pm)
2. Agenda: Additions, deletions, or changes in order of agenda items (7:02 pm)
3. Open to the public for items not related to the agenda (7:03 pm)
4. Announcements and staff report (7:05 pm)
5. Election of Officers for FY ’24: Chair, Vice Chair, Clerk; and set regular meeting dates & times (7:15 pm)
6. *City Plan 2024: Full Draft – Continued discussion of Proposed Commissioner Additions or Changes (7:25
pm)
7. Minutes: June 13, 2023 (8:50 pm)
8. Other Business (8:55 pm)
a. Town of Williston Proposed Amendments to the Williston Unified Development Bylaw, public
hearing on July 20, 2023
9. Adjourn (9:00 pm)
Respectfully submitted,
Kelsey Peterson, City Planner
* item has attachments
South Burlington Planning Commission Virtual Meeting Public Participation Guidelines
1. The Planning Commission Chair presents these guidelines for the public attending Planning Commission meetings to ensure
that everyone has a chance to speak and that meetings proceed smoothly.
2. In general, keep your video off and microphone on mute. Commission members, staff, and visitors currently presenting /
commenting will have their video on.
3. Initial discussion on an agenda item will generally be conducted by the Commission. As this is our opportunity to engage with
the subject, we would like to hear from all commissioners first. After the Commission has discussed an item, the Chair will ask
for public comment.
4. Please raise your hand identify yourself to be recognized to speak and the Chair will try to call on each participant in sequence.
To identify yourself, turn on your video and raise your hand, if participating by phone you may unmute yourself and verbally
state your interest in commenting, or type a message in the chat.
5. Once recognized by the Chair, please identify yourself to the Commission.
6. If the Commission suggests time limits, please respect them. Time limits will be used when they can aid in making sure
everyone is heard and sufficient time is available for Commission to complete the agenda.
7. Please address the Chair. Please do not address other participants or staff or presenters and please do not interrupt others
when they are speaking.
8. Make every effort not to repeat the points made by others. You may indicate that you support a similar viewpoint. Indications
of support are most efficiently added to the chat.
9. The Chair will make reasonable efforts to allow all participants who are interested in speaking to speak once to allow other
participants to address the Commission before addressing the Commission for a second time.
10. The Planning Commission desires to be as open and informal as possible within the construct that the Planning Commission
meeting is an opportunity for commissioners to discuss, debate and decide upon policy matters. Regular Planning Commission
meetings are not “town meetings”. A warned public hearing is a fuller opportunity to explore an issue, provide input and
influence public opinion on the matter.
11. Comments may be submitted before, during or after the meeting to the Planning and Zoning Department. All written
comments will be circulated to the Planning Commission and kept as part of the City Planner's official records of meetings.
Comments must include your first and last name and a contact (e-mail, phone, address) to be included in the record. Email
submissions are most efficient and should be addressed to the Director of Planning and Zoning at pconner@sburl.com and
Chair at jlouisos@sburl.com.
12. The Chat message feature is new to the virtual meeting platform. The chat should only be used for items specifically related to
the agenda item under discussion. The chat should not be used to private message Commissioners or staff on policy items, as
this pulls people away from the main conversation underway. Messages on technical issues are welcome at any time. The Vice-
Chair will monitor the chat and bring to the attention of Commissioners comments or questions relevant to the discussion. Chat
messages will be part of the official meeting minutes.
13. In general discussions will follow the order presented in the agenda or as modified by the Commission.
14. The Chair, with assistance from staff, will give verbal cues as to where in the packet the discussion is currently focused to help
guide participants.
15. The Commission will try to keep items within the suggested timing published on the agenda, although published timing is a
guideline only. The Commission will make an effort to identify partway through a meeting if agenda items scheduled later in
the meeting are likely not be covered and communicate with meeting participants any expected change in the extent of the
agenda. There are times when meeting agendas include items at the end that will be covered “if time allows”.
180 Market Street South Burlington, VT 05403 tel 802.846.4106 fax 802.846.4101 www.sb vt.gov
MEMORANDUM
TO: South Burlington Planning Commission
FROM: Kelsey Peterson, City Planner
Paul Conner, Director of Planning & Zoning
SUBJECT: Planning Commission Meeting Memo
DATE: For July 18, 2023 Special Planning Commission meeting
PLEASE NOTE: THIS MEETING WILL BE HELD AT ALLARD SQUARE, 146 MARKET
STREET, NEXT DOOR TO CITY HALL
1. Welcome, instructions on exiting the building in the event of an emergency
2. Agenda: Additions, deletions or changes in order of agenda items
3. Open to the public for items not related to the agenda
4. Announcements and staff report
5. Election of Officers; Set Regular Meeting Date & Time
Per the Council’s committee policy, annually in the meeting following appointments, each Committee
should elect their officers. Staff omitted this action from your July 11th meeting; Commissioner are invited to
do this on Tuesday, or if needed, table to action to July 25th as you do have 2 members absent on 7/18.
Staff will briefly take over this portion of the meeting to facilitate election of the Chair. Staff will invite
nominations and, after all nominations are made, will ask if those nominated would be willing to serve if
elected. The Commission may then either take action with a motion & second on a candidate, or may have a
general discussion. Typically the motion and votes are taken by voice vote but upon request of a majority of
the Commission, staff can facilitate this as a paper ballot with all nominated candidates being eligible. Once
a majority of the Commission has voted for a single candidate, that person will be chair.
The newly elected chair will then facilitate the election of vice-chair and clerk.
Following this action, the Commission can move and vote on its regular meeting dates, times, and location.
The current schedule of regular meetings is the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month at 7:00 pm at City Hall,
except as modified by the annual calendar.
6. City Plan 2024: Full Draft – Proposed Commissioner Additions or Changes
This meeting is to continue the discussion from July 11th. The same draft memo and Plan from that meeting
is included for your convenience.
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7. Minutes: June 13, 2023
See enclosed. No changes from your prior packet
8. Other Business
Williston Bylaw amendments. These were included in full in the Commission’s July 11 packet. See here for a
link to the materials:
https://bit.ly/willistonbylaw2023
9. Adjourn
WORKING DRAFT
JULY 6, 2023
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduc�on .................................................................................................................................... 2
People & Popula�on ..................................................................................................................... 10
Housing ......................................................................................................................................... 14
Economy ........................................................................................................................................ 20
Energy ........................................................................................................................................... 25
Environment .................................................................................................................................. 32
Transporta�on ............................................................................................................................... 41
Community, History, & Culture ..................................................................................................... 48
Recrea�on ..................................................................................................................................... 51
Community Services ..................................................................................................................... 55
Water & U�li�es............................................................................................................................ 64
Land Use Plan ................................................................................................................................ 70
APPENDIX A: ACT 174 ENHANCED ENERGY PLAN ADDITIONAL TARGET DATA ............................ 94
APPENDIX B: ACT 174 ENHANCED ENERGY PLAN EQUITY ASSESSMENT ................................... 101
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Introduc�on
Entering 2024, South Burlington is at an historic inflec�on point. We are facing the existen�al threat of a
global climate crisis with ramifica�ons that touch every corner of the planet. Reducing greenhouse gas
emissions, protec�ng our natural resources, and building community resiliency are cri�cal to the future
of our city and our world.
We a re also facing a housing crisis locally and na�onally, leaving all types of households struggling to find
adequate shelter; and a crisis of community, from physical and mental health to disconnectedness to
income dispari�es.
We face these challenges all at once. We are engaged, op�mis�c, and ready to meet these challenges
head on. While the causes and complete solu�ons extend far beyond our borders, we know that
leadership, innova�on, and ac�on must start locally.
City Plan 2024 is an expression of our values as a community, our goals for the future, and the high-level
ac�ons we have iden�fied meet these goals. The overriding objec�ve of this Plan is to make every policy
decision through the lens of climate resilience and reduc�on in greenhouse gas emissions.
• Climate-Resilient. Prioritize goals that mitigate climate change impacts and reduce greenhouse gas
emissions to keep the City safe. Emphasize sustainability by rapidly shifting our energy profile to
renewable and carbon-free sources and increasing energy efficiency. Promote clean air, clean water,
historic conservation, environmental conservation, and recreational space for all residents.
South Burlington also holds high the following values, in every ac�on we take as a community.
• Inclusive, Fair, and Just. Be equity-oriented, transparent, and fiscally responsible in governance.
Support high quality of life, public safety, housing affordability, and education for people of varying
incomes, lifestyles, and stages of life.
• Thoughtful and Sustainable Built Environment. Invest in a welcoming and walkable built
environment, thriving neighborhoods, and a vibrant, pedestrian-oriented City Center. Build
community through housing, parks, facilities, and infrastructure. Support a safe, resilient, and varied
transportation system that promotes our built areas.
• Collaborative and Engaged. Be a leader and collaborator in the regional and statewide community.
Support the City’s role as an economic engine for Vermont by encouraging community businesses
and local job creation. Make decisions considering future implications on tomorrow’s South
Burlington, Chittenden County, and Vermont.
South Burlington is now Vermont’s second-most populous city and its third-largest employment center.
We provide ameni�es and parks serving all of northwest Vermont and beyond. We offer some of the
most significant educa�on, transporta�on, healthcare, and manufacturing facili�es in the State. We are
home to working lands, to delicate ecosystems, and to networks of wildlife habitat.
Through consistent effort spanning several decades, our built environments have been evolving. Strip
commercial development along Shelburne and Williston Roads, built in an era priori�zing movement in
cars, is transi�oning site by site into an environment oriented towards people. On Market Street, a long-
held vision for crea�ng a dynamic downtown is being realized. Historically single and two family
neighborhoods, built during or shortly a�er World War II, are being reinvigorated by the ideas and
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energy of their third genera�on of residents. Fully half of our city’s residents now live in mul�-family
buildings. Key businesses con�nue to grow and invest in the next genera�on of innova�ons in
technology and medical treatment.
Our natural resources are growing in their resiliency. The City has applied a palate of tools, regulatory
and non-regulatory, to iden�fy and conserve wildlife and working lands at both the landscape and
resource level. Over �me these efforts will con�nue to strengthen the connec�vity between human and
natural environments.
We’re changing. There are more of us, with a popula�on now exceeding 20,000. We are becoming more
diverse, with those iden�fying as non-white or two or more races making up 70% of our popula�on
increase in the past decade. We’re trending slightly younger, owed to growth in our aged 20-35
popula�on. And we’re increasingly becoming a cultural hub, with regionally-based faith groups, arts
organiza�ons, community groups, and more establishing their headquarters here.
This Plan represents both a con�nua�on and an accelera�on of the policies that have guided our
community for the past thirty years. In the eight years since the 2016 Comprehensive Plan was adopted,
a great deal has changed in our community and beyond. The core values embodied by this Plan were
evaluated and found to be on the right track, needing mainly to be said more clearly and with the
urgency of addressing the challenges we face directly.
We recognize that there is a tremendous amount of work to be done. This Plan embraces ambi�ous
science-based targets laid out in the City’s first-ever Climate Ac�on Plan, adopted in 2022, sets clear and
far-reaching goals for housing, for the movement of people, for equity, for our natural environment, and
for building a strong sense of community are paired with specific ac�ons to be undertaken during the
next decade as we reach towards our vision of sustainability, vitality, and human well-being.
How to Use This Plan
This Plan includes background informa�on, analysis, and future policies divided by topic areas, by land
use types, and where applicable, by physical area of the city. Each sec�on includes specific Goals and
Ac�ons and an “Inventory, Analysis, & Challenges” sec�on discussing the topic or land use subject. The
Goals are the benchmarks that we will measure progress by over �me. The Ac�ons are specific steps to
take to reach the Goals. The Ac�ons are not paired with specific Goals, as Ac�ons may support several
Goals and several Ac�ons support each Goal. The Future Land Use sec�on and accompanying map
describe the City’s long-range vision for land use across the city.
Si�ng atop each of these sec�ons and all Goals and Ac�on is the City’s Vision statement. The four values
expressed in this vision statement are intended to be applied together and are the founda�on of the
analyses, Goals and Ac�ons of each sec�on.
All parts of this Plan are used to guide City policy in the coming years, communicate the City’s long-range
vision to the public and neighboring municipali�es, support grant and other funding applica�ons, and to
indicate the City’s policy inten�ons in other regulatory processes.
Authority and Purpose
The authority to prepare and implement the comprehensive plan is granted to the city through the
Vermont Planning and Development Act, Title 24 of the Vermont Statutes Annotated, Chapter 117.
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Under 24 V.S.A. § 4382, the City is required to include several elements in its municipal plan, including,
but not limited to, a land use plan and series of maps, a transporta�on plan, a u�lity and facility plan, a
statement of natural, scenic, and historic resource protec�on, educa�onal facili�es plan, energy plan,
housing element, economic development element, and a flood resilience plan, plus accompanying
policies and maps.
This Plan also serves as the city’s enhanced energy plan as enabled by 24 V.S.A. § 4352, including the
requisite planning, greenhouse gas reduc�on, and renewable energy goals and ac�ons contained
therein.
Topic Sec�ons
The Plan includes nine topic-focused sec�ons: Housing; Economy; Energy; Environment; Transporta�on;
Community, History & Culture; Recrea�on; Community Services & Facili�es; and Water & Public U�li�es.
Each discusses the proac�ve policies of the City in the coming years to beter South Burlington in each
topic area. The sec�ons have considerable overlap with one another. Efforts have been made to cross-
reference to other sec�ons when topics are more fully discussed elsewhere, but it is impossible to
reference every overlapping topic. All topic sec�ons include the threads of the four vision statements
that drive City policy.
Land Use & Future Land Use Map
This Plan describes six land use types that share similari�es in current land use but more importantly are
envisioned to be similar in the future. Different parts of the city included in a Land Use Type may require
different investment, policy change, or planning to achieve the long-range vision, and the areas will likely
have visual differences, but they are similar enough in type to group together. The inten�on of shi�ing
discussion to land use types from focusing solely on geographic areas is to highlight the similari�es
between areas of the city that may be divided by geography but would benefit from similar vision and
policy moving forward.
Land Use Types are divided by intended type of use and by scale of build out. Full descrip�ons of these
areas are in the Future Land Use sec�on of this Plan.
• Principally Residential: Low-Scale
• Principally Residential: Higher-Scale
• Balanced, High-Scale Mixed-Use
• Commercial with Supporting Uses
• Principally Non-Residential
• Conservation
The Future Land Use Plan is accompanied by Future Land Use Map. This map reflects the overall goals of
the City and to balance the various objec�ves and strategies of this Plan. The land use types are the
organizing feature of the Future Land Use Map. The features on this map are purposefully blended so as
not to focus on a specific parcel or delinea�on between land use features. That level of specificity is le�
to the Official Zoning Map.
The purpose of the future land use map is not to define residen�al building density or enumerate the
specific figures for other factors of land development intensity, but to provide guidance to the related
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Land Development Regula�ons, such that the distribu�on and rela�ve effect of these developments is in
keeping with the City’s overall goals.
The Future Land Use Plan also discusses key planning issues that are may be specific to one or another
part of these City. Five broadly defined planning areas are iden�fied and assessed.
Stakeholder Par�cipa�on
The development of this Plan is the culmina�on of a planning process that build directly on the 2016
Comprehensive Plan and began when that Plan was published. Since 2016, the City has undertaken
numerous studies, convened task forces, and con�nued City planning as the City has evolved. The work
since 2016 has involved significant public par�cipa�on, work of the City’s numerous volunteer policy
commitees, Planning Commission, and City Council, feedback from the Development Review Board,
engagement with our local, regional and statewide community, and opera�ons and policy work by City
staff. Hundreds of stakeholders have contributed in the years leading up to publica�on of this Plan
through direct input in the Plan process, but also in public processes, outreach, and volunteer
commitees for other plans and policy decisions.
Most recently, the City Council and Planning Commission worked together in the summer and fall of
2022 to evaluate the vision statements from the 2016 Comprehensive Plan. Through their joint work, the
Council and Commission advanced a dra� set of four Value statements that have guided the
development of this Plan.
Beginning in the fall of 2022, the City’s policy commitees were invited to provide ini�al feedback on the
big, policy-scale opportuni�es and challenges for South Burlington. These commitees are the Affordable
Housing Commitee, Bicycle & Pedestrian Commitee, Common Areas for Dogs Commitee, Economic
Development Commitee, Energy Commitee, Library Board of Trustees, Natural Resources &
Conserva�on Commitee, Public Art Commitee, Recrea�on & Parks Commitee, and the Sextons. Seven
of these commitees hosted sessions of the Community Conversa�on series.
Concurrent to the ini�al commitee feedback, staff met with each City Department to collect feedback in
their areas exper�se and learn from their interac�ons with different and broad segments of our
community.
Direct public outreach on the Plan itself took place in the winter of 2023, first with an online poll,
followed by with an eleven-session Community Conversa�on series, and an open-ended webform. These
avenues for feedback were publicized through the City’s website, pos�ngs in City Hall, publica�on in The
Other Paper, and adver�sement through Front Porch Forum, alongside word of mouth by commitee
members. The professionally-facilitated Community Conversa�on series consisted of seven topic-focused
sessions and four area-focused sessions. In total, approximately 250 people par�cipated in the
Community Conversa�on series, 300 responded to the poll, and about a dozen submited addi�onal
comments.
Throughout this phase, City staff met with stakeholders in the community, including community groups,
residents, and business owners to gather feedback.
The Planning Commission reviewed each sec�on of this Plan individually and as a part of the whole
document in the winter and spring of 2023. City policy commitees reviewed and provided feedback on
the first dra� of sec�ons relevant to their roles and provided ideas for Goals and Ac�ons. Through July
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and August 2023, the Planning Commission discussed and sought public comment on the full dra� Plan
before moving it for formal public hearing.
Notable Changes
The 2024 Plan con�nues much of the general policy direc�on adopted in the 2016 Comprehensive Plan,
but does reframe, tweak, and modify policy throughout to reflect current condi�ons and changes in City
priori�es since 2016 and, as described in the introduc�on, push the topic areas further forward. Each
topic sec�on includes Goals and Ac�ons to guide work in the coming years and decades.
Notably, the Plan increases the City’s emphasis on the climate crisis and takes a stronger stance on how
we need to act moving forward to both mi�ga�on climate change itself and to counter the effects of a
changing climate. The Plan also places greater emphasis on inclusivity and equity throughout, including
through governance structures, through how we undertake daily decision making. Perhaps most
importantly, this Plan speaks more directly about building community in all the small and big ways that
takes place. These were themes that were brought up repeatedly through the community outreach.
Finally, as South Burlington has grown it is no longer feasible (or beneficial) for all details of the City’s
policy direc�on to be included in the City Plan. The inten�on, as is noted throughout this Plan, is to
create and use a series of other subject-specific and poten�ally area-specific plans to analyze, study, and
discuss the policies in more detail and to set specific ac�on steps. An example is the 2022 Climate Ac�on
Plan, whose carbon targets are incorporated into this plan but whose High Impact Ac�ons and
Suppor�ng Ac�ons are referenced only together as a group, not re-stated in this Plan.
Implementa�on
The City can use many tools and techniques to implement the City Plan. Specific mechanisms for
implementa�on are iden�fied throughout the other sec�ons of this plan. The �ming and funding of the
following tasks will be determined by the annual Policy Priori�es and budget processes.
The Municipal Budget
The annual budget is the among the most significant policy tools the City has. Each year, the City Council
approves and submits to the voters for their considera�on a budget that reflects the overall investment
and policy priori�es of the City. This includes the general fund and enterprise funds and may include
special bond votes or funds established for specific purposes.
Policy Priorities and Strategies
The City Council each year, in consulta�on with staff and its commitees, prepares and adopts its policy
priori�es and strategies for the coming year.
Land Development Regulations
Zoning and subdivision regula�ons control the use of land and structures as allowed by 24 vsa chapter
117. Several op�onal tools under zoning and subdivision are allowed by state statute including zoning
and overlay districts, site plan and condi�onal use standards, performance standards, form based code
inspired standards, inclusionary zoning, planned unit development, and transfer of development rights.
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Official Map
The official map is a local bylaw enabled by state legisla�on which reserves land for streets, recrea�on
paths, drainage, parks, schools and other public facili�es. The city’s official map should be reviewed and
revised where appropriate in the context of this plan.
Municipal Ordinances
Mul�ple municipal ordinances are used to implement the comprehensive plan. Among those most
closely related to land use include, but are not limited to, the sign ordinance, ordinance regula�ng the
use of public and private sanitary sewerage, peddlers ordinance, backyard chicken ordinance, control
and preven�on of fire ordinance, public nuisance ordinance, tree ordinance, and impact fee ordinance.
Land/Property Interest Acquisition
The acquisi�on of land implements several goals and recommenda�ons such as the construc�on of
public facili�es including parkland, schools, sewer and water facili�es, roads and recrea�on paths.
Capital Budget and Program
The City maintained a capital budget and program in accordance with 24 vsa sec�on 4426. The capital
budget, the principal guide for public spending, describes the capital projects to be undertaken during
the coming fiscal year, including the es�mated costs and method of financing. The capital program is a
ten-year plan describing the capital projects to be undertaken during this �meframe and is updated
annually.
Impact Fees
The City has adopted an impact fee program in accordance with 24 vsa chapter 131. Impact fees are a
means by which developments are required to pay for their “fair share” of public capital expenditures
needed as a result of their development.
Tax Increment Financing
The City has designated city center as a tax increment financing (�f) district. In �f districts, the cost of
infrastructure improvements are funded through the tax revenue generated by new development within
the district which benefits from such improvements.
Special Assessment Districts
Special assessment districts are designated areas in which property owners are charged to cover the
costs of installing capital improvements from which the property owners will exclusively benefit. Typical
improvements funded by special assessment include water and sewer service, stormwater
infrastructure, sidewalk construc�on and street improvements.
Regional, State and Federal Coordination
The City will con�nue to cooperate with regional, state and federal en��es and agencies as necessary to
further the goals and policies of this plan. Regional partners include the Chitenden County Regional
Planning Commission, Chitenden Solid Waste District, Champlain Water District, Greater Burlington
Industrial Corpora�on, Lake Champlain Chamber of Commerce, , Green Mountain Transit, and may many
more.
Ongoing Planning and Studies
The City will con�nue to update the city plan as required by 24 vsa sec�on 4387. This plan includes
recommenda�ons for future ac�on and studies to be undertaken to help implement its overall goals.
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Other Non-Regulatory Tools
The City has has a host of tools to engage in non-regulatory programs and ini�a�ves. These can include,
but are not limited to, funding programs, educa�on, community engagement, op�onal standards, and
other incen�ves for certain outcomes. There is significant room for addi�onal innova�on here.
Background
Loca�on.
The City of South Burlington covers approximately 10,600 acres in the western part of Chitenden
County. It is bounded to the northwest by Burlington, the most populous city in Vermont. The Winooski
River is the northern boundary between South Burlington, Colchester, Essex, and Essex Junc�on. To the
east, Muddy Brook runs the en�re length of South Burlington and connects the city to Williston.
Shelburne bounds the city on the south. The southwest sec�on of the city lies on Lake Champlain with 2
¼ miles of shoreline.
History.
South Burlington’s loca�on and natural resources have made the area naturally suited to occupa�on by
humans for thousands of years. Archaeological evidence suggests human popula�ons occupied the area
as early as 8000 BC. The City’s area is included within tradi�onal territory of the N’dakina/Abenaki and
Wabanaki. Beginning in the 18th century, colonizing Europeans setled in the area now called South
Burlington. Construc�on of the Winooski Turnpike (now Williston Road) and a stagecoach route along
what is now Hinesburg Road created a transporta�on hub in the early years of the 19th century.
Many early public services and u�li�es were shared with Burlington, which became the financial and
service center of the area. In 1865, South Burlington and Burlington separated, with South Burlington
remaining a largely agrarian area. Summer tourism came with the railroad along Lake Champlain and
Queen City Park became a popular des�na�on.
With the automobile, development shi�ed to major roads like Williston Road and in 1919, work began
on the airport (now Leahy Burlington Interna�onal Airport). Post-World War II economic expansion
brought rapid commercial/industrial and residen�al development. Between 1940 and 1950, the city’s
popula�on more than doubled. Between 1950 and 1960, the popula�on doubled again.
South Burlington adopted zoning in 1947. Municipal water services from Burlington was extended along
Williston Road. Businesses sprang up along Williston Road and Shelburne Road. Farmland nearby was
quickly converted to dense development.
South Burlington formally was granted city status in 1971 and 2015 marked the community’s 150th
anniversary.
Current.
South Burlington is a regional employment, trade, housing, and transporta�on center. South Burlington
is located at a transporta�on nexus between road, path, and air, including Vermont’s largest airport and
direct access to Interstates 89 (I-89) and 189 (I-189). Large employers include large manufacturers,
engineering firms, the University of Vermont Medical Center, the school system, and the numerous
consumer-oriented retail establishments.
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The city’s popula�on is growing and diversifying. As a city of over 20,000 people facing a climate crisis,
land use paterns need to shi� to being more dense and more focused in areas served by bike/ped and
transit infrastructure. These subjects are assessed extensive throughout this plan.
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People & Popula�on
Our popula�on directly impacts how we govern our city and how we can help the community thrive.
Changes in total popula�on affect our community, but changes in demographics are also important to
understand how South Burlington can thrive into the future. Household income levels and geographic
distribu�on across the city also affect how we allocate resources equitably.
The 2020 US Census tracts map closely onto four planning areas in the city: Northwest area and City
Center, Northeast, Southeast, and Southwest. These tracts are not exactly the same as the planning
areas, but are close and do provide useful insight into how our city varies.
Popula�on Goals
• Anticipate and prepare for an average annual population growth rate of approximately 1-1.5%,
and a housing growth rate of 1.5-2%.
Popula�on Ac�ons
• Monitor the rate of population growth, changing demographics, and land use development for
consideration in allocation of City resources and improving public outreach
• Monitor household income over time in our four populated US Census tracts for consideration
in allocation of City resources and improving public outreach
Popula�on Inventory, Analysis, & Challenges
South Burlington is the second largest municipality by popula�on in Vermont and is growing faster than
the state as a whole. The 2020 US Census counted 20,292 people living in South Burlington, a 13.3%
increase from 2010’s inventory of 17,904 residents. Vermont’s popula�on grew by 17,336 from 2010-
202: a 2.77% increase. Over the past decades, South Burlington has gained popula�on by an average 1-
1.5% annually, which appears to be con�nuing.
Age distribu�on
The table below shows a breakdown of popula�on change by age category.
Age
Category
Total
Population,
2010
% of Total
Population,
2010
Total
Population,
2020
% of Total
Population,
2020
Change,
2010-
2020
Share of
population
increase
All Ages 17904 - 20292 - 13% -
0-19 3660 20% 3983 20% 14%
20-34 4008 22% 4510 22% 21%
35-49 3839 21% 3998 20% 7%
50-64 3510 20% 3927 19% 17%
65-79 1813 10% 2756 14% 39%
80+ 1074 6% 1118 6% 2%
Data source: US Census, 2010 & 2020
Between 2010 and 2020, our age distribu�on has remained fairly stable, with the greatest increase in
the number of people 65-79 (by percentage of total popula�on). An aging popula�on is consistent with
the rest of Vermont, whose median age has been climbing steadily for years. It also does not necessarily
indicate widespread in-migra�on of older people into South Burlington, as such an increase could also be
11
atributed to long�me residents aging in place. The city’s aging popula�on will place a higher demand on
medical and social services. South Burlington residents should have opportuni�es to age in place. It can
also affect our land use. The City can take ac�ons to support new investment in re�rement housing and
neighborhood-scale medical facili�es, and emphasizing accessibility city-wide. The Southeast area is
currently 28% people 65 and older, meaning the most car-dependent area of the city is also its oldest.
In the Northwest area and City Center, more than half of the popula�on is between the ages of 20 and
49. These people are in their prime earning years and are the most likely group to have children at home.
This popula�on group is likely to grow in this area with further housing investment in City Center.
Affordable housing with mul�ple bedrooms, infrastructure investment in safe bike/ped routes, and
investment in community building will support this group. Increased mul�-modal op�ons for commuters
traveling to other municipali�es is also priori�zed.
Race & Ethnicity
Along with its overall popula�on, South Burlington’s racial and ethnic diversity con�nues to grow and
evolve. While the city’s popula�on con�nues to be majority white, the fastest-growing groups of people
living in South Burlington iden�fy as non-white and/or mixed race.
Racial Category
Total
Population,
2010
% of Total
Population,
2010
Total
Population,
2020
% of Total
Population,
2020
Change,
2010-
2020
Share of
population
increase
Total 17904 - 20292 - 13% -
White 16116 90.0% 16835 83.0% 30.1%
Black or African
American 348 1.9% 639 3.1% 12.2%
American Indian &
Alaska Native 35 0.2% 25 0.1% -0.4%
Asian 969 5.4% 1364 6.7% 16.5%
Native Hawaiian &
Other Pacific
Islander
6 0.0% 7 0.0% 0.0%
Some Other Race 65 0.4% 251 1.2% 7.8%
Two or More Races 365 2.0% 1171 5.8% 33.8%
Data source: US Census, 2010 & 2020
Statewide, Vermonters are overwhelmingly white, with over 93% of the state iden�fying as such in the
2020 US Census. South Burlington is now 83% white and 17% non-white, making it significantly more
racially diverse than the average Vermont community. Burlington, Winooski, and Essex also have higher
than statewide- average racial diversity, making western Chitenden County the most diverse region in
the state. Incorpora�ng our growing diversity into the City’s public outreach efforts, community building
programs, and City governance as a whole is cri�cal as we pursue greater inclusivity, jus�ce, and equity.
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Languages
Linguis�c diversity has increased along with racial diversity in South Burlington. According to the
American Communi�es Survey, 87% of South Burlington households speak only English at home. A full
9% of households are func�onally mul�lingual, speaking at least one language other than English at
home. However, 4% of South Burlington households speak litle or no English at home. There is
significant linguis�c diversity, with households speaking Spanish, Arabic, Chinese dialects, Hindi, Tagalog,
Oromo, Somali, Korean, and Nepali, among others.
Cultural and linguis�c diversity is likely to con�nue to increase. Public engagement in policymaking relies
on mutual understanding and trust, and isolated linguis�c groups may feel le� out of English-centric
policymaking processes. Increasing accessibility for non-English speakers is important in reaching our
inclusivity, jus�ce, and equity goals.
Household Income
South Burlington has a wide range of household income levels and those levels vary significantly by area
of the City. This chart shows the percentage of people who fall into each of the following income
categories. The median income for the Burlington-South Burlington, VT MSA (which includes Chitenden,
Franklin, and Grand Isle Coun�es) was $95,900.
SE SW NW NE
$0 to $34,999 5.1% 12.7% 31.3% 22.0%
$35,000 to $74,999 15.7% 25.3% 25.4% 29.6%
$75,000 to $99,999 11.6% 20.0% 12.6% 16.2%
$100,000 and over 67.7% 41.9% 30.7% 32.2%
The Southeast census tract is the wealthiest by income in the city, with at least two-thirds of households
earning over the median for the MSA and a median income that is nearly double those of the other
Census Tracts in the city. The Northwest census tracts and the Northeast census tract are the opposite —
approximately two-thirds of these areas are under the area median for household income. This also
plays out in measures that affect autonomy and quality of life. For example, the Northwest and
Northeast census tracts have 342 (14.1%) and 114 (6.1%) households without a vehicle; the Southeast
census tract has 7 (0.4% of total households). This shows some significant income disparity across a
rela�vely small area. As a City, we need to pay close aten�on to how City resources are expended across
the city in infrastructure investment, programming, and resource dedica�on to work to correct this
imbalance and provide equitable services and support
People
No sta�s�cal or demographic analysis can sum up the diversity and varia�on amongst our community
members. In order to meet the challenges we face into the future, South Burlington needs to be a place
where neighbors know each other and help in crisis. We need to build layers of community network
based on common interests, common backgrounds, family status, religious tradi�on, language, and
neighborhood among so many others. We acknowledge that all individuals will have varying engagement
in different social networks and it is the web of these networks that increases our community resilience
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and sense of belonging. This is what creates a place where people want to live and feel seen for who
they are.
