Thirty Year Vision for Burlington – Melinda Moulton Burlington Free Press Article
Main Street Landing
NEW VISIONS THAT COMPLEMENT, ENRICH THE BEST OF BURLINGTON
by Melinda Moulton
I have been asked to reflect on what, I believe, Burlington should be a generation from now. Over the years this question has been addressed several times through the public process. That said, the visions, hopes and dreams change from one generation to another, and I applaud the city for once again posing the question to its citizenry.
Certainly in my time helping redevelop the waterfront from 1983 to present day, I have participated in some remarkable visioning studies. Most notably is the 2000 Burlington Legacy Project. It was this report that identified what the citizens wanted Burlington to look like in 30 years. You can read the plan at www.Burlingtonlegacyproject.org.
I believe Burlington has much of what makes a city livable, fun, intimate and vibrant.
Let’s face it, the Queen City is one of the most talked about, revered and imitated great small cities in the country.
Burlington is fortunate to have:
- Committed and devoted activists, citizens, municipal employees and business people who truly care about their city and aren’t shy about sharing their opinions.
- Small and comfortably-scaled beautiful buildings.
- Green spaces, trees, flower gardens, places for people to sit and ponder, and beautiful natural vistas.
- A healthy local economy and unique and special local businesses.
- The Intervale — an agricultural model of sustainability.
- Church Street Marketplace: our award-winning outdoor pedestrian mall.
- College Street Shuttle and CCTA: our public bus system supporting human movement.
- First-class educational institutions and hospital.
- International airport.
- Vibrant and eclectic visual and performing arts community.
- Our waterfront and Lake Champlain.
- A growing diverse population.
My list could go on and on because Burlington has the “best of the best” and has been eulogized time and time again. So what do I think we should focus on during this next visioning process?
We should contemplate:
- A world-class marina.
- A public rail system connecting New York City to Montreal with a stop in Burlington.
- A commitment to insure local businesses can afford to remain and prosper downtown.
- Fosters development of high-tech green businesses that provide livable wages.
- Builds only green, sustainable, LEED certified buildings.
- Continue to redevelop our waterfront incrementally and thoughtfully.
- Require affordable housing in all mixed use projects.
- Invest in a citywide district heating system using renewables.
- Expand bike and pedestrian thoroughfares.
- Build a tunnel under Battery Street that connects the Church Street Marketplace to the waterfront.
- Build an underground parking structure into the embankment and under Battery Park that is well hidden and assessable from Battery Street, thereby reducing the number of cars on the waterfront.
- Allow a vibrant nightlife to prosper and grow in downtown Burlington.
- Increase the use of Waterfront Park for more events and activities now limited by an archaic Act 250 ruling.
- Encourage the state to install historic signs on Interstate 89 that direct folks to our “Historic Downtown Burlington & Waterfront.”
As someone who has participated in Burlington visioning efforts during the last quarter of a century, please allow me to offer an ounce of caution and a pound of hard-earned wisdom. If it isn’t broken don’t fix it.
Quite simply, we should endeavor to protect and enhance those things that we already know make Burlington a great city, and introduce new visions that complement and enrich what has already brought us international recognition, accolades and awards, and a beautiful way of life.
Melinda Moulton is CEO/Redeveloper of Main Street Landing.