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Council extends Champlain School Apartments development agreement through 2029 to allow redesign work
Summary
The City Council unanimously approved Amendment No. 1 to the 2023 development agreement for the former Holiday Inn site, delaying a fee and extending permitting deadlines to 2029 while preserving a developer option to re‑permit under future zoning; developer Joe Larkin said updated zoning and code changes create opportunities for denser infill.
The South Burlington City Council unanimously approved Amendment No. 1 to the development agreement for the former Holiday Inn site, allowing the Champlain School Apartments Partnership additional time to refine plans and delaying a previously scheduled fee until 2029.
Paul (staff) and Joe Larkin, representing the developer, told the council the extension gives the team time to "do his due diligence" and respond to recent zoning and code changes that could allow greater height and density. Larkin said the loss of the old Holiday Inn structure created a "clean slate" and the team is exploring how to configure a second building or a larger connected structure on the site. "I think it's meaningfully and greater than it was, you know, even in 2023," Larkin said of the site's potential under current rules.
City staff emphasized the amendment does not eliminate the developer's previously negotiated option to show compliance under a future zoning code (which could extinguish the development agreement) but simply delays the financial fee tied to missed permitting milestones. The motion to approve the amendment — moved by Councilor Andrew and seconded by Councilor Elizabeth — passed unanimously.
