Brovitz Community Planning & Design to develop rezoning for Burlington, MA

Burlington, Ma Burlington is advancing the development of a regulatory framework for the area’s largest commercial district. Following a yearlong effort with MassDevelopment that resulted in a concept plan in August 2022, Burlington has selected Brovitz Community Planning & Design, to develop a new zoning framework to guide development along the Mall Rd. corridor over the next 10 to 20 years. Ted Brovitz, principal and owner, heads up the Brovitz Community Planning & Design team, which has a successful history working with several other New England communities such as Danvers, Scituate, and Portsmouth, NH developing and implementing innovative zoning and sustainable development initiatives.

The town’s evaluation team included staff from the planning department and economic development office as well as representatives from the town’s elected boards: Nick Priest, chair of the select board; Mike Runyan, select board member; Brenda Rappaport, chair of the planning board chair; and Jennifer Sutherland, planning board member.

The town has been studying the area for the past three years, beginning in 2020 with support of the Urban Land Institute and their Technical Assistance Program. This effort led to a state grant and a partnership with MassDevelopment to create the concept plan, completed in August 2022. The plan identified nearly 100 acres of development opportunity within the commercial districts most of which exist as under-utilized surface parking lots. To unlock this potential and guide development, the town is launching a 10-month process in collaboration with Brovitz Community Planning & Design to engage community stakeholders and craft new zoning for town meeting to consider in the fall of 2023.