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Citizens for Responsible Zoning (CRZ) is a group of citizens from neighborhoods surrounding Queen City Parkway in the South End of Burlington, VT. We have come together to protect our residential communities from the detrimental impacts of a large rock concert arena proposed for Burton Snowboards’ warehouse on Queen City Parkway. This proposal threatens the character and safety of our neighborhoods. The proposed project is out of scale for this location and the infrastructure is in no way adequate to support it.
The CRZ’s Go Fund Me campaign is raising funds to cover the costs of representing and protecting our neighborhoods by organizing and participating in the city’s Development Review Board process. We have engaged an attorney who is experienced in Burlington City zoning and in the often complex and technical DRB process. Legal and other expertise will be critical in helping the CRZ prepare for the DRB, gain party status, identify issues to be negotiated, provide experts to evaluate and testify concerning traffic, noise and design and negotiate with the developer.
Funds will also be needed for an appeal if the DRB’s ruling is unsatisfactory to the residents in the area.
Why are area residents concerned?
Burton Snowboards and Higher Ground are proposing to relocate and expand Higher Ground, Vermont’s largest rock concert venue, to Burton’s warehouse on Queen City Park Road (formerly Industrial Avenue), a location surrounded closely by residential neighborhoods, and accessed by two, small residential streets, in the south end. One of the streets is reached by a narrow and crumbling one lane bridge. The other has a railroad crossing just before the intersection.
The surrounding residential neighborhoods contain over 500 households. Concerts will attract up to 1,200 people, with 600 to 800 cars coming and going, and will take place 3-8 times per week, often ending at 11:30 PM, with the possibility of ending as late as 2 AM.
Burton does not have enough parking on site, and the infrastructure along this road is far from adequate to accommodate this condensed influx of cars and people. The scale of this project is far too large for this area . Burton’s proposal includes a mixed use hub with restaurants and bars, an indoor skate park, a snowboard museum, several small not-for-profit businesses, and office space, all of which are appropriate uses in this neighborhood. The CRZ has raise no objection to these.
The CRZ is a group of residents from abutting neighborhoods who have come together to represent and protect our residential communities from proposed large impacts.
The CRZ is committed to identifying mitigation measures related to:
•Significant increase in traffic
•Noise, especially at night
•Safety, including emergency vehicle access during high traffic times
•Adequate police presence
•Light pollution
•Impact on neighborhood character
•Impact on wildlife and wildlife quarters
•Spill-over from late night concert goers
From the start, the City of Burlington has ignored residents’ concerns. The Zoning and Planning office re-wrote zoning ordinances, and the City Council approved these changes in the zoning regulations at the request of Burton Snowboards, to allow large (up to 15,000 ft.) concert venues as a “conditional use” in this area. Our City’s own land use development plan, called BTV South End, states:
“Uses in this area should be focused on supporting the needs of light industrial, R&D, and industrial arts/maker businesses.”
It specifically did not include performing arts, and goes on to state:
“As industrial businesses in this area continue to thrive, we’ll maintain wooden buffers and find other ways to lessen impacts on nearby residential areas.”
Send an email to [email redacted] to join the CRZ and/or get updates via email.
Please support this cause as you are able. Thank you!
The CRZ’s Go Fund Me campaign is raising funds to cover the costs of representing and protecting our neighborhoods by organizing and participating in the city’s Development Review Board process. We have engaged an attorney who is experienced in Burlington City zoning and in the often complex and technical DRB process. Legal and other expertise will be critical in helping the CRZ prepare for the DRB, gain party status, identify issues to be negotiated, provide experts to evaluate and testify concerning traffic, noise and design and negotiate with the developer.
Funds will also be needed for an appeal if the DRB’s ruling is unsatisfactory to the residents in the area.
Why are area residents concerned?
Burton Snowboards and Higher Ground are proposing to relocate and expand Higher Ground, Vermont’s largest rock concert venue, to Burton’s warehouse on Queen City Park Road (formerly Industrial Avenue), a location surrounded closely by residential neighborhoods, and accessed by two, small residential streets, in the south end. One of the streets is reached by a narrow and crumbling one lane bridge. The other has a railroad crossing just before the intersection.
The surrounding residential neighborhoods contain over 500 households. Concerts will attract up to 1,200 people, with 600 to 800 cars coming and going, and will take place 3-8 times per week, often ending at 11:30 PM, with the possibility of ending as late as 2 AM.
Burton does not have enough parking on site, and the infrastructure along this road is far from adequate to accommodate this condensed influx of cars and people. The scale of this project is far too large for this area . Burton’s proposal includes a mixed use hub with restaurants and bars, an indoor skate park, a snowboard museum, several small not-for-profit businesses, and office space, all of which are appropriate uses in this neighborhood. The CRZ has raise no objection to these.
The CRZ is a group of residents from abutting neighborhoods who have come together to represent and protect our residential communities from proposed large impacts.
The CRZ is committed to identifying mitigation measures related to:
•Significant increase in traffic
•Noise, especially at night
•Safety, including emergency vehicle access during high traffic times
•Adequate police presence
•Light pollution
•Impact on neighborhood character
•Impact on wildlife and wildlife quarters
•Spill-over from late night concert goers
From the start, the City of Burlington has ignored residents’ concerns. The Zoning and Planning office re-wrote zoning ordinances, and the City Council approved these changes in the zoning regulations at the request of Burton Snowboards, to allow large (up to 15,000 ft.) concert venues as a “conditional use” in this area. Our City’s own land use development plan, called BTV South End, states:
“Uses in this area should be focused on supporting the needs of light industrial, R&D, and industrial arts/maker businesses.”
It specifically did not include performing arts, and goes on to state:
“As industrial businesses in this area continue to thrive, we’ll maintain wooden buffers and find other ways to lessen impacts on nearby residential areas.”
Send an email to [email redacted] to join the CRZ and/or get updates via email.
Please support this cause as you are able. Thank you!