Good Morning, Burlington!

Last night’s Planning Board meeting closed with a discussion of the Police Station Building Committee’s first meeting. What began as an update evolved into a discussion of the complexities of this project, which would involve removing the current building (which was built in 1897 or ’98 and served as the town’s Union School, housing all Burlington’s elementary students, until 1972) and rebuilding a larger, more functional building with more secure parking on the same lot—and expanding into the field where the Sculpture Park currently stands.

Some Board members mentioned the limited scope of the feasibility study that is still underway, which looked at three different sites—two of which, according to members, weren’t feasible. They expressed a desire to preserve at least the look of the historical building, which could be done by renovating the inside and adding on.

Even further, the idea of creating a public safety building was proposed. While this direction has been taken by many neighboring towns, there are a number of complications with this. The fire station is in good shape, while the police station is very much not in good shape. And, as always, there’s the question of where a building like that would be built.

The sense from listening to the meeting is that the public safety building isn’t under consideration. But, the Planning Board does plan to reach out to the Historical Commission and work together to provide input to the Building Committee regarding preserving the Union School building. They also mentioned the idea of having an outside consultant come in for a facilities audit to keep track of what land and facilities we do have available as a town in the hopes that future feasibility studies can be more comprehensive.

Planning Board Casts Advisory Votes for Town Meeting

The bulk of last night’s long and productive Planning Board meeting was spent holding public hearings to record Board members’ votes for each of the zoning-related articles that will be before Town Meeting in January. Here’s how the discussion and votes went:

• Herb Chambers Kia Dealership Expansion (Proponent: Herb Chambers): This article, re-introduced after it was pulled during September Town Meeting after testimony and a petition from residents of the adjacent neighborhood, faces opposition from direct abutters who have concerns about traffic, pedestrian safety, privacy, and potential water issues. The proponent has done some community outreach and attempted to reassure concerned neighbors that they want to work toward making a more functional space for the business while enhancing the appearance of the area.

  • This discussion centered largely around safety and the fact that this dealership is in a residential area. The proponent mentioned that they have no intention of rezoning or otherwise altering the residential lot on Arlington Road owned by Herb Chambers, but abutters and some Board members weren’t convinced. They also noted that on the lots they’re hoping to expand into, a retail or commercial building could be built and bring with it much more traffic than their business would bring in. The Board was split on this: Some members stated the use isn’t going away and they’d rather Herb Chambers be subject to the town’s site planning process, and others said there is already too much congestion and safety concerns in the area. The vote was 2-4-1; this means the article can still go to Town Meeting, but this Planning Board vote is on record to inform Town Meeting members that the majority of the Planning Board wasn’t in favor of this zoning change.

• Amending the 100 Year Flood Plain bylaw (Proponent: Conservation Department): You can see the current bylaw on Page 60 of the 2022 Zoning Bylaws

  • The Board voted unanimously in favor.

• Amending the Accessory Use Bylaws for the One-Family Residential Zoning District (Proponent: Zoning Bylaw Review Committee): Some updated language and definitions, with the intention of creating clearer definitions that leave less up to interpretation and give the Building Inspector clearer guidelines for enforcement. Of specific interest at the last public hearing was the proposed update to the definition of “structure,” which went from very narrow to very broad. We’ll see tonight if the ZBRC was able to create something in the Goldilocks Zone.

  • This article was updated to reflect a 65-square-foot area OR 10-foot height limit for accessory structures without a permit. This is just larger than the size of an 8X8 shed. The Board voted unanimously favorably.

• Middle Housing Definition is going to be postponed with the intention of developing zoning to accompany the definition.

• Fitness Facilities Definition (Proponent: Planet Fitness): Adding in a definition for Fitness Studio (under 5,000 square feet) and differentiating it from a Fitness Center, which is larger (5,000-20,000 square feet). Zoning would have these facilities located in separate areas of town, with studios located in the Town Center and other places and centers allowed in areas outside the Town Center overlay, such as the south side of town in the area near Middlesex Turnpike Extension, where Planet Fitness hopes to relocate. Expect discussion tonight about whether a fitness center should be allowed by right or by special permit in these areas.

  • This article was updated to state that a special permit would be required for some districts. After a brief discussion, the Planning Board voted unanimously to recommend this article to Town Meeting.

• Wireless Communication Facilities Bylaw Updates: I haven’t had the chance to go through all 17 pages of this proposal, but I’m interested to hear how it will change the regulation of cell phone towers and the like here in Burlington. This item wasn’t discussed at the 11/16 meeting.

