South Burlington planning commission reviews form‑based code study, eyes street hierarchy and building rules

Nick, the staff lead on the project, told the commission the consultant work is in progress and the team is "about halfway through this project right now" as they prepare a final report and presentation to the commission. He ran through the geographic scope — City Center, the U Mall and parts north of Williston Road — and said much of early development concentrated in the T5 transect, with future infill expected in T3–T4 areas.

The presentation described four areas of study that could lead to amendments: allowing different street types to serve more functions, applying a hierarchy of streets to unlock code flexibility, relaxing some building‑envelope standards to encourage varied forms, and reassessing building heights where draft LDR amendments would raise allowable height in some corridors. Staff also noted tax increment financing (TIF) is funding several streetscape and pedestrian bridge projects that tie into the code work. "We're building this denser, walkable, thriving city center," the presenter said, linking the code review to the City Plan 2024 goals.

Commissioners and design‑community roundtables have flagged a few tensions the consultant will address: narrow design boxes that reduce creative options for facades; window‑glazing rules that interact with energy code limits; and the challenge of balancing pedestrian comfort with parking and market realities. Staff said the team will circulate the consultant's final report and a presentation to the commission in the coming months; commissioners requested continued attention to how form‑based code changes interact with transit routes and future redevelopment of large sites such as the U Mall.