‘Bah, humbug’
Service to others
Not everyone loves Valentine’s Day
South Burlington Rotary teams up with food shelf
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South Burlington’s Community Newspaper Since 1977
the FEBRUARY 10, 2022
otherpapersbvt.com
VOLUME 46, NO. 6
New land regulations add, subtract homes
Three cheers
ibly similar between the current regulations and their predecessor — it’s a “net zero” difference he A quick browse of real estate said, but not in the energy sense. for sale in South Burlington turns Rather, the major differences are up 12 houses on Zillow with open in where the units could be built floor plans, breakfast bars, hard- and in what arrangement. A zoning change would affect wood floors and views of the Adirondacks. Cheapest among some housing in the southeast them is a $202,000 condo and quadrant. Conner’s department priciest is a three-bedroom for estimates that the city’s old regu$795,000 — the average price is lations would have allowed for 1,180 houses to about $588,000. be built in that A rogue listing “So, while it is a part of the city if with a $179,000 developers used price tag makes difference of about the maximum your heart flutter allowances in a moment until 300 between those the zoning. But you realize it’s this isn’t exacta plot of empty two, I’m not sure it’s ly a realistic land, sans house, that was recently an actual difference.” number, Conner said, as it does cut in price from account for $353,000. — Paul Conner, not natural resourcHousing. It’s one of the director of planning es in the area, which would hottest topics in restrict where Vermont as the and zoning developers could state’s affordable housing crisis has become stark- build and how many units. The estimate also ignores the er throughout the coronavirus pandemic, and in South Burling- history and layout of neighborton where the local market has hoods. A lot might be zoned to climbed upward, egged on by a have four homes per acre, but recent reappraisal that bumped many only have two or three — property values up 27 percent on how likely is it that a property owner would tear down those average. existing homes to fit four on the By hot, that means scalding. South Burlington’s land devel- lot? In the same area, accountopment regulations, which have been revised over three-plus years ing for those variables as well and were approved in a landmark as natural resources like forests, moment for the city Monday wetlands and streams, officials night, have stirred the housing estimate that 834 units could realpot, making many people ques- istically be built under the newly tion whether the new regs will approved regulations. “So, while it is a difference help or hurt the crisis. According to Paul Conner, of about 300 between those two, South Burlington’s director of I’m not sure it’s an actual differplanning and zoning, the total ence,” Conner said, since the potential number of houses that could be built in the city is incredSee REGULATIONS on page 2 AVALON STYLES-ASHLEY STAFF WRITER
COURTESY PHOTO
All three South Burlington High School cheerleading teams — youth, middle school and high school — took first place in the NVAC Cheerleading Competition on Saturday Feb. 5 in South Burlington. The teams are coached by Lynn Kynoch, an assistant in the school’s student activities and special education departments.
SB businessman denies drug charges State’s attorney reduces felonies to misdemeanors, seeks no conditions MIKE DONOGHUE CORRESPONDENT
A South Burlington businessman who owns a home that has been the site of several serious drug overdoses since March — including two deaths — has pleaded not guilty in Vermont Superior Court to four misdemeanor counts of illegal possession of drugs. South Burlington Police said they asked county prosecutors to file more serious charges against Bruce Erdmann, 62, of Swift
Street, due to all the findings of a lengthy criminal investigation. But the office of Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George opted not to pursue two felony charges for illegal distribution of cocaine that led to a serious overdose for a woman last March and possession of methamphetamine in June, records show. George’s office instead filed four misdemeanor charges for knowingly and unlawfully possessing clonazepam, methamphetamines, methylphenidate and
alprazolam, all on June 29. Each charge, upon conviction, carries up to one year in prison and up to a $2,000 fine. Erdmann, whose father was a prominent Burlington lawyer, is listed as the president of BluePrints etc. on Farrell Street in South Burlington. George’s office also thought Erdmann could be released back into the community without any conditions or restrictions on his See ERDMANN on page 16