LEARN MORE ABOUT
Andrew Chalnick’s Campaign Priorities
LEARN MORE ABOUT
Andrew Chalnick’s Campaign Priorities
Natural Resources
South Burlington’s remaining meadows, forests, grasslands, farmlands, and wetlands play a vital role in sequestering carbon, buffering against flooding, filtering pollutants before they reach Lake Champlain, providing habitat for pollinators and wildlife, cooling and cleaning our air, and enriching our quality of life. These natural areas also support local food production and offer valuable opportunities for recreation and connection with nature.
I’m thrilled that while I was on the Planning Commission we successfully protected approximately 2500 acres of habitat blocks and habitat connectors between those blocks, that we expanded the “no build” buffer around wetlands, rivers and streams to 100 feet (from 50 feet) and that we expanded what qualifies as a wetland. We now lead Vermont in providing protection to natural resource areas with over 51% of South Burlington’s land protected through regulation, private conservation or other means and protect almost all of the habitat areas in South Burlington that were identified by Arrowwood Environmental in their 2020 habitat block study.
During my tenure, the City grappled with the implications of Act 47. I’m proud that, through successful advocacy by myself and many others, the City secured an exemption for natural resource areas from the Act’s mandate, which would have otherwise required a minimum density of five or more housing units per acre throughout any natural resource area in “a district served by municipal sewer and water infrastructure”. Following this absolutely critical success, the City strategically re-drew our sewer service and water service areas to keep these ecologically significant lands outside the scope of the Act. Also, to ensure our natural resource areas remain outside the scope of Act 47, no new water or sewer connections are permitted in these areas (previously, all new development was required to connect to the City’s systems when a parcel or building was within 200’ of existing infrastructure).
Together with the Vermont Land Trust, in 2024 the City permanently conserved the 105 acres of natural areas in Wheeler Nature Park. The conservation effort permanently protects over 35 acres of forest and over 65 acres of open land, streams and wetlands. The wooded areas provide food and habitat for wildlife and include sugar maples, a stand of white pine, and hardwood trees such as shagbark hickory. The protected streams include tributaries of Potash Brook, which flows into Lake Champlain.
I successfully advocated for a low-impact plan for the Hubbard Recreation and Natural Area to honor its core purpose of conservation. Thanks to community input and my efforts, the final design was scaled back dramatically from previously considered designs (here and here) that included ball fields, a pump track, sheds, an event barn, bathroom facilities and a large parking lot, leaving only a shared-use path and small parking area. While some are disappointed the shared-use path will be paved, doing so ensures year-round access and helps advance our climate mitigation goals of reducing car dependence and emissions from transportation. My vote and comments on the Hubbard Park plans can be viewed here.
Looking to the future I will continue to be a fierce advocate for permanent conservation of open space.
In South Burlington, a TDR was provided to each landowner for every 1.2 acres that was designated as a “natural resource protection area”. The sale of a TDR permanently protects (in addition to potentially ephemeral regulatory protection) 1.2 acres of land in the sending district. However, the market has stalled because there is insufficent demand.
Requiring the purchase of TDRs to access additional floors in City Center would hopefully create sufficient market demand for the TDRs.
Impervious Surfaces: I want us to reconsider the decision made in 2024 to increase the amount of impervious surfaces that can be constructed on lots from 30% to 50%. This change will allow existing homeowners on larger lots to add significant new impervious surfaces. In an era when climate change is placing tremendous stress on pollinators and our capacity to handle increased flooding, this change is going in the wrong direction and seems unwise.
The Longview Transaction: One major disappointment during my tenure was the City Council’s decision not to move forward with acquiring 36 acres from the Northeast Agricultural Trust for permanent conservation. Located in the heart of the Great Swamp, this property would have been a strong investment of Open Space Fund dollars, especially given the bargain price of just over $12,000 per acre. I hope this opportunity returns to the Council for reconsideration in the future. My commentary on this transaction is here and comments at the City Council are here.
Tree Protection and Meadow Management: Among its objectives, our City Plan has these two: “amend City regulations to address tree protection in connection with new development activity” and “actively engage in removal of non-native, invasive tree and plant species on public land”. I would like to see the City adopt an ordinance that protects heritage trees on property that is to be developed, and I would like to develop management plans for our meadows to protect wetlands, address invasives and to plant native flowers and trees. I suspect many community members would be excited to participate in this effort.