Burlington Planning Board unanimously backs two zoning amendments for town meeting

BURLINGTON — March 20, 2025 — Burlington Planning Board voted 7-0 to recommend two zoning amendments to town meeting while a major Northwest Park residential project was pulled and rescheduled for September. Planning Director Liz Bonventre presented what she called a "use table optimization" that removes the obsolete Industrial IR zoning district, restores special permit requirements for hotels, supermarkets, and restaurants in the mixed-use district, and makes personal services such as nail salons by-right uses near the Burlington Mall. The board also unanimously endorsed a housekeeping update to the town's 100-year floodplain bylaw to reflect new FEMA maps effective July 2025. Attorney Robert Buckley, representing NWP Buildings 34 LLC and MWP Buildings 35 LLC, announced the team would withdraw its MBTA communities overlay petition — which would allow a passive-house residential development to replace two aging 1973 office buildings at 0 Middlesex Turnpike — and refile for September, citing unresolved questions about density, architecture, and fiscal impact. Board member Kristin LaRue warned that tripling units per acre over the original MBTA approval "is something I'm worried about bringing to town meeting."