Motivated by community input, the Town of Burlington wanted to enhance the corridor along Blanchard and Wheeler Roads (“the Corridor”). While the Corridor provides homey residential units, it also serves as a bustling commercial district with technology hubs, retail, recreation areas, and restaurants. Though the area has seen substantial improvement over the last 25 years, concerns about the Corridor remain—narrow roadways, lack of shoulders, and heavy traffic pose safety risks for pedestrians and bicyclists.
The Town enlisted VHB’s help in creating a vision plan to serve as a blueprint for future development within the Corridor. With the community’s needs at the forefront, the plan addresses the following six goals—enhance connectivity, establish multimodal transportation, expand the public realm, preserve existing wetlands, foster economic growth and resilience, and maintain a dialogue with stakeholders. An implementation matrix identifies specific actions and initiatives to achieve these goals.
In addition to the vision plan, VHB is supporting the Town with the Multi-Family Zoning Requirement for Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Communities initiative. VHB will help the Town define the boundaries of a multifamily district, confirm the district’s compliance using the State’s compliance tool, and lead public engagement to provide consensus throughout the community.