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Housing
South Burlington and Vermont as a whole are facing an unprecedented housing shortage and
affordability problem. Housing reten�on and development are fundamental elements of this Plan. Safe
and affordable housing well-matched to circumstances supports a high quality of life, retains exis�ng
businesses, supports economic prosperity, and atracts future residents. Diverse housing op�ons for a
range of lifestyles and life stages allows our residents to remain in South Burlington as they move
through live, provides housing for our children to remain here, and atracts 20-somethings, young
families, mul�-genera�onal families, and seniors, adding to community vibrancy.
Mee�ng housing needs relies on both affordability and availability. We need an increased supply of
housing affordable to middle- and lower-income households and the challenge of availability of quality
housing at lower price points been a long-standing issue in Chitenden County, recently intensified with
the COVID-19 pandemic. Increasing supply of all prices of housing can tamp down excessive price growth
that outstrips growth in earnings regionally. Providing both permanently affordable housing (through
inclusionary zoning and affordability covenants) and a greater variety of market rate housing op�ons
makes housing more affordable for our community. This includes addressing the needs of our most
vulnerable homeless residents by improving access to services and very low-cost housing op�ons.
Overall, housing is cri�cal to maintaining a healthy, varied, and suppor�ve community, to growing our
local businesses and economy, and to mee�ng our Climate Ac�on Plan goals. We acknowledge that
increasing housing while avoiding isolated construc�on in currently unbuilt areas will require increasing
allowed heights, allowed densi�es, and other dimensional standards.
Housing Goals
• Increase number of affordable housing units by 1,000 units by 2035, including 750 units
affordable to households earning up to 80% of AMI.
• Increase vacancy rate to 5% as a proxy for a healthy and well-supplied housing market
• Decrease prevalence of homelessness and residents with insufficient housing
• Combine larger-scale redevelopment and infill along transit-served corridors and smaller-scale
strategic reinvestment and thoughtful infill within existing neighborhoods
• Increase total number of “missing middle housing” units available in small-scale multi-family
developments at a range of price points, in a variety of building types, and interspersed with
single-family homes and larger multi-family buildings across the city
• Reduce by half the percentage of households who spend more than 50% of their income on
housing
• Weatherize 600 homes annually, 2024-2030
• Electrify 360 homes annually, 2024-2030
Housing Ac�ons
• Implement a variety of regulatory tools and programs to preserve and increase the city’s supply
of affordable and moderate income housing, including but not limited to: form-based codes,
bonuses and incentives, waivers, expedited review processes, and require minimum stories and
allow for increased maximum height or stories within City Center and along transportation
corridors.
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• Explore and implement non-regulatory programs, including public-private and non-profit
partnerships, funding, incentivization in fee structures, use of municipally-owned lands, and the
Housing Trust Fund to increase total housing, affordable housing, and transitional housing.
• Research options in other communities, now or historically, for creative solutions
• Establish cooperative relationships with neighboring communities so housing development
addresses climate change from a regional perspective
• Partner with Leahy Burlington International Airport and others to accelerate and complete the
FAA-authorized Home Insulation Program
• Evaluate current inclusionary zoning regulations and thresholds to determine effectiveness in
creating more affordable housing and modify as necessary
• Allow for well-designed, context-sensitive infill housing withing existing established
neighborhoods and commercial areas
• Require new homes to be highly energy-efficient and incentivize energy efficiency upgrades to
existing homes.
• Adopt additional ordinances for registration, life safety inspections, and regulation of long-term
and short-term rentals, and consider applying life safety codes to single-family homes
Housing Inventory, Analysis, and Challenges
Affordability.
Construc�on of new housing in Chitenden County has been outpaced by growth in demand. This has
created a significant deficit in the number of available homes for a healthy and affordable housing
market with an undersupply of “Affordable” housing and housing affordable moderate-income
households. Capital “A” “Affordable” costs, per month, 30% or less of the income of a household making
80% of Area Median Income (AMI) for mortgage or rent, property taxes and/or HOA fees, and required
u�li�es (heat, electric, water, and sewer). The City has taken steps to require Affordable homes to be
built through required inclusionary zoning.
Incen�viza�on and regula�on can result in more affordable homes (cos�ng 30% or less of household
income) for people at a wider range of incomes, including at 100% of AMI and 120% of AMI. In FY 2021,
the AMI for a household of four in the Burlington-South Burlington area was $95,900, making a home
affordable to 100% AMI at approximately $2,400 per month. For 120% of AMI ($115,080 for a family of
four), affordable monthly housing would cost $2,875 per month. Rela�vely high consumer mortgage
interest rates (approximately 6% in 2023, on average, compared with approximately 3-4% in 2020/21)
also reduces buyer purchasing power by increasing monthly payments on the same purchase price. For
rentals, according to the 2021 American Community Survey, approximately 48% of renters in South
Burlington are paying 30% or more of their household income on gross rent. Currently, we lack sufficient
inventory in those cost ranges for a variety of reasons including both undersupply and high demand.
The shor�all in housing affordable for low-income and middle-income households is regional. South
Burlington strives to be a place where its workforce can afford to live. According to the 2020 US Census,
South Burlington is a regional job center with nearly 18,000 jobs. This significantly exceeds the
approximately 10,000 workers living in South Burlington (according to the 2020 US Census). Central
Chitenden County func�ons as an economic system, with residents and workers being broadly
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exchanged with our near neighbors in Burlington, Williston, Winooski, Essex, Colchester, and Shelburne.
We must provide a range of housing op�ons in our community and acknowledge the need to address
this issue regionally, as a coopera�ve and collabora�ve member of the Chitenden County community.
Lacking housing restricts economic growth and hinders our ability to meet our climate-change-mi�ga�on
goals. If people cannot afford to live here and have to commute long distances, they may be less likely to
accept a job in South Burlington which limits our businesses’ access to workers. If people do accept jobs
but commute long distances, they are likely dependent on single-passenger vehicles, which increases
vehicle miles traveled and increases vehicle traffic, counter to our climate-change-mi�ga�on goals.
The City has taken significant first steps to improve access to, and distribu�on of, affordable housing. In
2003, the City adopted a system of bonuses and incen�ves for affordable housing through the Land
Development Regula�ons. Through the 2010s, this was replaced with an inclusionary zoning /
supplemental bonus system. Complemen�ng the regulatory tools, the City has worked to partner with
private sector and non-profit housing developers to fund construc�on and conversion of exis�ng
buildings to permanently affordable housing, including through State programs, Federal grant programs,
and the City’s affordable housing trust fund. The City has no direct control over such cost factors as
increases in labor, materials, down payments, mortgage rates, and availability of credit. However, the
City can influence housing development costs by changing allowed units per acre density, promo�ng
mixed-use development, streamlining permi�ng and approval processes, developing a �ered impact fee
system, and par�cipa�ng in State ini�a�ves such as Neighborhood Development Areas.
Ten -Year Affordable Housing Targets.
Currently, there are approximately 900 permanently affordable housing units in South Burlington,
including inclusionary zoning housing and other affordable housing schemes. This plan includes targets
of establishment, by 2032, of 1,000 new affordable housing units – 750 housing units affordable to
households earning up to 80% of the AMI and 250 housing units affordable to households earning
between 80% and 120% of the AMI.
Exis�ng Housing Stock.
Approximately 48% of exis�ng housing units are single-family houses, 6% are duplexes (either side-by-
side or stacked), and 46% are mul�-family (three or more units in the building). This balance has
drama�cally shi�ed over the past two decades. In 2000, over two-thirds of all housing units in the city
were single family homes and less than 30% were mul�-family. Within a few years, based on known
upcoming development, the majority of all housing units in the City will be mul�-family.
Since 1980, South Burlington has averaged adding approximately 145 dwelling units per year (with
cyclical fluctua�ons). Newer housing since 2000 has been weighted toward mul�-family structures (both
apartment rental and condominium ownership). Single-family homes have trended toward being larger
and more expensive than the stock of exis�ng single-family homes. Vacancy rates for exis�ng housing
have remained stubbornly low for both owned homes and rental homes, contribu�ng to ongoing price
increases in this market.
South Burlington has significant aging housing stock. South Burlington experienced its first wave of
residen�al development a�er WWII with construc�on of primarily single-family homes and duplexes.
Approximately 16% of exis�ng housing units were built prior to 1960. These include homes in
neighborhoods like Chamberlin, Mayfair Park, and the Orchards. Homes from that era may have some
17
challenges with insula�on, energy efficiency, and building materials. The next wave of housing included a
mix of single/two-family homes and mid-scale mul�-family housing near Dorset Street, Kennedy Drive,
and Shelburne Road. These also will need reinvestment. Approximately 35% of housing units in South
Burlington were constructed prior to 1980 and risk having lead paint. These homes should be reinvested
in, including op�ons like weatheriza�on and updates to the homes themselves and investment in the
neighborhood infrastructure, community gathering spaces, and aesthe�cs.
Significant con�nued investment in addi�onal housing is necessary to address residen�al costs, demand
in this core employment area for the state, and equity in access to safe and affordable housing in the
region. As part of our housing work, the City has par�cipated in the region’s Building Homes Together
campaign since 2018.
Changing Demographics.
Future housing must account for changing demographics and iden�fy how the City can affect those
trends. South Burlington has an increasing popula�on of older residents, although with a lower
percentage over 65 (16%) than in Vermont as a whole (20%). Some older residents want to move from
high-maintenance, single-family homes into managed or suppor�ve communi�es, including
condominiums, 55+ communi�es, and assisted living facili�es, but may be unable if units/spots are not
available. This locks up housing stock with two, three, or more bedrooms with one or two residents and
prevents turnover to families who desire addi�onal space.
South Burlington housing stock is currently approximately 49% units with three or more bedrooms and
51% with two or less. This reflects our current popula�on of one- and two-person households but also
restricts the ability for residents to remain in South Burlington as they change life stage or lifestyle. It
reflects what has been built and not necessarily what is desired.
Smart Growth, Infill Housing, and Conversions.
A rela�vely small amount of undeveloped land is available. Housing needs to be increasingly located in
higher-density, mixed-use development in targeted growth areas like City Center and other
infrastructure-served por�ons of the community. The City has mul�ple opportuni�es to support these
trends and reach goals of thriving mixed-use neighborhoods, affordability, and climate ac�on. This Plan
supports a combina�on of larger-scale redevelopment and infill along transit-served corridors, and
smaller-scale strategic reinvestment and though�ul infill within exis�ng neighborhoods. The City must be
a partner in the Chitenden County Regional Planning Commission’s ECOS Plan goal of having 80% of new
development take place in areas planned for growth, which amounts to 15% of the (Chitenden
County’s) Land area.
The historic patern of building new housing on undeveloped land is changing due to market forces and
City policy. Infill development between buildings, both residen�al and mixed-use, is occurring along the
City’s major transporta�on corridors. Recently, several former hotels have been converted to permanent
housing. Older commercial buildings needing reinvestment have been re-developed at greater densi�es
and more aligned with the City’s land use goals. Lot sizes in the City’s post-war neighborhoods are
typically larger than similar neighborhoods regionally and na�onally, which presents opportuni�es for
small-scale contribu�ons to neighborhoods.
18
Housing Loss.
Approximately two-hundred homes were purchased and removed between the late 1990s to the mid
2010s for noise mi�ga�on adjacent to the Leahy Burlington Interna�onal Airport. The City advocated
diligently for the Airport and FAA to terminate this program and replace it with a sound insula�on
program for qualifying homes. This program, piloted in 2022 and underway in 2023, reinvests in the
neighborhood and is directly consistent with this Plan. The now-vacant land is not currently eligible for
new housing under FAA restric�ons; instead, the City and Airport are collabora�ng to use the area to
enhance quality of life for the neighborhood (further discussed in the Land Use Chapter of this Plan).
To a lesser extent, housing has been lost elsewhere in the city. In 2016, the City adopted housing
preserva�on requirements, requiring replacement of any removed home in much of the city. This
program maintains the number of homes and encourages reten�on of older (o�en more affordable)
homes.
Rental Market.
Currently, approximately 60% of housing units are owner-occupied and 40% are renter-occupied. The
rental stock is aging along with the single-family housing stock, especially in the mul�-family housing
from the 1970s and 1980s. As more housing stock ages, total popula�on increases, and vacancy rates
remain historically low, we need to develop a stronger toolbox to address health and safety, and to
communicate with rental property owners. The City is exploring establishment of a rental registry and
inspec�on program.
Construc�on of rental and mul�-unit housing in the City is regulated by State of Vermont Fire Codes
through the South Burlington Fire Marshal’s Office. With increasing density of development in some
areas of the city, the City should consider applica�on of residen�al building codes to the construc�on of
single-family homes as well. The existence of such codes can decrease insurance premiums, increase fire
safety and standardiza�on of necessary firefigh�ng equipment, and provide more assurance to
purchasers.
Short-term rentals and second home ownership.
The short-term rental industry grew significantly in the last twenty years. In 2023, approximately 75
homes in South Burlington were listed for short-term rental. Of these, approximately 60 were “en�re
house” rentals and of those a substan�al number were available on a full-�me basis. These full-�me,
en�re-house rentals contribute to the City’s housing shortage, as they are unavailable as primary
residences. Some may be second homes (used by out-of-area residents for less than six months per year)
which also (whether rented the rest of the year or not) removes housing units from the stock of available
primary residences. The City is considering the adop�on of a ordinance to restrict the use of en�re
homes for full-�me, short-term rentals.
Housing Trust Fund.
The South Burlington Housing Trust Fund was established by the City Council on November 17, 2014 to
fund strategic par�cipa�on in development increasing Affordable housing for households below 80 % of
AMI. The Trust Fund may, among other op�ons, (1) par�cipate in new affordable housing development
through funding suppor�ng project financing of a project undertaken by a private developer, (2)
financially support projects preserving exis�ng affordable housing, (3) provide pre-development funding
19
to housing agencies or developers for a project feasibility assessment, and (4) support the purchase of
land for affordable housing development. It is currently funded as a line item in the Annual Budget.
Housing: Addi�onal Resources
• The Path to Affordability: South Burlington 2013 Affordable Housing Report
• Cost/Benefit Report of New Housing, March 2020
• Chamberlin Neighborhood Final Noise Report & Purpose Statement (2016)
20
Economy
Employment and businesses are integral components of the South Burlington community, based on its
loca�on in central Chitenden County, its access to major transporta�on systems, and its historically
strong investment in u�lity infrastructure. The vitality of South Burlington and the larger region and
state, and the quality of life for our residents is closely connected to the con�nued prosperity of its
numerous businesses and industries.
In support of a balanced, resilient, and vibrant economy and community, the City must con�nue to
atract and retain new employers of varying sizes, sectors, and industries. Being an employment hub and
inten�onally planning for housing a growing popula�on, appropriate environmental protec�on and
energy conserva�on, and though�ul redevelopment of our built areas will support the economy, support
housing our neighbors nearby, and contribute to mee�ng our community Climate Ac�on goals. City
investment, partnership, and facilita�on of new and updated housing and infrastructure can help atract
and retain a workforce for those businesses that can walk, bike, carpool, or take transit to work. We must
also work with neighboring municipali�es to plan for appropriate development of economic
opportuni�es within short driving or public transit distance from South Burlington housing, and vice
versa.
At a neighborhood scale, mul�-decade investments in City Center and infill housing along major
transporta�on corridors of Shelburne Road, Williston Road, and Kennedy Drive are opening up new
opportuni�es for small-scale services and businesses to complement the long-standing larger and
na�onal businesses in the community. Community interest suppor�ng vibrant neighborhoods is also
opening up ideas and opportuni�es for localized shops and services in areas that have previously been
exclusively residen�al.
Economy Goals
• Be a resilient and varied economic hub for the region, consistently with the City;s land use goals
• Invest in and grow a vibrant, mixed use, pedestrian-oriented City Center
• Plan for and support appropriately-scaled local business growth, including retail and services,
within walking distance of existing and planned residential areas
• Plan for and support balanced mixed-use (residential & commercial) development in areas that
can support both
• Be a leader in regional planning for economic growth centers, live-work communities,
commuting corridors, and environmental protection with neighboring municipalities
• Increase local business ownership by members of underrepresented groups.
• Increase business growth in green technology, arts and entertainment, hospitality, technology
and innovation, and pedestrian-scale retail and food service
• Support thoughtful investment in the Leahy Burlington International Airport to continue its role
as a regionally-significant transportation and economic hub
• Increase total child care programs and total slots to support the workforce Electrify 8% of
commercial/industrial square footage annually, 2024-2030
21
Economy Ac�ons
• Encourage, incentivize and regulate variation in commercial spaces, including location, size,
appearance, and suitability for different purposes, to create opportunities for businesses of
varying scales and industries to thrive and adapt over time
• Promote City Center as an economic hub emphasizing small-scale, locally-owned and operated
businesses
• Advance State designations in City Center, including conversion of the New Town Center to a
Designated Downtown and expanding/modifying the Neighborhood Development Area
• Seek State designations in other areas of the City including the Shelburne Road corridor
• Streamline, simplify, and modernize permitting requirements and processes to promote land
use patterns and uses in this Plan
• Support state-level funding for high-quality childcare programs and seek opportunities to
facilitate new and expanded facilities in South Burlington
• Examine municipal regulatory barriers to childcare, including the Land Development
Regulations, and consider changes as appropriate
• Explore and encourage connection between the business community and education system,
including alternative education. Programs could include training, apprenticeships, technical
programs, and innovative school-to-work connections.
• Work with hospitality, business, and community leaders to enable cultural events, conventions,
and athletic events in our community.
• Conduct a transit study examining connections to primarily commercial areas
• Invest in housing and transportation infrastructure to attract and retain a high-quality workforce
for South Burlington businesses
• Coordinate with bordering municipalities to plan for economic centers, commuting corridors,
and environmental protection
• Develop a strategic economic development plan for the City, including conducting data-driven
review of economic health of the business community in South Burlington
• Encourage more value-added food processors to start-up and/or locate in South Burlington
Economy Inventory, Analysis, & Challenges
South Burlington is an economic hub in Chitenden County and the state of Vermont. Located at the
intersec�on of major transporta�on routes by road, rail, and air, South Burlington’s economy has
significant hospitality and retail sectors, with light manufacturing, small contractor and service
businesses, and shipping/logis�cs. We are a growing city, both in popula�on and economy, and
suppor�ng inten�onal and sustainable economic growth must be a priority. In our efforts to be human-
focused and climate-resilient, South Burlington embraces mul�-use land use, mul�-modal transporta�on
networks, quality of life for our workforce, and jobs in green industries to support the City into the
future. This economic growth must be accessible and available to all members of our community and
must not dispropor�onately nega�vely impact any group or area.
Land Use & Economy
Creation of More Mixed Use Areas. Tradi�onally, zoning separated uses seen as incompa�ble with each
other, like residen�al uses and many commercial uses. A more modern approach should reflect that
22
many commercial enterprises are not as disrup�ve as their predecessors and have more varied needs
than historically.
South Burlington is zoned for primarily or exclusively commercial and/or industrial uses in areas near the
Burlington Interna�onal Airport, the east end of Williston Road, Technology Park, and the Meadowlands
Business Park area near Hinesburg Road. Many of these areas are currently built with commercial
spaces, but the changing needs of businesses may make them prime areas for infill, more dense building,
and/or smaller lot sizes. Si�ng new commercial/industrial space in already-commercial areas makes
sense. However, businesses have expressed a desire for more flexibility in how they use those
commercial areas for their business ac�vi�es outside the historic idea of “commercial” use. It should
enable enterprises like small business incubators that do not necessarily fit a tradi�onal single-en�ty
business model.
The City could allow integrated housing into some currently commercial areas. South Burlington and
Vermont as a whole have a known shor�all in housing stock. Currently, several large South Burlington
businesses have more job openings than qualified applicants and are struggling to sustain and grow their
opera�ons. The �ght housing market and lack of affordable op�ons has created situa�ons where
applicants have turned down employment offers because they could not locate housing, which limits
business growth. Even when housing is available, it is o�en not in South Burlington and requires a
significant commute, which is incompa�ble with our climate ac�on mi�ga�on goals.
More housing units in some commercial areas would improve the housing shortage in Chitenden
County and allow workers to live closer to their workplaces, suppor�ng several climate-change-
mi�ga�on goals. It can also enable more mul�-modal transporta�on and reduce the need for a personal
vehicle for commu�ng. It can also improve vibrancy in neighborhoods allowing human-scale commercial,
retail, and food service facili�es in areas within walking distance of homes. For further discussion of
housing, please see the Housing sec�on (X.X).
Some areas of the City that may have capacity for mixed use housing in primarily commercial areas
include Technology Park, the University Mall area, areas of Shelburne Road, areas of Dorset Street, and
areas of Williston Road. Exploring poten�al state designa�ons for these areas could open new
opportuni�es for adapta�on and growth.
However, some commercial and industrial uses generate significant noise, smell, or other noxious side
effects that make them incompa�ble with residen�al use, including 24-hour opera�on and 24-hour
trucking. We need to study how to addi�onal housing could be accommodated, but also where industrial
uses could and should remain separated from housing. This would allow for some areas to become more
mixed use while others remain industrial-only.
City Center Economy.
South Burlington con�nues to invest in its new downtown core, City Center, as one opportunity for
integrated economic opportunity and housing in a walkable area. The City Center area is an opportunity
for high quality employment in an urban se�ng. The City did not have a downtown core with
professional employment opportuni�es in a walkable area with services, retailers, restaurants, and
housing. We are op�mis�c that the City Center core will evolve over �me into a thriving and energe�c
downtown where residents have access to high-quality employment either directly walkable or within
easy reach via public transporta�on. The City will also explore op�ons for redevelopment on San Remo
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Drive and Williston Road. The City intends to con�nue suppor�ng economic growth, including housing
growth, in the City Center area through investment and policy for the foreseeable future.
Transportation-Land Use Connection.
Future employment and mixed-use development will necessitate a transporta�on system that meets the
demands of the local and regional area. Future mixed-use employment centers in areas such as City
Center, Kimball Avenue, Tilley Drive, Williston Road, and Shelburne Road should be planned with
transporta�on improvements and to be walkable and bikeable.
Burlington International Airport.
Cri�cally, the Burlington Interna�onal Airport is located in South Burlington and provides both business
opportuni�es and community challenges. The Airport supports numerous businesses in South Burlington
with direct airport access, but most businesses in our region benefit from access to a nearby
interna�onal airport. Easy air connec�on to other areas of the United States and therefore to the world
directly benefits our economy and supports the future economic health of South Burlington.
The City and the Airport need to work as partners for the con�nued economic and social health of our
community going forward. Internally, the Airport plans for its own future through its master plan
process. However, collabora�on and coopera�on efforts between the City, community, and airport
should reflect the coexistence between the community and the airport, making the most of our
opportuni�es to work together. This should include u�lizing the airport-owned land around Airport
Parkway for projects that benefit both the airport and the community, support for airport-reliant
businesses around the airport property, and improved transporta�on to the airport that avoids impacts
on neighborhoods. For more discussion, see the Northwest Neighborhoods sec�on (X.X).
Affordable Commercial Spaces
As we work to improve or redevelop areas especially around City Center and the Shelburne Road
corridor, we will have to consider the impact on exis�ng businesses and the cost of opera�on for small
businesses. Improvements can drive up rent costs for commercial space, which can dispropor�onately
impact small, local, low-margin, and women- or BIPOC-owned businesses. The City will need to consider
how to mi�gate gentrifica�on effects of its land use goals and projects on both exis�ng and future small
businesses to allow those businesses to con�nue to have adequate space in our commercial and high-
density areas.
Direct City Process
Permitting and Governance. Paired with more flexible and nuanced zoning in certain commercial and
mixed use areas, the City should explore ways to streamline, simplify, and modernize permi�ng
requirements and processes to promote land use paterns and uses supported by the policies in this
Plan. The City should study the effect of the current Form-Based Code area to see how effec�ve it has
been in encouraging development and if other areas should be considered for Form-Based Code zoning
or similar tools that focus on impacts and the built form over uses within buildings except in rare
circumstances. There should also be considera�on given to the City’s role in providing support for small
start-up businesses, especially those BIPOC-owned or owned by members of other historically-
marginalized group.
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Promotion and Marketing.
South Burlington and its partners should further brand and ac�vely market the City with the current
community vision expressed in this plan. Addi�onal marke�ng of the community as a place to grow a
business could atract new economic investment and will support the hospitality and retail sector. The
City has an opportunity, further, to also highlight and expand its growing cluster of Green Technology
businesses and promote further growth in that sector.
Workforce Support & Quality of Life
Economic viability and quality of life in South Burlington is intricately �ed to many other aspects of this
plan. South Burlington currently hosts a workforce of almost 20,000 jobs. While it is demographically
younger than most Vermont communi�es, South Burlington s�ll faces the challenge of an aging of the
workforce. In par�cular, South Burlington’s economic future relies on atrac�ng and retaining working-
age people with a range of backgrounds, educa�on levels, and areas of exper�se. These workers will
need, among other things, quality and affordable housing, childcare, and educa�on and training.
Housing.
Quality jobs draw a workforce who need safe and affordable housing. South Burlington also strives to
have our promising young people stay in Chitenden County and to be able to establish their lives here if
they choose. Housing should include rentals, but also owner-occupied homes and affordable missing
middle housing. These residents will need public services, including emergency services, and access to
mul�ple modes of transporta�on.
Childcare.
Childcare in Chitenden County and Vermont in general has become a pinch point for workforce
par�cipa�on. Shortage of childcare op�ons for families will con�nue to prevent parents and caregivers
from fully par�cipa�ng in the workforce to their desired level. We need to coordinate with large
employers to provide or subsidize childcare, expand op�ons for childcare, and enable new childcare
centers to open and operate. This will require significant investment by both the public and private
sectors.
Education and Training.
Increased connec�on between educa�on and employment will both facilitate young people coming to
and staying in South Burlington and grow our local businesses with trained employees. South Burlington
should explore how the City and community can support training programs, appren�ceship programs,
technical programs in the trades, and other crea�ve connec�ons between the business community and
the school systems and college system.
Economy: Addi�onal Resources
• Kimball-Tilley Land Use and Transportation Study, 2020
• U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2020 Data
• American Community Survey 2021
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Energy
We are facing an existen�al threat from a warming planet and worsening clima�c condi�ons. We must
incorporate mi�ga�on and adapta�on measures as a top priority Goal in the Plan. To meet the City’s
climate goals, the community needs to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 60% by 2030 and by
95% by 2050. South Burlington’s climate – and global climate – has changed due to GHG emissions.
Dependence on fossil fuels is responsible for almost all South Burlington’s emissions. Known effects have
been documented and more are predicted in the future.
South Burlington has a policy objec�ve and moral obliga�on to reduce its GHG emissions from building
hea�ng and transporta�on by transi�oning to carbon-free energy sources, such as electricity from Green
Mountain Power’s low-carbon electricity supply, and by making it safer and more convenient to walk,
bike, or take transit through changes in development paterns and transporta�on infrastructure. It also
has an opportunity to increase renewable energy genera�on and local batery storage in South
Burlington to support the shi� to electrified hea�ng and transporta�on. Through all this work, these
changes must be made equitably and to help all our neighbors transi�on to cleaner energy and more
sustainable prac�ces, including regula�ons and non-regulatory programs.
In October 2022, following a Council resolu�on, engagement of a consultant, and work of a ci�zen Task
Force, the City Council adopted the community’s first-ever Climate Ac�on Pan. The CAP iden�fied
targets, high impact ac�ons, and suppor�ng ac�ons to significantly reduce South Burlington’s share of
Vermont’s GHG emissions (in line with the Paris Interna�onal Treaty on Climate Change and Vermont’s
Global Warming Solu�ons Act).
The CAP, addi�onally, lays out a strategy to meet the goals of Vermont Act 174, Enhanced Energy Plans,
in order to be adopted as an Enhanced Energy Plan and receive substan�al deference in si�ng decisions
by the Public U�lity Commission (PUC). The 2022 CAP targets are incorporated as objec�ves of this
Comprehensive Plan, and the CAP itself is interwoven throughout this Plan.
That 2021 City Council resolu�on charged the City staff and Council with “accoun�ng for greenhouse gas
emissions and climate impacts when making any significant decision” and specified that the City’s Chief
Sustainability Officer “will annually report on the progress that the City is making on enac�ng the
Climate Ac�on Plan using standard tools and metrics and will verify that the City appropriately factors
climate impacts into all applicable ac�ons and decisions.”
South Burlington is including in this Plan required elements to be an Enhanced Energy Plan under Act
174. Further informa�on on required energy targets for the Enhanced Energy Plan are included in
Appendix A. South Burlington’s required equity assessment is included in Appendix B, as a compila�on of
the energy-related ac�ons and policy statements made throughout this Plan to address equity.
Energy Goals
• Weatherize 600 existing homes annually through 2030 to reduce emissions by 5%
• Electrify 8% of existing commercial/industrial square footage annually to reduce emissions by
17%
• Electrify 360 existing housing units annually through 2030 to reduce emissions by 9%
• Require new homes to be carbon-free to reduce emissions by 4%
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• Replace 75% of gas vehicles with all electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles by 2030 to
reduce emissions by 42%
• Reduce vehicle miles traveled by 2.5% annually through 2030 to reduce emissions by 19%
• Plan for compact high-density (greater than 12.5 dwelling units per acres) new housing
development to reduce emissions by 4%
• Increase new renewable energy generation to between 30,794 to 55,549 Megawatt hours
(MWh) by 2030 and 63,297 to 121,060 MWh by 2050.
• Municipal Operations meet or exceed our proportional share of citywide greenhouse gas
emissions reduction targets and provide community demonstration projects
• Meet or exceed South Burlington’s renewable energy generation targets identified through Act
174 or its successors.
• Increase availability of local energy storage to support the other objectives
Energy Ac�ons
● Complete Implementa�on of the Transporta�on/Land Use, Buildings/Thermal, and Government
Opera�ons Sectors of the Climate Ac�on Plan
● Incorporate Sector-Specific Implementa�on Plans into City’s annual policy priori�es and
strategies work plan
● Implement the Climate Ac�on Plan’s High Impact Ac�ons and partner/advocate for
implementa�on of Suppor�ng Ac�ons
● Amend City Land Development Regula�ons and Policies to support or require a larger propor�on
of mixed-use development and transit oriented development to reduce the need for vehicles.
● Track and annually report on Citywide and Government Opera�on progress towards mee�ng
Climate Ac�on Plan targets
Energy Inventory, Analysis, & Challenges
The overwhelming majority of emissions atributable to South Burlington come from two sectors:
Transporta�on/Land Use (65%) and Buildings / Thermal (34%, split between residen�al and commercial).
Other contributors, including small engines, solid waste, agriculture, and the offse�ng effects of natural
resources also present complementary opportuni�es. Mee�ng the overall reduc�on goals will require
significant investment in staff resources, infrastructure, and planning, as well as educa�on and
regulatory changes in both our transporta�on and buildings.
Source: South Burlington Climate Ac�on Plan, 2022
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Transporta�on Energy Sector
South Burlington’s loca�on dictates that it will con�nue to be a transporta�on hub in Vermont at the
intersec�ons of major roadways and as home of the region’s primary airport. The City is working, both
internally and with regional partners, to reduce VMT and reduce single-occupancy commuter traffic.
To reduce overall vehicle miles travelled in our community, especially at the scale targeted in the CAP,
the City will need to reorient its transporta�on network from passenger cars to walking, biking, using
public transporta�on, and evolving personal transporta�on technologies. The physical design of the
transporta�on network itself will also need to be shi�ed. As discussed in the Transporta�on Chapter,
much of South Burlington’s exis�ng network is designed first for cars, and second (where available) for
people on foot, on bicycle, or using transit. The growing popularity of e-bikes presents an opportunity to
meet the City’s targets and also exposes some of these infrastructure gaps. Examples of these gaps
include four-lane roads with limited crossings, wide vehicle lanes, narrow greenbelts, a disconnected
recrea�on path and sidewalk network, limited pedestrian ligh�ng, and intersec�ons that are designed
with wide turn radii and/or slip lanes.
