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.
The CDO sets district-specific standards for height, setback, lot coverage, frontage type, and permitted uses. Form-based districts in Downtown and along major corridors (College, Pine, North Avenue) emphasize street-wall continuity, ground-floor activation, and pedestrian frontage; outer neighborhoods retain conventional residential standards. The CDO also integrates the Inclusionary Housing rules (Article 9) and historic preservation overlays (Article 5). Major amendments in 2017 created the planBTV-aligned Downtown Mixed-Use district and the Cambrian Rise master plan.
Permit denial; CDO §6 enforcement: stop-work orders, fines $100-$500/day, court action.
See how Burlington's specific plans overview rules stack up against other locations.
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