BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – At his final City Council meeting, Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger is advocating for a major zoning change that he says could create thousands of new places to live in the city.
City councilors will vote Monday evening on the so-called Neighborhood Code. The zoning change would allow property owners to build infill housing within existing neighborhoods, allowing property owners to add units, duplexes or even small apartments on lots within neighborhoods.
The effort would reverse actions the city took decades ago to block building smaller housing units in 70% of the city’s neighborhood.
Weinberger is trying to get it passed through the City Council Monday night, but many are wary of how fast the process is going.
“The Neighborhood Code as it’s written, I fear has a lot of unintended consequences that a trip back to the Planning Commission and a trip back to the Planning Committee would really help smooth things out. They involve things like how are we going to handle the stormwater, is what’s going to be affordable, is the size and the lot coverage of these structures going to make sense for historic neighborhoods like the one we’re sitting in?” said Paul Bierman, a UVM professor and Burlington resident.
Bierman started a petition that now has more than 300 signatures asking the City Council to return the Neighborhood Code to the Planning Commission and the Ordinance Committee for further revision.
Ahead of the council meeting Monday night, residents can attend a public hearing regarding the code at City Hall. The public will then get to voice their questions and concerns during public comment at 6:30 p.m.
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