The City has taken important steps to begin this community-wide retrofit in recent years, including
adop�ng updated cross-sec�ons for new roadway construc�on, passing a Penny-for-Paths ballot
ini�a�ve to improve connec�ons, establishing a dedicated path maintenance fund in the City budget,
increasing funding for lane striping, and inves�ng in staffing to pursue capital projects throughout the
City.
The City also needs to priori�ze a land use patern that provides homes, services, employment, parks,
and other des�na�ons within short distances of one another. The development of pedestrian and bicycle
paths, greenways and other trails, changes in regula�ons that enable commercial services near or within
neighborhoods, and investment in neighborhood-scale parks and facili�es provide climate-resilient ways
of building community.
The City’s sustained commitment to crea�ng a compact, mul�-use, pedestrian-focused City Center is a
strong example of the future of transporta�on and sustainable-transporta�on-driven land use. Public
and private investments have begun to transform this core area by developing mul�-family housing and
pedestrian/human-scale commercial use. The pairing of higher density residen�al living and human-
oriented commercial space, alongside municipal services at City Hall, creates a community hub that will
over �me become much less auto-dependent and community-focused. See the Land Use chapter for
analysis and specific policies for advancing the City Center vision further, as well as land use goals
throughout the City.
In addi�on to land use and infrastructure changes, personal vehicles must be changed over to electric.
South Burlington faces complex challenges in promo�ng and expanding access to electric vehicles due to
our housing mix and housing affordability. Access to overnight charging is required for a personal electric
vehicle to be prac�cal. Over 50% of homes in South Burlington are in mul�-family housing and nearly
40% of households rent their homes. In both cases, it is far less likely that a resident will have direct
access to EV charging and control over the installa�on of EV charging than a resident of a single-family,
owner-occupied home. For EV access to be equitable, South Burlington must take steps to encourage,
promote, or require EV charging at mul�-family buildings and for renters. In addi�on, South Burlington
must take similar steps to incen�vize or require EV charging in public and commercial parking spaces to
support both rapid charging as well as slower charging. To do this equitably, pay-as-you-go charging
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(which can be significantly more expensive than at-home charging) cannot be the only op�on available
to EV users.
Emissions generated by Leahy Interna�onal Airport (formerly Burlington Interna�onal Airport) are being
considered and addressed by the City of Burlington and the airport administra�on. The City must
collaborate and engage with the Airport to reduce emissions and increase energy efficiency.
See the Transporta�on Chapter for analyses and specific policies for transforming the transporta�on
network to meet these objec�ves.
Buildings and Thermal Energy Sector
Reduc�on in emissions generated by buildings involves both changing new construc�on and upda�ng
exis�ng buildings. South Burlington has a robust new construc�on market alongside the significant
number of exis�ng homes and buildings, unlike some communi�es in the state.
For new buildings, the City took an ini�al step in 2021 and 2022 by establishing regulatory standards for
the orienta�on of streets and buildings for solar gain and requiring that new buildings meet the State’s
Stretch Energy Codes. In November 2022, the City adopted an ordinance that requires carbon-free /
renewable fuel sourcing for primary hea�ng systems and hot water systems in all new buildings. This
ac�on will limit increases in carbon emissions from the buildings sector while complementary ac�on on
exis�ng buildings will reduce exis�ng annual carbon emissions in order to meet the CAP targets.
For exis�ng buildings, the CAP includes targets for both weatheriza�on (including insula�on, air sealing,
efficient windows and doors, etc.) and for electrifica�on of a building’s primary hea�ng system.
Weatheriza�on of 600 homes per year will result in 4,200 homes being weatherized in 7 years, which is
nearly 45% of South Burlington’s exis�ng housing stock. Electrifica�on of 360 exis�ng homes per year
will result in more than half of the homes being electrified within 15 years.
Weatheriza�on, electrifica�on of exis�ng homes, and construc�on of new homes with electric-based
hea�ng systems can have significant costs for homeowners. The City and its partners will need to
support homeowners in making these changes in order to ensure an equitable, and successful,
transi�on. This includes financial incen�ves and outreach to low-income homeowners. The City must
design a system that will not cause economic hardship for people without resources to both changeover
and then operate new systems.
Local u�li�es (Vermont Gas Systems and Green Mountain Power) and the state-level Efficiency Vermont
have programs and resources to help customers reduce their monthly energy bills, including informa�on
about rebates and tax incen�ves available for energy-saving purchases. These programs are available for
both income-eligible households and for all households, depending on the program. Regionally,
Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity also provides weatheriza�on and hea�ng assistance. In
order to meet local and state Climate targets, however, the implementa�on of these programs will need
to be increased significantly requiring financial support, staffing, and outreach.
The Climate Ac�on Plan further iden�fies that a combina�on of incen�ves and regulatory tools will be
necessary to meet Climate targets. These approaches are detailed as High Impact and Suppor�ng
Ac�ons within the Climate Ac�on Plan. Neither approach on its own will likely achieve the magnitude of
conversion and electrifica�on enumerated in the CAP. Private-public partnerships will also have to play a
significant role in mee�ng the CAP goals. An example of this kind of partnership is being implemented in
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the Chamberlin Neighborhood. There, a program advocated for by the City and funded by the Federal
Avia�on Authority to mi�gate Airport noise through sound insula�on of nearby homes and gathering
places is being paired with investments from Vermont Gas Systems and other partners to achieve
thermal insula�on and extend the annual reach of the program.
Commercial buildings represent about 18% of the City’s emissions and over half of the thermal energy
demand. Weatheriza�on and electrifica�on of commercial spaces would have a major impact. New
building codes address future buildings, but upgrading exis�ng commercial buildings are a challenge that
requires addi�onal aten�on.
Government Opera�ons Energy Sector.
The City government’s opera�ons account for approximately 0.7% fo the citywide GHG emissions
according to the 2022 CAP. The Climate Ac�on Plan iden�fied that in 2019, the Department of Public
Works emited 65% of the City government's total GHG emissions, 74% of which goes to direct
opera�ons of the wastewater treatment plants. The Police Department emited 17% of the total City
government GHG emissions, and the Fire Department emited 12%.
The CAP laid out a broad approach for City Opera�ons to meet our share of the citywide targets. This is
being further developed through an Implementa�on Plan in 2023 and is being integrated into the City’s
Opera�ons Budget and Capital Improvement Plan. Over �me, the City plans to replace gas-powered and
fossil-fuel powered vehicles, small engines, and building systems with more efficient and/or electrified
op�ons. The City has significant numbers of fleet vehicles that can be replaced with EVs over �me as the
market allows, building hea�ng and cooling that can be made more efficient and/or electrified, and
smaller structures and equipment that can be upgraded or retrofit with electric op�ons. As these
facili�es, vehicles, and equipment need to be renovated or replaced, the City will need to budget for
electrified replacements as they come up.
Energy Produc�on.
This Plan will serve as an Enhanced Energy Plan under Vermont Act 174; as part of that, and as part of
the City’s overall goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, this Plan provides pathways to meet
iden�fied targets established by the Regional Planning Commission for renewable Energy produc�on in
the City.
Demand for electricity is growing and electric system reliability will con�nue to be improved as we move
forward with the goals of the Climate Ac�on Plan, and as our neighboring municipali�es pursue their
own climate change mi�ga�on plans. Two transmission line projects have upgraded the infrastructure
serving Chitenden County located South Burlington: the Northwest Reliability Project included
upgrading high voltage transmission lines and upda�ng a number of substa�ons; the East Avenue Loop
and suppor�ng projects installed a 34.5 kilovolt (kV) sub-transmission line from the McNeil genera�ng
plant to the VELCO substa�on at East Avenue and replaced two 115 kV transmission lines with single
line. Addi�onal upgrades to the electrical grid will be necessary in the coming years and decades and
electricity use increases with electrifica�on of homes, buildings, and vehicles community-wide.
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Resilience to severe storms requires advanced system controls and redundancy. Electricity storage and
genera�on/load management will be key.
Increasing solar energy genera�on is an opportunity for South Burlington to generate more clean energy
locally. Genera�on of power close to where it is used reduces loss during transmission and stresses the
regional power grid less. South Burlington has taken significant steps forward in recent decades, but we
must do more to meet our climate goals. In 2011, the largest solar array in Vermont (at the �me) opened
in the City, with an es�mated output nearing two megawats annually, followed by several other large
solar facili�es, medium facili�es, and numerous small installa�ons. As of 2022, renewable energy
genera�on in South Burlington was 22,544 MWh. Solar-ready roo�ops are now required on certain new
buildings. To meet the goals in the CAP, the amount of renewable energy genera�on will need to
increase by 300% to 600% by 2050 (63,297 to 121,060 MWh). Significant investment, incen�viza�on, and
regula�on that promotes solar energy genera�on will be needed to meet those goals. Community solar
projects to provide solar opportuni�es for low-income households, mul�-family residents, and renters to
par�cipate and invest in solar.
Small-scale wind energy in South Burlington is limited by the high density of development and
unfavorable clima�c condi�ons.
This Plan recognizes that land in South Burlington is valuable, important and faces mul�ple demands:
natural resource conserva�on, housing, employment, services, educa�on, transporta�on, agriculture,
parks, and renewable energy produc�on. As in the Climate Ac�on Plan, this Plan priori�zes the co-
loca�on of renewable energy produc�on with other uses. The City needs to focus on roo�op solar, solar-
over-parking, and crea�ve opportuni�es such a solar over landfill, integrated with transporta�on
systems, and integrated with agriculture.
There are no thermal power plants located in South Burlington.
Outreach and Implementa�on on Energy & Climate
Community members, stakeholders, and City staff emphasized the challenges of implemen�ng large
scale physical and behavioral changes throughout the development of the CAP and during the public
outreach for this Plan. For households, exper�se, investment, and follow-through on weatherizing and
electrifying have historically been significant obstacles. Community feedback pointed to a suite of tools –
including regula�ons and enforcement, incen�ves, and neighbor-to-neighbor educa�on and mo�va�on
– as keys to success. At the community scale, ac�ve community par�cipa�on in decision-making will be
cri�cal. This includes decisions on all topics, including how to invest in vehicle charging systems, how to
transform land use, and how to update our transporta�on to acknowledge the necessity of cars for some
trips and users while priori�zing walking, biking, and transit in infrastructure enhancements.
Importantly, this work must be implemented in an equitable manner. This could include allowing for a
reasonable �me for adjustment to new systems when old systems need replacement. Pursuing equity
will involve listening to the needs of the community, designing programs to facilitate transporta�on and
home improvements for all users, and accoun�ng for the uneven costs of climate change.
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Energy Facility Si�ng
South Burlington supports the harnessing of renewable energy, par�cularly solar, and must drama�cally
increase the amount of renewable energy genera�on in the city to meet the Climate Ac�on Plan goals.
Addi�onal data on our renewable energy genera�on goals is included in this sec�on and in Appendix A.
Si�ng of renewable energy genera�on facili�es must consider impacts on open spaces and wildlife
corridors, generally avoiding natural resources protected in Ar�cle 12 of the Land Development
Regula�ons. South Burlington has significant amounts of exis�ng impervious surface, including roo�ops,
parking lots, etc., that are high priority for solar genera�on sites. We also encourage other co-loca�on of
various types of renewable energy genera�on in ways that allow mul�ple uses of a property, including,
but not limited to, energy genera�on with compa�ble grazing or other agriculture, though�ul building
design with innova�ve genera�on facili�es, and integra�ng genera�on with community facili�es.
Energy: Addi�onal Resources
• South Burlington Climate Action Plan, 2022
• Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission, 2018 ECOS Plan
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Environment
The world is facing an existen�al climate crisis and protec�on of our natural resources is a focus of South
Burlington. Protec�on of natural resources protects air and water quality, sequesters carbon, improves
flood resiliency, and improves human health and well-being. Natural resource protec�on serves both
climate resiliency and human resiliency. Natural resources are considered at two levels in this Plan: a
landscape scale, and a site/resource specific scale. Each is discussed in this sec�on.
At a landscape scale, approximately 51% of South Burlington is conserved in some form: publicly,
privately, or through current regula�on. Approximately 41% of South Burlington is considered a “built”
area – meaning the lot is small and/or has at least one home, commercial building, parking lot, other
structure, or suppor�ng infrastructure 1. The remaining approximately 8% is a mix of types of
unrestricted land, including unbuilt residen�al lots, open farmland, shrubland, forests, and unbuilt
commercial lots.
Open lands have value partly because they are currently unbuilt. Its unbuilt state, not necessarily its
ecological communi�es, gives it value. However, all open land does not have to be earmarked for
conserva�on. Some sites in our currently built areas should be built while others will need to be used as
park space. Some sites in our currently unbuilt areas should remain unbuilt while others, especially
neighboring transit lines and other development, may be suitable for development.
At a resource / site scale, South Burlington has several brooks & streams, floodplain areas, wetland
complexes and their buffers, shoreland to Lake Champlain and the Winooski River, certain poten�ally
hazardous areas (including steeps slopes and river corridors), and a series of iden�fied habitat blocks and
habitat connectors. These natural resources have value regardless of their context have largely been
regulatorily conserved. To support the viability and effec�veness of these resources, prac�cal and
ecologically-beneficial connec�ons between them are also priori�zed for protec�on in some way.
A third category of land use to complement unbuilt and build are working lands. In South Burlington,
where they exist, working lands are primarily farmland and hayfields, but also limited forms managed
forest lands and fruit tree orchards. Working lands have been a significant part of the city’s landscape for
the past 200 years. Maintaining working agriculture is important to climate-resilience, security of our
food system, and community connec�on to the land. The historic uses have shaped the loca�on of
habitat blocks and connectors, viewsheds, and land use paterns.
Environment Goals
• Conserve at least 51% of the city’s land area, prioritizing conservation of contiguous lands
• Plan for a landscape that allows for continued viability of mammal species like bobcat, red and
grey fox, white-tailed deer, river otter, beavers, coyote, muskrat, and fisher, and different types
of birds including raptors, ground-nesting birds, songbirds, and others
• Connect the City's natural resource areas to one another and to resource areas in adjacent
communities
• Ensure environmental protection, conservation, and other natural resource-related efforts are
undertaken with environmental justice and equity in mind
1 Calculated as lots less than 4 acres in size, plus lots over 4 acres in size that have at least 10% impervious surfaces
such as buildings, parking lots, driveways, etc.
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• Conserve productive farmland and farming operations within the city. Increase number of public
community garden plots by 50% and add distributed locations within walking or biking distance
for all City residents
• Improve organization and management of the existing and potential future public open spaces
• Reduce light pollution
Environment Ac�ons
• Create and implement new Open Space Plan
• Periodically review environmental protection standards in the Land Development Regulations
(currently primarily Article 12) to implement the goals of this section and adapt over time
• Work with adjoining municipalities and regional entities to enact complementary land use policies
where wildlife habitat areas cross City boundaries.
• Set citywide and district-level tree canopy targets and work with landowners to meet those
targets
• Create and implement management plans for all City-owned properties
• Conduct a study of environmental justice to determine if any neighborhoods or areas are
unequally affected by environmental challenges
• Engage in opportunities for tree planting and ecosystem restoration along riparian corridors
• Actively promote replacement of lawns with shrubs, trees, and/or vegetable garden areas
• Actively engage in removal of non-native, invasive tree and plant species on public land and work
with landowers to do the same with private land
• Complete and maintain management plans for city-owned natural areas
• Conserve mapped Habitat Block areas and seek opportunities to connect to adjacent natural
resources
• Where appropriate, actively use city-owned land for agricultural education, and for urban
agriculture and local food production
• Encourage new development, particularly residential or mixed-use projects that include homes
without private yards, to create community garden space.
• Create a map showing built and unbuilt areas
• Determine appropriate process and incentives for creation and management of community
gardens
• Create updated lighting ordinance
Environment Inventory, Analysis, & Challenges
South Burlington’s exis�ng landscape has been heavily influenced by its glacial history, crea�ng South
Burlington’s dis�nct ridgeline topography and geological features. South Burlington has an established
climate with low winter temperatures, moderate summer temperatures, and rela�vely high humidity,
but that climate is now changing.
Climate and Climate Change.
The region’s current climate already burdens and benefits natural communi�es and humans with a wide
temperature range. Winter condi�ons require snow storage on all proper�es and demands regular
34
plowing services by the City. Rainfall must be accounted for to ensure stormwater runoff does not
nega�vely affect water quality or stream bank erosion.
Climate change poses significant challenges for all communi�es, both in how to mi�gate it and to
respond to it. The City must address both by implemen�ng the Climate Ac�on Plan by improving land
use paterns, transporta�on modes, and energy strategies to reduce the city’s carbon footprint. Climate
change is also affec�ng how waterways and ecosystems operate. The City will need to adapt to climate
change via infrastructure updates, land use policy & regula�on, public lands management, and City
opera�ons.
Air Quality.
Air quality has varied over the 20th century, but efforts to reduce pollu�on have resulted in generally
stable, high-quality air. It currently meets all basic federal health (atainment) criteria. The primary
sources of airborne pollutants are automobiles and trucks, industry, and residen�al/commercial hea�ng.
However, climate change has brought smoke plumes and poor air quality from forest fires great
distances from Vermont, including Quebec, western Canada, and the American West. The community
must con�nue to maintain or improve air quality condi�ons, including through promo�on of electric
vehicles and non-fossil-fuel building hea�ng sources.
Topography.
South Burlington’s landscape includes a series of ridgelines and river valleys. Five prominent north-south
ridgelines shape the city’s landscape, shaped historic transporta�on, setlement, and wildlife transit
paterns and provide spectacular views. North of the ridge system is a flat, well-drained deltaic deposit
drained by a network of drainage ways towards Potash Brook to the south and tributaries of the
Winooski River to the north. City Center and Burlington Interna�onal Airport are located in this area. On
a micro-scale, there are also locally steep slopes associated with water bodies, isolated cliffs, and very
steep slopes on specific sites. There are also defunct quarries, including on Spear Street south of I-189.
Geology.
Shallow depth to bedrock and loca�on of bedrock outcrops (due to glacia�on) dictate the loca�on of
roads and underground u�li�es and restricts loca�on of building founda�ons. The city also contains
interes�ng and unique geological forma�ons like a Champlain Sea sand deposit. Most of the city is
served by water and sewer with most remaining areas designated as conserva�on areas. Site-by-site
basis groundwater recharge areas into our bedrock aquifers is considered when development is
regulated or reviewed.
Resource Extrac�on
Resource extrac�on of non-renewable resources, like gravel, bedrock, and topsoil, as commodi�es (not
with development projects) permanently removes land and materials from South Burlington and should
be minimized.
Mineral Extraction.
South Burlington is currently home to two quarries: an ac�ve quarry near Meadowlands Business Park,
accessed through Williston; and an inac�ve quarry at the south end of the airport property. The loca�on
of the ac�ve quarry/gravel pit near the interstate, conserva�on areas, and exis�ng development requires
careful management. Access only through Williston remains the most appropriate route. It is possible
that the ac�ve quarry, which opened to serve the construc�on of I-89, will reach the end of its useful life
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in the coming decades. When that occurs, mi�ga�on will be required and should be planned for,
including through coordina�on with the State of Vermont Act 250 process. New quarries or other
mineral extrac�on is not expected.
Quarrying and produc�on of gravel also occurs on large development sites serving the construc�on
projects. These are very localized and short-lived for the construc�on dura�on. At the end of
construc�on, these areas must also be properly mi�gated.
Several defunct quarry/gravel pit sites exist in the City on both public and private lands, but generally
have litle impact on current land use. Defunct quarries can be recrea�onal and environmental
resources, adding interest to walking trails and providing unique wildlife habitat.
Working Lands
South Burlington has a long history of working lands, primarily for agriculture, but also for limited
forestry. Since WWII, land use has shi�ed away from agriculture to residen�al and commercial (non-
agricultural) development. Maintaining the working character of some of South Burlington’s lands
supports a vibrant community through local agriculture, value-added agricultural products, and
community events.
Forestry
South Burlington’s exis�ng land use paterns, land value, and limited remaining con�guous forest means
commercial forestry is extremely limited. Where feasible, the City supports ecologically-oriented forestry
opera�ons. However, pursuant to VSA 24 Chapter 117, accepted silviculture prac�ces are exempt from
local zoning. New commercial-scale forestry is not expected.
Agriculture
The City of South Burlington has a small number of remaining tradi�onal farms. Crea�ve and varied
agriculture, including small vegetable farms, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs, and
agritourism, have become part of the City’s economic and cultural base. Agricultural produc�on in South
Burlington faces several economic obstacles, including the cost of open land, conflict between
agricultural uses and residen�al areas, and limited available land. To promote small-scale and crea�ve
agriculture, the City will need to con�nue to evolve and adapt, balance the posi�ve and nega�ve impacts
for its residents, and have a role in suppor�ng agricultural lands.
Commercial- & Institutional-Scale Agriculture.
Currently, four rela�vely large agricultural opera�ons exist in South Burlington. UVM owns large parcels
of agricultural land, including its Miller Complex dairy farm on Spear Street, the Hor�cultural Farm on
Shelburne Road, and suppor�ng lands along Spear Street. Bread & Buter Farm operates currently on
Cheesefactory Road and has recently partnered with Vermont Land Trust and the City of South
Burlington to conserve the former Auclair Farm lands primarily for agricultural use. Common Roots is a
smaller mixed agricultural opera�on in South Village, Hubbard Recrea�on & Natural Area, and Wheeler
Homestead. Belter Farm is a dairy farm located on Country Club Drive working primarily in the Winooski
River floodplain.
Rela�vely large farm opera�ons support local food, open space, and community hubs, which contributes
to a vibrant local community and economy. The City has invested funds into the conserva�on of
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agricultural lands currently farmed by Bread & Buter Farm (the former Leduc Farm) and being
conserved through the efforts of Bread & Buter Farm (the Auclair Farm). The City leases part of Hubbard
Recrea�on & Natural Area and Wheeler Homestead to Common Roots at low rates. The City will
con�nue to seek out and support the long-term agriculture ventures that meet City goals for
environmental stewardship, regenera�ve prac�ces, and sustainable agriculture.
Smaller commercial opportuni�es exist for smaller-scale agriculture throughout the city and a few small
opera�ons have emerged recently, but more space exist for new ventures. The City will con�nue to
support and enable community-scale farms, value-added products, agritourism, community events, and
educa�onal opportuni�es.
Community Gardens.
Across cultures, community gardens provide a unique opportunity for community building and
community resiliency. Currently, South Burlington has two sets of public community gardens: one on
land owned by the University of Vermont at the corner of Swi� and Spear Streets, and another at the
Wheeler Nature Park Homestead on Dorset Street. Both of these have wai�ng lists. The exis�ng gardens
are both difficult to access without a personal vehicle. Many small private community gardens do exist
and installing new ones is an op�on for new projects to meet open space requirements. Addi�onal
public community gardens would help meet the needs of our diverse community who may want to
gardening but may not have access to private garden space.
Soils.
Most of the soils in South Burlington are classified as prime soils or soils of statewide importance by the
federal Natural Resource Conserva�on Service (NRCS). Of the soils of statewide importance, very litle
unbuilt area is prime agricultural soil. For that reason, non-regulatory op�ons like incen�viza�on,
financial support, and partnership could be used to minimize development of unbuilt prime agricultural
soils for uses other than agriculture.
Ecological Resources
South Burlington’s landscape varies from Lake Champlain, its watershed, and associated wetlands to
geological features ranging from lakeside cliffs to sandy soils. The City protects ecological resources for
many purposes, including natural open space, wildlife habitat, stormwater management, agricultural
benefit, and climate-change mi�ga�on.
Vegetation.
Trees, shrubs, and other soil cover prevent erosion, provide stormwater benefits, improve air quality,
provide visual and aural buffers, and furnish shade and protec�on from wind. We must con�nue to
remove non-na�ve invasive species, promote vegeta�ve biodiversity, and incorporate pollinator species
into landscaping.
Forests and street trees contribute to a healthy and varied tree canopy. Healthy tree canopy supports
our public health, energy conserva�on, water filtra�on, absorp�on of air pollutants, improved wildlife
habitat, recrea�onal enjoyment, aesthe�c relief, and noise reduc�on. Conserva�on of mature and
specimen trees is important and must be balanced with ensuring conserved natural areas have diversity
in tree ages and species, to protect from the impact of species-specific diseases and other die-off events.
The City will minimize trees removed from development sites and promote plan�ng of replacement or
addi�onal mature trees in new development or redevelopment areas.
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South Burlington’s geology and history, the forests are primarily deciduous forest. Much of the forest is
localized blocks with limited interconnec�on. Many forested blocks have now been protected as “habitat
blocks” and development poten�al is extremely limited. The City will work to maintain these habitat
blocks and promote appropriate forest management, educa�on, and expansion of interconnec�on
op�ons.
Street trees can provide a safer and more pleasant pedestrian experience, calm traffic flow, contribute to
urban beauty, improve air and water quality, and reduce noise. Street trees prevent the heat island effect
and provide shade. Generally, they do not provide significant habitat, but the City should con�nue to
promote trees in street landscaping, especially na�ve and locally-sourced trees. Having healthy street
trees also includes burying power lines where possible.
Single-family residen�al development has created extensive lawn area and residen�al landscaping. Small
residen�al lots provide private open space but also are problema�c if not managed properly. The City
encourages healthy management prac�ces like pollinator-suppor�ng species, reduc�ons in pes�cide and
herbicide use, par�cipa�on in No-Mow May and Raise the Blade campaigns for lawn maintenance, and
promo�on of the “Homegrown Na�onal Parks” program. The City could also incen�vize expansion of
natural buffers in backyards and reduc�on in total lawn area and increased tree plan�ng to further
buffer natural resources like wetlands and to reduce the effect of higher summer temperatures.
Wildlife.
South Burlington residents share the densely populated urban areas, suburban areas, and open spaces
with a diverse popula�on of wildlife. Past studies have iden�fied travel routes - or corridors - most o�en
frequented by larger wildlife, primarily in streams, wetlands, bogs, and undeveloped forest blocks.
Ecological resources and a varied landscape (including steep slopes and extensive bedrock outcroppings)
are important to varied wildlife habitat. The nature of wildlife habitat areas in South Burlington,
including the size of habitat areas, connec�ons, and vegeta�on type dictates we strive to provide habitat
for rela�vely small mammal species like bobcat, red and grey fox, white-tailed deer, river oter, beavers,
coyote, muskrat, bats, opossum, and fisher, and different types of birds including raptors, ground-nes�ng
birds, songbirds, and others. Interac�on between wildlife and human communi�es will con�nue to be an
issue and balancing wildlife needs with human needs will require ongoing problem solving.
Natural communi�es con�nue into our neighboring municipali�es. Coordina�on with neighboring
jurisdic�ons and regional and state en��es is cri�cal.
Surface and Ground Water Resources
Protec�on of our water resources is cri�cal for our drinking water needs and for climate-change
mi�ga�on. All surface waters have climate-change-mi�ga�on benefits as connectors for wildlife and
plants across the landscape, stormwater mi�ga�on, and flood control. With recent regulatory changes,
the City has expanded protec�ons of these resources for environmental and property loss preven�on
reasons. Our standards generally exceed State level standards.
Watersheds.
Seven main watersheds exist within South Burlington: Potash Brook, Muddy Brook, Bartlet Brook,
Centennial Brook, Englesby Brook, Winooski River, and Lake Champlain. The flows from all of the surface
and groundwater systems in South Burlington eventually reach Lake Champlain. Most of these
watersheds are stormwater impaired primarily due to impervious surface runoff. The City must con�nue
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to evaluate its own prac�ces, con�nue expanding and improving the stormwater u�lity’s projects, and
strive to meet state and federal water quality goals.
Wetlands.
Class II and III wetlands throughout South Burlington serve as stormwater storage, control the flow of
streams, filter sediments and surface runoff, support flood mi�ga�on, and provide habitat for fish and
wildlife. Wetlands cannot be replaced once they have been disturbed by mowing, fer�lizers, or
pes�cides. Incremental reduc�on of minor wetlands can cause cumula�ve damage to the wetland’s
func�on and values. Protec�on of wetlands and buffer areas around wetlands prevents damage and loss
of ecosystem services. No Class I wetlands exist within the City, but should any wetlands be reclassified
as such the City would support these as having the highest level of protec�on.
Floodplains & River Corridors.
We must plan for greater frequency and intensity of flooding events with climate change. Floodplains are
categorized based on the projected frequency of flooding, i.e. the 100-year floodplain will flood, on
average, every 100 years. With the changing nature of storm events, South Burlington has chosen to
regulate the 500-year floodplain as the possible equivalent of the future 100-year floodplain.
River Corridors.
River corridors include the area adjacent to a river channel where fluvial erosion, channel shape change,
and channel meandering are most likely to occur. River corridors are specifically defined by the State of
Vermont Department of Environmental Conserva�on. The City was among the first in the State to adopt
River Corridor regula�ons following the State’s program to map and provide model standards for these
areas, and will maintain and revise as necessary.
Stream Channels and Riparian Buffers.
Altera�ons to rivers, streams and tributaries (including physical changes like straightening, rip-rapping
banks, and dredging sediment, changes in land use, and adding impervious area) can o�en have
unexpected downstream effects. The City has natural buffer requirements around perennial streams and
brooks, but it does not account for changes in stream course over �me. The City and Vermont Agency of
Natural Resources have completed geomorphologic assessments of the City’s various stream segments.
The City should explore develop more advanced stream channel protec�on standards or other strategies
in response to the iden�fied risk of damage.
Lake Champlain.
South Burlington has 2.3 miles of frontage along Lake Champlain, providing scenic views, recrea�on, and
water supply. All of South Burlington's watersheds terminate at the lake. See the Water sec�on for more
informa�on.
Aquifers & Wells.
Groundwater is a source of potable water for a limited number of City residents on private wells or
connected to the Fire District #1 water supply in Queen City Park. Contamina�on of groundwater with
road salt, hydrocarbons, pes�cides, herbicides, PFAS, and fer�lizer can pose health hazards or other
water quality problems. South Burlington must consider the loca�on of groundwater aquifer recharge
areas when planning for future land use.
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Flood Resiliency.
The City of South Burlington All Hazards Mi�ga�on Plan (AHMP) developed in conjunc�on with the
Chitenden County Regional Planning Commission (adopted in 2011, updated in 2016 and 2022)
iden�fies the most significant flooding hazards. This plan should be reviewed o�en to ensure accuracy
and appropriate response. The mi�ga�on strategies iden�fied in the most recent All Hazards Mi�ga�on
Plan should all be adopted by reference in this Plan.
South Burlington protects from flood hazards through regula�ons limi�ng development and fill in
floodplains. Restric�ng development on floodplains and river corridors also maintains natural open
spaces and could enable needed recrea�on areas.
The City con�nues to take a proac�ve stance in regula�ng floodplains. Litle development exists within
the City’s 100-year floodplain and it remains the City’s policy to prevent new development there. The
City an�cipates greater flooding frequency in the current 500-year floodplain and new areas being added
to both floodplain designa�ons. Proac�ve planning for these areas will forestall future challenges.
A key component to achieving flood resiliency is a comprehensive approach to stormwater management.
See Stormwater sec�on for more informa�on.
Water Quality.
Water pollu�on comes from point sources and non-point sources. Point sources, such as wastewater
treatment facili�es, are less of an issue now than non-point sources, which occur throughout a
watershed and include stormwater runoff, agricultural runoff, pet waste, and pes�cides. Pes�cide use is
governed by the State but the City does restrict the use of fer�lizers and pes�cides on City property. See
also Stormwater sec�on for more informa�on about stormwater runoff.
Culverts.
Properly sized culverts have environmental, ecological, and water management benefits. We must
an�cipate more intense and more frequent storm events and must properly size culverts for
management of addi�onal water. Undersized culverts cause pooling and turbulence, are blocked more
easily by debris, and cause increased sediment erosion. Culverts must allow wildlife passage as
appropriate in each loca�on.
Quality of Life
Protec�on of natural resources serves environmental purposes but also bolsters human well-being and
community building. Maintaining important scenic views and reducing light pollu�on can improve lives
of South Burlington residents and visitors. We also must determine how South Burlington is doing from
an environmental jus�ce perspec�ve: do we have neighborhoods or popula�ons who are
dispropor�onately affected by environmental pressures?
