Hello, Hive!

I say it every single month, but I cannot believe another month is gone. January was so busy with preparing for the Civic Expo and starting to make preparations for the next seasonal Guide that the days just flew by.

A few things to keep on your mind before we start:

• Bad news: The Hive Coffee Hour for February 16 is canceled.
• Good news: Our first Hive Cocktail Hour is scheduled. Check your email or read to the end to find out when it will be!
• February is Black History Month. Lunar New Year is coming up soon, as are Ash Wednesday, Valentine’s Day, and Lent; Holocaust Remembrance Day and Indian Republic Day just passed. Please check out our stories in the Community Celebrations feature section and get in touch if you’ve got stories, resources, or anything else to share with our community.
• We’re preparing for the next Seasonal Guide, and we are SO EXCITED about the wealth of resources, tips, stories, and offers we’ll be able to share with readers around Burlington and beyond. If you’ve got an idea for what you’d like to see in the guide, or if you’ve got a recipe, staycation idea, spring cleaning project, or anything else spring/summer-related to share, please reach out!

In this Hive Roundup:

• TownVote Issue of the Week

• Town Meeting

• Local Election Talk

• Schools Update

• Burlington’s Newest Businesses

TownVote Issue of the Week: Liquor Licenses for Convenience Stores?

The Select Board recently approved three liquor licenses for beer and wine to be sold in convenience stores. Traditionally, the town has resisted allowing sales of alcohol outside of traditional package stores. But Town & Country, Raja & Rana’s, and most recently, Town Pantry, were granted liquor licenses in 2023. Learn more about the history behind these decisions and the pros and cons of allowing convenience stores to carry alcohol, and voice your thoughts in this week’s TownVote: Should liquor sales be allowed in places other than dedicated liquor stores?

Town Meeting: An End to Herb Chambers Kia Expansion, For Now

Town Meeting voted by a razor-thin margin not to change Burlington’s zoning in a way that would allow Herb Chambers to expand. Opponents to the article, both Town Meeting Members and neighbors who are not on Town Meeting, spoke at the January 22 meeting to express concerns about this potential expansion, which they claim they would have a negative impact on their residential neighborhood. Abutters were concerned about water issues that might be caused from building at the top of the hill, as well as increases in traffic and threats to pedestrian safety. Planning Board Chair, Barbara L’Heureux also stated that the town tries to eliminate nonconforming uses over time, rather than expanding them.

Supporters of the amendment said the expansion would revitalize the area and not cause much more traffic since the use of the property wouldn’t be changing. They (and the attorney for Herb Chambers) assert that by-right uses such as retail would bring much more traffic to the area than an expansion of an existing use.

In the end, Town Meeting did not vote to allow the zoning change, and Herb Chambers will need to go back to the drawing board. That might mean attempting to rezone the property to a use that allows car dealerships, or it might mean developing the two adjacent lots into retail—both options that were mentioned by the proponents. There are other options, as well, of course, including the dealership leaving Burlington altogether in search of a site that will allow them to meet their business needs.

Also at Town Meeting:

• Planet Fitness will likely relocate due to the new Fitness Center designation in our bylaws.
• Town meeting will go on record against the Winn View Heights II development, requesting that the state reject the development and that, if they don’t, the Zoning Board of Appeals does.
• Town Meeting won’t look into an electronic voting system, after many members opined that things are working just fine as is. A few members mentioned the anonymity that most of the votes hold, as the moderator looks for a visual 50% + 1 or 2/3 majority unless a count or roll call is requested.
• Expect a very long May Town Meeting with potential police station funding request on the warrant along with bylaw amendments that weren’t quite ready for prime time in January and more.

Local Election: Contested Races Expected With Two Weeks Left

A total of 55 candidates have taken out nomination papers for our April 6 local election as of the last update out of the Town Clerk’s office.

Several of them look like they’ll shape up to be contested races, including Select Board with incumbent Joe Morandi and challengers Sarah Cawley and Brad Bond battling for 2 seats, School Committee with incumbent Martha Simon up against challenger Meghan Nawoichik, and Precinct 6 town meeting, where you might recognize your favorite news writer’s name.

As of the last update, only about half the nominations are settled, as candidates still have until February 16 to return their papers.

