South Burlington outlines $30 million Bartlett Bay wastewater rebuild; board presses for wetlands, screening and parklet details

South Burlington Public Works Director Tom DiPietro presented a sketch plan on July 1 for a multi‑phase, 20–25 year refurbishment of the Bartlett Bay wastewater treatment plant that would demolish several aging structures, construct new treatment buildings and tanks, relocate the driveway, and update site infrastructure. The city estimates the project cost at “Approximately $30,000,000,” and said financing would come from a voter‑approved bond, a $700,000 congressionally directed spending grant for energy efficiency, and a low‑interest loan through Vermont’s State Revolving Fund.

The Development Review Board’s sketch‑plan review emphasized zoning and environmental compliance that will be required at the formal site‑plan stage. The board and staff asked the applicant to: provide an isometric rendering showing the view from Bartlett Bay Road; clarify how proposed plantings and hedges will screen the new operations building; document compliance or request a modification under the LDR’s wetland buffer rules (including whether the applicant seeks a site‑wide “net” buffer tradeoff rather than wetland‑by‑wetland…