Scenic Quality.
South Burlington has outstanding scenic views of the Green Mountains, the Adirondacks, and Lake
Champlain. Careful planning, appropriate development design, and acquisi�ons and easements protect
important vistas and viewshed protec�on zones. Viewshed Protec�on Zones currently exist for six views
and opportuni�es exist for addi�onal zones. The City can also explore protec�on of lakeshore views,
both from the shore and from the lake, especially of undeveloped lakeshore areas.
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South Burlington’s agricultural landscape is part of the City’s cultural heritage. Prior to WWII, much of
the land was rural farmland surrounding the more urban Burlington core. The remaining farmsteads and
farmland reflect the community’s strong agrarian past. These landscapes are important parts of our open
space network as working lands and as conserved open spaces. Maintaining the few remaining ac�ve
agricultural lands for agricultural opera�ons is a priority for the City for food produc�on, climate-
resilience, and to preserve views and open space.
Preserva�on of open spaces can preserve the scenic quality of South Burlington’s landscape. Maintaining
open land can maintain the scenic quality of forestland, maintained agricultural land and shrubland, and
a varied landscape. In addi�on to the recrea�onal and environmental benefits, open land contributes to
the scenery. However, not all currently unbuilt lands are appropriate for open space preserva�on,
especially when amongst exis�ng development, on small lots, or without par�cular scenic quality.
Light Pollution.
Light pollu�on can affect human health and the func�oning of the natural world. South Burlington has
taken regulatory steps to reduce light pollu�on by requiring roadway, sign, and high-output building
ligh�ng to be full-cutoff type or downcast and shielded. Generally, light pollu�on reduc�on is a policy
goal of South Burlington while balancing safety needs on our roadways, aesthe�c needs, and lights
needed in our commercial and mixed-use areas. Other guidance exists in guidelines like IESNA Model
Ligh�ng Ordinance that the City can look to for guidance moving forward and for future ordinance
updates.
Noise Pollution.
Noise pollu�on, like light pollu�on, affects human quality of life and the natural world. As the City’s land
use paterns evolve, noise pollu�on may also migrate and are worthy ox examina�on.
Environmental Justice.
As we as a community focus more on equity and inclusiveness, we must also examine how we protect
our environment and where people experience dispropor�onate impacts of environmental harms.
Looking specifically at air pollu�on, noise pollu�on, poor drinking water quality, contaminated soils, lack
of green space, and the urban heat island effect, are certain areas in the city dispropor�onately affected?
We need to start by gathering informa�on. We are at the very beginning of examining this issue and the
City must start the process.
Environment: Addi�onal Resources
• Natural Capital Valuation of Interim Zoning Parcels, April 2020
• Open Space Interim Zoning Committee Final Report, March 2020
• Arrowwood Habitat Block Assessment & Ranking, January 2020
• City Open Space Report, 2014
• Sustainable Agriculture Report, 2013
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Transporta�on
Transporta�on must serve the needs of pedestrians, wheelchair-users, bicyclists, public transit users, air
travelers, commercial vehicles, and passenger vehicles. South Burlington’s street network developed
almost exclusively to meet the needs of passenger vehicles and move people and goods quickly and
efficiently. The road network includes several wide, fast-moving roads that fragment the community for
non-vehicular users. Transporta�on is the top contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in South
Burlington. Transi�oning to cleaner modes of transporta�on, reducing vehicle miles travelled, and
accelera�ng the switch to electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles are key components of the City’s Climate
Ac�on Plan.
As we transi�on to more sustainable modes of travel and are inclusive to all transporta�on modes, focus
on vehicle through-put is no longer the priority. Infrastructure for other transporta�on modes has been
retrofited or included in recent projects, but has remained a secondary priority, with notable excep�ons
of the shared use path system, new streets in City Center, and some of the more recent neighborhoods.
Residents have long desired a strong sense of place and community and high-value land development
paterns. Mee�ng these goals requires slowing vehicle traffic, encouraging pedestrian-scale commercial
areas and housing, si�ng des�na�ons in close proximity to housing, and improving connec�vity with
safe, comfortable, and direct mul�-modal transporta�on op�ons.
We also recognize that South Burlington is a regional node for road, rail, and air transporta�on, and must
ensure that access to and across these systems is considered in transporta�on planning for the
func�oning of the regional transporta�on network and a vibrant business sector.
For the purposes of this sec�on, we use the term “vehicle” for personal passenger
cars/SUVs/trucks/motorcycles, commercial cars/SUVs/light trucks, and commercial heavy trucking. This
does not include bicycles, e-bikes, motorized scooters, skateboards/scooters, and similar primarily
single-user electric or manual vehicles.
Transporta�on Goals
• Complete the network for bike/pedestrian travel by connecting shared use paths, bike/ped
infrastructure, pedestrian trails, and roadways internally and to neighboring municipalities
networks
• Reduce fragmentation of the community by improving crossings over large streets and the
interstate
• Reduce vehicle miles travelled by 2.5% annually through 2030 across all types of users
• Replace 75% of gas vehicles with all-electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles by 2030
• Prioritize infrastructure investments in existing and new neighborhoods that improve
pedestrian, bicycle, transit, and carpool access and support neighborhood connectivity
• Support access to and function of regionally-significant transportation systems consistently with
the land use objectives of this Plan
• Build community by reconnecting population centers especially over large streets and the
interstate with improved infrastructure and transit routes
Transporta�on Ac�ons
• Complete and implement bike/ped master plan
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• Regularly update the Official Map and Capital Improvement Program, consistent with this Plan
• Update Land Development Regulations and City Ordinances to ensure that transportation needs
created by new development are accommodated consistently with the objectives of this Plan
and are designed to avoid adverse impacts to and fragmentation of our natural resources
• Install appropriate protected bike lanes and shared use paths on all major corridors to improve
safety for vulnerable users, especially non-vehicular roadway users
• Slow vehicle speeds by implementing traffic-calming and signage on local roads to encourage
bike/ped usage and improve safety
• Complete East-West Crossing (bike/ped bridge over I-89 adjacent to Exit 14) and associated
network connections
• Reestablish and expand bikeshare program and increase usage
• Create a City Center transit hub to serve the needs of South Burlington users
• Establish direct corridor shuttle-style routes for efficient travel, especially connecting the
Southwest area and City Center and the Northwest area, to complement and maintain the
important GMT loop routes
• Work with GMT to assess and update routing as our land use patterns evolve
• Logically connect the South Burlington path and lane network to networks in neighboring
communities by collaborating with neighboring municipalities
• Explore opportunities to reconfigure Airport Parkway/White Street/Airport Drive to reduce
through-trips in residential areas
• Improve traffic flow through the City by exploring new technologies and synchronizing traffic
lights and adjusting traffic light timing based on time of day and traffic volume while retaining
balance with pedestrian needs.
• Incentivize carpooling
• Explore options for reducing vehicle speed limits
• Increase availability and improve locations of EV charging
• Undertake design and capital planning to reorient Williston Road in City Center to local and non-
vehicular users
• Initiate Exist 14 improvements identified in I-89 Corridor Study
• Complete roadway connections between Tilley Drive and Community Drive / Kimball Ave
Transporta�on Inventory, Analysis, & Challenges
Road Transporta�on Network.
Several major roadways, including I-89, I-189, Shelburne Road (U.S. Route 7), and Williston Road (U.S.
Route 2), travel directly to and through South Burlington. The intersec�ons of these roads are some of
the busiest in the state. With changing travel needs, South Burlington is constantly reevalua�ng where
arterial traffic should move efficiently through the city and where traffic should slow and be more
pedestrian-oriented.
Two interstate highways, I-89 and I-189, are the backbone of regional and statewide vehicular
transporta�on networks and connectors between nearby communi�es. These roads are also a divider,
spli�ng South Burlington into sec�ons with difficult interconnec�vity.
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South Burlington’s primary road network has existed mostly unchanged for almost two hundred years,
including Dorset Street, Spear Street, Shelburne Road, Hinesburg Road, Swi� Street, and Williston Road.
The only significant addi�ons have been the Interstate highways, Kennedy Drive, Kimball Ave, Nowland
Farm Road, and Fayete Drive. Over �me, many historic roads were widened and made more direct,
forming the basis of our current road network.
Different sec�ons of the arterial roads serve different purposes, varying in use from the outer edges to
the center of the city, and the en�re lengths serve mul�ple purposes and users simultaneously. For
Williston Road to serve people living, working, shopping, and playing in South Burlington, especially in
City Center, it must be re-oriented to local and non-vehicular users. This may include treatments like
narrowing the currently 4-lane sec�on in the City Center area (between Dorset Street and Kennedy
Drive) to two lanes or other configura�ons which would make room for bicycles, pedestrians, and/or
transit. The land uses and needs of the corridor shi� east of Kennedy Drive, and its purpose is to
facilitate more through traffic, while s�ll accommoda�ng non-vehicular users in safe and accessible
facili�es. Hinesburg Road north of I-89 travels through established residen�al neighborhoods, new
residen�al and mixed-use areas, and connects to Tilley Drive serving medical and office buildings. This
area should be slower in speed, with beter bike/ped infrastructure, and more focus on serving the uses
lining the road. South of I-89, Hinesburg Road currently focuses on serving through-traffic, despite
increased residen�al development and changing traffic paterns and user needs. Bike/ped connec�ons
need to be improved over I-89 and in this northernmost sec�on to serve the adjacent neighborhoods
and businesses. Shelburne Road serves both as a major north-south corridor for the Champlain Valley,
and neighborhood needs near Farrell Street, the Orchards neighborhood, and residen�al areas on both
sides of Shelburne Road. Connec�ons across Shelburne Road are needed to improve connec�vity
between neighborhoods and commercial areas.
Two addi�onal north-south corridors, Dorset Street and Spear Street, serve commercial areas and
residen�al areas. Dorset Street is the primary transporta�on route to the high school and middle school
campus. Between Kennedy Drive and Williston Road, Dorset Street func�ons like an arterial: it is mul�-
lane, serves significant commercial development, and has a wide shared use path off the street. This
sec�on was expanded as an investment in the early infrastructure of City Center in the 1980s. Recently,
Dorset Street has received more than $2 million in investment to repave and is currently undergoing a
project to upgrade the signal system. South of Kennedy Drive, Dorset func�ons as a collector for
residen�al areas. Similarly, Spear Street serves primarily residen�al areas to the south, UVM proper�es
and the East Terrace area to the north, and serves as a connec�on op�on between the City Center area
and southern parts of Shelburne Road in tandem with Swi� Street and Allen Road. New pedestrian and
bike infrastructure investment in this corridor is cri�cal to connect residen�al areas like South Village to
the city’s commercial cores.
Three key two-lane roads, Airport Parkway, White Street, and Airport Drive, link Essex and Colchester to
South Burlington and the Burlington Interna�onal Airport. These streets pass through the lower-scale
Chamberlin neighborhood. These streets, especially White Street, need to serve both the neighboring
community and pass-through travelers. They should be modified to calm traffic on neighborhood streets,
improve pedestrian and bike travel op�ons, and direct most traffic to the airport onto Airport Parkway.
The City has planned for Airport Parkway and Airport Drive to be re-aligned away from the
neighborhood, funnel traffic to the airport with less disrup�on to the neighborhood, and delineate
between airport and neighborhood uses.
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The City recently par�cipated in a corridor study of the u�lity, needs, and alterna�ves for I-89 and I-189
through Chitenden County. The study examined short, medium, and long term transporta�on needs in
the corridor and presented recommenda�ons including short- and medium-term safety improvements
to the Exit 14 and transporta�on demand management techniques. It also examined adding connec�ons
at Exit 13 and/or installa�on of a new Exit 12B at Hinesburg Road. The policy of this Plan, consistent with
the corridor study, is to retain physical space for these possible future projects, but to not pursue them
un�l other iden�fied projects are implemented and evaluated, with Exit 13 being the next project to
pursue and Exit 12B being the lowest priority op�on.
Other streets currently have a more local func�on and need to con�nue to serve those needs. Some
serve important local connec�ons with our neighboring municipali�es, like Patchen Road to Burlington
near the Burlington–Winooski border. The Patchen Road bridge over I-89 is one of two main roadway
connec�ons to Burlington from the Williston Road area of South Burlington.
Mul�ple User Types.
We must con�nue to shi� transporta�on to encourage all types of roadway users, including pedestrians,
bicyclists, wheelchair and scooter users, and transit riders. While facili�es on or along roadways are
needed, the City needs to also add off-street bike and pedestrian paths. Separated facili�es are inclusive
for pedestrians and bicyclists of all ages and abili�es who may be less comfortable using a sidewalk, bike
lane, or path adjacent to a road. These routes must be clear and unimpeded, including being well-
maintained in all seasons, having proper water drainage/stormwater management, being uninterrupted
by vegeta�on, having appropriate sight lines. They must also comply with ADA dimension and surface
requirements.
The City includes safe passage for pedestrians and bicyclists when construc�ng, modifying, and/or
upgrading roadways. Along arterial streets, separate or shared facili�es for bicycle and pedestrian use
must be provided for both actual and perceived safety. On local collector streets, bike and pedestrian
routes should, at minimum, be well-signed and painted lines should separate bike lanes from vehicle
lanes. On local streets, lower traffic volumes and speeds require less separa�on between bikes,
pedestrians, and vehicles, but good signage can indicate routes for bicyclists and pedestrians and remind
drivers of the presence of other users.
To promote use, pedestrian and bicycle routes generally should follow direct travel routes (rather than
only paralleling roadways) and should reduce conflicts with motorized vehicles. Sidewalks should be
constructed on both sides of arterial streets and at least one side of collector streets and local streets.
Streets with sidewalks on one side must have adequate crossing opportuni�es to reach transit stops,
schools, residences, and pedestrian-scale commercial developments. All signalized intersec�ons must
include a pedestrian phase to provide adequate safety and �me for users to cross any type of street.
Currently, the transporta�on network has approximately 13 miles of on-road bike lanes (varying in width
and separa�on from the vehicle lanes), 22 miles of shared use paths (typically eight- to ten-feet wide),
and 50 miles of sidewalks (used by both bikes and pedestrians). The lanes, paths, and sidewalks are not
always well connected to each other; addi�onal connec�ons are required to complete the non-vehicle
transporta�on network. For example, it is very inefficient to travel from the Shelburne Road corridor to
City Center by bike or transit as key connec�ons are missing, �me-consuming, or difficult due to I-189
and I-89, missing transit op�ons, and/or local topography. Sidewalks and paths constructed with new
development o�en end at parcel boundaries, crea�ng gaps in the network. Major sec�ons of Spear
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Street, Williston Road, Allen Road, Airport Parkway, Kimball Avenue, and Swi� Street lack sidewalks
en�rely and force vulnerable users to share space with fast-moving vehicles or traverse uneven ground
along the roadway.
One major underdeveloped bike/ped connec�on is over I-89 along Williston Road. Exis�ng crosswalks
and sidewalks cross the entrance and exit ramps from I-89 North and South. With con�nuing investment
into City Center, improvement of pedestrian and bike travel over I-89 is cri�cal. The City has received
significant federal funding and is designing a separated bicycle and pedestrian bridge called the East-
West Crossing. When complete, it will make non-vehicular travel safer, easier, and more enjoyable while
connec�ng des�na�ons like the University Mall and the Quarry Hill residen�al area.
Pedestrian travel must be supported by land use policies encouraging dense mixed-use development.
Enabling residents to walk to basic services, retail and restaurant op�ons, and entertainment naturally
increases pedestrian travel rates. Compact, interconnected city centers create a more pedestrian friendly
environment than linear strip development paterns oriented to arterial roadways.
Transit Services .
Transi t best serves well-planned, intensively-used compact areas. Con�nued development of City Center
will increase the need for public transit loop routes, shutle routes along corridors, and frequency in the
Williston Road/Dorset Street/Market Street area. Green Mountain Transit (GMT) provides transit service
throughout greater Chitenden County through approximately twenty bus routes with a central hub in
downtown Burlington. GMT is funded through annual dues from member municipali�es, state and
federal programs, and fares. Three fixed routes serve South Burlington (#1 Williston, #6 Shelburne Road,
and #11 Airport) plus direct service from Burlington to Tilley Drive. No internal circula�on routes exist
within South Burlington and there is no direct connec�on from Shelburne Road to City Center and
Williston Road.
Higher scale or intensity land use should occur in areas with exis�ng bus service. Development has and
will con�nue to occur in areas not presently well served by transit like Tilley Drive, new senior living
facili�es, and Meadowland Business Park. GMT and the City will need to both plan for mee�ng these
needs and to strategically funnel development along exis�ng transit corridors.
At the site level, specific site plan or subdivision applica�ons should be carefully reviewed with an eye
toward shelters for transit users and possible bus stop loca�ons.
Access Management.
Access management can improve safety and efficiency of arterial streets for both vehicles and for non-
motorized users by reducing the conflict between through, local and turning traffic. On arterial streets,
reducing curb cuts reduces hazards of turning traffic for bicyclists and priori�zes “through” traffic over
access to frontage proper�es. The general patern on Kennedy Drive is a reasonable configura�on of an
arterial highway (i.e., few curb cuts and provision of service roads) when accompanied by adequate
separated bike/ped infrastructure. Along Williston Road and Shelburne Road, uncoordinated
development has created conflict between “to” and “through” traffic. Improvements like installa�on of
proper signing, striping, and control equipment can improve safety. Parallel access roads, such as San
Remo Drive, can access areas off of a main transporta�on corridor. South Burlington has adopted
regula�ons requiring access management prac�ces during development projects and will con�nue to
improve bike lane and traffic safety through these and similar measures.
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Air Transporta�on.
Burlington Interna�onal Airport (BTV), a joint civil-military public airport, is managed by the City of
Burlington and the Federal government. The airport sits on nearly 950 acres in the northeastern
quadrant of South Burlington. The Airport serves commercial passenger flights, general avia�on, and
military flights. Both major commercial parcel carriers (UPS Airlines and FedEx Express) fly into BTV,
providing service for much of northern Vermont. Two military installa�ons are based at the airport:
Burlington Air Na�onal Guard Base 158th Fighter Wing and the Army Avia�on Support Facility (AASF) of
the Vermont Army Na�onal Guard. In total, the Airport reported **** enplanements in 2023, making it
one of the busier regional airports in New England. The Airport Master Plan, most recently completed
through 2030, documents the facility’s exis�ng status as well as future proposals through the next 20
years.
BTV is vital to economic development and transporta�on for Vermont. In economic development and
transporta�on, the interests of the City and the Airport are very closely aligned. Improved roads and
transit service enhances use of the Airport and can alleviate impacts on the Chamberlin neighborhood.
The Airport is taking proac�ve steps toward improving green avia�on in their own planning processes
and in welcoming Beta Technologies pushing forward the future of EV flight. The atrac�on of further
light industry (and associated jobs) to the City will depend on proximity to an airfield with the broadest
possible range of air service.
The City and the Airport have taken concrete ac�ons in recent years to improve coordina�on and
communica�on between the two en��es. Most notable is the agreed-upon policy change for sound
mi�ga�on from the buyout program (which removed over 200 nearby homes) to a sound insula�on
program that reinvests in the neighborhood. Open collabora�on can result in more effec�ve, just, and
equitable process and outcomes on key issues like noise, traffic, and airport use, and opportuni�es like
innova�on and job growth.
Rail Transporta�on.
The Vermont Railway and the Central Vermont Railway tracks are presently used for freight service,
summer tourist trains, and reestablished Amtrak commuter rail service between New York City and
Burlington via Albany, Rutland, Middlebury, and Vergennes. Addi�onal Amtrak service travels through
Vermont to Massachusets and then to New York from the Essex Junc�on sta�on. Future goals include
extending this service to Montreal, which presents addi�onal opportunity to connect South Burlington
to its larger neighbors.
The Vermont Railway, which parallels Route 7, also has poten�al for direct service to the commercially-
zoned proper�es fron�ng its east side. Rail siding poten�al should be maintained where feasible in the
layout of proposed construc�on. As development con�nues west of the tracks, improvements to at-
grade crossings (Bartlet Bay Road, Holmes Road, Inn Road) may be necessary.
Vehicle Charging
Access to EV vehicle charging will be cri�cal to mee�ng our climate ac�on goals. This includes improving
availability of charging sta�ons in mul�-family proper�es by working with property owners and HOAs.
Commercial proper�es need to be encouraged, incen�vized, or required by regula�on to have adequate
on-site EV charging.
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Transporta�on Addi�onal Resources
• [Note to Draft: requires further updates]Various Bike/Ped studies, including South Burlington
Pedestrian and Bicycle Feasibility Study (2017 & 2020)
• Greenlining Shared Electric Mobility (Carshare VT) (2022)
• City Center Parking & Movement Plan (2020)
• Chittenden County Shared Mobility Regional Analysis (2019)
• Tilley Drive/Kimball Ave/Community Drive Land Use and Transportation Plan (2019/20/21)
• Chamberlin Neighborhood-Airport Land Use & Transportation Plan (2016)
• Garden Street Project Definition Report (2015)
• Williston Road Transportation Network Study (2015 & 2017)
• Transportation Demand Management Policy Guide (2014)
• Williston Road Complete Streets Study (2012)
• Shelburne Road Corridor Study (2012)
• Cars to People Complete Reports (2011)
• I-89 Exit 12B Circulation Study & Analysis Reports (2010, 2011)
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Community, History, & Culture
Cultural resources and history are key to building community and iden�ty. Providing and suppor�ng
opportuni�es for community-building are central to building a thriving South Burlington as we grow in
popula�on. As we support new cultural ventures, it is important to engage with the past and
appropriately preserve historical buildings, landscapes, and scenic views. South Burlington also benefits
from a diversity of cultures, languages, and ar�s�c tradi�ons amongst our community members which
we must do a beter job suppor�ng and including in community-wide arts and culture endeavors.
Building community in South Burlington through investment and focus on arts and culture will nurture a
vibrant, connected city. Arts and culture enrich lives of all ages, lifestyles, backgrounds, and cultural
communi�es and s�mulate crea�vity and innova�on. Alongside parks, libraries, and schools, the arts
contribute to a sense of place and community iden�ty and raise the quality of life.
Culturally, South Burlington has developed as part of the Chitenden County and Vermont cultural
communi�es. Crea�ng a dis�nct South Burlington iden�ty requires investment in cultural and ar�s�c
resources here. This includes an expansive view of arts including, but not limited to, visual and media
arts, music, dance, theater, cra�s, fiber arts, tradi�onal skills, and crea�ve wri�ng. Progress will require
both City-directed ac�on and collabora�on with community partners.
Community, History, & Culture Goals
• Integrate South Burlington’s history into its future through engagement with historic sites,
structures, and landscapes
• Protect important vistas and viewsheds, as viewed from public vantage points (public roads,
paths, land); and designated landscapes, sites and structures of historic and cultural significance.
• Promote equitable and accessible cultural activities, development of the arts community, art
creation, and public art display equitably and accessibly across all areas of the city
• Support artistic diversity in South Burlington’s cultural opportunities and integrate arts and
culture into public buildings and spaces
Community, History, & Culture Ac�ons
• Create an Arts & Culture Master Plan for South Burlington
• Support more culturally diverse arts and culture events, art installations, and educational
opportunities
• Grow arts education activities available, either run by or supported by the City
• Update the inventory of the City’s historic resources, assess the significance of identified
buildings, structures and landscapes
• Evaluate whether additional protections are required to preserve historic, cultural and
archeological resources while balancing other goals.
• Partner with historic society when possible
• Create map and documentation of local Indigenous history
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Community, History, & Culture Inventory, Analysis & Challenges
Community
Building an inclusive, fair, and just community is a primary goal for the future of South Burlington.
Knowing your neighbors and connec�ng with others builds a more resilient and suppor�ve community.
Community facili�es, cultural organiza�ons, and gathering spaces enable more people to meet, build
social groups, and thrive in their community. These community assets may range in scale and guiding
mission, but opportuni�es for people to build overlapping and intersec�on social webs increases both
personal and community resiliency.
Cultural Facili�es and Organiza�ons.
Engaging through arts-related ac�vi�es, groups, and events can facilitate community connec�ons.
Cultural resources both need and atract popula�on density, which supports our housing goals, climate-
resiliency goals, and bike/pedestrian-friendly built environment.
Cultural facili�es in South Burlington are owned and operated by both the public and private sectors.
Since opening in 2021, the new City Hall has provided an auditorium, Senior Center, Library, and
numerous mee�ng rooms rentable by the public. It also contains public art like the art gallery spaces and
installa�on of art outside. The City has a role in providing facili�es where ar�s�c groups can meet and
create art, expanding educa�onal opportuni�es for all kinds of arts and cra�s, and providing arts
programming for all ages. Further community center space would provide much needed gathering space.
Cultural organiza�ons include places of worship, service organiza�ons, and community groups for both
South Burlington residents and regional visitors. Some of our religious communi�es and ins�tu�ons, like
the Islamic Society of Vermont and Temple Sinai, draw people from our surrounding region and create a
strong network based on religious faith. Collabora�on with these organiza�ons and religious
communi�es can build community and connect us to the region. The City needs to seek community
partnerships in the Shelburne Road area as we priori�ze addi�onal housing and community-building in
the southwest part of the city.
Community building and community vibrancy must involve investment in the broader aesthe�c and
ar�s�c vision of our community. The City supports (and requires) public art in new construc�on and
redevelopment and encourages High-quality, climate-responsive design in buildings. As addi�onal park
spaces are developed in City Center, the City will consider and install public art to enrich the user
experience and create welcoming areas for visitors. Future engagement opportuni�es could include with
public infrastructure, recrea�on facili�es and programs, and other public assets. The City also can serve
as a municipal partner in funding applica�ons where such coopera�on is necessary or desirable for
future ar�s�c projects and investments.
Cross-Cultural Ac�vi�es
South Burlington and Chitenden County have residents from a wealth of cultures from around the
world. Bolstering the arts community and public arts in South Burlington includes engaging with the
diversity of cultures we have right in our own city. Public art events, performances, and installa�ons
should involve people of different backgrounds and with a range of cultural prac�ces and arts. This will
strengthen our community, connect neighbors, and support our community members with diverse
cultural heritage, including New American and Na�ve American community members.
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Historic Sites and Structures.
The City of South Burlington has diverse historic resources, including Paleoindian archeological sites,
stonewalls, historic farmsteads, Cra�sman-style bungalows, Interna�onal-style buildings, and post-World
War II neighborhoods. We must remain sensi�ve to preserving the city’s past as a record of South
Burlington’s evolu�on from an agricultural to a booming post-war suburban community.
South Burlington’s early history is well-documented in annual reports, oral histories, and publica�ons.
The City should maintain a list of historic buildings poten�ally eligible for the Na�onal Register and may
explore local historic registry op�ons.
Recognizing history while developing our cultural future enriches the present and future. Instead of
locking historic resources, structures, and landscapes away, South Burlington recognizes their current
value and the need to engage with history as we promote cultural development. We must also recognize
the indigenous history of the area and should engage with the Abenaki community for consulta�on
about their history on this land and possible archaeological sites. The Western Abenaki people have
inhabited this land (N’dakina) for thousands of years. What is currently called South Burlington was a
crucial center, especially the area stretching east from what is now Burlington to the Airport and along
the Winooski River and its tributaries, and south to Shelburne Pond. People have lived in this area for at
least 12,000 years, since the �me of the Champlain Sea.
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Recrea�on
Recrea�on resources enable us to exercise, socialize, build community, and access open space. These
resources include both physical spaces for recrea�on and structured programming that help people
gather and share interests. Community resiliency increases when people have more local friends and
neighbors to turn to when they need help. Building community begins with fostering person-to-person
connec�ons, which the City can encourage through recrea�onal spaces and programs.
South Burlington must balance the need for recrea�onal facili�es (developed and natural) with other
uses of land and must provide cost-effec�ve recrea�on to residents of all ages, interests, and abili�es.
Our residents use both our developed parks and our natural areas for recrea�on and we need to plan for
use by the public to con�nue increasing into the future for varied user groups. The City must also
maintain and invest in the current system of parks, recrea�onal facili�es, and open spaces to keep those
assets vibrant.
As popula�on grows, especially in City Center and higher-scale areas, we intends to parallel that growth
with growth in available recrea�on spaces and open lands. In the coming decade, we project the
majority of all households will be living in mul�-family dwellings, which increases reliance on accessible
park space for basic recrea�onal needs. Both new acquisi�ons and maintenance of exis�ng areas needs
to be done equitably and should consider our Climate Ac�on Plan targets.
Recrea�on Goals
• Provide for the varied recreational needs and interests of our community members by providing
spaces and facilities for passive recreation, active sports, cultural and educational programs, and
civic gatherings, distributed geographically and appropriate for surrounding context
• Provide 7.5 acres of developed recreation land for every 1,000 residents
• Provide 20 acres of natural recreation land for every 1,000 residents
• Locate a recreational amenity within ¼ mile of every dwelling unit within our residential and
mixed-use neighborhoods
• Increase annual recreational programming and event participation to 40% of the total
population
• Have recreational programming and event participation mirror the city’s demographic mix
• Improve accessibility in recreational spaces and programs
• Provide equitable access and investment in parks and programming
Recrea�on Ac�ons
• Prepare a Parks Master Plan establishing the need and location of new parks, function of
existing and planned parks, and identified amenities to serve the City's current and future
population
• Construct a Community Recreation Center
• Complete ADA transition plan for public infrastructure, equity, and accessibility, including
appropriate investment in parks and programming
• Pursue acquisition and investment in recreation spaces to meet goals of this Plan
• Target resources to reinvest in parks in city's older neighborhoods
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Recrea�on Inventory, Analysis, & Challenges
As South Burlington con�nues to evolve, the recrea�on space and programming needs of our residents
will also con�nue to evolve.
Recrea�on Spaces.
South Burlington values collec�ve, publicly-available spaces. Community building requires func�onal
gathering space, both outdoor and indoor, to allow residents to form connec�ons and share interests.
This must include both unstructured space and reservable space. Our community members use
recrea�onal spaces differently due to a range of ages, lifestyles (including single people, families, dog-
owners, and those with unorthodox schedules) and interests (including community gardening, team
sports, individual sports, passive recrea�on, socializa�on, and natural areas). Providing spaces for a
range of community gathering styles and needs will strengthen our community as a whole.
Our recrea�onal spaces must be accessible in every sense and be ADA-compliant. Spaces must be
walkable, bikeable and/or accessible via transit lines from homes to reduce the distances driven by
personal vehicle, both for climate-change mi�ga�on and for reduc�on of financial barriers to access.
Spaces must feel safe and welcoming to all community members. These goals are applicable to new
construc�on and redevelopment, but also exis�ng spaces.
As of 2023, 46% of dwelling units in the community are mul�-family buildings, with 48% in single family
homes and the remainder in duplexes. Over the past two decades, two-thirds of all homes built have
been in mul�-family buildings, and this trend is an�cipated to con�nue. This change, alongside
decreasing lot sizes for single-family homes in new neighborhoods and infill within exis�ng
neighborhoods, increases the need for varied accessible park and public spaces.
South Burlington’s outdoor park spaces are not mee�ng current need and will not meet the needs of a
growing popula�on. South Burlington owns significant acreage of park space, miles of shared-use path,
and improved facili�es, but currently does not meet the goal of 7.5 acres of developed recrea�on land
per 1,000 residents. We also should strive for 20 acres of natural areas per 1,000 residents, for both
passive recrea�on and conserva�on. A large percentage of the total City-owned park acreage is in a
single loca�on – Veterans’ Memorial Park and Wheeler Nature Park on Dorset Street. Several other
larger proper�es are not developed as park spaces. The City considers both developed parks and natural
recrea�on areas to be valuable and intends to improve and maintain significant amounts of both types
of areas into the future.
