The vision for Garden Street

To create a new street for South Burlington that supports a downtown level of traffic with a walking, biking, and transit friendly lifestyle.  Garden Street is referred to as “Street A” in the 2012 TIF District Plan, and has been in design since 2014.  It represents roadway network improvements required by the federal environmental assessment for Market Street to accommodate future development that is now underway.

Where is the Garden Street Project?

Garden Street is a partially built street in City Center and creates an alternative connection between Dorset Street and Williston Road crossing Market Street. This project includes intersection improvements at Williston and White Street and Williston and Hinesburg Road.  The central portion of the project, (identified below with the letter B) is under construction by the private sector, with the section north of Market Street completed.  

Phase II - Williston Road Intersections
(Segment D)

Phase II includes the White Street/Midas Drive to Hinesburg Road/Patchen Road portion of Williston Road - shown in the locater map as Segment D.  The plans are at the 60% level and includes plans to realign the White St/Midas Dr intersection, address pedestrian and bicycle improvements at Hinesburg Road/Patchen Road and rebuild Williston Road in between to improve bicycle and pedestrian circulation.

The Garden Street project is 100% eligible for TIF District financing. The estimate for Phase II is $8.27 million dollars.

This portion of the project is at 60% design and slated for construction in 2024.

Phase I - The Garden Street Connection - funding approved

(Segment A & Segment C)

Segment A is the block between Trader Joes and Healthy Living.  This block lacks a location for pedestrians on the south side or any bicycle facilities, lighting, or a connection to water and other utilities.   This project adds a streetscape with these amenities to just beyond the bridge in order to knit this area into the growing downtown and connect the roadway, bicycle and pedestrian networks that are on Dorset Street and are planned by the private sector on the unopened portion of Garden Street.

Segment C is north of the Section B that has already been built by the private sector.  It will continue the road on land already owned by the City and connect it to Midas Drive.  Midas Drive will also receive improvements to continue the amenities for pedestrians and bicycles and connect the Garden Street facilities to those planned on Williston Road

On March 2, 2021 voters approved using TIF financing to fund Garden Street - Phase I as well as related costs. 

How was the project developed?

The design for this project has taken multiple years. It started with a public outreach workshop and walkabout to receive your thoughts and ideas. The Planning Commission has considered and approved a purpose and need statement. Residents, businesses, property owners and others input was invited to consider alternatives.

A recommended alignment and typicals were presented to the City Council and a the Garden Street Prefered Alignment and Typicals were approved.  

Williston Road intersection short and long term improvements and typical for Midas Street were presented to the City Council and these preferred alternative recommendations were approved. Once the concept for this project had been approved by the City Council, the project team began to develop the engineering for the plans. 

Most recently, the City Council approved Notice of Survey for the Williston Road intersection portion - this initiates the process to evaluate what right-of-way might specifically be needed to build the planned improvements.

Project materials to date:

Project Definition Report - The report details existing conditions and community input; provides analyses of the alternatives and presents recommended actions.  The City's lead consultant presented the final Project Definition Report to the City Council on February 17, 2016.  The City Council adopted the typical section and alignment recommendations in a resolution on April 6, 2015 and the Williston Road intersection and Midas Street Drive resolution on February 17, 2016.

Project Alternatives Phase 2 - Stakeholder outreach was conducted with adjacent landowners regarding potential alternatives for the Williston Road intersections and Midas Drive.  Refined Project Alternatives were presented for the Williston Road intersections at White and Midas Drive and Patchen and Hinesburg Road.  These were presented to the public in a meeting in November 2015 and online as well as in stakeholder meetings, and tested against the purpose and need statement in 2015.  A recommendation was presented to the City Council in and adopted by resolution on February 17, 2016.

Project Alternatives Phase 1 - Project Alternatives were presented for the section of roadway between the bridge at Pier 1 and Midas Drive including the typical section and width.  These were presented to the public in a meeting and online as well as in stakeholder meetings, and tested against the purpose and need statement in 2014/2015.

Planning Commission Adopted Purpose and Need Statement 10/14/2014 - Planning Commission adopted the Purpose & Need statement - The purpose and need statement is the guiding document representing the community interest and needs. Project alternative concepts and design advances are tested against this document.

Garden Street Kick-Off Workshop 9/10/2014 - The consultant team met with the community to share the project status, learn about your ideas, vision and thoughts. It included a pre-workshop walkabout at Midas Drive and the Williston Road intersections.  See the Project Map.

• Group Workshop Notes - Each table of workshop participants discussed and made comments on the future of Garden Street. The notes are a record of this brainstorming. Read Notes.
• Best Ideas Generated - At the end of the workshop, after each group reported their comments, each person was asked what the best idea that they had heard was. This is a record of the best ideas participants heard.  Read Best Ideas.

Project Consultant Team

The City contracted with Stantec Consulting, an engineering firm, to lead the project in 2014.  The team includes Greenman-Pedersen, Inc (formerly ORW), a landscape design and planning firm, and Chester Engineering (formerly BioEngineering Group).  This consultant team will carry the project through project definition, engineering/project design, and permitting.  

More Info or Have Comments?

We want to hear from you!  Please contact Ilona Blanchard, Community Development Director at 802-846-4107.