Planning panel recommends rezoning near DoubleTree to T4 after debate over Centennial Woods

The South Burlington Planning Commission voted to recommend rezoning the HSMU‑zoned area behind the DoubleTree to the T4 form‑based code, forwarding the change to the next land development regulation amendment packet.

Commissioners debated whether taller buildings near Centennial Woods would harm the park’s user experience or tree canopy. One commissioner argued that market and financing pressures typically limit building heights and that the site’s proximity to major employers and transit would make denser development appropriate. A public speaker, Ryan Doyle, urged taller buildings near employers, saying, “The taller we build on less land, the better it is for the environment.” Staff had proposed three options — leave the area HSMU, change the whole area to T4, or move the zoning to T4 but allow higher heights only inside the Transit Overlay District — and recommended the third as a middle way; commissioners ultimately advanced full T4 as their preferred recommendation.

A commissioner moved the motion to rezone the area north of Wilson Road and west of I‑89 to T4 and include it in the next LDR amendments; another commissioner seconded. The chair called the voice vote and stated the motion was unanimously approved. The motion text moved by a commissioner was: “I’ll move to rezone the area of HSMU North Of Wilson Road and West Of I 89 to T 4 and to include this in the next set of land development regulation amendments.”

Why it matters: rezoning to T4 applies form‑based design standards and higher allowable heights in transit‑proximate locations, shaping how the parcel would be reviewed and the scale of potential redevelopment. Staff will carry the commission’s recommendation to city council as part of the LDR amendment packet.