Burlington Board of Health Approves Chick-fil-A, Fox Hill Geothermal Wells, and Biotech Permit

BURLINGTON -- June 23, 2026, Burlington Board of Health clears Chick-fil-A site plan, Fox Hill geothermal wells, and biotech safety permit at June meeting. The board unanimously approved a site plan and special permit for a new approximately 4,800-square-foot Chick-fil-A restaurant at 2 Wall Street, where attorney Mark Vaughn of Reamer and Bronstein represented property owner 2 Wall Street Owner LLC; the application includes significant stormwater improvements with projected phosphorus removal of about 82 percent before discharge to Little Brook. The board also approved a well permit for Allied Well Drilling to install 70 closed-loop geothermal wells up to 505 feet deep at Fox Hill Elementary School, 252 Fox Hill Road, with drilling expected to begin in mid-July and take six to seven weeks but capped at 20 weeks; representative Mike Mayer fielded extensive questioning from the board and two abutters from Michael Drive over noise levels "well in excess of 85 decibels" and diesel emissions. MBX Biosciences, a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on obesity and endocrine disorders, received approval for a biosafety level 2 permit at 5 Burlington Woods Drive; Dr. Ed Weiner told viewers "there is nothing in here that's a safety issue for the community." The kratom regulations subcommittee reported it is monitoring state legislative developments and has not yet reached consensus on whether to ban the substance or restrict it to adults 21 and older.