State of things
Japan Fest
More education plan details come out; health commissioner retires.
South Burlington High students bring cultural exchange to community.
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South Burlington’s Community Newspaper Since 1977
the FEBRUARY 13, 2025
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VOLUME 49, NO. 7
City council nixes Long View project
Who’s counting?
LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER
COURTESY PHOTO
Feb. 5 was the 100th day of s chool for the kindergartners at Chamberlain Elementary School. The kids did crafts and paraded through classrooms showing off that they are now 100 days smarter.
The Long View Project, a unique conservation and housing initiative more than two years in the making in South Burlington, will not be moving forward. A motion to approve a revised resolution for the project failed 2-2 last week, with one councilor, Andrew Chalnick, recusing himself from discussions since he owns land that directly abuts the Spear Street property. Efforts to conserve roughly 32 acres on Spear Street have been in the works with the South Burlington Land Trust and property owners Northeast Agricultural Trust, a limited liability company owned by Tom Bellavance, since 2023. Bellavance’s wife, Janet,
is on the South Burlington Land Trust’s board of directors. The project would have also set aside 2.5 acres for 16 affordable homes in partnership with Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity. The city council officially signaled its intent last September to move the work forward with a hefty $460,000 commitment in open space funds to support the project. The sticking point came in December, when the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board awarded a $175,000 grant to complete the property acquisition. A new condition in the grant agreement proved contentious and ultimately hindered the project. It See LONG VIEW on page 10
South Burlington City Council candidates talk priorities LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER
With Town Meeting Day approaching and two seats up for grabs on the South Burlington city council, residents are seeing some familiar faces cast their bids for the spots. Tim Barritt, the current council chair, is running unopposed for the three-year seat he currently holds. Another incumbent, Elizabeth Fitzger-
ald, is vying for the two-year seat she’s held since being elected to finish out the remainder of a term vacated by Tyler Barnes in October 2023. South Burlington resident Lydia Diamond is also throwing her hat in the ring for the two-year seat.
Tim Barritt Barritt has seen the city evolve in more ways than one, having served the city’s residents for nearly a decade, and as chair
of the council since last March. But he has been no bystander on the council during that time. He touted his ability to often act as a swing vote on many occasions and that he’s “always felt confident in my reasoning for how I voted.” That fair balance is exactly what he is hoping to keep. While the city council has had its hands full this last year, Barritt said he is most proud of successfully enacting a rental registry on short-term rentals and the
city’s successful legal battle regarding a parcel of property at 835 Hinesburg Road. Barritt voted to enact the city’s rental registry last year and said he is glad to see it starting to have a positive effect on the fire safety and well-being of renters as inspections find deficiencies and city employees work with owners to resolve them.
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