For the past several months, members of VPOP have been hard at work following along and engaging with the Burlington Neighborhood Code process. This transformative zoning change will, if passed, legalize denser housing types like triplexes and quadplexes all over Burlington in a way that (hopefully) allows some to actually get built and ease the pressure of the housing crisis that we so starkly observe on a near-daily basis. This is often considered "missing middle housing".
The Background
Burlington, like most places in the US, is geographically dominated by detached, single-family homes. 22% of Burlington's total land area, which includes all the parks, streets, and buildings, is occupied by single-family homes. 70% of all residential parcels are currently in the lowest-density zoning district, on which nothing denser than a duplex can be built (and even that with many severe restrictions).
As you may know, single family homes in cities are, on average, more expensive per unit than multifamily buildings. They also require more land, driving sprawl and car-dependency and reducing the efficacy of public transit, walking and cycling. They require more energy (on average) to heat and cool, increasing emissions.
Since Burlington cannot exactly acquire more land, any additional housing must be constructed on existing parcels, which means redevelopment. Rather than try and force all of this additional construction into a few square blocks downtown, it would make more sense to open up more of the city to infill development. This so-called "gentle density" will allow for more housing everywhere. This is the goal of the Neighborhood Code.
Key Definitions
Minimum Setbacks
The amount of buffer space a building must have from the edge of a lot on the front, back and sides. In downtowns, this number is usually zero across the board, which means buildings come right up to the sidewalk and touch each other. In suburban areas, these can be 20 feet or more.
Lot Coverage Limit
The amount of space on a lot that can be occupied by buildings, driveways, and other structures. This is usually expressed as a percentage. Currently, Burlington's lowest-density zone (62% of parcels) only allows for 35% of the lot to be built upon.
Minimum Lot Size
The amount of land you need to build something. In the existing low-density zone this is 6,000 square feet for single-family houses and 10,000 square feet for duplexes. Since land appreciates in value and is the most expensive piece of real estate, higher minimum lot sizes mean more expensive housing.
Maximum Allowed Density
The upper limit to the number of units per given land area, usually expressed as dwelling units per acre (du/acre). In the low-density zone, this is currently 7 du/acre.
The Impact
Now, what does the Neighborhood Code change? The Good:
- You can now build, at minimum, a quadplex (four units per building) on every residential lot in the city.
- In addition, you can build a secondary structure which can also contain up to four units on that same lot.
- Maximum allowed density is removed entirely as a regulatory tool.
- Minimum lot size is also removed entirely. This will also allow existing homeowners to subdivide and sell parts of their lot.
Together, these changes mean that in an optimal configuration with a large enough lot, you can fit 8 units (10 in R-Medium) across two buildings where there was previously just one.
The Code also creates a series of high-density corridors along places like North Ave, Colchester Ave, and Shelburne St. On these corridors, buildings can be up to 4 stories, take up 80% of the lot, and have no limit to the number of units they can contain.
Does The Code Go Far Enough?
Well, probably not - but only because Burlington's zoning has been so restrictive for so long and we are in such a severe housing crunch. We, as a city, likely need to construct 1000 units of housing per year to meet the existing demand in the short term.
VPOP would favor a broadly applied R-M standard to simplify our zoning code and reduce socioeconomic segregation between neighborhoods.
Commercial Uses
The Code has limited commercial use to the Residential Corridors. Currently, basically all types of businesses (shops, restaurants, offices) are not legal in residential areas.
We here at VPOP are committed first and foremost to livable, walkable, people-centered communities. Dense housing is only a small part of this goal. If your home is still far away from shops, businesses, and other places people want to go, you still need to drive.
Wouldn't it be great to be able to go for a walk, grab a coffee at the cafe, browse the local shop, and come home - all within a block or two of your house? This is the kind of quality of life improvement that liberalizing commercial use can accomplish.
What Comes Next?
For the ordinance to become law, the city council must pass it. The full council is holding the first public hearing on Monday, February 26th in Contois Auditorium at City Hall. This is a major opportunity for the public to show their appreciation for the Neighborhood Code and encourage the council to pass the change without watering it down.
If you can make it in person to speak, please do! You can also attend and speak virtually via zoom or send a written comment to citycouncil@burlingtonvt.gov.
Additional Resources
- Neighborhood Code Introduction from Burlington Planning Department — This has some very good background explanations of what the purpose of the code is.
- Maps and Documents from the Joint Committee Meetings — All of the presentation materials and links to meeting minutes.