(Host) For years, many development plans for Vermont’s largest city have stalled on the drawing board, lacking either public support or financial backing. Now, city planners in Burlington are hoping public participation will help them revitalize the Queen City’s downtown and waterfront.
VPR’s Kirk Carapezza reports.
(Carapezza) Even in the winter, it doesn’t take much to see why visitors bundle up and walk along the ice-covered boardwalk here. They come to take in the air and the amazing views of Lake Champlain.
(Judy Byron) "It’s worth it for sure."
(Carapezza) That’s Judy Byron of Duxbury. A scarf covers much of her face, but Byron says she really appreciates Burlington’s winter waterfront access.
(Byron) "It’s one of my most favorite places. I’ve thought about moving here, and if it weren’t for the traffic I probably would because I love the lake."
(Carapezza) A few blocks away at City Hall, planners say they hope to solve transportation issues as well as other problems with a new federal- and state-funded program called PlanBTV.
David White is Burlington’s director of zoning and planning. He says PlanBTV will help the City address many questions regarding the future of Burlington’s downtown and waterfront.
(White) "It’s all about creating a master land use and development plan for Burlington’s core – the downtown and the downtown portion of our waterfront."
(Carapezza) Burlington has floated various redevelopment plans that look at harbor development, housing issues and transportation. Many of them have stalled and they’ve typically been isolated from each other – widely seen as "grand plans" by outsiders.
But David White says PlanBTV is more modest in scope. Among other things, it promises to encourage development on under-utilized and vacant sites.
(White) "This is the first time the city has done a comprehensive plan to look at transportation and housing and economic development and public infrastructure all together."
(Carapezza) One of Burlington’s biggest challenges now, he says, is maintaining its economic viability and enhancing what works on the Church Street Marketplace pedestrian mall.
(White) "We’re on everybody’s Top 10 List as being the greenest place, the healthiest place, but we’re challenged with how do we keep Burlington a vigorous place."
(Carapezza) To keep Burlington a vigorous place, the City knows it will need to provide more market-rate and affordable housing. Burlington lacks housing units downtown for young professionals who can’t afford a six-figure condo on the lake.
Sandrine Thibault is Burlington’s comprehensive planner. She says the City is trying to be proactive about healthy, urban growth.
(Thibault) "We’ve talked about these things and these different issues for a long time now and we’re trying to move the conversation and find a common ground."
(Carapezza) The city has contracted with a Tennessee-based design firm to hear public recommendations. Beginning this week, it’s hosting a workshop devoted to planning the design of the city.
Despite some skeptics who question spending government money on the project, city planners expect it to be an intense conversation about Burlington’s existing and future landscape.
For VPR News, I’m Kirk Carapezza.
VIDEO: PlanBTV Design Charrette