NEWS

Airport neighborhood demolition begins

Haley Dover
Free Press Staff Writer

Grinding, crushing and beeping are just several noises residents in the Chamberlin Neighborhood will soon hear.

The Burlington International Airport Monday broke ground on a controversial house removal project with grant funding from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Improvement Program.

Construction is expected to last until Thanksgiving, said Gene Richards, airport aviation director, with open green space as the fill.

The airport has purchased residential and commercial properties since 1990. The noise from the airport is too loud for residential life, according to FAA guidelines, and the houses were bought by the airport to be torn down.

Vacant house with roofing removed for recycling by Burlington International Airport on Tuesday.

What was once a pleasant neighborhood with tall trees and well-tended laws, is now a neighborhood marked by empty lots and yellow signs — South Burlington's zoning permit to demolish the single family homes.

For several years the vacant homes and the airport were a topic of controversy.

The airport has been at the center of a legal dispute between Burlington and South Burlington in a lawsuit brought by the Queen City.

South Burlington taxes the airport property and passes the assessment to Burlington, but the city disagrees with South Burlington's tax methodology. The City of Burlington appealed in 2012 the property tax assessment, said Jim Barlow, South Burlington's city attorney.

Both sides have attained expert appraisers, and those experts differ significantly in their opinions of the value of the airport property, he said.

That dispute remains unresolved, City Manager Kevin Dorn said. He expects it to go to court sometime this fall.

The lawsuit does not affect the demolition of homes, he said.

"Those are two separate projects," Dorn said.

South Burlington residents have expressed concern that the demolition will take away more than 100 affordable homes, and in the summer of 2012 homeowners in complained of unannounced state and local police training drills.

The Supreme Court in July 2014 upheld 54 city zoning permits for the demolition or removal of homes, affirming an Environmental Court decision. The airport is owned by Burlington by located in South Burlington.

The court rejected arguments by airport neighbor George Maille that the removal should have undergone stricter scrutiny, or site plan review.

George Maille (right), who lives near the Burlington International Airport in South Burlington, listens in Montpelier on Thursday, December 5, 2013, as the Vermont Supreme Court listens to a case he has brought before them. Maille objects to the Development Review Board's decision to permit the destruction of 54 vacant homes near the airport.

The houses have been sitting vacant since the permits were issued in February 2012 because the airport was waiting for the case to conclude.

Now that the demolition has been approved, the 94-home project is divided into three contracts, Airport Director Richards said. The first and second contracts each consist of 37 homes, and the third contract includes 20 homes.

The airport demolition will be divided into three contracts.

Construction crews kicked off the deconstruction process by removing roofs on Picard Circle, a cul-de-sac with about 10 homes.

"They will take the roofs off and recycle the asphalt shingles and wood underneath them," Richards said.

Crews will spend about two weeks on Picard Circle before moving onto the rest of phase one, the homes north of White Street, he said. The first phase should be completed by July 4.

Neighbors could experience some noise during the construction process, Richards said, but the road should be clear for drivers to get to and from the airport. If crews do have to work in the road, someone will direct traffic, he said.

"Things people could encounter are crushing sounds when debris is put into the dumpster or the sound of a truck backing up," Richards said. "I know that 'beep beep beep' sound is annoying."

Vacated area blocked off due to destruction and recycling of material by the Burlington International Airport.

Phase two includes the homes south of White Street to just north of Elizabeth Street, and phase three will take down the homes on Elizabeth Street and along Airport Drive south to Airport Road.

The contract allows for the removal of homes by either demolishing, deconstructing or relocating them. Contractors will remove additional structures such as driveways, walkways, pools and fencing. Any curb cuts will be removed and replaced with a new curb, and utilities will be removed.

"Foundations will be filled and you'll see a lot more green space," Richards said. "It will look quite beautiful when it's done — a lot better than a vacant home."

City officials say there is no definite plan for the land once the demolitions are complete.

House containing asbestos on Dumont Street in South Burlington on Tuesday.

Paul Conner, South Burlington's director of planning and zoning, said the city, along with the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission, the school district and airport have kicked off a planning project for the Chamberlin neighborhood.

The city received two grants, one from the state of Vermont and one from the regional planning commission to engage a consulting team to work with a newly established Chamberlin Neighborhood-Airport Planning Committee.

The 15-member committee will look at future opportunities throughout the neighborhood, Conner said.

"The plan will be a long-range vision for the neighborhood and include, short, medium and long-term recommendations," he said.

Conner said there are no specific project proposals currently under active review.

Richards echoed Conner's statement. The airport is also without a definite plan for the land.

"We have a 2030 plan which is a guide that the airport may use, but it doesn't show any major growth," Richards said. "It doesn't show any hotels."

Contact Haley Dover at 660-1850 or hdover@freepressmedia.com. Follow Haley on Twitter at www.twitter.com/HaleyRDover.