The city council in Burlington, Vermont has approved a construction contract to renovate City Hall Park. This week’s decision came despite a number of residents calling for city leaders to halt the project.
A task force was first formed in 2011 to review the infrastructure needs of the park adjacent to Burlington City Hall and begin making long-term improvement plans. Design and construction for renovation was then included in the city’s 10-year Capital Plan. The Burlington City Council considered a resolution at this week’s meeting to accept a contract with S.D. Ireland with a contingency for a maximum of $5.2 million.
During the public comment session prior to the council’s consideration, several citizens questioned fluctuating cost estimates and the process that has led to execution of the contracts. Barbara Alsop lives across the street from the park. “When I read the news that the cost had gone up I had a question. Where’s the money coming from and how much of city services that are necessary will not be done because we’re building City Hall Park? I walk over city sidewalks that are literally unwalkable in the winter. I think there are more things that need to be done to make this city liveable than to put the money into the park.”
City Council President Kurt Wright: “Wayne Senville is up next.”
Senville: “Good evening. At this afternoon’s Finance Board meeting a half a million dollars in last minute changes to the City Hall Park plan were announced. This was the first opportunity any member of the public, and probably any city councilor, had to review or learn about a whole series of changes to the park design. Just 15 minutes for that. These many changes to the City Hall Park design call into question the validity of the current development approval and I believe will require the Development Review Board permit to be modified before any work can proceed.”
Wright: “Wiley Reading is up next.”
Reading: “The public clearly is very conflicted about his park and yet it didn’t go on the ballot. We didn’t get a chance to vote on it. And I don’t like the idea that we’re ignoring a large contingent of the population. So I urge you to consider the fact that there’s a lot of anger and frustration and just not wanting this plan amongst the people of Burlington.”
As the debate between councilors began, Central District Progressive Jane Knodell emphasized that their vote would approve a construction contract and not the park’s design. “The design of the City Hall Park renovation has gone through many many meetings at different levels of our community. After the ad-hoc committee did its work and after the Development Review Board granted a permit we then listened to the community and then in June this council said yes to a revised design. And based on that action the city went out and put this project to bid.”
City councilors approved the construction contract on a 10 to 2 vote.
Audio from the Burlington City Council meeting is courtesy of Channel 17 Town Meeting Television.