A range of park sizes and func�ons creates a func�oning park system. The park system must include a
mix of city-wide parks, neighborhood parks, and even regional parks (like Red Rocks Park) to serve the
varied needs of our users. Large, city-wide parks are cri�cal for large-format sports and other large
events. The distribu�on of parks, while generally widespread, does not provide for easy pedestrian
access for all residents, so acquisi�on of new neighborhood-scale spaces must be priori�zed in areas
without exis�ng park space. Inclusion of complementary commercial spaces adjacent to park spaces
poten�ally creates new neighborhood des�na�ons. Determining what a neighborhood park should
include and what ameni�es (including community gardens, playgrounds, dog facili�es, etc.) should be
located in varying kinds of parks will be a core ques�on for a Parks Master Plan.
Addi�onal outdoor playing fields are needed to support programming desired by City residents. Many
tradi�onally seasonal sports programs have become three-season sports and place huge demand on
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facility spaces and fields. Addi�onal ac�vely-programmed City park land is needed to adequately provide
facility space to meet recrea�on needs for a wide range of South Burlington residents.
Further acquisi�ons can be funded by the Open Space Fund, a special dedicated property tax of 1 cent
on the tax rate to purchase open space or development rights to open space. Recrea�on is also
supported through the Impact Fee Ordinance, which is strictly limited to how and when it can be spent.
As the City’s resources age, maintenance and safety are becoming increasingly important. The City will
need to maintain facili�es in an equitable way – making sure that all members of our community are
being adequately and appropriately served by maintenance projects over �me. The Conserva�on Fund
was expanded in 2010 to allow for up to five percent to be used for maintenance perpetually.
Improvements for three major natural areas have been authorized for 50% funding through FY 2026.
City residents need indoor recrea�on spaces during inclement weather and for indoor-oriented
ac�vi�es. The City has indoor space at City Hall, including the library and the senior center, but, as fully
discussed below, most other programs rely on the school system for indoor space.
In addi�on to publicly-owned spaces, private associa�ons and neighborhoods provide addi�onal
recrea�on space for their residents. Development projects are now required to provide Civic Spaces
and/or Site Ameni�es when they are subject to Site Plan and/or Subdivision rules. This requires some
amount of space on a site to be dedicated at the �me of construc�on or applicable re-development to
ameni�es that serve the residents/users of site or the public at large.
Recrea�on Programming .
The City provides recrea�onal programming and will con�nue to do so. These services, like youth sports
programs, senior programming, and community events, provide opportuni�es for people from different
parts of our city to gather and interact. They also provide structured exercise opportuni�es, mental
health and cogni�ve support, and connec�on between people of shared interests. The Recrea�on and
Parks Department offers a wide array of programs, including sports, art, hobby, and educa�onal
programs, play groups and fitness, and serves community members from pre-school to seniors.
Programming is primarily targeted for school-age kids and seniors, so expanding programs for younger
kids and adults would provide opportuni�es to more of our community.
The City will con�nue to adapt to equitably meet the need of our whole community. Access to
recrea�on programming should not be unreasonably limited by transporta�on barriers, economic
barriers, and �me barriers. To have program and event par�cipa�on reflect our community, the City
should con�nue offering community events free-of-charge and explore op�ons to remove financial
barriers to par�cipa�on in other types of programming. Loca�ons should also be varied in the city and
especially include loca�ons that are accessible by transit or to provide assistance for access.
With changing community needs, City recrea�on programs and events will need to con�nue to adapt to
demand and interest. New sports and new interests may become popular in our community.
Reevalua�ng programming periodically will ensure our community’s needs are met.
A major obstacle to recrea�onal programming is the very limited indoor space available. The City
Recrea�on and Parks Department depends on spaces within the schools for most of its indoor programs.
The City programs receive the second highest priority for school spaces (a�er the schools themselves),
these spaces are limited in space and �me. The City lacks scheduling control and cannot provide
54
recrea�onal ac�vi�es for young children and the elderly during the school day. Alterna�ve building space
to provide for these types of ac�vi�es is essen�al.
In addi�on to its own direct programming, the City works with area community groups, nonprofits,
neighboring municipali�es, and the school district to coordinate and enhance programming available to
the City’s residents.
Recrea�on: Addi�onal Resources
• South Burlington Parks Access Improvement Study (2014)
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Community Services
The core services provided by the City of South Burlington represent the long-term priori�es of our
residents to meet the needs of our community, its inhabitants, its businesses, its visitors, and its natural
resources. The City invests in services that are professional, customer-oriented, innova�ve, and in
partnership with our surrounding municipali�es and partner service providers. These services support
social connec�on, resiliency, and neighborhood-level community.
Services, and the processes used to iden�fy and meet changing needs of the community, must be
accessible, inclusive, and equitably provided to all members of our community.
This Plan also centers the climate-mi�ga�on goals in the Climate Ac�on Plan in our municipal decision-
making and sets the goal to ensure that our services, policy, facili�es, and equipment limit the impacts of
climate change and increase our community’s climate resilience.
Providing an environment of safety, welfare, and basic needs that the City can address through its
departments, outside partnerships, and with the school district are core func�ons of the City.
Community Services Goals
• Rigorously invite engagement for all in the governance of the City
• City governance structure and public participation reflects and represents the diversity of South
Burlington’s population
• Provide City Services accessible to and equitably serving the needs all residents and users of the
City
• Orient Public Safety services to providing just and equitable first response
• Provide quality indoor and outdoor public facilities and services, identified through collaborative
strategic planning, that meet present-day needs and are anticipated to meet needs at least
twenty years into the future
Community Services Ac�ons
• Continue to improve comprehensive public outreach and communication through multiple
channels, including print media, social media, physical postings, local news channels, e-
newsletters, and others, to reach more members of our community
• Promote community building through increasing usage and diversity of patronage of the Library
circulation, public space reservation, and provision of varied and inclusive programming
• Review and adjust fire/life safety ordinances and resources to meet the evolving needs of the
community
• Account for both the long-term and accurate impacts of climate change in the development and
implementation of the City’s All-Hazards Mitigation Plan
• Lead and collaborate with our partner municipalities on providing shared municipal services
• Be an active and equal participant in mutual aid partnerships for first response
• Seek opportunities to improve response and services for mental health and social service needs,
and access to shelter and food
• Seek opportunities to increase engagement and participation in governance, committees, and
programming offered by the City
• Fully integrate the Community Justice Center into municipal operations
• Identify long-term, stable funding to ensure that the Community Justice Center and the City’s
commitment to inclusivity, fairness, and justice are able to be realized
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• Coordinate closely with the South Burlington School District to identify and track changes in
student populations and engage in planning for school capital needs.
• Integrate cemeteries into greater community planning as facility, open space, and recreational
asset
Community Services Inventory, Analysis, & Challenges
Public Safety, Community Jus�ce, & Social Services
The City recognizes that the community is stronger when our community members feel safe and are safe
in the community and in their homes. Law enforcement and emergency response can strengthen our
community through fair and impar�al response, transparency, and building rela�onships. We can also
strengthen our community by orien�ng ourselves to community-jus�ce outside (or in addi�on to)
tradi�onal court proceedings. Community safety is further bolstered by robust fire preven�on
Our community has seen an increasing need, or increasing visibility of the need, for mental health,
substance misuse, and other social services. This includes acute mental health crises, non-acute social
services support, connec�on to other partner programs and services, and support for community
members struggling with mee�ng their basic needs. Climate change will exacerbate these issues with
changing weather events, changing stability in the food system, and changing temperatures over �me.
They will also be exacerbated by an increasing wealth divide at a na�onal scale and in our community.
The City is exploring new and crea�ve approaches to mee�ng these increasing needs and possibly
providing addi�onal or different types of support for our community members.
Historically, law enforcement and emergency response has been the primarily responsibility of the South
Burlington Police Department and South Burlington Fire Department, with collateral support between
mutual aid partners. More recently, the Community Jus�ce Center has been established to meet some of
the community jus�ce needs of our community. South Burlington has also established a partnership with
five neighboring municipali�es and the Howard Center for a Community Outreach Team and the City will
con�nue the commitment to this partnership. We con�nue to look for flexible solu�ons to support
public safety in our community.
Police.
The primary role of the Police Department in the City is for law enforcement and emergency response.
The Police Department provides primary law enforcement services (except at Burlington Interna�onal
Airport, served by the Burlington Police Department), par�cipates in mutual aid and collabora�on with
other agencies, and operates community outreach programs.
The Police Department has the poten�al to provide community outreach, educa�on, and non-patrol
ac�vi�es, which can improve public safety and the percep�on of policing in the community. The Police
Department values community partnerships and collabora�on and plans to enrich these partnerships as
opera�onally possible.
Community Justice Center.
The South Burlington Community Jus�ce Center (“CJC”) hosts repara�ve panels, provides media�on
services, and assists with offender re-entry through Circles of Support and Accountability. The CJC is
currently funded by grants from the State Department of Correc�ons, which leaves the program in a
tenuous posi�on with financial stability lying outside of South Burlington.
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Fire and Rescue.
The South Burlington Fire Department (“SBFD”) provides primary fire, medical and specialized rescue
response. It serves the civilian buildings at the Burlington Interna�onal Airport. SBFD supports and is
supported by surrounding communi�es and the Air Na�onal Guard Fire Department as part of mutual
aid agreements. The SBFD is staffed with full-�me professional personnel. Two fire engines and one
ambulance are staffed 24 hours per day, with support from addi�onal call-outs.
SBFD operates from two fire sta�ons: ◆ Sta�on #1 is located on Dorset Street. This is the primary fire sta�on for the City. ◆ Sta�on #2 is located on Holmes Road, west of Shelburne Road. This sta�on reduces response
�mes to the southwestern end of the City, an area with a significant volume of emergency incidents.
The Air Na�onal Guard Fire Department’s primary mission is to serve the airfield and non-civilian
por�ons of the Airport; in recent years and in close partnership with the City it has expanded its mission
to provide first response to the northern por�on of the City. The City con�nues to strive for a more
diverse firefigh�ng and civilian staff, which will require some renova�ons to both sta�ons to provide for
addi�onal bunkhouse space for non-male firefighters, addi�onal shower and bathroom space, and
overall updates. Physical changes are a step toward a goal of being a welcoming and suppor�ve
department.
Fire safety relies on response, but it begins with planning and protec�on. Currently, building inspec�ons,
new construc�on, electrical inspec�on, and fire code enforcement are provided by the South Burlington
Fire Marshal’s Office and the State of Vermont Division of Fire Safety, using the Vermont fire safety
standards and other applicable Vermont building codes. The SBFD also annually inspects all businesses
that apply for a liquor license and assists residents with safety equipment and informa�on. As the City
popula�on con�nues to grow, City Center con�nues to be built out more densely, and commercial
businesses con�nue to develop commercial areas, we recognize that the needs for this kind of fire
protec�on will con�nue to increase and safety in our mul�-family and rental housing will con�nue to be
a City priority.
Emergency Preparedness and Response
Prepara�on for and response to emergencies is a core government service provided by the City of South
Burlington. The City ac�vely embraces a four-phase strategy of emergency preparedness and response:
mi�ga�on, preparedness, response, and recovery.
Mitigation.
Mi�ga�on links emergency management, infrastructure maintenance, and land use planning. The City
approaches mi�ga�on as a mul�-faceted issue. True mi�ga�on starts with the development or
redevelopment of land, design of buildings, loca�on of emergency services, and collabora�on with other
agencies. It is also affected by climate change and increasing storm frequency and severity. The City has a
current All-Hazards Mi�ga�on Plan (“AHMP”) that iden�fies poten�al risks with likelihood and scale of
damage. The AHMP presents ac�ons for the City, its residents, and its businesses to lessen the risk of
future incidents. The AHMP iden�fies severe winter storms, gas and/or electric service loss, and flooding
as hazards that warrant the greatest aten�on.
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The Department of Planning & Zoning, the Planning commission, and the Development Review Board
are all involved in wri�ng and assuring compliance with regula�ons that mi�gate risk. The South
Burlington Fire and Rescue Department and Department of Public Works regularly provide input
regarding the loca�on and access of buildings, roadways, and other safety-related issues in local
development review through par�cipa�on at the Development Review Board.
Preparedness.
Emergency preparedness and response in South Burlington are coordinated through the Fire
Department and Police Department. In addi�on to ongoing training, the City regularly works with the
School District, senior housing groups, and local organiza�ons such as the Red Cross to enhance public
preparedness. South Burlington has also been an ac�ve par�cipant in the Chitenden County Local
Emergency Planning Commitee, a regional organiza�on responsible for coordina�ng emergency
preparedness.
The City maintains an Emergency Opera�ons Plan with public emergency alert strategies and
responsibility of various departments. It iden�fies several poten�al shelter loca�ons, including schools,
churches, and other large community buildings, approved by the American Red Cross to use in the event
of an emergency. The City also maintains an Emergency Opera�ons Center at the Public Works facility.
Response.
The Police Department and Fire Department are primarily responsible for emergency response in South
Burlington, supported by the Department of Public Works, the Vermont Agency of Transporta�on, and
mutual aid response partners and other support partners. Emergency dispatch is managed through the
Police Department, and systems are redundant to Burlington.
Recovery.
Recoveries from large-scale incidents in the City have generally been related to flooding. South
Burlington has worked diligently, through its Stormwater Division, to address the causes of wide-scale
flooding incidents.
Climate resiliency.
Improving flood resilience reduces the community vulnerability to flooding and to support recovery,
especially in the face of climate change. Due to its geography and eleva�on, South Burlington doesn’t
face the same level of flood risk as many Vermont communi�es. The City has and shall con�nue to work
to improve flood resiliency. The City has restricted development to natural land uses within wetlands,
habitat blocks, river and stream corridor buffers and setbacks, and mapped flood plains. The City has
Low Impact Development stormwater standards and the state’s first Stormwater U�lity, a watershed
approach to surface water and stormwater management, landscaping requirements and cyclical
assessments of tree canopy, smart growth approaches including a designated New Town Center,
coordina�on with neighboring communi�es, and ac�ve par�cipa�on in the regional All Hazards
Mi�ga�on Plan.
Municipal Governance
The role of municipal government in South Burlington is broad and is based on principles of good
governance and decision-making. It supports both the basic needs of the community and the quality of
life and work in the City. The City is commited to providing services to the community professionally,
equitably, and customer-focused, while maintaining an efficient government that spends our tax dollars
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effec�vely. This leads to community trust in the City government, more par�cipa�on in City governance
processes, and hopefully for a greater sense of community and civic pride. We recognize that the City
has a way to go in appropriately interac�ng with and communica�ng with members of different groups
in our community and we will con�nue to strive for beter outreach and par�cipa�on for all community
members.
The City of South Burlington has established a government that provides core municipal services
including running elec�ons, maintaining land and vital records, tax assessment and collec�on, City
employee management and benefits, legal support, and financial accoun�ng and budge�ng. The City
recognizes both the need to provide core government services as required by State statute, but also the
value of professional staffing in all of these areas for the vitality and future of South Burlington. We are
commited to staffing and developing our capacity as a City to have robust municipal departments in all
of these areas. Our staffing must also be nimble to changing and evolving community priori�es. We are
commited to providing adequate and appropriate compensa�on and benefits, a welcoming work
environment and culture, and support to retain quality employees.
City Hall.
Municipal government is headquartered at the new City Hall building at 180 Market Street, which
opened in 2021. This includes City Clerk, City Manager, City Atorney, Community Development, IT, HR,
Planning & Zoning, Recrea�on & Parks, and Tax & Assessor. There is no current need for upgrading this
facility.
City Clerk.
The City’s Clerk’s Office is located in City Hall at 180 Market Street. The Clerk’s Office manages City
elec�ons, maintains land records, and provides vital records services. Changes in technology and access
to online records have changed the number of in-person visitors, but members of the public use the
Clerk’s Office for notary public services, vital records services, and for general City informa�on. South
Burlington’s ongoing popula�on growth con�nues to require addi�onal resources around elec�ons and
with day-to-day service.
Public Works and Maintenance
The South Burlington community relies on well-maintained transporta�on routes through the City for
community movement and community safety. We value providing for these basic needs of community
members and to con�nue to support our municipal services that meet these needs. Maintenance of our
transporta�on network (including roads and paths), our water distribu�on system, stormwater system,
sewer collec�on system, and our park systems provides safe transporta�on, safe drinking water and
sewer services, and safe recrea�on opportuni�es to members of our community.
The Department of Public Works (“DPW”) maintains City streets (including signs, ligh�ng, and traffic
signals), parks and shared use paths, stormwater systems, two water treatment plants and associated
collec�on systems, water distribu�on systems, water storage tanks, and 32 wastewater pump sta�ons. It
maintains City and school district vehicles. DPW operates from a City facility and garage at 104 Landfill
Road, constructed in 2001, which also leases space to the South Burlington School District.
The City’s infrastructure needs are planned through both the DPW annual budget and the Capital
Improvement Program. Fees for DPW services (including water and wastewater alloca�on fees) are
enterprise funds of the City and must mirror the costs of maintenance, improvement, and expansion of
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the water and wastewater facili�es and infrastructure. It is expected that revenues will cover expenses.
DPW is currently undertaking a rate study to right-size fees with planned and necessary costs.
Community Quality of Life
Living in South Burlington is greater than the sum of a person’s basic needs or of the city’s individual
services, programs, or infrastructure. A robust, welcoming, inclusive, and strong community is built on
the founda�on of strong community facili�es and resources. The City of South Burlington is commited
to suppor�ng community development and community building amongst residents through support of
our community facili�es.
Library.
The City’s community library is located in City Hall at 180 Market Street. The Library is a community hub
for informa�on, entertainment and social connec�on – in FY 2022, over 75,000 people visited the library
(this number may be underes�mated for large group programs), with 10,027 cardholders. The library
provides community programming for all ages and stages of life, interest groups, media access, and
technology access and educa�on. Formal library programs served 8,068 atendees, up 24% from the
prior year. The new Library contains rooms for mee�ngs, performances, quiet reading space,
collabora�ve learning areas, audio recording, telehealth, teen space, baby/toddler play space, and a
community auditorium. The Library is open six days a week and has 18 staffpeople, including 9 full-�me
employees. There are over 70,000 items in the collec�on and in FY 2022 the Library circulated over
158,000 items. It will remain a primary goal of the library to promote a love of reading.
The Library is a community asset on many levels. It provides equitable access to printed materials,
technology resources, and media. It also serves as open mee�ng space and rest space available for
members of the public during open hours. It is a welcoming and available space for learning,
collabora�on, and growth for community members. It is an ongoing goal of the Library to become a
more equitable and inclusive community resource. This will con�nue to include outreach to people of all
ages, people living in different neighborhoods, New Americans, people with disabili�es, and other varied
groups. The Library, alongside the Senior Center and the rest of the City Hall building, may be able to be
u�lized in the future as a warming or cooling center as we face more varied and extreme weather events
due to climate change.
Senior Center.
In pursuit of being more inclusive, fair, and just, the City con�nues to seek ways to engage with
underserved popula�ons in our community. One underserved popula�on in South Burlington has
historically been our senior popula�on. City Hall, completed in 2021, includes the Kevin Dorn Senior
Center, which provides space and programming geared toward our seniors.
Community Open Space.
The City of South Burlington values open space, conserva�on, and recrea�onal access for all members of
the community. Our need for inten�onal open space will con�nue to increase with increasing housing
densi�es in our development areas and to provide some mi�ga�on of the effects of climate change.
Having an publicly accessible open space within walking distance (approximately ¼ mile) from residen�al
development is a goal of the City for both human-scale focus and climate-resilience needs.
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In the pursuit of varied, accessible, and community-building open space, the City pursues several
avenues for conserva�on and public access to land, including outright City ownership, partnering in
conserva�on easement projects, and entering into public-private partnerships, as appropriate. The City
owns several proper�es u�lized for one or more of these public purposes, ranging from small
neighborhood park spaces to large open spaces that are regional atrac�ons.
Accessible and prac�cal open space areas improves human quality of life. It is a cri�cal piece of the City’s
climate resilience, human-focused, and inclusive, fair, & just vision statements. Access to green space
without traveling by vehicle supports climate-resilient neighborhoods and reduces vehicle miles
traveled.
The City of South Burlington’s Recrea�on & Parks Department runs programming on several of the City-
owned proper�es. For more details of the Recrea�on & Parks programming, please see the Recrea�onal
Resources sec�on.
Cemeteries.
The City of South Burlington owns and operates two cemeteries: on Airport Drive and on Shelburne
Road. Both are significant community assets for their intended purpose of providing publicly-managed
burial grounds and will con�nue to serve that purpose into the future. Both do have some site
constraints with wet areas and adjacent development that will guide how they are used. Future
investment into appropriate mapping of sites, inventory of plot sales, and maintenance will be needed.
In addi�on, both are located in highly-trafficked areas with significant need for quiet contempla�on
spaces. As the City looks at community assets holis�cally and examines how to beter provide for high
quality of life in our higher-density communi�es, pu�ng these public green spaces to addi�onal
inten�onal use for quiet, reflec�ve space will integrate them beter into the community.
Educa�on
The City of South Burlington values high-quality, just and equitable educa�on for all children in the
community. Our schools, especially the elementary schools, provide community gathering opportuni�es
for the different areas of our city and build community amongst school-age families. The South
Burlington School District ac�vely plans for its future with a current Strategic Plan. The strong tradi�on of
close coopera�on and communica�on between the School Board and the various municipal boards and
commissions should be maintained.
Primary and Secondary Schools.
The South Burlington School District (“SBSD”) currently operates five schools that serve approximately
2,500 students in grades K-12: Rick Marcote Central School, Orchard School, Gertrude Chamberlin
School, Frederick H. Tutle Middle School, and the South Burlington High School. Unlike many districts in
Vermont, South Burlington has almost steady or increasing school popula�ons. The SBSD hired
McKibben Demographic Research, LLC, to produce a report, the South Burlington School District
Demographic Study – November 2022 (the “Demographic Report”) projec�ng school popula�ons into
the future. The Demographic Report states that in-migra�on in the 25-34 age group and the 0-9 age
group into South Burlington, among other factors, leads to a projec�on of a school popula�on of 2893
district-wide by 2032-33. The Demographic Report also projects that by 2032-33, the popula�on will
have increased at all three school levels: PK-5, 6-8 and 9-12.
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The school popula�on may also shi� loca�on, with the con�nuing growth of the City Center area,
addi�onal housing in the Shelburne Road corridor, and the comple�on of already-permited housing in
the Southeast. The Demographic Report projects that popula�on will grow in the areas served by all
three elementary schools, with larger growth in the areas currently served by Central and Orchards
Schools than the Chamberlin School. However, construc�on of addi�onal housing in different areas of
the city may change that projec�on into the future.
SBSD is facing changes in u�liza�on of school spaces, needed facili�es, and opportuni�es for alterna�ve
uses. Currently, the South Burlington School District is considering plans for upda�ng and upgrading
school facili�es, including the South Burlington High School, Frederick H. Tutle Middle School, and the
three elementary schools. Many school facili�es are aging and have varying levels of flexibility in
changing uses of spaces and full u�liza�on of the schools.
It is an�cipated that significant investments across all facili�es to meet current and future needs of the
community will be needed in the coming years.
In addi�on to the SBSD school system, several independent primary and secondary schools operate in
the community, including Rice High School, Vermont Commons School, and the Schoolhouse. The City
coordinates efforts, services, and programing in various manners with each of these schools and
supports policies and programs to enhance the experience of each student atending these schools.
University of Vermont.
The University of Vermont owns 571 acres of land in South Burlington, which is part of its South Campus
area. The South Campus is currently u�lized primarily for instruc�on and research focused on
bioresearch, agricultural, hor�cultural and natural areas management. UVM has recently updated its
Campus Master Plan for 2022-32, including the designa�on of land bank areas in South Burlington,
looking forward to growth and reserva�on of lands for future needs. UVM also owns several areas of
open space or agricultural space, including Centennial Woods Natural Area and East Woods Natural Area,
that provide benefits to South Burlington and the region. The City will con�nue to work with UVM on
both the City and the University’s long-term planning goals.
Childcare.
Childcare is an underserved need in South Burlington, Chitenden County, and Vermont as a whole.
Thousands of children require daycare or a�er school care in the region and the number of available
spots is limited. Private, licensed child care centers, registered family child care homes, licensed family
child care homes, licensed a�er-school programs, and licensed preschool programs provide care of
children of varying ages. The provision of safe, local, and accessible childcare and pre-school is a vital
element in atrac�ng families to South Burlington. The City endeavors to ensure that high-quality,
affordable, and equitable childcare is available within its borders, as a possible partner with private and
non-profit childcare providers.
Community Services Addi�onal Resources & Exis�ng Plans
• UVM Campus Plan 2022-2032
• South Burlington School District Demographic Report (2022)
• Feasibility Study for Residential Solid Waste Collection Contracts (2020)
• Chittenden Country Regional Dispatch: Feasibility Study (2016), Public Safety Authority (2018-
2023)
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• Chittenden County All Hazards Multi-Jurisdictional Mitigation Plan (and South Burlington Annex)
2022
• South Burlington Emergency Operations Plan
• School + Community Master Planning Task Force Report (2015)
• South Burlington Open Space Report (2014)
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Water & U�li�es
Management of our water supply, wastewater, and stormwater management is cri�cal to ensure the
health of South Burlington. Alongside water needs, two semi-private u�li�es, solid waste management
and telecommunica�ons, keep our community clean and connected. We must support these resources
in a climate-resilient and equitable way.
Water & U�lity Goals
• Public infrastructure capital investment accounts for and accommodates anticipated infill land
use and reuse
• All South Burlington watersheds are off the list of stormwater-impaired watersheds by 2033
• Reduce nutrient loading into Lake Champlain to provide a more resilient water supply
• Assure planning and management of water, wastewater, and stormwater systems is done in a
manner that protects our most vulnerable populations and distributes focus and funding
equitably
• Plan for facilities that mitigate a changing climate for all residents in all parts of the City
• Advance all areas of the City to have adequate cell coverage and broadband/cable/fiber internet
access, and support competition between carriers for provision of those services.
Water & U�lity Ac�ons
• Pursue opportunities for acquisition and restoration of open space along year-round streams in
South Burlington and actively enforce against encroachments to protect these resources.
• Plan culvert replacements that consider both aquatic organism passage and geomorphic
compatibility for any undersized culvers in conjunction with roadway improvements.
• Partner with neighborhoods and businesses to deploy best stormwater treatment practices
• Improve efficiency and lessen impacts of solid waste hauling on quality of life and greenhouse
gas emissions
• Utilize stormwater treatment facilities and practices to provide public amenities and park space,
where feasible
• Construct an additional Water Tank adjacent to the existing tower on Dorset Street to provide
capacity and volume to serve anticipated needs in the High Service Area
• Seek opportunities to reduce potable water use by household, business, and industrial users
• Seek opportunities for regionalization and coordination with other entities to provide efficient
water services
• Foster choice among telecommunications providers to spur innovation in technology, service
alternatives, and cost competitiveness
• Regulate or invest in sufficient space to allow for telecommunications and internet carriers as
areas are re-developed or infilled
Water & U�li�es Inventory, Analysis, & Challenges
Planning, design, installa�on, and maintenance of public and regulated private u�li�es reinforce and
support the City’s land use and development objec�ves. The cost, permanence, and key role of these
u�li�es warrants strategic planning and coopera�on with private sector providers, neighboring
municipali�es, and the State.
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Stormwater
Management of stormwater runoff is key to the City’s commitment to water quality and climate change
mi�ga�on. Properly capturing and trea�ng stormwater prevents contaminants from flowing into our
waterways, reduces flooding, and supports biodiversity and quality of life. Water quality is cri�cal in the
face of changing climate condi�ons and is core to equitably providing basic government services to all.
Stormwater Runoff.
Five streams (Bartlet Brook, Centennial Brook, Englesby Brook, Munroe Brook and Potash Brook)
impaired by stormwater runoff are fully or par�ally in South Burlington. Stormwater-impaired
watersheds cover approximately 61% of the City. There is also chloride impairment in certain streams
and Lake Champlain has a phosphorus TMDL. Management of stormwater runoff can help to alleviate
the impairments of these streams and help maintain the water quality of other streams and water
bodies.
Construc�on of impervious surfaces (roads, roo�ops, parking lots, sidewalks, shared use paths, etc.)
prevents stormwater from soaking into the ground, increasing the amount of stormwater runoff,
resul�ng s in higher stream flows and velocity, stream bank erosion, flooding, and flow of chemicals on
surfaces into local waterways. Failure of undersized or poorly maintained stormwater management
systems exacerbates flooding and inadequate stormwater treatment increases water quality issues.
Stormwater can be managed on a property-by-property basis with on-site structures, facili�es, and
passive treatment or in a larger centralized treatment facili�es managing runoff from mul�ple
proper�es. The City has ac�vely engaged in establishing and maintaining stormwater systems to beter
manage stormwater runoff and conveyance of streams through drainage infrastructure. The City has
encouraged or required on-site stormwater infiltra�on through Land Development Regula�ons and
through grant funding opportuni�es for management projects. While some stormwater management
techniques support compact development (e.g. reduced pavement widths) others may be contradictory
to other land use goals (e.g. using rela�vely large open areas for stormwater management).
Stormwater Utility.
To manage the City’s stormwater, the City established the first stormwater u�lity in Vermont in 2005. The
u�lity manages stormwater infrastructure. It provides a stable source of revenue to complete required
maintenance and management. The u�lity employs full-�me staff dedicated to stormwater
management, developing a comprehensive stormwater program, and planning for needed capital
improvements.
The stormwater u�lity manages drainage infrastructure and culverts, assists residents with state
permi�ng, conducts watershed planning, and oversees maintenance of the City’s stormwater
infrastructure. The stormwater u�lity also maintains the City’s compliance with the Municipal Separate
Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit. The MS4 permit is a federally-mandated permit administered by the
Agency of Natural Resources in Vermont. In 2014, the federal government issued the updated MS4
permit, giving the City twenty years to make necessary improvements to its impaired watersheds by
implemen�ng Flow Restora�on Plans (FRPs) for Potash, Bartlet, Centennial, Englesby, and Munroe
Brooks. All FRP projects must be constructed by December 5, 2032. The City needs to make further
improvements to its stormwater management to meet FRP flow reduc�on targets.
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The City of South Burlington owns and maintains a stormwater system, separate from the sanitary sewer
system, including conveyance piping, storm drains, culverts, stormwater ou�alls and stormwater
treatment infrastructure. South Burlington contains approximately 180 miles of pipes, ditches, culverts
or other means of stormwater conveyance, of which approximately 100 miles are City-owned. There are
over 6,750 storm drains within the City, approximately 3,400 of which are publicly owned. The City
(through the stormwater u�lity) will con�nue to upgrade these systems with community growth and
improvements in water quality standards. This involves planning for treatment systems to reduce
phosphorus, sediment, and other pollutants, and prac�ces to reduce applica�on of chloride. Reduc�on
of applica�on of chemicals to private, public, and ins�tu�onal proper�es through educa�on and
outreach, reduc�on in lawn sizes, and modifica�on and reduc�on of exis�ng asphalt to reduce total
impervious surface can also reduce the amount of chemicals entering the stormwater system. Currently,
the State regulates applica�on of pollutants like pes�cides and herbicides, but the City may explore non-
regulatory op�ons for reducing use of pollutants.
All developed proper�es in South Burlington are assessed a stormwater u�lity user fee. Fees for
commercial proper�es are calculated using a careful analysis of impervious surface area. There is a set
fee for single-family homes, duplexes and triplexes. All other developed proper�es are assessed a fee
based on the actual amount of impervious surface.
Potable Water
Reliable potable drinking water is a basic human need required for human consump�on, household and
commercial use, and for fire suppression. The City needs to con�nue maintaining, upgrading, and
replacing parts of the water treatment and water distribu�on systems. This work must be done equitably
and must reflect increased weather varia�on and drought due to climate change. We also need water to
support increasing residen�al density and the development of more residen�al and commercial use in
City Center.
Water Distribution System.
The availability of municipal water is a significant factor in loca�ng new development and infill
redevelopment in built areas. Planning for the future of the water distribu�on system must balance
demand for new housing with conserva�on goals to determine where extensions of service lines are and
are not appropriate. The Water Department maintains a Master Plan specifying the loca�on and size of
future planned water mains to meet future needs.
