We, the undersigned Burlington Community members, urge the Burlington College Administration and the Burlington City Government to take the necessary steps to save the 32 acres of green space behind Burlington College from development and conserve the land in perpetuity. 

What is the new development plan?

The Burlington College Administration unveiled an updated development plan on October 20th.  According to Seven Days, this new plan will sell 25 of the 32 acres behind Burlington College to a developer named Eric Farell.  The deal will be finalized on January 14th unless conservation groups step in with a counter offer.

Farrell's plan:

1. 21 single-family homes
2. A three-story building with 75 units of senior housing,
3. A three-story building with 60 units of affordable housing,
4. Two five-story buildings with 300 market-rate units combined and
5. A three-story building without a designated purpose yet.

A memorandum of understanding was signed between the school and the developer on November 14th.  The MOU started a 60 day clock that will allow time for conservation groups to step in with counter proposals.  If the 60 days pass without a counter offer, the land will be the property of Eric Ferrell on January 14th.

The clock is ticking, and we need as many community members as possible to speak out against this development plan and demand conservation. 

Why the developers plan goes against long enshrined Burlington values?

Historically Burlingtonians have put major waterfront development to the voters on Town Meeting Day, ensuring an engaged public process. From the Alden Plan to the Moran Plant City residents have been afforded the ability to shape the waterfront's future. Yet the Farrell plan represents a departure from this history of an engaged public process, transparency and participation, leaving the decision making processes for one of the largest developments in City history -on the largest undeveloped nature corridor left inside city limits- to a tiny handful of developers.