The Select Board voted unanimously in support of a mixed use zoning proposal Monday, with members offering full-throated support for a plan years in the making that drew much harsher feedback from the Planning Board just days before.
While the Planning Board voted 3-4 against the plan, the Select Board members said the proposal would bring Burlington’s commercial district into the next era of commercial and residential development, and would allow for increased economic vitality for the entire town into the future.
“People do feel this is a dramatic shift, but it’s important for people to realize that 60, 70 years ago the framers of our community made a decision to keep the majority of development in a specific sector of the community,” said member Nick Priest. “Now is our opportunity to shift with the sands of time, as it were, to ensure that that area remains a viable space.”
“This area is heavy on cars and parking lots. There are lots of amenities but you have to get in your car and drive from pace to place,” said member Sarah Cawley. “This concept has the potential to bring more character, more life to a part of town that could use a boost. I don’t personally foresee this zoning change as having a drastic impact on the overall character of town, the neighborhood culture, the school communities, things like that. I see it as a benefit fiscally, economically, while also providing additional housing in that part of town.”
The proposed mixed use zoning district, dubbed the MIX district, would streamline a patchwork of different zoning types in the Burlington Mall area into one unified district, and allow for more infill development that wouldn’t be permitted under the current zoning scheme. According to Economic Development Director Melisa Tintocalis, the change could make way for mixed-use developments, with retail space on the ground floor and residential units up above, that, over the course of 10 years, could bring in about 1,125 people and an estimated net revenue of $52 million.
“Good planning as Bob Buckley has talked about, takes 20 to 25 years,” Tintocalis said. “It is a slow process. But what we’re trying to do with this zoning is put a template in place and provide a tool to guide development over time. We see that us leading this zoning has more community benefits than just waiting and sitting back. We think we can bring more livability, potential environmental gains and economic sustainability to the commercial corridor.”
If the zoning is approved, the Planning Board would retain its power to review and adapt proposals for developments in the area. Town Meeting is slated to vote on the proposal in January.