The City Water Department’s water distribu�on system includes almost 100 miles of distribu�on
pipeline. Three small areas do not have City water supply through the distribu�on system: Queen City
Park, some residents in the Bartlet Bay area, and some residents in the Southeast Quadrant. Fire District
#1 supplies potable water to approximately 80 households in Queen City Park from a deep rock well and
an independent storage tank. Fire service to the Queen City Park area is from a dedicated fire line served
from the South Burlington Main Service transmission main. Other unserved homes are generally on
private wells.
Since 1978, the City has contracted with the Champlain Water District (CWD) to provide management,
administra�on, and opera�onal services for the City’s water distribu�on system. CWD is a regional water
supplier serving 12 municipal water systems. Water is sourced from the Champlain Water District (CWD)
owned Peter L. Jacob Water Treatment Plant on Queen City Park Road, which draws and treats water
from Shelburne Bay in Lake Champlain. and has capacity to treat 20 million gallons per day with
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filtra�on, disinfec�on, and corrosion control. CWD assures the safety of the water through mul�-barrier
approach monitoring and planning for watershed protec�on to protect its source in Shelburne Bay.
Distribu�on piping in the water distribu�on system varies in age and quality. Substan�al por�ons of the
infrastructure are beginning to reach replacement age, notably in the neighborhoods built from the
1940s through 1960s. However, in older neighborhoods, rela�vely compact housing creates greater
maintenance cost efficiency than in less compact areas of the City. Efforts to replace old, undersized
pipes are important for con�nued reliability in providing drinking water and water for fire suppression.
Water is stored in the South Burlington West Tanks, a twin set of 0.5-million-gallon welded steel storage
tanks north of Allen Road, and in the South Burlington East Tank, a 2.1-million-gallon tank on Dorset
Street. Volume and capacity of the West Tanks are at **** as of 2023. The South Burlington East Tank
has commitments represen�ng 98% of volume and capacity as of 2023. The City is ac�vely working to
design addi�onal storage adjacent to the exis�ng tank to meet an�cipated needs within the service area,
including City Center. This planned tank is being designed to meet the City’s water volume, pressure, and
storage needs within this service area for the next 25 years and beyond.
Alloca�on fees are charged to new development and increased water demand on exis�ng proper�es.
The City uses these fees to pay for capital upgrades related to the water distribu�on system. Developers
must provide for water supply with adequate flow and pressure for fire protec�on, residen�al use, and
standard commercial use. If a water line expansion is required, costs are borne by requestors except in
rare cases. Maintenance costs are paid for by user fees.
One planned new development area is City Center. The City’s water supply ordinance has currently set
aside 50,000 gallons per day for the future City Center area. It is now es�mated that this will not meet
actual need. Regular review of alloca�ons and the water ordinance are needed to assure that sufficient
water supply infrastructure is installed to meet future needs. Currently, in 2023, the City is working on a
significant revision to the Water Ordinance.
Water Use.
As part of an overall strategy to make our potable water system more sustainable, further efforts can be
made to reduce potable water use. This could include consumer educa�on, regula�on of water usage in
new construc�on, study of the metering system to incen�vize reduced use, and incen�viza�on of use of
rainwater and other non-potable water for landscaping, lawns, and other uses. However, the water
system has opera�ng costs that do not vary based on water use which places a floor on the reduc�on in
water costs to individual users.
Wastewater Treatment
Adequate wastewater treatment is required for public health and environmental protec�on. Much of
South Burlington is served by a wastewater collec�on system and two wastewater treatment facili�es.
Maintaining and upgrading these facili�es limits our impact on the environment and provides stable
public services in the face of climate change. Modern wastewater collec�on and treatment facili�es
enable housing and other uses to be built more compactly, providing for a more human-scale, bikeable,
and pedestrian-friendly built environment. Wastewater treatment is a core government service that
allows us to meet our land use and redevelopment goals.
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South Burlington is required to treat wastewater and discharge treated effluent that meets federal
discharge permits and the federal Lake Champlain TMDL (total maximum daily load) for phosphorus. To
meet these environmental standards, South Burlington operates two wastewater treatment facili�es:
Airport Parkway and Bartlet Bay. Airport Parkway, the larger facility, serves approximately 75% of South
Burlington and discharges to the Winooski River. It was upgraded in 2012 to 3.3 million gallons treated
per day, with 1.0 million gallons per day allocated to Colchester Fire District #1 by intermunicipal
agreement. An increase in clarifier capacity at this facility was approved by the voters in 2023 and will be
constructed in the near future.
Bartlet Bay serves approximately 25% of South Burlington with a permited capacity of 1.25 million
gallons per day. In 2019, the Eastwood neighborhood, which had been served by wastewater facili�es in
Burlington, were re-routed to the Bartlet Bay treatment facility, resul�ng in reduced user fees in South
Burlington and new capacity in Burlington’s facility. Funding for an upgrade to the Bartlet Bay treatment
facility and to nearby pump sta�ons was approved by the voters in 2023 and is in the design stages.
Current use (2022) is at 57% of capacity at the Airport Parkway treatment facility and 54% at the Bartlet
Bay treatment facility. Capacity improvements should begin when a facility reaches 80% of capacity. At
this �me, no capacity upgrades are an�cipated to be needed within the Capital Improvement Plan’s 10-
year planning horizon. The City will con�nue to track and monitor capacity.
The City has set aside 150,000 gallons per day of capacity for the City Center area. This should be
evaluated and right-sized. Adding density in this New Town Center designa�on area requires available
wastewater capacity. As with water supply, the City will con�nue to monitor and alloca�ng sufficient
capacity to support this planned area of growth.
As we upgrade and maintain the wastewater system, there are loca�ons where new sewer lines are not
appropriate. Sewer connec�ons are not recommended for designated Habitat Blocks, Conserva�on
districts, or currently unserved areas planned for only extremely low density residen�al use. The limited
number of housing units and low densi�es planned for residen�al areas not already served by sewer can
be served by on-site sep�c systems if development occurs. Infrastructure lines through these areas
should be strictly limited, reserved only for excep�onal circumstances.
Planning for sewer service areas also presents an opportunity for though�ul, coordinated efforts with
our neighboring communi�es and regional partners. Our neighboring municipali�es’ discharge treated
effluent and pull water to treat for drinking water from the same bodies of water we do. Shelburne Bay
receives treated effluent from the Bartlet Bay treatment plant and Town of Shelburne wastewater
treatment facili�es and is the raw water source for the Champlain Water District. The Winooski River
receives sewage plant ou�all from several municipali�es. The capacity of the Winooski River to receive
effluent and remain under water quality standards is limited. The City must con�nue to collaborate with
neighboring municipali�es and to reduce the loading in discharged effluent even as water usage
increases.
A small number of City homeowners rely on soil-based sep�c systems. Less than five percent of City
residents have on-site sep�c disposal systems, a majority of which predate infrastructure being located
in the area.
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Tel ecommunica�ons
Access to adequate telecommunica�ons services is key to the community’s educa�on, medical care,
employment, and day-to-day needs. Reliance creates an equity challenge in South Burlington. Provision
of services accessible to all income levels, English-language levels, and ages must be a priority because of
this heavy reliance on the internet.
South Burlington residents and businesses have access to the telecommunica�ons services (land line
telephone, cell phone, cable television, and broadband internet) from various providers. However,
broadband access and reliable mobile access are not universal throughout the City and gaps have
become increasingly problema�c over �me. In areas with service, there is o�en a single provider which
can lead to high consumer costs, limited choice, and poor service. South Burlington joined Essex, Essex
Junc�on, Shelburne, and Williston to form the Chitenden County Communica�ons Union District to
harness federal funding and work toward reaching small pockets of residences without broadband
internet service.
Maintaining a high-level of service requires con�nuous upgrades to telecommunica�ons infrastructure.
The si�ng of telecommunica�ons infrastructure should consider aesthe�cs, safety and efficiency. Use of
exis�ng structures, sites and u�lity corridors is preferred over new development. We must also remain
nimble to adjust to new technologies that improve service and reduce aesthe�c impacts and energy use.
Solid Waste
Solid waste management is a core service for a clean City. Reducing the produc�on of solid waste in the
community through incen�viza�on, educa�on, regula�on, or other methods is the first step to a more
sustainable solid waste management system.
Solid waste management is handled by the Chitenden County Solid Waste District (CSWD), which
includes 18 member municipali�es. It collec�vely provides for the efficient, economical, and
environmentally sound management of solid waste. CSWD is governed by its charter, a Waste
Management Ordinance, Solid Waste Management Fee Ordinance, and further Regula�ons.
CSWD delivers solid waste to two transfer sta�ons or directly to lined landfills outside the district. CSWD
iden�fied a site located on Redmond Road in Williston for a proposed regional landfill, but currently the
only opera�ng landfill in Vermont is in Coventry. Future development of addi�onal facili�es in the state,
especially closer to Chitenden County, will be required for more sustainable solid waste management.
CSWD currently operates a drop-off center at the City’s former landfill site on Patchen Road that accepts
solid waste, recyclables and special wastes such as �res, scrap metal, leaves and brush. Compost
(approximately 1/3 of household waste) is collected at the drop-off center and processed at Green
Mountain Compost in Williston.
Waste hauling – trash, recycling, and compost – is en�rely undertaken by the private sector, by
individuals or by professional haulers. The structure does not include any form of alloca�on of service
areas or types. Several private trash hauling services serve the same streets, which is a redundancy
referenced in the 2022 Climate Ac�on Plan. In 2020, the Ci�es of Burlington and South Burlington
completed a Feasibility Study for Residen�al Solid Waste Collec�on Contracts, which explored op�ons
for managing alloca�on. Con�nuing to study this issue with the goal of reducing redundancy will involve
the City, homeowners’ associa�ons, and the private sector.
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Land Use Plan
The Land Use Plan �es together South Burlington’s vision for the future and the goals in the other
chapters. Land use decisions greatly influence our residen�al neighborhoods, economic vitality,
transporta�on efficiency and safety, accessibility, environmental quality, and the character of a
community. The land use plan is the fundamental element of the overall municipal plan. It provides
guidance for all future decision making in the community and directly affects all other elements
contained in the plan.
Current Land Use
Development Paterns
South Burlington has become a city with a diversity of se�ngs and land use paterns. The City’s loca�on
at a transporta�on crossroads in the core of Chitenden County and the second-most populous
municipality in the State. South Burlington hosts many high employment industries and is part of the
greater Chitenden County economic community. It is the site of Leahy Burlington Interna�onal Airport
and the busiest exit on Interstate 89. It is home to several opera�ng farms, open lands, as well as wildlife
habitat blocks and corridors connected by streams and brooks throughout the landscape. South
Burlington also contains significant amounts of land owned by the University of Vermont.
South Burlington’s land use patern does not mimic much of Vermont and did not naturally setle as
compact villages with rural surroundings. South Burlington has never had historic center. South
Burlington’s land use cannot be understood or managed in terms of the “tradi�onal Vermont landscape”
and was shaped uniquely by being originally part of Burlington. Construc�on of infrastructure, homes,
and businesses in South Burlington followed street connec�ons to Burlington and con�nues to be
concentrated along the Route 2 (Williston Road) and Route 7 (Shelburne Road) corridors. Post-war
suburbaniza�on created predominantly single-family home neighborhoods in these corridors. Strip
commercial development came with greater vehicle use. As the region’s economy grew, demand for
single-family housing spilled over into the Southeast Quadrant by the late 1980s and 1990s.
Since the 1990s, the City has redirected construc�on into planned districts and exis�ng corridors.
Balancing residen�al and commercial growth has been a goal since the early 1990s. Recently, South
Burlington has begun targe�ng infill and redevelopment in built corridors and crea�ng a greenspace
network throughout the City.
Future Land Use
South Burlington’s current planning priori�es date back to the 1980s. Crea�on of a mixed -use, vibrant,
high density City Center and encouraging more pedestrian- and transit-friendly development along the
City’s major arterials appeared in the 1985 Comprehensive Plan. Plans through the 1990s and 2000s
started the City’s current path toward protec�on of natural areas and open spaces. Since the mid-2000s,
the City has shi�ed focus to infill in built areas and conserva�on of natural resources and working lands
outside these built areas. Throughout, South Burlington has adapted and modified the specific strategies
and plans, but the goals of having a dense, walkable, vibrant City Center, reinvestment in mixed-use infill
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along arterial corridors, thriving residen�al neighborhoods, and environmental resource protec�on have
remained.
This plan has iden�fied six primary land use types in South Burlington.
• Primarily Residential: Lower Scale
• Primarily Residential: Higher Scale
• Balanced, High-Scale Mixed Use
• Commercial/Industrial with Supporting Residential
• Commercial/Industrial Only
• Principally Conservation & Open Space
These types occur in different loca�ons across the City, but are �ed together future land use goals. Not
all areas in each type are the same; where they exist in they o�en share some physical components, and
where unbuilt their surroundings and se�ngs have similari�es. They face different challenges, however,
and require different approaches to reach the stated goals for the land use type. It is important to show
how similar different areas of our city are, instead of ar�ficially dividing them by geography alone.
There are also geography-specific planning issues to address. These include specific features of a
geographic area, regardless of the land use type, and transi�ons between land use types within the
geographic area. This plan designates five planning areas by geography.
• Central Area, including City Center and surrounding areas;
• Northwest Area, including areas west of the Airport and north of I-89, exclusive of the Central
District;
• Northeast Area, including the Burlington International Airport and areas north of I-89, plus
Meadowlands Business Park area south of I-89;
• Southwest Area, including the Shelburne Road corridor, Farrell Street, and Queen City Park;
• Southeast Area, including areas south of 1-89 and east of Spear Street.
Future Land Use Map
The future land use plan includes a future land use map. This map shows the future land use type and
priority for future work and planning. The future land use map is not regula�on, but instead provides
guidance to the Planning Commission as it changes Land Development Regula�ons, recommends non-
regulatory programs and investment, and upholds the City’s overall goals.
The Future Land Use Map �es together the rest of this Plan. It shows where the different land use types
are an�cipated and planned for into the future. This also directs where changes in general land use from
exis�ng to future uses are intended and where they are not. While significant varia�on exists within the
types, this map shows the broad scale of the future of South Burlington.
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Land Use Types
Principally Residen�al - Low Scale
Lower-Intensity residen�al neighborhoods across the City of South Burlington share commonali�es in
development paterns and history, but also, and more importantly, they share goals for the future.
The City’s earliest neighborhood, Queen City Park, was ini�ally built primarily as summer camps which
have been converted over �me to year-round homes. Beginning in earnest a�er the end of World War II,
rela�vely low-scale residen�al neighborhoods sprung up primarily along the exis�ng transporta�on
corridors of Williston Road and Shelburne Road, but were not integrated with those commercial
corridors. These early neighborhoods include Chamberlin, The Orchards, Mayfair Park, Brookwood,
Shunpike Road, and East Terrace. Over the following decades, neighborhoods with similar development
paterns — primarily single-family homes and duplexes on approximately ¼-acre lots with backyards and
driveways from local-traffic streets — were constructed. Generally, heights and building sizes are lower
in these areas and the land use is overwhelmingly residen�al. In some cases, small-scale non-residen�al
uses, including places of worship, stores, cemeteries, or pre-exis�ng businesses are lightly interspersed.
Neighborhoods built in the following decades, such as Butler Farms, Country Club Estates, the Golf
Course, and Quarry Ridge Road share similar characteris�cs but o�en have larger homes on larger lots,
are further removed from commercial areas, and have homes that are more oriented to rear yards than
to the street.
Most recently, some trends have been reversed through City policies and residents’ wishes.
Neighborhoods such as South Village, Rye Circle, and O’Brien Hillside are returning to smaller homes on
smaller lots, a greater street presence, neighborhood parks, and, most recently, incorpora�on of
neighborhood-scale commercial ac�vi�es.
Primarily residen�al neighborhoods can enable a strong sense of community and iden�ty if well laid out
and built. Nearby elementary schools and parks, front porches, yards, and low-traffic streets can be
atrac�ve to young families. In some cases – notably in the older neighborhoods – homes are smaller
and have remained compara�vely affordable. Some residents in these neighborhoods have lived there
for decades a�er buying their homes as “starter homes”.
Principally Residen�al - Low Scale Goals
• Maintain and invest in vibrant, diverse, walkable, primarily-residential neighborhoods with
community focal points, neighborhood-scale limited commercial uses, parks, and other
amenities.
• Build community in neighborhoods through greater opportunities for gathering and
interpersonal connection
Principally Residen�al - Low Scale Ac�ons
• Build adequate public infrastructure for bike/ped network
• Support thriving neighborhoods by allowing infill and small-scale commercial use
• Acquire, maintain, and program neighborhood-scale recreational amenities within 1/4 mile of
residential units within each residential neighborhood
• Use the other actions in this Plan to support thriving neighborhoods
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• Maintain affordability of housing and enable people to adapt housing to lifestyle needs over
time
Analysis & Challenges
The rela�vely low density – typically two to four dwellings units per acre — means fewer people live
within walking distance of each other, the schools, any nearby commercial areas, or recrea�onal areas.
Intense demand for housing and employment growth in Chitenden County and other pressures over
several decades have upended the economics of these neighborhoods. New development at these
densi�es has consistently been of larger, much higher-priced housing, and prices for homes in exis�ng
neighborhoods are significantly outpacing income growth in the area.
As the City’s first residen�al neighborhoods reach the 80-year mark, reinvestment in public
infrastructure to meet society’s changing needs is necessary. This includes retrofi�ng of road rights-of-
way to meet ADA standards, support pedestrian and bicycle transporta�on, and account for changes in
travel and work paterns; rebuilding exis�ng parks; and improving access and availability of
neighborhood-scale facili�es and services. Fostering the thriving of these neighborhoods into the future
requires allowing and inves�ng in community gathering spaces, whether publicly or privately owned, and
clean, safe, and welcoming streetscapes.
These low-scale neighborhoods vary in loca�on but share similar transporta�on challenges. All were
developed to be car-centric, without significant commercial ac�vity co-located with residen�al uses and
requiring a car (or limited transit) to reach essen�al shopping, services, medical offices, and similar.
Streets were designed for car traffic and many streets lack sidewalks, bike lanes, and other bike/ped
infrastructure. Public transit services generally do not travel into these neighborhoods and they are only
served by transit by stops along transporta�on corridors on their edges, if at all. The loca�on of these
neighborhoods places them adjacent to transporta�on corridors like Shelburne Road, Williston Road,
and Hinesburg Road that can both connect the neighborhoods and isolate them.
Current regula�ons in many of these neighborhoods have maximum density of four residences per acre,
and require the same amount of land per dwelling unit regardless of building type, but this was not
always the case. For example, the Chamberlin neighborhood has a sprinkle of duplexes and a few
triplexes on lots the same size as adjacent single-family homes, and numerous undersized lots that
would not be permitable today. These current nonconformi�es have had so litle impact on the
character of the area that many would be hard-pressed to iden�fy their loca�ons. Allowing duplexes and
similar-scale mul�-family housing by right where single-family homes are allowed would have litle
impact on the character of these post-war neighborhoods, would allow more flexibility for families to live
together but separately on the same property, and could provide more affordable housing and more
rental opportuni�es.
These neighborhoods generally do not contain much, if any, commercial use. It is not intended that the
primary character of the neighborhood should shi� from residen�al to commercial. Adding small
amounts of pedestrian-scale, neighborhood-serving commercial uses supports the future health and
thriving of the neighborhood. This could include small-scale uses like neighborhood-serving stores, cafes,
and shops, small business offices, arts & culture educa�on businesses and non-profits, and community
spaces. Adding a small amount of this kind of small commercial use would improve the
walkability/bikeability of the neighborhood and could become community hubs.
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Some of these neighborhoods have city-maintained park spaces either in the neighborhood or on the
edges (e.g. Szymanski Park, Jaycee Park), but many do not or are underserved by spaces or ameni�es
within walking distance of their homes. Suppor�ng these neighborhoods into a thriving future requires
investment into neighborhood-scale park spaces with ameni�es appropriate to the se�ng within
walking distance from the homes. Suppor�ng these parks will require a higher popula�on within walking
distance resul�ng from allowing a more diverse range of housing types, increasing allowed density,
reducing dimensional requirements, or all of these.
To help residents to stay in their neighborhoods through the various stages of their lives, and create
affordable opportuni�es for future genera�ons, this Plan supports a combina�on of though�ul and
context-sensi�ve infill housing, investment in public infrastructure and parks, and allowances for
neighborhood-scale retail and services.
Principally Residen�al – Higher Scale
Like the lower-intensity residen�al neighborhoods, higher-intensity neighborhoods also share some
common development paterns and history, and share goals for the future.
South Burlington has primarily residen�al areas that are moderate to high scale and have some different
characteris�cs, considera�ons and challenges from the lower scale primarily residen�al areas. A shi� in
development paterns star�ng in the late 1960s saw an increase in more dense residen�al development
and in mul�-family housing development that has con�nued to the present. The first itera�ons of these
neighborhoods included two-story townhomes / flats in areas along Kennedy Drive, Hinesburg Road
between Kennedy and Tilley Drive, por�ons of Dorset Street north of Swi� Street, and in some loca�ons
like Joy Drive and Stonehedge.
Later itera�ons transi�oned to mul�-story residen�al buildings in areas like Farrell Street, Quarry Hill
Road, Olde Orchard Park, por�ons of Allen Road, and Lime Kin Road.
Most recently, these neighborhoods are becoming more blended, integrated, or placed adjacent to
within the City’s historically commercial corridors, including in City Center, along Kennedy Drive near
Kimball Ave, and along the Shelburne Road corridor.
Many townhouse and condominium developments have been constructed, generally close to
transporta�on corridors and reasonably well located close to services, retail, and employment
opportuni�es. Some areas have light levels of integrated commercial uses, but these tend to be small-
scale (e.g. single offices or small office buildings, single retail establishments, educa�onal facili�es and
child care) and/or neighborhood-serving.
Principally Residen�al – Higher Scale Goals
• Create, maintain, and invest in vibrant, diverse, walkable, primarily-residential mid-scale
neighborhoods with community focal points, limited commercial uses, parks, and other
amenities.
Principally Residen�al – Higher Scale Ac�ons
• Focus on infill and redevelopment in these areas at a higher, urban-style scale
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• Support existing businesses and affordability of commercial spaces for new businesses,
especially low-traffic and small-scale retail and services
• Develop vibrant streetscapes and public gathering spaces to enable events and community
gathering
• Invest in park spaces and dedicate programming resources proportionally to the higher
population within walking or biking distance using the spaces
Analysis and Objec�ves
Some higher-scale developments are up to 40 years old and some are extremely new, having been
constructed in the last few years. This range in ages creates a range of range of development styles,
ripeness for update or redevelopment, and compliance with current building codes and standards. It also
means the transporta�on network, streetscape, and community gathering spaces also range widely and
need to be evaluated for poten�al to bring up to current community standards.
Transporta�on to and from areas of higher-scale residen�al must focus on mul�-modal transporta�on
op�ons. This allows parking for these areas to be reduced and for the areas to become more pedestrian-
scaled and welcoming. Some areas are connected well by sidewalks, shared use paths, and bike lanes,
but other areas need their bike/ped network to be completed. Because of the inherently higher
popula�on density than the lower-scale residen�al areas (on average), higher-scale residen�al areas
tend to be beter served by public transit, but this is not universally true. Higher-scale areas can also
enable greater transit service due to higher popula�on densi�es. The higher number of residents in
these areas also means that more people are affected by investment (and failure to invest) in
construc�on and maintenance of the transporta�on network, necessarily making them a priority for City
opera�ons.
As in the low-scale residen�al, addi�onal neighborhood-scale and neighborhood serving commercial use
can be integrated into the higher-scale residen�al areas. Small retail and restaurant establishments,
health and wellness businesses, child care and educa�on facili�es, community gathering spaces and arts
businesses, medical offices, and service businesses (e.g. hair salons, massage therapists, and similar) can
add to the vibrancy of a neighborhood and reduce the need to drive to other areas for goods and
services. The higher popula�on density in these areas can support more of these small businesses and
en��es, increasing the diversity of establishments included.
Due to both City regula�ons and aesthe�c considera�ons, many exis�ng higher-scale and/or mul�-family
housing developments include some amount of common green space, but many are not designed for
par�cular func�ons or to be used for community gathering. Maximizing site usage, reducing costs, and
complying with environmental regula�ons, developers have historically le� wetlands, slopes, and
similarly unbuildable areas open. Those kinds of areas are not generally suitable or atrac�ve for
community uses like play space, gatherings, or gardening, leaving less area available for those kinds of
ameni�es on-site. New regula�ons require more inten�onal site ameni�es and/or civic spaces in
developments, but it remains to be seen how effec�ve those regula�ons are at crea�ng usable and
desirable semi-public spaces.
Higher-scale residen�al living necessarily provides for less individually- or household-controlled outdoor
space. This increases the need for inten�onal, well-maintained, and appropriately-sized recrea�onal
ameni�es. Some higher-scale areas are in walking distance to a recrea�onal amenity, but several are not,
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and the con�nued growth of these areas will require more public outdoor space. Space is required both
for personal recrea�on (passive, ac�ve, or otherwise) but also for community gathering, and a range of
types of gathering spaces will be required for different age groups, lifestyles, and needs. This should
include seated conversa�on areas, ac�ve play spaces, dog facili�es, trails, maintained green space,
accessible facili�es, and similar, as appropriate for the size of space, loca�on, and surrounding
community.
Balanced, High-Scale Mixed Use Areas
The city’s Balanced, High-Scale Mixed Use Areas share some features among their origins, though over
�me and shaped by City policy and investment, the current and future intent for these areas have
diverged substan�ally.
The first wave of commercial development in the City began before WWII with the establishment of the
Burlington Airport. Following the War and con�nuing through the 1950s and 1960s commercial corridors
built up quickly along Shelburne Road, Williston Road, Dorset Street, and por�ons of Hinesburg Road. I-
89 and I-189 were built in this same �me period. Business parks north and south of the Airport followed
shortly a�er. In the 1970s, the City began to consider the crea�on of a downtown for South Burlington,
in the area that would become City Center.
Twen�eth-century development paterns and zoning designed ci�es where residen�al uses and
commercial uses were completely separated from each other to prevent incompa�ble uses from
conflic�ng uses. What began as a tool to separate industry from housing evolved to create commercial-
only strips in many ci�es. Over �me the nega�ve impacts of many commercial uses that created this
system have declined as intensive manufacturing and other industrial uses with nuisance-level noise,
smoke, odor, and dust have become less prevalent. This means that for most commercial uses being
located near residen�al uses is less likely to cause conflict.
In parallel, the nega�ve effects of commercial-only strips began to be seen, as they provide limited
opportuni�es for community building, are inefficient uses of land, and foster auto-dependent travel and
land use. A shi� in City policy and regula�ons began to see residen�al components added to Dorset
Street in the 1990s and subsequently to the Farrell Street areas in the 2000s. Most recently, the City has
placed an emphasis on mixed use development along the Shelburne Road Corridor, along Williston Road
west of Hinesburg Road/Patchen Road.
As our needs for housing increase and we pursue goals to reduce vehicle miles traveled, increase
walkability, and create vibrant spaces in South Burlington, the �ming is appropriate to review past policy
and consider assigning more areas of the city to allow a mix of uses. This Plan opens the next itera�ons
of this evolu�on: considering allowing some residen�al ac�vity with certain business parks and, in
parallel, reviewing whether some areas of the city should be reserved only for certain industrial and
heavy commercial ac�vi�es that are truly incompa�ble with housing.
As noted, very few areas of South Burlington originally developed as true mixed use areas. South
Burlington is inten�onally changing that patern. The deliberate and long-standing goal to develop City
Center into a vibrant, walkable downtown for the city with dense residen�al uses, pedestrian-scale
commercial, and invi�ng public spaces is the first truly mixed-use environment being constructed. This is
facilitated in part by the fact that the core por�on of City Center was effec�vely unbuilt un�l recently.
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A parallel effort and evolu�on of landscape in underway along the Shelburne Road corridor. The future
of South Burlington will include City Center, and similar spaces and inten�onal development in other
areas including nodes along Shelburne Road. It will take con�nued, focused effort by the City to fully
establish City Center, but the next focus should be other development areas for similar projects.
Balanced, High-Scale Mixed Use Area Goals
• Create cohesive, diverse, dynamic and people-oriented places with a strong identity and “sense
of place”
• Establish urban-style vibrant streetscapes, civic spaces, public art and public facilities to create a
destination
Balanced, High-Scale Mixed Use Area Ac�ons
• Minimize overall demand for parking through design, regulations, and investments that foster
pedestrian, bicycle, and transit use and provide efficient, aesthetically pleasing shared parking
options
• Focus infill and redevelopment in these areas and at a higher scale and urban-level of density
• Support existing businesses and affordability of commercial spaces
• Develop vibrant streetscapes and public gathering spaces to enable events and community
gathering
Analysis and Objec�ves
Balanced mixed-use areas, including City Center, rely on robust public living spaces for residents and
visitors. These areas will orient development to community-oriented, pedestrian-scale, small public
areas to develop a network of walkable park and public amenity spaces with a full slate of events,
programs, and private rentals. Utilization of existing properties and amenities, like the University Mall
property, also provide opportunities for redevelopment and private investment in public-oriented
events, programs, and retail and restaurants that provide vibrant evenings. Utilization of public rights-
of-way for street events and public art adds to the sense of the streetscape being a community living
room.
These areas will be, with investment and focus, South Burlington’s urban areas. Businesses and
residences will be co-located and complementary to each other. Small commercial establishments, like
cafes, coffeeshops, locally-owned retail, small offices and startups, and innovative commercial spaces,
serve the dense residences above and around. Signage, parking, public spaces, and public art are more
urban in scale, type, and character. Landscaping should be thoughtful, maintaining a healthy tree
canopy and streetscape while recognizing the urban character of the area. Residents here will be able to
walk, bike, or take transit to employment, shopping, and entertainment. To that end, these areas should
be well connected by transit and be hubs for both the transit system and bike/ped network. Parking is
intentionally required to be behind buildings and designed to serve the area, not individual businesses.
This will also improve walkability and urban appearance.
These formerly commercial areas share common challenges. The current built environment consists
principally of large-lot development, larger-format single story buildings with parking in front. Sidewalks
have been installed along the principal roads, but the street rights-of-way remain dominated by
vehicular travel lanes with minimal green strips and limited presence of street trees. Off the principal
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roads, pedestrian facilities exist only in part. Park space is limited and, where they are do exist, they are
not directly accessible from the commercial areas.
Even considering those challenges, the opportunity for re-development in these areas is substantial and
is being realized parcel by parcel. South Burlington has invested significantly in City Center and invested
in infrastructure projects that will support realizing the vision of City Center through TIF District
financing. It has to be a primary goal of the City to support growth within the TIF District to reach the
revenue target to finance these projects.
Principally Commercial/Industrial With Suppor�ng Residen�al Areas
While the City’s principal transporta�on corridors – notably Shelburne Road and Williston Road west of
Kennedy Drive/Airport Drive – have begun a transi�on to mixed use areas, the City has many areas that
are presently exclusively commercial/industrial. These include Technology Park, Tilley Drive, the
Meadlowland Business Park, Kimball Ave, the east end of Williston Road, and areas north of the Airport,
among others.
Principally Commercial/Industrial with Suppor�ng Residen�al Area Goals
• Reduce commuting distance and daytime vehicle travel by integrating supporting services to
commercial areas
• Make commercial areas more diverse in spaces, styles, and uses to enable more nimble
commercial use
Principally Commercial/Industrial with Suppor�ng Residen�al Area Ac�ons
• Evaluate existing business park areas for appropriately integrated housing opportunities
Analysis and Objec�ves
In recent decades, most business uses have become quieter and less noxious, like retail, office space, and
light manufacturing. This means that for most commercial uses, being located near residen�al uses is
less likely to cause conflict. As need for housing has increased and the desire (for many reasons) to have
people living closer to their workplaces has increased, planning for commercial areas also must shi� to
allow more residen�al uses in formerly commercial-only areas. The �ming is appropriate to review past
policy and consider assigning more areas of the city to allow a mix of uses.
It is not the inten�on of this plan that commercial areas will transform to residen�al areas. Instead, we
recognize that some limited residen�al uses will enhance and support the future of our primarily
commercial areas. In these areas with more commercial visual character, housing may take on a non-
tradi�onal appearance and have more flexibility for innova�ve design to fit with the area.
