Zoning Overlays & Bonuses in Burlington, VT (2026)
3 verified zoning overlays & bonuses rules for Burlington, Vermont, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Specific Plans Overview
Burlington's Comprehensive Development Ordinance (CDO), adopted 2008, replaced traditional Euclidean zoning with a hybrid form-based code that regulates building shape, frontage, and use across Downtown, Neighborhood, Institutional, and Enterprise districts.
Comprehensive Development Ordinance Form-Based Zoning
Some RestrictionsDensity Bonus Law
Burlington's Inclusionary Housing Ordinance (CDO Article 9, adopted 1990 — the first US municipal program of its kind) requires residential projects of five or more units to set aside 15-25% as affordable, with density and parking bonuses available.
Burlington Inclusionary Housing Density Bonus
Heavy RestrictionsTransit-Oriented Communities (TOC)
Burlington's CDO encourages higher-density, mixed-use development along GMT bus corridors and within the Downtown Mixed-Use district through reduced parking minimums, allowable heights up to 105 feet, and ground-floor commercial requirements.
Downtown Mixed-Use and Transit Corridor Density
Some RestrictionsLooking for Chittenden County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Burlington city rules.
Zoning Overlays & Bonuses in Chittenden County →