The nomination window closes in less than two weeks, so if you’ve been meaning to take out your papers, be sure to grab them by February 14!

Schools: Building Committees and Ensuring Equity in Education

The Fox Hill and High School Building Committees both met recently to move along the work to rebuild/renovate their respective schools.

Fox Hill’s plan, developed by the designers at DiNisco Design in collaboration with the Owner’s Project Management Team and School Building Committee, will go before the Massachusetts School Building Authority Board later this month and, if approved, will move into the design phase where the details will continue to be ironed out. Already they’re working to ensure the building and grounds’ flow works best for all who will be using the school, and the designers have adjusted the proposed design to have the academic wing closest to the entrance to the school and the community wing at the far end.

The High School Building Committee interviewed potential designers, Tappé Architects and Jonathan Levi Architects (with DLR Group), who are interested in performing the high school feasibility study. Both groups emphasized the importance of sustainability and of future-proofing the design of the building. They also showcased some of their previous work and presented to the Committee some general considerations for the different options of rebuilding versus adding on to or renovating the existing building. The next meeting of the High School Building Committee will be in the coming week, and if I had to guess I’d say the designer selection will be announced at that meeting.

In other school news,

• Superintendent Eric Conti gave a mid-year update at the last School Committee meeting, and taken with Assistant Superintendent Lisa Chen’s update it’s clear that the keyword for the work happening at the district level is “student-centered.” That might sound obvious, but take it from me as someone who has been in education for two decades, I’m here to tell you that all too often, work is focused on educator actions rather than student outcomes. Dr. Conti and Dr. Chen have emphasized time and time again their desire to engage in actions that make it easier for teachers to meet the needs of all students and to involve students in the process. Dr. Conti also centered much of his commentary around getting back to many of the best practices that were abandoned during the pandemic, including more collaboration among teachers and among students.

• A brief overview of potential capital items for FY25—including renovating the bathrooms/locker rooms at Marshall Simonds, replacing the carpeting in the central office, a generator for Francis Wyman, and more—was presented at last Tuesday’s School committee meeting. Some School Committee members urged the Committee to consider carefully before doing too much work in buildings we might be replacing. This list will be prioritized and dollar values will be attached as the process goes on.

• There’s lots going on outside the classroom, as well:

  • Sports: Girls’ hockey is on fire with their winningest record ever (11-1-1) and has beat some of the top Division 1 teams (They’re Division 2!), while boys’ basketball last night celebrated their 8th win in a row.

  • Burlington celebrated its 18th Poetry Out Loud competition and freshman Therese Kosinski was crowned Poet Laureate by the Latin Club.

  • The DevilBotz robotics team, which started out as a club 14 years ago, is more organized and better funded this year than ever. With some luck and a lot of hard work, they’ll smash their previous records and hopefully even make it to Worlds!

  • The theater program at BHS is putting on a play this weekend: The Dining Room by A.R. Gurney. Probably too late for you to make it at this point, but it sounds like a cool show!

New Businesses Experience Highs And Lows; Others to Open

January marked the much-anticipated openings of two family-owned businesses.

Prestige Car Wash’s free washes have attracted crowds every day since their soft opening, and their big event featured food and Paw Patrol characters. The time for a free wash is past, but vacuums are always free, and the lines haven’t seemed to let up.

Goodnight Johnny’s, which has been on many of our minds for a full year, had their soft opening January 26-27 and the grand opening January 30. The restaurant features live music and “traditional American comfort food” at a more reasonable price point than many Burlington restaurants, with nothing over $30 on the menu.

As with any new business, both praise and complaints are circulating online. Here’s hoping both spots work out their kinks and continue bringing a positive experience and high value to Burlington residents.

Coming up, Eggholic, an Indian street food spot, hopes to open their location on Wall Street in the next few months, and we’ve heard tales about Splash and Dash, a new pet grooming place opening on Mall Road.

That’s all for today’s Roundup. Don’t forget about the first Cocktail Hour, next Wednesday, February 7, at 5:30 at Common Craft. RSVP now so I’ll have an idea of how many appetizers to order. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to accommodate dietary restrictions or allergies, but I will order a variety of options. And note that you’ll need to pick up your own drink tab!

I hope you’re having a great weekend so far and enjoying the sun!

Look out for the Weekly tomorrow. I’ll see you then!

Nicci