Zoning Zone Out

Boy it was cold out there tonight! Thanks again to all those folks who let me in (it is true that I do not bite).

So many people are extremely concerned with how things are going to look in their neighborhood, 5, 10, 15 years from now. Most of the times we think of our own house and what we might like to do with it (or not do with it over time). We are less likely to think what our neighbors might do over time or what might happen in other not so distant parts of our neighborhood. The long and the short of it is that when someone hears the word zoning his or her eyes usually start to glaze over or if there is an article in the paper about it, it gets skipped in lieu of reading about the on going murder case or the latest food article. Nobody really pays attention to zoning until it comes knocking on the door. . . .

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK

It is here and it is not a sexy issue, but it is an important one never the less. Check out the proposed zoning rewrite. The proposed ordinance is going to have a ripple effect on the look and density of the city for generations to come. Now it is nearly impossible to become conversant with all aspects of the plan. However, I would encourage you to take a look at the proposed changes for your neighborhood, in particular the proposed density changes. It it something you can buy into? Is a 20 unit condo going to potentially go up in your single family house neighborhood? How much should the core downtown area be built up and how high is it proposed that the buildings can be? Are you comfortable with Burlington transforming from a large, vibrant town to a small city?

Obviously the questions to all these answers are highly personal and will be different for each individual. However, it is important that none of us zone out on this one, because if you do the next knock you hear may be the sound of the backhoe breaking ground next to your house.

Best
Ed