Burlington Conservation Commission Issues First Wetlands Permit for Accessory Dwelling Unit

BURLINGTON — October 9, 2025 — Burlington Conservation Commission approved the town's first wetlands permit for an accessory dwelling unit, a 900-square-foot structure at 20 Gibson Street. The board voted 4-0 Thursday to issue the permit under Burlington Bylaw Article 14 and the State Wetlands Protection Act, setting a $1,500 performance surety — below the $2,500 standard for single-family homes — after Chair Larry Cohen said the project was more comparable in scope to an addition. Applicant Jenna Spinoza and engineer Jack Sullivan had already removed a berm of accumulated organic material and planted six native wetland shrubs along the stream bank before the vote, drawing praise from Conservation Administrator Eileen Coleman: "They did Trojan work, phenomenal amount of work in just a very short period of time." The commission also adopted a vegetation restoration plan for 2 Van de Graaff Drive by a 4-0 vote, and Cohen reported that a warrant article to shift technical stormwater content from the bylaw into regulations failed at town meeting by four votes — the second time the article was defeated — with the commission agreeing it would not bring it forward a third time.