Staff recommends 'reset' for South Burlington parks and open‑space master plan to add data analysis

City staff asked the South Burlington City Council on Feb. 17 to authorize a recalibration — a “reset” — of the Parks and Open Space Master Plan to add additional data analysis and better align the plan to the city plan’s climate and conservation goals. The staff presenter said the community engagement work completed to date is strong but the technical analysis and mapping that should underpin priorities was incomplete and must be strengthened before the council adopts a final plan.

"We are concerned that the products that were coming — not the community engagements. Community engagement was great, but the additional analysis, mapping, data‑driven foundation, wasn't there to bring you a great product at the end of the year," the staff member said, asking the council for feedback on shared goals and key questions. Staff said the reset would use existing consultant deliverables and add targeted expertise rather than restart the entire process.

The presentation emphasized three key questions: how the city should plan for parks and open spaces as population grows; how to allocate a discrete number of acres to competing uses; and how to invest strategically in existing facilities. Paul Connor, the planning and zoning director, told councilors that only a small portion of the city's land remains developable — he characterized it as roughly 6% — and that the plan should help prioritize where limited capital dollars will be invested.

Staff said the current timeline envisions an adopted plan by January 2027 but they may finish earlier if feasible. The city has about $55,000 in previously allocated ARPA funds available for the work and staff foreshadowed that the reset could require an additional $30,000–$50,000 in consultant budget; any contract amendment would be brought back to council for approval. Council members debated wording changes to clarify that the plan should place conservation and climate principles on equal footing with active recreation and that the plan should be actionable at a higher, citywide prioritization level rather than a detailed park‑by‑park design.

Staff said they will seek a consultant who will build on existing data and noted a sole‑source procurement route could be used to accelerate hiring; councilors asked that the consultant be required to deliver analyzable data layers and to honor prior community feedback. No formal funding action was taken on Feb. 17; staff will return with contract recommendations and clearer scope and cost estimates.