In addi�on to adding mixed/residen�al use to commercial areas, the commercial areas need to adapt to
the future of work, employment, and commu�ng. Many of our commercial areas are not well connected
to the bike/ped transporta�on network or are located on busy transporta�on corridors that could be
improved for bike/ped safety and efficiency. Business parks are designed for large buildings on large lots.
These spaces are necessary, but we must also have a healthy range of building sizes, lot sizes, and
intensi�es of building on commercial lots. South Burlington needs to have land, lots, and buildings that
accommodate a range of commercial en��es from small retail shops to startups to large manufacturing.
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A sufficient supply of commercial spaces will ensure commercial costs remain compe��ve. Maintaining
such a supply requires planning for land and space for those uses.
Commercial/Industrial Only Areas
Some important commercial and manufacturing uses are s�ll traffic-genera�ng and noise-genera�ng.
These uses are not compa�ble with being located near residen�al uses. For that reason, South
Burlington proposes to reserve areas for heavy commercial/industrial uses only. This is only to allow
space to remain for heavy commercial uses in the future, instead of having no areas available for future
flexibility. These uses should include uses with heavy truck traffic (especially if 24/7) or large-scale
manufacturing or airport opera�ons that have peak opera�ons at off-hours and would be disrup�ve to
residen�al character. Generally, these kinds of uses are located on larger lots and with similar kinds of
uses.
These areas on the future land use map are the areas that make the most sense to be dedicated to
industrial/heavy commercial uses only. They are currently primarily or fully commercial, are located
farther from currently residen�al areas or planned mixed use areas, and are compa�ble with heavy
commercial and industrial uses.
Commercial/Industrial Only Area Goals
• Enable future businesses with operations incompatible with housing to locate in South
Burlington
Commercial/Industrial Only Area Ac�ons
• Identify and plan for areas of the city to be reserved exclusively for businesses that must be
located away from housing, such as uses with heavy truck traffic and/or 24-hour operation
Principally Conserva�on & Open Space Areas
South Burlington’s landscape was dominated by agricultural uses in the 19th and first half of the 20th
Centuries. No land was set aside specifically as State or Federal park or forest land in South Burlington.
Over the last half Century, the City and its partners have acquired or placed conserva�on easements on a
number of parcels throughout the City, including each of the city’s parks and land conserved by the
Vermont Land Trust. Regula�ons establishing conserva�on zones, including landscape-level habitat
blocks, habitat corridors, and agricultural land, and resource-level requirements for floodplains, river
corridors, steep slopes, and wetlands have complemented these efforts.
Key landowners, including notably the University of Vermont, hold substan�al tracks of land that remain
open and/or used for educa�onal purposes.
Principally Conserva�on & Open Space Goals
• Appropriately conserve ecologically-important lands through acquisitions and/or partnerships,
as consistent with the other Goals in this Plan
• Allow for landowners to make use of their land with limited residential, conservation,
agricultural, and/or renewable energy development
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• Maintain generally visually open character of the area
• Principally Conservation & Open Space ActionsSupport landowners in applications for
Conservation PUDs
• Work actively with non-profit, governmental, and private partners in conservation projects
Analysis and Objec�ves
Approximately 51% of South Burlington (by lot) is currently not developable due to permanent legal
conserva�on or regulatory conserva�on. However, the built area is not all currently built on with asphalt,
buildings, or other structures – there is significant underdeveloped land and opportunity for infill in the
developed areas. Because of this poten�al and the goals to enable more compact development to
promote vibrancy in South Burlington’s neighborhoods and commercial areas, there are significant areas
of the City that can remain undeveloped. This flexibility paired with the environmental, quality of life,
and climate change mi�ga�on benefits of having open space and recrea�onal space, allows the City to
priori�ze conserva�on.
These areas, however, are not necessarily pris�ne. Many have had a Century or more of heavy use and
are, in many cases, prone to erosion or to invasive species impacts. How these lands are used by
members of the community (whether privately owned or public-owned) is also an important discussion
for the future. The City has allocated certain areas of the City to remain unbuilt with significant
development. Some of these areas are appropriate for recrea�onal (ac�ve or passive), agricultural uses,
or environmental restora�on. Conserva�on areas should only extremely limited residen�al development
on a minimal number of lots, will not have sewer and water lines and connec�ons, and are not priority
areas for transit, bike/ped infrastructure (except to access Citywide recrea�onal ameni�es like Veterans
Park), further public safety service and infrastructure, or commercial development (except in very limited
village centers).
Geographic Land Use Areas
Central Area
The Central District is the planned civic, social, and economic core of South Burlington. It includes the
core area of focus along Market Street and Garden Street where in 2021 the new City Hall and Library
were built, the Williston Road corridor from I-89 to Hinesburg Road, the north Dorset Street corridor, and
the Hinesburg Road corridor north of Kennedy Drive. The area also includes Rick Marcote Central
School. The vision for City Center is to create a true downtown including an integrated mix of civic space,
housing, retail/services, and employment that is a primary focus point for compact, walkable
development. The Central District will support City Center its transi�on to surrounding residen�al areas,
like the Brookwood and Barret Street neighborhoods.
Central Area Ac�ons
• Continue to focus City resources on nimbly developing City Center as South Burlington’s
downtown
• Actively program and support events in City Center public spaces throughout the year
• Support the establishment of a Main Street-style, community-based organization to nurture,
promote and otherwise support City Center.
• Evaluate and update form-based code as needed to adapt over time
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Analysis & Challenges
City Center.
The core of the Central District is City Center. Vision for a dense, walkable, vibrant City Center appeared
in the 1985 Comprehensive Plan and has been adapted over �me. The crea�on of City Center is a unique
opportunity to build South Burlington’s iden�ty and create a new, recognizable des�na�on. City Center
will anchor the en�re district and city and play an important role in mee�ng demand for a human-scale
des�na�on, home to smaller-scale commercial spaces, mul�-family housing, and park & civic space
through new construc�on and infill redevelopment.
Reconstruc�on of Market Street and Garden Street, construc�on of hundreds of mul�-family homes on
Market Street and Garden Street, construc�on of South Burlington City Hall and Library, and purposeful
reinvigora�on of retail spaces advances the long-term vision for this area. Market Street and Garden
Street will connect the exis�ng corridors of Williston Road, Dorset Street, and Hinesburg Road.
Public and Civic Space in City Center will be a walkable network of small, programmable spaces. This will
include parklets and gathering spaces, but also a street network capable of suppor�ng block closures for
events. Public art will add to the welcoming streetscape. The network will be connected by the shared
use path through City Center Park, wide and pedestrian-friendly sidewalks throughout the area, and low-
speed roads.
As City Center develops, the City must keep an eye on maintaining affordability of housing and
commercial spaces in the area. High-quality infill could raise costs of neighboring homes and commercial
spaces. The City needs to explore addi�onal methods for retaining and construc�ng new affordable
housing and commercial spaces in the core of City Center.
Use of commercial areas, parking lots, underused land, and other areas in the Central District needs to
be done in a compact, walkable, and welcoming manner to discourage driving short distances within City
Center. Traffic along Williston Road and Dorset Street is generally heavy and current surface parking
paterns has discouraged walking and mul�-modal transport. Compact, pedestrian-friendly urban areas
must priori�ze pedestrians, cyclists, and transit. Slower-moving vehicular traffic on most roads in City
Center and the Central District to encourage safety and a welcoming walkable environment.
Existing Commercial Uses
This area includes historic commercial strip development along Williston Road, historic industrial area on
San Remo Drive, and the exis�ng University Mall and surrounding commercial complex. Currently, small
commercial/retail establishments along Williston Road and Dorset Street host small and/or independent
businesses. Larger retail centers (the University Mall and Blue Mall), hotels, and grocery stores anchor
the Dorset Street corridor.
The exis�ng land use patern in the City Center area opens the door for infill and redevelopment. New
commercial and residen�al uses will complement and support exis�ng businesses. Mul�-family housing
with ground-floor commercial will provide new opportunity for small business development and add
significantly to South Burlington’s housing stock. Over �me, current strip development will be
modernized, replaced, or infilled with compact, efficient, walkable commercial uses. Buildings with
historic character should be reused as possible, especially for restaurant and consumer retail spaces.
However, we must con�nue to focus on locally-owned businesses that currently use some of the smaller
and lower-cost commercial spaces and make sure they have homes into the future.
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Transi�on Areas. Adjacent to City Center, the Central District transi�ons from the Balanced, Higher-Scale
Mixed-Use City Center to the wider Principally-Residen�al community. Residen�al neighborhoods
surrounding the primarily commercial core should remain visually residen�al, but may begin to
incorporate small-scale commercial uses. Connec�on between City Center and the rest of the Central
District can be challenging due to wide principal arterial roads (Williston Road and Dorset Street) that are
barriers to safe pedestrian and other non-vehicular travel.
The Central District around City Center must appropriate transi�on to adjacent areas. Nearby
neighborhoods provide a built-in market for commercial uses in City Center and City Center provides
new walkable des�na�ons from these neighborhoods. This symbiosis requires reinvestment in the
Williston Road corridor for improved pedestrian crossings and func�onal and atrac�ve streetscape and
increased private investment in private businesses along the corridor. Williston Road will priori�ze the
experiences of pedestrians, bicyclists, and other users by reducing traffic speeds and improving
connec�ons and welcoming aesthe�cs. Upda�ng and adap�ng GMT bus service will connect City Center
with the greater transit network.
Infrastructure Investment & State Designations
This area has State-level designa�ons for a New Town Center and a TIF District that support compact,
pedestrian and bicycle-friendly infill development. The TIF District allows an�cipated tax revenue to be
invested in cri�cal infrastructure projects to improve public infrastructure in the area. Full u�liza�on of
the Tax Increment Financing District supports transporta�on infrastructure improvements, including the
redevelopment of Market Street and Garden Street, Williston Road streetscape improvements, and the
East-West Crossing over I-89. The Central District includes the larger State-designated Neighborhood
Development Area around the New Town Center.
Northwest Area
The Northwest Area includes mul�ple dis�nct residen�al neighborhoods bounded by Burlington to the
west, I-89 to the south, the Burlington Interna�onal Airport to the northeast, and industrial/open space
areas to the east. The Central Area is contained within this larger Northwest Quadrant and is discussed
separately. The Northwest Area includes dis�nct neighborhoods like Mayfair Park, Pine Tree Terrace,
Chamberlin, O’Brien Farm, northern Spear Street, East Terrace, Valley Ridge, Tree Tops, Twin Oaks,
Winding Brook, and others.
Northwest Area Ac�ons
• Create transitions from the Burlington International Airport in areas identified for
redevelopment that serve or buffer nearby neighborhoods; establish a community vision for the
future of this area.
• Explore opportunity for appropriate residential and commercial infill along Williston Road
• Engage in a holistic community-driven planning process for the land in South Burlington owned
by the City of Burlington as part of, related to, or in proximity to Leahy Burlington International
Airport, with particular focus on the lands abutting the Chamberlin neighborhood
• Explore context-sensitive infill opportunities along Williston Road between Hinesburg Road and
Kennedy Drive
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Analysis & Challenges
The Northwest Quadrant consists predominantly of residen�al neighborhoods dissected by several
major transporta�on routes. Most neighborhoods north of Kennedy Drive are primarily single- and two-
family homes on typically one-quarter acre lots developed mostly between 1945 and 1970. One
neighborhood, Quarry Ridge, was built in the 2000s. Neighborhoods immediately adjacent to Kennedy
Drive were built beginning in the 1970s and are primarily mul�-family homes. The Old Farm Road area is
currently being constructed as a mixed residen�al neighborhood with single-family through mul�-family
homes, including Eastview, a 100% fossil fuel- and carbon-free microgrid community.
The Northwest Quadrant contains few unbuilt areas for future neighborhoods, but does contain a
handful of larger individual parcels with or without buildings on them and several areas with above-
averaged size house lots.
Transportation Connections
The transporta�on network and commercial strips characterize and divide this area. Williston Road,
Kennedy Drive, and I-89 provide transporta�on links and fragment the area. These roads also separate
the Northwest area from the Central, Southeast, and Northeast Areas. The principal streets currently
carry high traffic volumes can be difficult to cross for pedestrians, bicyclists, and wheelchair users and do
not always contain sidewalks. This disconnects established neighborhoods from City Center and hinders
the walkability from these neighborhoods to services, retail, restaurants, and events. Specific to the
Chamberlin neighborhood, White Street and por�ons of Airport Parkway are considered collector streets
linking Route 15 northeast of the City to the City’s employment centers and neighboring towns.
The Williston Road corridor serves mul�ple purposes, but the City’s goal is to have it serve the needs of
South Burlington first. Williston Road west of Hinesburg Road is in the Central Area should serve human-
scale commercial goals. East of Hinesburg Road, in the Northwest area, Williston Road accesses primarily
residen�al areas on both sides, with interspersed commercial development fron�ng on the road. This
area is one of the best served by transit in the city and could support addi�onal residen�al and small-
scale commercial use in a way that respects current context. It also is the primary route east to the Leahy
Burlington Interna�onal Airport and Williston, giving it more of an arterial use and feel. Infill use and
reuse should be human-scaled and invi�ng with appropriate and safe access for residents.
The plan’s future transporta�on map includes future poten�al connec�ons including an east-west street
parallel to Williston Road from Patchen Road towards Dorset Street. The City is in the process of design
and construc�on of the East-West Crossing, a bike/ped bridge across I-89 that would connect Quarry Hill
and East Terrace with City Center and the rest of the Northwest area of South Burlington. The City also is
planning in the future to realign Airport Parkway to connect directly to Airport Drive and remove
commuter and airport traffic from the residen�al neighborhood.
Interface with the Airport
The interface between the Leahy Burlington Interna�onal Airport and the adjacent Chamberlin
neighborhood has been a community issue since the construc�on of the neighborhoods primarily in the
1940s through 1960s. Between the 1990s and 2016, the Airport purchased and removed approximately
200 homes from one of South Burlington’s older and more affordable neighborhoods within a noise
contour line of 65 decibels (average day-night, or dnl) as a principal voluntary strategy of the Airport’s
noise compa�bility plan. Some homeowners within the original 65 dnl elected not to not sell, leaving
scatered homes amongst the now-vacated lots. While the proper�es have been cleared, graded, and
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maintained, the loss of these homes has le� a wound in the neighborhood. It also le� the challenge of
planning for future use of the now-vacant land.
Following substan�al community engagement and collabora�on between the ci�es of South Burlington
and Burlington, the Airport received approval from the FAA to conduct sound insula�on for all eligible
proper�es. The Sound Insula�on program began in 2022 and includes 810 homes in South Burlington to
be evaluated for possible insula�on. It is a voluntary program offering insula�on to eligible homeowners
and implemented if accepted.
In 2015, the City, in collabora�on with the CCRPC, School District, and Airport, ini�ated a Chamberlin
Neighborhood Airport Vision & Plan project. It strived to establish produc�ve communica�ons between
the airport and the neighborhood and to develop a neighborhood land use/transporta�on plan that
retains affordable housing and connects the neighborhood to development of City Center. Many of these
objec�ves appear in the Chamberlin Neighborhood Area Plan Report. Some have been implemented but
many more remain. Implemen�ng these in the coming years can meet this Plan’s objec�ve to support
thriving a neighborhood in the Chamberlin area.
In 2016, the City Council provided feedback to the Airport suppor�ng planned reloca�on/realignment of
Airport Parkway at least 300 feet from the remaining neighborhood. This is approximated by the pre-
2016 65-db line. This Plan reflects these recommenda�ons while also taking into considera�on
headwaters of the Centennial Brook.
In 2022, an Airport Rezoning Task Force set up by the Planning Commission considered the Airport’s
request to rezone approximately ten acres of land east of Airport Parkway around Kirby Road Extension.
The Task Force made a series of findings, recommended the Planning Commission not rezone the area
at this �me, and offered the following next step to the Planning Commission.
Further community-driven planning for all the land in the City of South Burlington owned by the
City of Burlington as part of, related to, or in proximity to BIA is needed, along with updates and
revisions to the South Burlington Comprehensive Plan to incorporate the recommendations of
the Chamberlin Neighborhood Land Use and Transportation Plan and subsequent work.
Based on the 2016 City Council recommenda�on of 300 feet and the recommenda�ons of the 2022
Airport Rezoning Task Force, the City will engage in a community-driven planning process for the future
of the lands east of the poten�al path of a relocated Airport Parkway, which is 300 feet or more from the
neighborhood (delineated by the former 65db line) except near where it connects with current Airport
Parkway. This Plan designated the wide strip between the poten�al realignment and the neighborhood
as an open, green, park-like space. The Airport and City are advancing a project to incorporate ameni�es
such as trails, community gardens, and rest areas for residents and travelers to use.
Using the poten�al loca�on of realigned Airport Parkway as the delinea�on between the commited-to
green/park strip does not commit the City to construc�ng that realigned roadway. It is a logical divider
that meets the 300-foot recommenda�on and reserves space for a realigned road. Commuter traffic
from Colchester, Winooski, and Essex to Williston Road and the nearby commercial areas have increased
traffic on tradi�onally residen�al streets in this area. As the City considers how to meet transporta�on
and land use needs of the Airport and City, considera�on to minimizing through-traffic on residen�al
roads should be considered.
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UVM Interface
The Northwest Quadrant includes the University of Vermont along Spear Street and along Patchen Road
abu�ng residen�al neighborhoods on Spear Street, East Terrace, and in the Quarry Hill neighborhood.
These areas are physically close to UVM’s athle�c facili�es, and student housing, and are home to
students and faculty in the neighborhoods. The City and UVM should work together to develop long
range plans for this area. UVM has also partnered with private developers to invest significantly in new
housing in City Center. These residen�al buildings will inject significant popula�on into City Center and
also provides first-floor commercial spaces.
Northeast Area
The Northeast Area stretches from Lime Kiln Road to I-89, including the Leahy Burlington Interna�onal
Airport, the eastern por�on of Williston Road, Technology Park, Tilley Drive, and Meadowland Business
Park.
Northeast Area Ac�ons
• Foster the establishment of high-density business, technology, and mixed use centers,
recognizing the importance of this area to the economic and employment healthy of South
Burlington
• Promote consumer-oriented commercial along transit lines, especially on Williston Road
through potential amendments to the Land Development Regulations or non-regulatory means
• Reserve the land space for a potential Exit 12B for consideration by future generations
• Connect Tilley Drive area to Community Drive and Kimball Avenue area
Analysis & Challenges
Land use is predominately commercial, with Ethan Allen Industrial Park north of the Airport, retail and
services along Williston Road, offices along Kimball Avenue and Community Drive, medical facili�es
along Tilley Drive. Southern sec�ons, like Technology Park and Meadowland Business Park, are a mix of
open land and businesses. The Airport property includes commercial and private avia�on facili�es,
Federal military facili�es, and airport-related businesses. Large lots in this area are designed for large-
footprint industries and offices.
The Quadrant includes a handful of residen�al areas, notably the Country Club Estates neighborhood
north of the airport, two small neighborhoods along Shunpike Road and Milham Court, and new
neighborhoods along Old Farm Road. The Quadrant is also home to the Belter Farm, located adjacent to
and within the Winooski River floodplain that forms the northernmost corner of the city.
Transportation Connections
The Northeast Area is largely automobile dependent, lacks sufficient transit connec�ons outside of the
Williston Road corridor, and needs further bike/ped connec�ons. Shared use paths have been added in
the Community Drive and Tilley Drive areas, and lanes have been established along Williston Road and
por�ons of Kimball Ave and Na�onal Guard Road, but connec�ons are sparse. Commuter traffic, truck
traffic, and airport traffic from Williston, Essex and Colchester to the north (and access to I-89 at Exit 15)
to Williston Road travels through a neighborhood road network. Poten�al improvements and
realignment of the Airport Parkway/Airport Drive corridor could relieve some of this pressure through
the neighborhood.
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Access to and within the business parks and adjacent neighborhoods is not sufficient to meet long term
needs; this was assessed in the 2020 VT 116 / Kimball Ave / Tilley Drive Land Use and Transporta�on
Plan. The Plan iden�fies improvements to accommodate an�cipated growth in a manner that
implements the City’s transporta�on mode goals.
Infill
The predominant land use patern in the Northeast area is large lots with large commercial users and
extensive parking. There is significant open area around and between the exis�ng commercial buildings,
including on the large parking lots, that is available for infill development. Smaller commercial buildings
and related uses could be constructed in between, making the en�re area more walkable and efficiently
used.
Diversification of Uses
Use of the Northeast Quadrant has focused on businesses that are compa�ble with an airport and/or
not be easily compa�ble with residen�al areas. Future land use should con�nue to focus on employers
and ancillary services. Employment concentra�on in this quadrant has increased demand for support
services such as restaurants and child care facili�es. Limited commercial-suppor�ng residen�al use may
be appropriate for some of this area.
Commercial and industrial uses that truly are incompa�ble with homes need a place in South Burlington.
Reserving space for heavy industrial uses and trucking-reliant uses that have noise and opera�ng hours
that would nega�vely impact residen�al users is key to keeping our commercial op�ons open. Such areas
are rare in the core of South Burlington and should be appropriately located adjacent to transporta�on
and away from homes. Generally, these areas are on the east side of the Meadowland Business Park, the
southeast side of Technology Park, and immediately around the airport. Addi�onally, the Ireland Quarry
con�nues opera�ons along the interstate near the Muddy Brook, accessed through Williston.
The Northeast Quadrant comes into contact with residen�al neighborhoods in a handful of key places,
notably to the west and northeast of the Burlington Interna�onal Airport. Sufficient transi�on tools – in
the form of lower intensity uses, buffering, or screening – should be provided to foster the con�nued
compa�bility of these areas. These residen�al areas must be buffered from the incompa�ble uses, but
also integrated into improvements to the bike/ped network and connected to nearby consumer-focused
commercial areas. This area should be well-connected to City Center by a pedestrian- and transit-friendly
east-west corridor.
The City intends to reserve land area for a poten�al future Interstate interchange (“12B”) accessing
Hinesburg Road. There is no current inten�on for construc�on of Exit 12B, but reserva�on of space for
future genera�ons to have the op�on is sound planning prac�ce. This subject is discussed further in the
Transporta�on Chapter of this Plan.
Southwest Area
The Southwest Quadrant stretches from Lake Champlain to Spear Street, including Red Rocks Park,
Queen City Park, Holmes Road, Swi� Street, Allen Road, the Orchards, and Stonehedge, among others.
Long-standing single- and mul�-family neighborhoods, natural areas fron�ng Lake Champlain, light
industrial areas, and commercial areas all connect via the Shelburne Road corridor.
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Southwest Area Ac�ons
• Connect and transition residential, mixed-use, and commercial areas to create a better sense of
identity, local use, and place
• Reconnect community across major transportation corridors to build cohesiveness and
connection
• Improve local neighborhood connection across the Shelburne Road corridor and I-189.
• Improve transportation connections parallel to Shelburne Road to connect neighborhoods,
schools, parks, and commercial areas
• Establish a hub of activity & public gathering place along Shelburne Road Corridor
• Establish a community-level park along the Shelburne Road corridor
• Establish mixed-use nodes at intervals along Shelburne Road through innovative land use tools,
changes in regulations, increased heights, and investment in public facilities
Analysis & Challenges
The Shelburne Road corridor consists predominantly of commercial uses. Residen�al and industrial uses
are mixed throughout the area and appropriate mixed-use development is encouraged. Shelburne Road
is the main north-south arterial through the west side of Vermont. A railway runs parallel to the road
dividing the lake-facing neighborhoods and the Shelburne Road corridor. The Farrell Street area is well-
developed mixed use served by transit, retail, employment, and emergency services.
Reconnection of Residential and Mixed-Use Areas
The Southwest area has a long strip of residen�al areas east of Shelburne Road and some residen�al use
west of Shelburne Road separated by the road itself and commercial strip development. Future use and
reuse of proper�es along Shelburne Road should accommodate both local and regional users and
provide bike/ped connec�on to the neighborhoods. Consumer-oriented and pedestrian-scale
commercial uses will support the neighborhoods’ future thriving. The neighborhood residen�al uses
could support small, locally-oriented businesses along corridor, counterbalancing the regional draws of
large stores, car dealerships, and gas sta�ons. Re-connec�ng the neighborhoods with the commercial
areas would support the thriving of both.
The Farrell Street area has housing, retail, and services. The future of the Farrell Street area includes
crea�ng a recognizable node of ac�vity by adding addi�onal housing and neighborhood-suppor�ng
commercial and replacing exis�ng parking lots with mixed use buildings. The Eastwoods area to the
north is not intended to be replaced with higher-scale use, but it does support and is supported by the
nearby retail, restaurant, and service uses. The Orchards neighborhood borders the mixed-use Shelburne
Road corridor. In Eastwoods and Orchards, the neighborhoods and the commercial strip have turned
their backs on each other. Future investment along Shelburne Road supports the vitality of the Orchards
neighborhood by connec�ng residen�al areas and suppor�ng walkability, bikeability, and transit.
Planning for recrea�onal areas and community gathering spaces is cri�cal to quality of life in that area.
Mixed Use Corridor
The Shelburne Road corridor is generally already developed, so growth will mostly occur as infill or
redevelopment. Encouraging mixed-uses along Shelburne Road will reduce vehicle miles traveled by
residents for services, retail, and possibly employment, atract visitors to retail and restaurants,
encourage use of public transporta�on services, and reduce parking needs. Retail uses in the corridor are
intended to meet both local and regional shopping and employment needs.
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Along the Shelburne Road corridor, large proper�es with large commercial businesses leave significant
unused or underused space. This includes the Hannaford Drive area, several car dealerships, and the
large commercial buildings on IDX Drive and Green Mountain Drive. These areas should be encouraged
for infill development and redevelopment in this prime commercial corridor.
Shelburne Road (US Route 7) is State owned and controlled. It is the primary north-south travel route
along Vermont’s western corridor. Use will remain both regional and local. The City supports the
con�nued implementa�on of pedestrian crossings at intersec�ons, improved bike/ped lanes and safety
along Shelburne Road, and has promoted the development of a parallel route, Fayete Drive, to serve
local needs alongside Shelburne Road.
The rail line runs north-south here and provides a significant long-term opportunity for the City. Future
land use must con�nue to reserve space for direct rail access by adjacent commercial proper�es and to
design development to minimize the visual, noise, and other impacts of the railway.
Lakefront Neighborhoods and Access
Along the lakefront area, residen�al and open space uses should con�nue to predominate, but with
improved public access to Lake Champlain. A shared use path should be established in this area, either
along the lake or parallel to the railroad tracks, to connect to Burlington and Shelburne. A large
minimally-developed property remains bordering Lake Champlain. With adop�on of Conserva�on PUDs
and the Habitat Blocks, and expansion of wetland and river corridor protec�on, several natural resources
on the property have now been protected. A public park appears on the current Official Map in this area
and should be considered to complement Red Rocks Park.
East of the Shelburne Road corridor, Principally Residen�al: Low Density areas predominate and will into
the future. The intersec�ons of Swi� Street and Allen Road with Shelburne Road are part of the
Shelburne Road corridor and are planned for Principally Commercial use.
Southeast Area
The Southeast Quadrant is bounded by Spear Street to the west, Interstates 89 and 189 to the north, the
Williston town line to the east, and the Shelburne town line to the south.
Southeast Area Ac�ons
• Assess and manage interface between human use and wildlife use areas
• Balance low-scale residential uses, City-wide recreational assets, and environmental protection
• Continue to support working lands in this area
Analysis & Challenges
The SEQ contains a variety of land uses, including significant natural areas, open land used currently or
historically for agriculture, the Vermont Na�onal Country Club (which is both recrea�onal space and
visually open land), and significant numbers of exis�ng and permited homes. The SEQ contains areas of
Principally Residen�al: Lower-Scale, Principally Residen�al: Higher-Scale, Principally Commercial, and
Conserva�on land uses.
The landscape of the SEQ is characterized by rolling hills and visibly open spaces, created by roadways on
ridgelines, recrea�onal lands, agricultural lands, conserva�on areas, and the golf course. Taken together,
a significant amount of the land in the SEQ is the Conserva�on land use type, with other uses, especially
Lower-Scale Residen�al, located near roadways and exis�ng developed areas.
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City Recreational Assets
The SEQ contains most of the City’s large recrea�onal assets which all require greater, more equitable
access from the rest of the city. The need for recrea�on and open space opportuni�es con�nues to grow
City-wide. As discussed more fully in the Recrea�on sec�on, the community needs varied recrea�on
space, both by use and by size/focus (Citywide, neighborhood-scale, etc.). Veterans Memorial Park and
Wheeler Nature Park are important community gathering places for the en�re City, with constant use for
ac�ve and passive recrea�on, community gardens, community events, and a dog park, and hub of
recrea�on path connec�ons, but it lacks transit connec�on. Veterans is planned to con�nue to be used
and updated primarily for ac�ve and organized recrea�on. The City intends to maintain Wheeler as a
natural area, with unpaved walking trails the only type of improvement to be constructed within the
property except in the Wheeler Homestead area. Hubbard Park conserves formerly agricultural land on
the east side of Spear Street, is a key connector for the off-road bike/ped network in the SEQ, and is
planned for accessible passive recrea�on. The City also acquired the 40-acre Scot Property, which lacks
transit connec�on, safe and welcoming bike/ped connec�on, or signage and ameni�es for recrea�onal
access. The Scot property, part of “The Bowl” area iden�fied for conserva�on, is planned to be part of a
conserved network of natural areas and farmland with public walking paths extending south to
Shelburne Pond.
Housing and Commercial
Most new housing built in the SEQ since 1992 has been built at an overall density of 1.2 housing units
per acre clustered at 4 housing units per acre. Clustering has changed development paterns, away from
the standard, larger-lot developments like Butler Farms, Oak Creek or Ledge Knoll to a more compact
patern exemplified in Stonehouse Village. Building neighborhoods at higher densi�es and u�lizing
underused land in the built areas conserves more open space lands. This also can lead to beter
integra�on of affordable housing, with smaller single-family homes, duplexes, and mul�-family buildings
on smaller lots. Adop�ng of Inclusionary Zoning requirements City-wide now requires affordable
housing to be built in any project twelve units or larger.
Commercial uses are concentrated near the Mill Market & Deli on Dorset Street and along Hinesburg
Road. The area immediately around the Mill Market & Deli property has been planned to be a small
retail and service sub-district, limited in size and type, and neighborhood-focused.
Views and Visibly Open Spaces
The SEQ affords some of the City’s most scenic views of the Adirondacks, Camel’s Hump and the ridges
and valleys stretching south to Shelburne Pond. The City has protected what are deemed to be the most
important public views from exis�ng and proposed public proper�es through the View Protec�on
Overlay Zone (VPZ). The Vermont Na�onal Country Club contains 450 acres straddling Dorset Street from
Swi� Street south to Nowland Farm Road, including residences, an 18-hole golf course, and a clubhouse
complex. This large and very visible golf course has helped protect wetland areas from encroachment
and has kept land visually open.
Large commercial agricultural uses (like monocropping or dairy produc�on) are generally not
commercially viable in the SEQ. However, Common Roots Farm (in South Village) and Bread & Buter
Farm (on Cheesefactory Road) have developed richly varied agricultural opera�ons integra�ng different
ventures like vegetable, flowers, and meat produc�on with educa�on, community events, and food
service.
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Wildlife Interface with Humans
The land development patern in the Southeast area makes it the most likely place for significant
interac�on between wildlife and humans. Human roads run through the area and in some places
interrupt wildlife corridors and habitat. Backyards abut wetlands used by wildlife. Recrea�on areas and
trails are used by humans and animals alike. Land use, recrea�on, and transporta�on decisions for this
area in par�cular should consider reducing poten�al interac�on between humans and wildlife, including
through though�ul land use, transporta�on design like pass-through culverts, and on-leash dog rules in
natural areas.
