City Seeks Input on Waterfront Improvements
The city has opened a two-month request-for-ideas period from the public for improvements to long-neglected portions of the Burlington waterfront around the Moran plant, accordiing to an article in the Burlington Free Press.
A wide variety of ideas will be taken into consideration by a "Public Investment Team" appointed by Mayor Weinberger. This committee will then select a smaller number of suggestions as finalists before taking the next steps in June of this year.
The BBA's Waterfront Action Group (WAG) is currently formulating its own proposals to be submitted by the end of March.
The city seeks to “stimulate innovative and creative ideas for public investment before embarking on infrastructure improvements, Community and Economic Development Director (CEDO) Peter Owens wrote in a statement released Monday evening.
State law requires that development on the waterfront must preserve public access to facilities, as well as to Lake Champlain.
Much like Burlington’s “PlanBTV” effort, ideas will be posted online for public comment, Owens said last week.
The administration hopes to have concrete proposals to present to voters in the spring of 2014.
The groundwork for redevelopment (upgrades to roads, lighting and other utilities) at the waterfront will be funded through tax-increment financing — which uses a portion of subsequent increases in the TIF district’s property tax to pay for
CEDO’s Waterfront Public Investment Action Plan was approved by City Council on Jan. 28.
The process will shift into a higher gear in late spring, when a team of planning, development and financing experts will review submissions and solicit more detailed proposals from finalists, the city’s release states.
