Town of Burlington

1. Town of Burlington FINDINGS REPORT: OPPORTUNITIES AND BARRIERS TO ECONOMIC GROWTH Larry Koff & Associates Bluestone Planning Group / BPG Mark Bobrowski, Esq.

2. Questions • Why should the town be concerned with economic growth? • Whose responsibility is economic growth? • The private sector? • The Selectmen? • The Planning Board? • How does the Landlocked Parcel fit into the town’s economic growth? • How much and what type of growth is needed?

3. Study Goals • Undertake a comprehensive review of the industrial and business zoning districts. • Identify development opportunities and barriers for growth. • Recommend development sites and strategies to facilitate desirable economic growth.

4. Need for Economic Growth • Commercial uses account for 60% of the town’s tax revenues while comprising only 20% of the town’s land area

5. Need for Economic Growth • FY ’08 saw a reversal of the seven year decline in the commercial share of property taxes • Commercial share of taxes at 57.2% or $39.8 m

6. Need for Economic Growth • Upgrade older industrial/officeparks with inadequate floor space (single or 2 story) and mix of uses to meet current demand

7. Need for Economic Growth • Reduce Burlington’s commercial vacancy rates (20% office, 10% R&D, and 15% industrial) • Finance roadway, water, and sewer infrastructure improvements in order for commercial areas to compete with adjacent towns/cities • Provide funding for improved transit options • Increase quality of life factors: landscaping, shopping, health, housing mix, open space

8. Overview • Background • Planned Growth • Potential Growth • Six Recommendations

9. Background • Current Mix of Commercial Activity • 15 million square feet of non-residential space • Office uses dominate (5.8 million square feet): Over 1/3 of total mix • Retail/Service uses: 20% • R&D facilities: 17% • Hotels and Restaurants: 6%

10. Background • Market Conditions Rental Rates per Square Foot, Burlington and Area

11. Planned Development • 5.4 million square feet on 12 sites

12. Planned Development • 5.4 million square feet • 80% office • 12% retail • 8% hotel, medical and industrial • 5% under construction • Status • 31% permitted • 64% under review, including Northwest Park PDD

13. Potential Development • 15 of 17 sites (480 acres) have been identified and recommended as options for improved industrial/ commercial or mixed use • Range of possible uses includes industrial/R&D, health sciences, offices, mixed use residential/ commercial, institutional, or recreation

14. Potential Development

15. Potential Development *Note: The Landlocked Parcel re-use is constrained by a resource protection easement. The Town must initiate a comprehensive site assessment process to clarify its economic development costs and benefits.

16. Six Recommendations Planning Board • Target Economic Growth Locations • Consider Regulatory Reforms Board of Selectmen • Initiate Infrastructure Planning and Funding Public/Private Partnership (Chamber and Town) • Begin Marketing Initiative • Identify Funding and Incentives for Economic Growth • Reconsider Need for Organizational Changes, Staffing, and funding

17. Recommendations 1. Planning Board: Target Economic Growth Locations

18. Recommendations 2. Planning Board:Consider Regulatory Reforms • Zoning • Revise Sign Bylaw. • Adopt an electronic expedited permitting process, especially within the Priority Development Districts. • Consider the designation of a Growth District. • Undertake changes to the zoning bylaw: FAR, parking, uses, site plan review, and definitions.

19. Recommendations Regulatory Reforms, cont. • Sewer Moratorium • Town to institute advanced engineering studies and system improvement contracts to correct deficiencies of infiltration and inflow so as to facilitate larger scale development. • Town to continue to work with DEP to lift sewer moratorium. • Town to institute discussions with neighboring affected communities to jointly resolve system problems. • Water Resource Protection • Facilitate development in the seven growth locations appropriate to the protection of the Aquifer and Water Resource Districts. • Promote brownfields redevelopment.

20. Recommendations 3. Selectmen: Partner with Business Community for Infrastructure Planning and Funding • Establish a schedule and formula for funding local roadway improvements needed in commercial areas. • Prepare a long term sewer infrastructure plan, project list, and sinking fund to facilitate commercial area expedited permitting • Establish a commercial area infrastructure revolving fund to receive contributions to carry out large projects. • Fast track MHD $14 m funding for Middlesex Turnpike/Mitre Link. • Initiate a Brownfields Remediation Program. • Consider establishment of a BID to carry out Town Center Improvements.

21. Recommendations Infrastructure Planning and Funding, cont. Selectmen with support of the Chamber: • Encourage Chamber’s initiative to establish a Transportation Management Association (TMA). • Establish a Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) to implement a lunchtime shuttle bus and provide alternative commuting options. • Support MHD efforts in organizing a Route 128 Central Corridor Coalition. • Work with corridor communities on an infrastructure improvement plan.

22. Recommendations 4. Public/Private Partnership: Begin Marketing Initiative • The Chamber, with assistance from the Town Planning Staff, should identify a marketing strategy for Burlington’s business clusters. • The Chamber should work with the Town to update the town’s website to showcase Burlington’s unique business presence. • The Chamber should establish a sub-committee to support the MOBD consultant’s efforts to identify a Corridor marketing strategy in conjunction with Bedford, Billerica, Lowell, and Chelmsford.

23. Recommendations 5. Public/Private Partnership: Work to Assess Funding and Incentives for Economic Growth • Chamber to identify funding for the development of a marketing strategy. • Chamber to work with Planning Board and Selectmen on incentives. • Zoning • Transportation Management • Infrastructure Planning • Assess alternative strategies to facilitate economic growth, i.e. BID, TIF, DIF, betterments, sinking funds.

24. Recommendations 6. Public/Private Partnership: Reconsider Need for Organizational Changes, Staffing, and Funding Chamber: • Govt. Affairs Committee to initiate monthly meetings with Town. • Adopt the “Chamber Leads Model” for undertaking fundraising to support marketing and planning initiatives. Town: • Create ad hoc Advisory Committee on economic development/funding. • Jointly fund with the Chamber and State an economic development specialist.

25. What’s Next? • Planning Board • Regulatory Reform • Zoning Bylaw revisions • Site plan and special permit regulations updates • Sign Bylaw revisions • Improved Web Presence • Website upgrading to facilitate permitting and interaction with residents and business community

26. What’s Next? • Town Meeting • Sign Bylaw updates (General and zoning bylaws) • Zoning Bylaw updates

27. What’s Next? • Board of Selectmen • Transportation Initiatives • Encourage Chamber’s initiative to establish a Transportation Management Association (TMA) • Support MHD efforts in organizing a Route 128 Central Corridor Coalition

28. Questions &Answers