Shared Use Path Network
An integrated network of roadways, shared use paths, sidewalks, and walking trails must balance the
needs of the City as a whole, the City’s natural environment, and SEQ residents. The City cannot meet its
climate change mi�ga�on goals without reduc�on of personal automobile use through and around the
SEQ. Shared use paths connect some areas of the SEQ, but they are primarily geared toward recrea�onal
users, not commuters or for transporta�on into commercial areas. Designing future shared use path
connec�ons in the SEQ must enable commu�ng and transporta�on in addi�on to recrea�onal use. The
City is engaging in a Bike/Ped Master Plan process to iden�fy and priori�ze missing connec�ons and
comple�ng the bike/ped network citywide.
Transportation Options
With the rela�vely low residen�al density but rela�vely high distances to some residen�al areas, the SEQ
will remain at least par�ally dependent on passenger vehicles into the future. Spear Street acts as a
quasi-rural corridor carrying substan�al amounts of commuter traffic and serves needs of local residents.
Community members have expressed a strong desire to keep Spear Street as two-lane throughout South
Burlington with improvements to the Spear and Swi� intersec�on and with beter shared use path
connec�ons.
East-West and Neighborhood Connector Roads: East-west roads have been shown on the City’s Official
Map and included in the Comprehensive Plan for over 40 years and the network has been connected in
pieces over �me. Lacking connector roads lengthens school bus routes and emergency service
responses, and disconnects neighborhoods. However, new roadways have environmental impacts and
poten�ally create more cut-through traffic. Establishment of habitat blocks in 2021 and increased
natural resources protec�on means that fewer east-west roads are viable.
Neighboring Municipali�es Land Use Plans [PLACEHOLDER]
City of Burlington
The City of Burlington adopted its current planBTV: Comprehensive Plan on March 25, 2019.
Town of Williston
The Town of Williston adopted its current Comprehensive Plan on August 22, 2017, with amendments
adopted on November 5, 2018 and September 1, 2020. Williston borders South Burlington along Muddy
Brook between the Shelburne Pond area and the Winooski River, forming South Burlington’s eastern
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boundary. The Muddy Brook corridor is buffered by both communi�es, dividing development on the two
sides by a strip of natural resource protec�on area.
Future land use in Williston and South Burlington are generally compa�ble along their boundary.
North of I-89, both municipali�es include lands for commercial and industrial uses, including along
connec�ng Shunpike Road and Williston Road. Williston states: “3.3 – Industrial Lands - The Town of
Williston will con�nue in its role as an industrial center and the site of the proposed regional landfill. The
policies adopted here facilitate con�nuing industrial use with bylaw amendments and permi�ng of the
landfill.” In South Burlington, these areas are Commercial/Industrial Only or Principally Commercial with
Suppor�ng Residen�al.
South of I-89, both priori�ze natural resources conserva�on and rural/low scale residen�al use, except at
the loca�on of the quarry located in South Burlington accessed from Williston. Williston states: “3.2 -
Rural Williston - The Town of Williston will maintain a rural character outside the sewer service area, and
protect open space resources, including produc�ve agricultural lands, open meadows, ridgelines,
riparian corridors and wetlands, view corridors, and wildlife habitat.” This is compa�ble with South
Burlington’s Principally Residen�al: Low-Scale and Conserva�on areas along this boundary.
South Burlington and Williston collaborate on numerous fronts, including emergency response,
transporta�on corridors, and administra�on.
The Plans for these two communi�es are compa�ble.
Town of Shelburne
The Town of Shelburne adopted its current Comprehensive Plan on February 12, 2019. Shelburne
borders South Burlington along South Burlington’s southern boundary. The communi�es are directly
connected by Shelburne Road, Spear Street, Dorset Street, and Cheesefactory Road. West of Spear
Street, both communi�es plan for low-scale residen�al use with mixed use along the Shelburne Road
corridor. Shelburne states: “The Town aspires for [the Shelburne Road corridor] to feature more diverse
residen�al and commercial uses, to enhance livability in surrounding neighborhoods, and to introduce
community iden�ty that will enhance arrival to Shelburne.” This is very similar to South Burlington’s
goals for the Balanced, High-Scale, Mixed Use areas, with an appropriate reduc�on in scale, and reflects
many of the same challenges.
In the residen�al area, Shelburne states: “Pursuing new development in compact, walkable paterns
establishes a framework for preserving watershed func�on and health, enables more compa�ble
rela�onships among new and exis�ng buildings and landscapes, and will help to retain the scenic
integrity of abu�ng rural lands. Ideally, as neighborhoods develop in this area, housing should be sited
to reserve spaces for neighborhood residents and children to gather and play.” Again, this is very similar
to the goals for Principally Residen�al: Low-Scale in South Burlington that border these areas in
Shelburne.
East of Spear Street, both communi�es plan for some version of rural/very low-scale residen�al use with
conserva�on. The two communi�es have partnered recently on large conserva�on projects in this area
to support Shelburne Pond and the Great Swamp. For these areas, Shelburne states: “Some
development is an�cipated in the Rural Area, but it should be limited, of low density, and carefully sited
to avoid nega�ve impacts to scenic and natural resources. To prevent the undermining of irreplaceable
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town assets, the highest priority shall be given to iden�fying and preven�ng undue adverse impacts to
the area’s scenic and natural features and resources.” This is compa�ble with South Burlington’s adjacent
Conserva�on areas.
South Burlington and Shelburne collaborate on mul�ple fronts, including emergency response,
administra�on, natural resource conserva�on, and water quality.
The Plans for these two communi�es are compa�ble.
Town of Colchester
The Town of Colchester adopted its current Town Plan on March 26, 2019. A short sec�on of the
Winooski River forms the border between South Burlington and Colchester and the communi�es are
connected by the Lime Kiln Road bridge between the airport area and VT-15.
Future land use immediately on the South Burlington side is categorized as Principally Residen�al:
Higher-Scale with Commercial/Industrial Only nearer to the airport. Conserva�on area covers the
Winooski River floodplain. On the Colchester side, the area is known as “The Fort” and Colchester states
“The neighborhood is designated as mixed-use on the Future Land Use Map and the majority is zoned
General Development Two.” The purpose of General Development Two in Colchester’s current
Development Regula�ons is “To provide a range of commercial, light industry and compa�ble mul�-
family dwellings and related uses for the Fort Ethan Allen neighborhood and vicinity,” which is
compa�ble with South Burlington’s neighboring areas.
South Burlington and Colchester con�nue to collaborate on a range of subjects including wastewater,
administra�on, transporta�on, and emergency response.
The Plans for these two communi�es are compa�ble.
Town of Essex
The Town of Essex adopted its current Town Plan on March 1, 2016. The two communi�es share a
por�on of the Winooski River as a municipal boundary but have no land or bridge connec�ons. The
boundary is largely floodplain on both sides of the Winooski River. The City and Town share similar and
comparable goals for watershed and floodplain conserva�on.
The Plans for these two communi�es are compa�ble.
City of Essex Junc�on
The City of Essex Junc�on adopted its current Comprehensive Plan as the Village of Essex Junc�on on
August 13. 2019. The two communi�es share a por�on of the Winooski River as a municipal boundary
but have no land or bridge connec�ons. The boundary is largely floodplain on both sides of the Winooski
River. South Burlington and Essex Junc�on share similar and comparable goals for watershed and
floodplain conserva�on.
The Plans for these two communi�es are compa�ble.
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City of Winooski
The City of Winooski adopted its current Master Plan on March 18, 2019. South Burlington and Winooski
share a por�on of the Winooski River as a municipal boundary but have no land or bridge connec�ons.
The boundary is largely floodplain on both sides of the Winooski River. The City and Town share similar
and comparable goals for watershed and floodplain conserva�on.
The Plans for these two communi�es are compa�ble.
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APPENDIX A: ACT 174 ENHANCED ENERGY PLAN ADDITIONAL TARGET DATA
This guide support municipal enhanced energy planning and provides the required data for the energy
planning analysis and targets standards necessary to be considered for an affirma�ve determina�on of
energy compliance by the CCRPC board.
The data in this guide provide an overview of current energy use and set targets for advancing the State’s
2050 goals for energy use from hea�ng, transporta�on, electricity, as well as the State’s 2050 goals for
renewable energy genera�on. Targets for intermediate years are also provided to aid each municipality
with checkpoints along the way toward mee�ng these goals.
Data in sec�on A represents the best available data for understanding current energy use across
transporta�on, hea�ng, and electric sectors. Data in sec�ons B and C establish future targets for
efficiency improvements and renewable energy use in the hea�ng, transporta�on, and electric sectors.
Future targets are derived from the Low Emissions Analysis Pla�orm (LEAP). LEAP is a transparent and
user-friendly tool for energy and climate mi�ga�on planning that was used to inform targets in the
Vermont Global Warming Solu�ons Act of 2020 and the 2022 Vermont Comprehensive Energy Plan.
LEAP data consistent with the Global Warming Solu�ons Act and Vermont’s 2022 Comprehensive Energy
Plan are not available at the municipal level currently. The LEAP targets in this guide are consistent with
the 2018 ECOS Plan’s Metropolitan Transporta�on Plan scenario and the Vermont’s 2016 Comprehensive
Energy Plan. The cold climate heat pump, residen�al weatheriza�on, and electric vehicle targets in this
memo have been updated to align with the targets found in the South Burlington Climate Ac�on Plan.
Current Energy Use and Genera�on
The data below are from various sources and represent actual data for the thermal and transporta�on
sectors. Data for the electricity sector can be found in the 2021 Efficiency Vermont Energy Data for
Municipali�es report.
Table A1. Current Municipal Transportation Energy Use
Fossil Fuel Burning Light Duty Vehicles, 2021 13,697
All Electric Vehicles, Year 2021 174
Hybrid Electric Vehicles, Year 2021 166
Sources: Department of Motor Vehicles
Table A2. Number of Homes Heating with Delivered Fuels, 2021
Number of homes heating with Fuel oil, Kerosene 803 homes (+/- 227)
Number of homes heating with Propane 462 (+/- 135)
Number of homes heating with utility gas 5,848 (+/- 392)
Number of homes heating with electricity 1,403 (+/-301)
Number of homes heating with coal 34 (+/- 54)
Number of homes heating with wood 103 (+/-86)
Number of homes heating with solar energy 18 (+/- 25)
Number of homes heating with other fuel 41 (+/- 47)
No fuel used 15 (+/- 24)
Sources: American Community Survey 2021 5-Year Estimate, Table B25040
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Table A6. Existing Renewable Electricity Generation
Installed Capacity
(MW)
Annual Production (MWh)
Solar 15.72 20,653
Wind .4 788
Hydroelectric* 1.8 9,000
Biomass .33 2,024
Total 18.25 32,465
Source: Department of Public Service Generations Scenarios Tool April 2023 version; Cities & Towns
Tab, current as of January 2023; *half of the capacity/production of Green Mountain Power’s No. 18 is
counted in South Burlington
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Projected Energy Use
Projected future energy use targets are drawn from the LEAP analysis for Chitenden County, completed
by the Vermont Energy Investment Corpora�on (VEIC). LEAP is an accoun�ng framework that shows one
possible path for Chitenden County and its municipali�es to meet the State’s energy goals required for
enhanced energy plans. LEAP aggregates exis�ng energy use data and forecasts the demand for energy
and sources of energy over �me, based on a set of an�cipated economic and policy changes. For
example, demographic projec�ons are one component of projec�ng future energy use. LEAP is well
suited for examining how energy systems might evolve over �me to meet certain goals (in this case,
Vermont’s goal to use 90% of energy from renewable sources by 2050). These targets show the direc�on
and magnitude of change needed to meet local, regional and state energy goals.
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Table B3. Projected Residential Thermal Energy Use, 2025-2050
2025 2035 2050
Total Residential Thermal Energy Use
(MMBtu) 736,934 624,834 432,608
Percent of Residences Weatherized by Target
Year** 18% 62% 100%
Energy Saved by Weatherization by Target
Year (MMBtu) 34,400 93,960 294,095
Percent of Residences Using Heat Pumps** 11% 37% 71%
Residential Thermal Energy Use from Heat
Pumps (MMBtu) 47,763 98,267 144,072
Residences Using Wood Heating (%) 14% 14% 14%
Residential Thermal Energy Use from Wood
Heating (MMBtu) 135,329 135,459 119,016
Sources: LEAP Model, Department of Public Service
**Targets align with the South Burlington Climate Action Plan. Target were generated with ICLEI’s
Clearpath tool for Year 2030. then expressed in terms of milestone years to align with the analysis and
target energy planning standard requirements.
Table B2. Projected Commercial and Industrial Thermal Energy Use, 2025-2050
2025 2035 2050
Total Commercial and Industrial Thermal Energy Use (MMBtu) 752,689 716,936 634,14
Percent of Commercial and Industrial Establishments Weatherized
by Target Year 22% 25% 43%
Energy Saved by Weatherization by Target Year (MMBtu) 40,462 56,101 135,20
Commercial and Industrial Establishments Using Heat Pumps (%) 14% 22% 25%
Commercial and Industrial Thermal Energy Use by Heat Pumps
(MMBtu) 35,461 70,099 104,73
Commercial and Industrial Establishments Using Wood Heating (%) 11% 12% 13%
Commercial and Industrial Thermal Energy Use Attributable to
Wood Heating (MMBtu) 91,075 125,443 183,65
Sources: LEAP Model, Department of Public Service, Department of Labor
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Table B4. Projected Electrical Energy Use, 2025-2050
2025 2035 2050
Without Industrial (MWh) 166,936 212,772 275,742
Industrial Only (MWh) 54,168 70,041 94,017
Total (MWh) 221,104 282,813 369,759
Total Electric Energy Saved (MWh) 13,964 28,188 52,722
Residences that have increased their Electric
Efficiency 30% 58% 98%
Commercial and Industrial Establishments that
have Increased Their Electric Efficiency 30% 58% 98%
Source: LEAP Model
*Please note that industrial electricity use is recognized as the most difficult element to project in the
LEAP model, because of regional discrepancies in data from the commercial and industrial sector.
Therefore, projected electricity use and total energy use are reported two ways: with industrial electricity
use included and excluded.
Table B5. Projected Total Energy Use Per Capita (Including Industrial Electricity Use*) 2015-2050
2015 2025 2035 2050
Total Energy Use (MMBtu) 3,107,538 3,004,949 2,788,721 2,538,438
Population 18,791 19,873 20,562 21,574
Total Energy Use Per Capita (MMBtu) 165 151 136 118
Reduction in Total Energy Use Per Capita
since 2015 -- -9% -18% -29%
Source: LEAP Model
*Please note that industrial electricity use is recognized as the most difficult element to project in the
LEAP model, because of regional discrepancies in data from the commercial and industrial sector.
Therefore, projected electricity use and total energy use are reported two ways: with industrial electricity
use included and excluded.
Table B6. Projected Total Energy Use Per Capita (Excluding Industrial Electricity Use) 2015-2050
2015 2025 2035 2050
Total Energy Use (MMBtu) 2,977,254 2,820,127 2,549,741 2,217,652
Population 18,791 19,873 20,562 21,574
Total Energy Use Per Capita (MMBtu) 158 142 124 103
Reduction in Total Energy Use Per Capita
since 2015 -- -10% -22% -35%
Source: LEAP Model
*Please note that industrial electricity use is recognized as the most difficult element to project in the
LEAP model, because of regional discrepancies in data from the commercial and industrial sector.
Therefore, projected electricity use and total energy use are reported two ways: with industrial electricity
use included and excluded.
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Projected Renewable Energy Genera�on Poten�al
This guide also reports how much wind and solar genera�on poten�al exists in the municipality and sets
targets for addi�onal renewable energy genera�on within South Burlington. The genera�on targets are
technology neutral, meaning a municipality can use any form of renewable genera�on (wind, solar,
biomass, hydroelectric, etc.) to meet its goals.
Prime solar or wind areas are areas where models show the appropriate condi�ons for electricity
genera�on, and where there are no constraints. Base solar or wind areas are areas where models show
the appropriate condi�ons for electricity genera�on, but where there are possible constraints which
must be considered during development and may reduce the development poten�al of a site. The 2018
ECOS Plan indicates that “development should be located to avoid state and local known constraints that
have been field verified, and to minimize impacts to state and local possible constraints that have been
field verified.”
South Burlington’s local known constraints (most restric�ve for development) are the .2% B2 floodplain,
river corridors, very steep slopes, and wetland buffers. The local possible constraints (development
impacts must be mi�gated-less restric�ve compared to known constraints) include the habitat overlay
district, steep slopes, natural resource protec�on district, and 0.2% B1 Zone See table C4 for the state
known and possible constraints.
South Burlington’s reported land available for wind and solar genera�on and associated total energy
genera�on poten�al are based on models of the eleva�on, slope, and aspect of land, or the modeled
wind speed. These models remove exis�ng roo�ops but do not remove other exis�ng impervious
surfaces. Therefore, land-based genera�on poten�al may be over-es�mated for South Burlington due to
a high percentage of impervious surface.
Table C2. Estimated Renewable Electricity Generation Potential from Land Available for Wind and Solar
Energy Generation
Power (MW) Energy (MWh)
Total Rooftop Solar* 58.8 158,793
Total Ground-Mounted Solar 57.3 75,349
Total Wind 112.6 221,852
Source: Ground-Mount Solar + Wind, CCRPC, Generation Scenarios Tool (April 2023), Department of Public
Service; Rooftop Solar, Vermont Center for Geographic Information
*Existing rooftop solar generation has not been subtracted out due to data availability.
Table C1. Land Available for Wind and Solar Generation
Prime Potential Base Potential
Solar 139 acres
1,966 acres
Wind 340 acres
4,162 acres
Source: CCRPC, Department of Public Service, Vermont Center for Geographic Information, updated in
2023
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Table C3. Renewable Electricity Generation Targets
2032 2040 2050
Total Generation Targets
(MWh) 58,360 75,429 85,931
Incremental Targets*
(MWh) 25,895 44,746 53,465
Sources: Department of Public Service, CCRPC
These targets are in addition to what the municipality is already generating. As of 1/31/23, South Burlington
generates 32,465 MWh of energy annually from renewable technologies.
Table C4. State Known and Possible Constraints
State Known Constraints State Possible Constraints
FEMA Floodways
DEC River Corridors
National Wilderness Areas
State-significant Natural
Communities and Rare,
Threatened, and
Endangered Species
Vernal Pools (confirmed)
Class 1 and 2 wetlands
(VSWI and advisory layers)
Agricultural Soils + Hydric
Soils
Unconfirmed Vernal Pools
Act 250 Ag. Soil Mitigation
Areas
FEMA Special Flood
Hazard Areas
VT Conservation Design
Highest Priority Forest
Blocks (Forest Blocks –
Connectivity, Forest
Blocks – Interior, Forest
Blocks - Physical Land
Division)
Highest Priority Wildlife
Crossings
Highest Priority Surface
Water and Riparian Areas
Protected Lands (State fee
lands and private
conservation lands)
Deer Wintering Areas
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APPENDIX B: ACT 174 ENHANCED ENERGY PLAN EQUITY ASSESSMENT
Throughout this Plan, South Burlington has considered the implica�ons of energy-related policy
decisions, regula�ons, and proposed non-regulatory programs on marginalized groups and communi�es.
We have make decisions through an equity lens throughout and have considered impacts on individuals,
families, and groups as we can. We also acknowledge that we have significant work to do, including
further study of how our ac�ons to meet our stated goals impact all of our community members and
dispropor�onately impact some more than others. As part of compliance with Act 174, we have
compiled energy and equity policy statements made throughout the Plan in this Appendix.
• People & Population – Basic demographic and language assessment and acknowledgement that
the City must serve our diverse population and consider variation across the City.
• Energy – Generally, changes must be made equitably and to help all our neighbors transition to
cleaner energy and more sustainable practices.
• Energy: Transportation – City will encourage, promote, or require EV charging at multi-family
buildings and for renters, and not have only have pay-as-you-go charging available.
• Energy: Buildings and Thermal – City will support homeowners in weatherization, electrification
of existing homes, efficient construction of new homes, including financial incentives and
outreach to low-income homeowners. “The City must design a system that will not cause
economic hardship for people without resources to both changeover and then operate new
systems.”
• Energy: Outreach and Implementation – “Importantly, [climate action] work must be
implemented in an equitable manner. This could include allowing for a reasonable time for
adjustment to new systems when old systems need replacement. Pursuing equity will involve
listening to the needs of the community, designing programs to facilitate transportation and
home improvements for all users, and accounting for the uneven costs of climate change.”
• Environment – Goal: Ensure environmental protection, conservation, and other natural resource-
related efforts are undertaken with environmental justice and equity in mind.
• Environment: Environmental Justice – City “must also examine how we protect our environment
and where people experience disproportionate impacts of environmental harms. Looking
specifically at air pollution, noise pollution, poor drinking water quality, contaminated soils, lack
of green space, and the urban heat island effect, are certain areas in the city disproportionately
affected? We need to start by gathering information. We are at the very beginning of examining
this issue and the City must start the process.”
• Transportation: Multiple User Types – Acknowledgment that bike/ped facilities separated from
the road can be more welcoming and inclusive for a range of users, including ADA compliance
and proper location for efficient bike/ped travel
• Recreation – “Both new acquisitions and maintenance of existing areas needs to be done
equitably and should consider our Climate Action Plan targets.”
• Community Services – City will be inclusive, equitable, and accessible in provision of all City
services, including energy regulations and programs
• Community Services: Library, Senior Center – City will provide inclusive facilities that serve
underserved populations like seniors, New Americans, etc., and are warmed/cooled.
• Community Services: Community Open Space – Acknowledgement that it is critical to be able to
access open space without a personal vehicle.
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• Water & Utilities – Goal: “Assure planning and management of water, wastewater, and
stormwater systems is done in a manner that protects our most vulnerable populations and
distributes focus and funding equitably”
• Water & Utilities: Potable Water – “The City needs to continue maintaining, upgrading, and
replacing parts of the water treatment and water distribution systems. This work must be done
equitably and must reflect increased weather variation and drought due to climate change.”
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Maps and GPS data (“material”) made available by the City of South
Burlington are for reference purposes only. The City does not
guarantee accuracy. Users release the City from all liability related
to the material and its use. The City shall not be liable for any direct,
indirect, incidental, consequential, or other damages.
Contact GIS@sburl.com with questions
Planning Area s
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Map XX: Road Class and
Transit Routes
City of South Burlington, VT
DRAFT: July 6, 2023
Public Transit Route
Interstate
Arterial - State Ownership
Arterial - City/Private Ownership
Collector - City/Private Ownership
Local Road - City/Private Ownership
Stream
Waterbody
Maps and GPS data (“material”) made available by the City of South
Burlington are for reference purposes only. The City does not
guarantee accuracy. Users release the City from all liability related
to the material and its use. The City shall not be liable for any direct,
indirect, incidental, consequential, or other damages.
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Maps and GPS data (“material”) made available by the City of South
Burlington are for reference purposes only. The City does not
guarantee accuracy. Users release the City from all liability related
to the material and its use. The City shall not be liable for any direct,
indirect, incidental, consequential, or other damages.
Contact GIS@sburl.com with questions
Waste Water Treatm ent Pl ant
Water Plan t
Water System
Airpo rt Parkway Sewer System
Bartlett Bay Sewer System
Burlington Sewer System
SOUTH BURLINGTON PLANNING COMMISSION
MEETING MINUTES
13 JUNE 2023
1
The South Burlington Planning Commission held a regular meeting on Tuesday, 13 June 2023, at
7:00 p.m., in the Auditorium, City Hall, 180 Market Street, and via Zoom.
MEMBERS PRESENT: J. Louisos, Chair; M. Mittag, D. MacDonald, P. Engels, D. Leban, L. Smith
ALSO PRESENT: K. Peterson, City Planner; H. Riehle, I. Bissell, M. Emery, R. Doyle, B. Milizia
1. Instructions on exiting the building in case of an emergency:
Ms. Louisos provided instructions on emergency exit from the building.
2. Agenda: Additions, deletions or changes in order of agenda items:
No changes were made to the agenda.
3. Open to the public for items not related to the Agenda:
A member of the public asked whether the regulations allow the Airport to use land on the
west side at the end of White Street at very end of Airport Drive. There are 20+ cars there,
many from out of state, some for sale. Mr. Peterson noted that area is zoned “Airport.” She
showed it on the zoning map.
Mr. Bissell said he understand there was discussion about straightening the Airport fence which
would add more land inside the fence. Ms. Peterson said there was discussion about a green
buffer between that neighborhood and a realigned Airport Parkway. The remaining area to the
north and northeast would be considered in a neighborhood planning project . She showed the
area on the map and noted that a potential option would allow the Airport to change the future
land use map to swap two pieces of property. The community would not lose any land. Mr.
Bissell said neighbors would oppose that option as the area in question is heavily used for
recreation. Ms. Louisos noted the future land use map is not a zoning map; it is for discussion.
4. Planning Commissioner announcements and staff report:
There were no announcements or additions to the written staff report.
SOUTH BURLINGTON PLANNING COMMISSION
MEETING MINUTES
13 JUNE 2023
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5. City Plan 2024:
Ms. Louisos noted that the meeting packet items include comments received from committees.
She noted that at the first meeting in July, the complete Plan draft will be available for public
comment. There will be many weeks after that to address concerns. The Intro ductory section
of the Plan is on the next agenda.
Ms. Peterson said subsections can be moved around if the Commission feels it is appropriate.
One of the meetings in July or the first meeting in August will be a public listening session, not a
formal public hearing. Mr. Engels asked if there will be a joint meeting with the City Council in
July. Ms. Louisos said there is an opportunity at the meeting on 17 July to provide the Council
with an update on the Commission’s progress.
Community History and Culture:
Mr. Smith suggested an indigenous history map as the plan is very scant on this. He suggested
moving Mr. Mittag’s proposed language to the top of the section.
Mr. Conner noted the history of the area goes back even further to when there was an inland
sea and native peoples. There was whale hunting along the shores.
Ms. Leban said what has never been recognized is the value of high -quality building design that
is climate responsive. Buildings can be an art form. She cited the new City Hall building as an
example of high quality building. She suggested adding the words “and high quality, climate
responsive design.”
Mr. Smith suggested adding the words “and across time” and “native American population” to
the first sentence. Ms. Peterson was OK with the latter addition but not with “across time.”
Natural Resource Protection:
Mr. Mittag suggested adding the word “existential” before “crisis.”
Ms. Leban asked where, under goals, does an increase in community gardens come from. Ms.
Peterson said it was a recommendation of the Natural Resources Committee. Ms. Leban said
there are so few that doubling them doesn’t get you much. She asked whether there is
anything the city can do to make it easier to have community gardens. She noted that some
homeowner associations do not welcome them. Ms. Peterson said the city doesn’t require
SOUTH BURLINGTON PLANNING COMMISSION
MEETING MINUTES
13 JUNE 2023
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them, but they could be encouraged. Mr. Mittag noted that in 2 condo association gardens the
residents lost interest. He suggested the possibility of a community garden on some of the
Airport owned land.
Ms. Legan said that “New Americans” should not be singled out for equitable garden space; it
should be equitable for everyone.
Mr. Mittag suggested bullet points at the beginning of each section and also saying that the city
would provide resources to do it. Ms. Peters on said that would be a budgeting decision for
future City Councils. Implementing something is fine; funding it is not. Ms. Louisos noted that
instead of city funding there could be grants or volunteers.
Mr. Smith said he would like to see an “unbuilt areas” plan. Ms. Peterson said there is a rough
plan of that. She noted that open space within a built area may fall into the parks section.
Ms. Leban noted there is no mention of “smoke.” Mr. Smith suggested a climate change
section above the air quality sections. He also suggested in the last paragraph under agriculture
“protect undeveloped lands for agricultural potential.” He noted South Burlington has very
little agricultural land left and suggested land for small farming. Ms. Leban said there is no
money in it, and those farms go out of business in a few years.
Regarding the paragraph on soils, Mr. Mittag asked to change “minimize” to “prevent.” He also
wanted to remove the reference to affordable housing in the agricultural paragraph.
Ecological Resources:
Ms. Leban suggested changing “should” to “will minimize tree removal.” She also asked to add
to the last sentence under wildlife “learn to balance wildlife needs with human needs.”
Members questioned possibly having an action related to the goal of community gardens. Ms.
Peterson said where community gardens could go can fall under the Parks section.
Surface and Ground Water:
Ms. Leban said “gasoline and chemical contamination” should be added under water quality.
Ms. Peterson said the city does not have the authority to regulate pesticides, etc.
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Regarding light pollution, Ms. Leban said she had provided language to Ms. Peterson as the
current language makes no sense. She felt the new guidelines are the best standard.
Both Ms. Emery and Ms. Riehle spoke to the need to address noise pollution, not only from the
Airport but also from the Interstate. Ms. Louisos felt that could go in the housing section.
Housing:
Mr. Mittag said he wasn’t in favor of using the word “crisis” regarding housing. There is a
shortage which can be solved. Ms. Peterson said this was direct feedback from the Affordable
Housing Committee. Mr. MacDonald agreed it is a crisis though not at the level of the climate
crisis. Mr. Smith said, “If I don’t have a house, it is a crisis.”
Members agreed to retain the word “crisis.”
Mr. Smith suggested in the last paragraph changing “growing” business to “sustaining”
business. Ms. Peterson said “growing” is the language from the Economic Development
Committee. Ms. Louisos said that together with the word “local,” she was OK with “growing.”
Mr. Mittag said that in the 3rd paragraph, “climate mitigation goals” should be “Climate Action
Plan goals.”
Ms. Leban asked whether there can be specific affordable housing targets for families with
children. She noted the friction in some new buildings with unsupervised children. She
suggested that apartment buildings may not be the most appropriate housing for families with
teenagers.
Short Term Rental:
Ms. Peterson noted that the City Council is working on language which will be added in this
section.
Ms. Emery cited the need for children and teens to have a place to play. Ms. Louisos said there
is a section on park-related items. She asked whether this should be in the housing section as
well. Ms. Peterson noted there is a requirement for site amenities, and developers have the
option of which amenities to choose.
SOUTH BURLINGTON PLANNING COMMISSION
MEETING MINUTES
13 JUNE 2023
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A member of the audience said big apartment complexes also need a place for dogs, not
necessarily a dog park.
Another audience member said in addition to “housing crisis,” there should be mention of the
“affordability crisis.”
Transportation:
Ms. Leban noted complaints about the lack of parking in public spaces such as Veterans Park.
She questioned why everyone has to arrive in a separate vehicle and felt people are too wed to
their cars.
Mr. Smith asked whether it is possible to get lower speed limits. Ms. Peterson noted that the
city has petitioned the state to lower speed limits on state roads and has been turned down.
Mr. Smith said Burlington has gotten speed limits below 25 mph, and he would like to see South
Burlington get that as well. Members agreed to language “to explore options for reducing
speed limits.”
Under multiple user types, Ms. Leban suggested removing the word “emphasize” as she didn’t
want to emphasize off-road bike paths over on-road.
Mr. Mittag felt that Exit 13 should be considered before 12B as only one city committee favored
12B.
Ms. Emery cited the need to have bus routes to get residents of Hinesburg Road to places like
UMall. She was willing to provide some language. Ms. Peterson wasn’t sure where that falls in
the language of the plan and read language that she felt applies. Ms. Emery felt this was
necessary both for economic growth and for residents.
Mr. Doyle suggested not using words like “shared use path” and “bike lanes” and suggested
“bike-ped infrastructure” as there are more updated types of that infrastructure. Ms. Louisos
said that would work in some places, but there are other places where the specific types work.
Ms. Peterson said “bike-ped infrastructure” is fine.
Recreation:
Mr. Mittag said there should be a distinction between active and passive recreation.
SOUTH BURLINGTON PLANNING COMMISSION
MEETING MINUTES
13 JUNE 2023
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Mr. Smith suggested commercial uses adjacent to parks such as a sandwich shop.
Mr. Mittag asked to add the acquiring of land in City Center for a “village green.”
Ms. Peterson noted staff has not yet received comments from the Parks/Recreation Committee
which met last night.
6. Other Business:
Members agreed to the following schedule:
June 27
June 29, if needed
July 11 and 25
August 8 and 22
As there was no further business to come before the Commission, the meeting was adjourned
by common consent at 10:03 p.m.
___________________________________
Clerk