Burlington airport seeks storage shed and paving; DRB closes continued application after staff questions

Burlington International Airport representatives presented a continued site‑plan application on July 1 for the second phase of an airport master plan at 698 Airport Parkway. The proposal covers a 3,658‑square‑foot material/shed building for snow‑removal equipment, a fueling area and a large paved apron for maneuvering and parking. Airport planning director Larry Lackey and architect/engineers from Passaro Associates answered board questions about landscaping, lighting, curbing and parking layout.

The board’s review focused on plan details staff identified as incomplete or needing clarification before final approval: planting species and quantities for the parklet/landscape areas; whether curbing should be installed along an existing sloped edge where new plantings will be placed; light pole mounting heights and shielding; and whether the new paved parking being added to the lot should be treated as spaces serving the new building or as replacement parking for existing operations. The applicant provided an updated landscaping plan and a lighting cut sheet showing 23‑foot pole heights.

“We called out the picnic tables, the surface material and the planting quantities. We’ve also included an updated, landscape cost estimate as well,” said Katie Calabrese, project team member, while walking the board through the submitted L100 landscape sheet. The plan shows a mix of river birch and spruce along the right‑of‑way and a small amenity area intended to match previously approved rec‑path elements.

Board members questioned whether curb installation on the right side of the driveway would create ponding and require additional grading in the city right‑of‑way. Civil engineer Austin Goodwin explained curb installation at the existing slope would require regrading and additional right‑of‑way work, and a board member said they were “against curbing that” for that segment because of the grade. The team agreed to leave that area without curbing and to refine the drainage/grade details in the civil plans.

Lighting was another point of focus. The applicant’s photometric plans and cut sheets list 23‑foot pole heights. Staff and board required fixtures to be fully shielded to prevent the source of light from being visible from adjacent residences or the street; the applicant said additional reflectors or shields can be ordered and that final shielding can be confirmed or adjusted at the Certificate‑of‑Occupancy inspection if fixtures cause visible glare.

A procedural question arose about additional paved parking being created on an existing dirt lot. Airport project staff said the new paved spaces will formalize and treat an area that users currently occupy informally; they argued the new layout will improve stormwater control and create a more durable surface for queuing and parking used by airport rental operations. The board and staff discussed whether the new parking should be considered serving the new SRE building (which would meet certain LDR criteria) or as replacement/regular parking. The board accepted the applicant’s explanation that the new paved spaces replace uses lost elsewhere on the lot and improve site drainage, and staff closed the continued application for decision at the next meeting cycle.

Members moved to close the file for SP‑2522; a motion to close passed unanimously. The application will return with refined civil details, final plant species/locations, confirmed lighting fixtures and the updated stormwater and curbing plans.