CityPlace Burlington
Comprehensive Planning
Protecting our environment from the ground up.
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Development affects our environment, at every phase. Environmentally responsible development considers not only end use impact, but literally all aspects of the project. From the beginning, planning the siting, demolition, construction and end use of CityPlace Burlington has held the safety and preservation of our environment as the highest priority.
The Burlington Planning Commission had been considering how to shepherd growth in Burlington in the most responsible manner. In 2010, in their 10 year plan for our future, Plan BTV, they came to a consensus as to the best strategy—building up—and the best location: the aging Burlington Town Center. Their challenge was to find a developer who shared their vision, and was willing to commit to this plan. At this time, Don Sinex, a real estate developer and long-time resident of Rutland, had also identified the Burlington Town Center as an investment opportunity.
Don approached the city council with his proposal and thus began the process of planning a new, transformative city center. The best ideas are a result of the synergy of like-minded people, and the planning process generated several iterations of a mixed-use facility, CityPlace Burlington, each improving upon the last, meeting needs outlined by our City Councilors as they considered the impact on our environment, the people, families and businesses of Burlington.
Several key issues emerged for consideration as they moved forward: building new City street sections that reconnect Pine and St. Paul Streets to Cherry Street; restoring neighborhoods; the need for affordable housing; creating a walkable city; best practices for revitalization of urban environment; traffic flow and sustainable transportation initiatives; the benefits of increased housing density; the changing nature of retail and the diminishing demand for sprawling indoor malls; how to incorporate the Great Streets Initiative; providing public spaces; safeguarding the environment; minimizing the environmental impact of a large development and actually making our downtown environment better than it was.
