Local Government

Daily Buzz | Housing Development Conversation Reaches New Heights

And, deadlines loom for sticker contest, nomination papers

Nicci Kadilak

Feb 15, 2024 — 4 min read

Good Morning, Burlington!

Reminder: Waste collection is delayed this week. Set your barrels out tonight or tomorrow morning for Friday pickup! (For anyone keeping track, pickup will also be delayed next week due to the Presidents’ Day holiday.)

Tomorrow is the last day to submit your K-8 child’s design for Burlington’s “I Voted” sticker contest. It’s also the last day to submit nomination papers for April’s local election. Both things are due to the Town Clerk’s office by closing time, which on Fridays is 1:00. See the bottom of this email if you’d like to print off the sticker contest form!

Housing Development Conversation Reaches New Heights

There was another development this week in a conversation that’s been ongoing for five years now: Town administration was notified that the proposed Local Initiative 40B development known as Winn View Heights II was accepted by the state.

The discussion around Winn View Heights II has been ongoing since 2019 when the developer of Winn View Heights, built in 2003, proposed a new senior housing development at the top of the hill near the first one. The second development received the votes needed to receive a letter of support from the Select Board, but following that vote two separate issues arose.

First, several residents disagreed that abutters had been duly notified and didn’t feel they had the opportunity to provide input prior to the Select Board vote. Second, a legal issue arose with the proposed Richardson Road access to the development and the developer had to withdraw the proposal.

The developer needed to come back to the Select Board with a new access plan, and that happened in late 2022. In the interim, the bylaws were changed to require the Select Board to hold a public hearing for any housing development greater than four units and to hold off on voting until the next meeting after a development proposal has been discussed.

When the issue came back before the Board, this time with access from Mountain Road, many residents appeared both virtually and in-person to express their concerns about the project, which hinged mostly on the long, winding nature of the access road, the blasting and disturbance of the surrounding environment that would be required to create it, and the problem of snow removal and emergency access. (There were more, but they’ve been hashed and rehashed.)

After much discussion, the Board voted 2-1-1 against providing a letter of support. At a subsequent meeting, they repeated the vote at the request of the proponent since the full Board wasn’t present at the first vote. Though not required, the Select Board reopened the hearing and held another vote. The motion then passed 3-2.

The next step was for the project, along with the Select Board’s letter of support, to go to the state for approval. A group led by Town Meeting Member Sarah Cawley attempted to have Town Meeting vote in September on a resolution against the development, but Moderator Bill Beyer declined to hear the motion since it wasn’t related to anything on the Warrant. The group was back with a Warrant Article in January requesting Town Meeting to go on record against the project, requesting that the state reject it or, if they don’t, that the Zoning Board of Appeals, the permitting authority for such a development, reject it. That Warrant Article passed overwhelmingly.

And then this week, Town Administration was notified by the state that the project was accepted. This, without the requisite 30-day public comment period for such projects. After hearing from the town, the state agreed to rescind their acceptance and open the 30-day period for public comment; and the state has also been asked to come out for a new site visit, given the access has changed so significantly since they visited following the 2019 proposal.

Comments can be directed to the Local Initiative Program at the Mass Department of Housing and Community Development; anyone wishing to participate in the public comment period can reach out:

Catherine Racer, Undersecretary
Division of Housing Development
Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities
Email: Catherine.racer@mass.gov
Address: 100 Cambridge Street, Suite 300, Boston, Massachusetts 02114

Also include Rieko Hayashi -- rieko.hayashi@mass.gov. She is available by phone at 617-573-1426 for any questions on the process.

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Today in Burlington

Municipal Meetings and Community Events

8:30-9:30 AM - BHS Course Recommendation for 8th Grade Parents: Includes Breakfast (MSMS Cafeteria)
9:00 AM-2:30 PM - Francis Wyman Elementary Kindergarten Registration (BHS; by appointment only)
12:30-3:00 PM - Bridge Club (Human Resources Building, 2nd floor)
1:00 PM - Police Station Building Committee will discuss the existing conditions of the police station, which have been described by those familiar with the building as “deplorable.” (Town Hall and Virtual)
4:00-5:00 PM - Teen Volunteer: Bookend Painting (Library; Register)
5:30 PM - Select Board will hold a Strategic Planning Session, during which they’ll discuss committee appointments, a possible government review, warrant future space needs, and more. (Grandview Farm)
6:30 PM - Planning Board - see below for topics of conversation. Note that the public hearing on the zoning articles will open on March 7; tonight’s is just an opening discussion. (Town Hall Main Hearing Room and Virtual)