Po s i t i o n Pa p e r o f t h e Bu r l i n g t o n Gr e e n s o n t h e Wa t e r f r o n t

J anuar y 25, 1989

C i t i z e n I n p u t
I n February 1983, t he ci t i zens of Burl i ngt on met i n a Symposi um i n Ci t y Hal l
t o deci de what t hey want ed f or t he wat er f r ont . They l i st ed t hei r pr ef er ences as
f ol l ows: bi keway, wal kway, boar dwal k, ski pat hs, mar i na, shi ng, access, boat
moor i ngs, publ i c access, open space, r est aur ant , shops, bar s.
A 1986 survey by t he ci t y' s Communi t y and Economi c Of ce reveal ed t hat
95% of t hose surveyed f avored wat erf ront promenades, 82% support ed addi t i onal
parkl and devel opment , 82% support ed boat l aunchi ng f aci l i t i es, and 82% support ed
p u b l i c ma r i n a s .
The Burl i ngt on Greens bel i eve t hat t he above pref erences shoul d be i m
p l e me n t e d a n d t h e l a n d o n t h e wa t e r f r o n t b e ma d e i n t o p a r k l a n d c o n t a i n i n g t h e s e
ameni t i es. We oppose any ot her ki nd of devel opment on t he wat erf ront .
Zoni ng
On November 4, 1986 voters approved a ballot item recommending re-zoning
a 1 0 0 - f o o t w i d e s t r i p a l o n g t h e w a t e r f r o n t f o r r e c r e a t i o n - c o n s e r v a t i o n u s e . I t
passed wi t h a 77% maj ori t y. Thi s cul mi nat ed i n new zoni ng regul at i ons, passed by
t h e Bo a r d o f Al d e r me n o n De c e mb e r 1 5 , 1 9 8 6 . Th e y p r o v i d e d f o r r e c r e a t i o n - c o n s e r
v a t i o n u s e s a n d f o r a mi n i mu m 1 0 0 - f o o t s e t b a c k f o r b u i l d i n g s a l o n g t h e wa t e r f r o n t .
The Burlington Greens believe that these zoning ordances should be honored.
V '
2 .
T h e P u b l i c T r u s t D o c t r i n e
In 1874 the Vermont Legislature passed an Act conrming^legal title
t o Ce n t r a l Ve r mo n t Ra i l r o a d f o r l l e d - i n l a n d wh i c h h a d b e e n c r e a t e d a l o n g
Lake Champl ai n beyond t he l ow- wat er mar k. The r ai l r oad never pai d f or t hi s
l and. The Legi sl at ur e gr ant ed t he r ai l r oad t i t l e t o t he l and wi t h t he under st andi ng
t hat t he r ai l r oad was usi ng t he l and i n t he publ i c i nt er est and f or t he publ i c
good. And subsequent Court cases around the United States have afrmed that land
creat ed by l l i ng i n t he l akebed of a navi gabl e wat erway must be used i n t he pub
l i c i nt er est . Now t hat t he use of t hi s pr oper t y f or r ai l pur poses has al l but
ceased. Cent r al Var mont Rai l way, by of f er i ng t he l and t o pr i vat e devel oper s
f or t he const r uct i on of a l uxur y hot el and condomi ni ums, i s cl ear l y vi ol at i ng t he
pur pose f or whi ch t he St at e or gi nal l y gr ant ed t hi s l and.
I t i s al so vi ol at i ng t he Chi t t enden Super i our Cour t deci si on dat ed
Sept ember 23, 1987.
The Court concluded that Central Vermont Railway"holds the lled lands at
i ssue i n t hi s act i on i n f ee si mpl e i mpr essed wi t h t he publ i c t r ust doct r i ne.
Thi s means t hat t he rai l road i s f ree t o convey such l ands t o any part y, and
t hose part i es t o any ot her part i es , so l ong as such l and i s used f or a
publ i c pur pose. "
Co n d o mi n i u ms a n d h o t e l s a r e n o t i n d i c a t e d i n t h e v a r i o u s p u b l i c u s e s
c i t e d b y t h e c o u r t .
3 .
C o n c l u s i o n
I n s u n i ma r y, t h e r e a r e t wo wa y s o f l o o k i n g a t t h e wa t e r f r o n t . On e i s
t o u s e t h e l a n d f o r p u b l i c p u r p o s e s , t o p r e s e r v e t h e n a t u r a l e n v i r o n me n t a n d
p r o v i d e p u b l i c a n d c o mmo n s p a c e a l o n g t h e e n t i r e e d g e o f t h e wa t e r f o r r e c r e a t i o n .
The other is to use the land as a money making resource from which developers
prot while the needs of the majority of the citizens of Burlington are ignored.
The Burlington Greens endorse full public "ajse of the land so that all the
citizens of Burlington and Vermont can enjoy this magnicent natural resource.