  • The Board voted to withdraw the article without prejudice and intends to bring in a consultant to help craft the language for a future proposal. The concern was that the article is a start, but doesn’t go far enough, and with the amount of work before the Board in the near future, additional updates won’t be made and the town will be left with a half-done product.

• Modernizing Definitions and Principal Use Regulation Table: This is just what it sounds like, and is designed to update the language used in the zoning bylaws definitions and ensure correlation with the Use Table. This is mostly a housekeeping article that seeks to update outdated definitions and reorganize uses to where they make the most sense for today.

  • After a discussion of square footage allowed for retail spaces, the Board voted favorably.

• Updating Parking Requirements: This bylaw includes flexibility for modern uses, design standards for parking facilities, landscaping requirements, dimensions for parking spaces of different formats, use cases for different kinds of parking formats, and more! There is also an addition for Shared Parking, which was something that was discussed at September’s Town Meeting.

  • The Planning Department modified this article by placing the information into table, rather than paragraph, form, making it more readable. After a pretty technical discussion, the Planning Board voted unanimously to recommend this article to Town Meeting.

Today and This Weekend in Burlington

Municipal Meetings and Community Events

Friday, December 8

• 3:00PM - Ice Palace Oversight Committee (Burlington Ice Palace: 36 Ray Avenue)
• 4:00-5:30 PM - Honey Heist Table Top Game - Learn more about this game here. A table top role playing game event for kids in grades 4-8. (Library; Register)

Saturday, December 9

• 11:00-11:45 AM - Reading with Chickens - There is nothing more exciting than learning about chickens! Just ask Nicci, Buzz founder. She has a few in her backyard! But this event does in fact get even more excitingl..because there will be LIVE CHICKENS!! Event for kids in PreK-Grade 2. (Library; Get on the waitlist)
• 12:00-3:00 PM - Holiday Fun with Sleigh Rides and Santa (3rd Ave)
• 12:30-2:00 PM - Santa’s Workshop Event - Kids can create wooden ornaments, one for themselves and three for friends or family. Snacks included. Adult required to stay, but no ticket required. Only purchase tickets for the kids.  (Made in Burlington; Tickets)
• 1:00-3:00 PM - Winter Wonderland - Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph and the Snow Queen will be around to say hi to your little ones while you shop. Lots of holiday music in the background to get you excited for this season. (Wayside)
• 2:00 PM - Blue Christmas Service - A quiet and small service for those who are struggling with the Christmas season. (United Church of Christ, 6 Lexington St.)
• 2:00-4:30 PM - Garment Gurus - Do you enjoy sewing or want to know more about sewing garments? Come chat with neighbors and friends! (Library)
• 2:00-4:45 PM - Tamil Makkal Mandram - Learn about Tamil culture. More about Tamil here. Free event, all are welcome! (Library)
• 5:30-8:00 PM - Liv for Fashion Holiday Collection Fashion Show - Cocktails, a fashion show, and makeovers! Does it get any better?! Oh yes it does-shopping! (Wayside)

Sunday, December 10

• 1:15-4:00 PM - Soramame Bunko -Japanese Storytime (Library)
• 2:00-4:00 PM - BHS Winter Concert
• 2:00 PM - UCC Holiday Revelry and Concert - Celebrate the season with a concert by the Three of Cups, Debbie Claar and Ann-Marie Messbauer. Seasonal refreshments will follow in the church hall. Free; donations appreciated. (United Church of Christ, 6 Lexington St., Burlington)
• 4:30 PM - Noel & Snow Wood Decor Workshop - Get your craft on at this wintry event. (Made in Burlington; Tickets)

Sports and Activities

We’ve got a variety scrimmages and some regular season matchups on the schedule this weekend:

Basketball: Boys play in Tyngsborough at 5:00 today, and girls play in Ipswitch tomorrow at 9:00 AM.

Wrestling: The high school boys will host Chelmsford on Saturday at 10:00 AM, and it looks like the middle school boys will have a home meetup tomorrow at 9:00 AM.

Hockey: JV hosts Arlington Catholic on Saturday at 2:15; on Sunday, the boys host Waltham, with varsity playing at 6:45 and JV playing at 8:00 PM.

Have a great day, Burlington! See you Saturday (if you’re a Hive member) or Sunday!

Nicci

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