BURLINGTON — The Burlington Common Council has voted to allow buildings as tall as 90 feet in the downtown area, a significant change that city officials say could bring new development to parcels that have sat empty for years.
Outside of case-by-case approvals, the height limit in the area is 60 feet. Proposals for taller buildings would need to be part of a planned unit development, which "is a zoning tool that gives the City some flexibility to approve a well-planned project that may not fit perfectly into standard zoning rules," City of Burlington Jon Schultz said.
Megan Watkins, the city's zoning administrator, said before this week's vote, development on empty plots could be cost-prohibitive. Now, developers can now propose buildings as tall as six or seven stories.
Watch: Burlington business owners welcome vote to allow taller buildings downtown, opening door for new development
Abby Wilson owns Blackbird Bakery, located across from an empty lot that could see renewed interest from developers now that taller buildings are permitted. While she expressed some concern about potential parking issues should additional businesses and housing come to the area, she said she sees the benefits.
"I think it would be positive to bring more people and business to downtown," Wilson said.
"I think it would be exciting to have additional foot traffic to help support our small businesses," Wilson said.
Wilson acknowledged the change would be noticeable, but said she was not concerned about disturbing the area's character.
"I think it would stick out a little bit for sure," Wilson said. "I guess the look of the building, I'm not too worried about. I think it's fun to bring different designs to the space."
Kelly Rausch owns Forever Beading, also located across from the empty parcel in the historic downtown.
"I'm not opposed to it," Rausch said.
She said she hopes the area retains its character.
"It would just be nice to stay charming," Rausch said.
But Rausch said she would welcome additional businesses and residents in the area. She also suggested the height restrictions may have contributed to the lot sitting vacant.
"If you're limited in what you can do, maybe that's why it sat for so long," Rausch said.
Schultz said the amendment opens new possibilities while keeping oversight in place.
"It basically gives the Plan Commission and City Council the ability to consider higher than 60 on a case-by-case basis, as opposed to making general changes across the board," Schultz said in an email.
He said the process will allow the city to ensure proposals are well-suited for the area.
"It's important to put to good use the few vacant downtown lots that are available and also encourage meaningful redevelopment as opportunities present themselves," he said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
