Burlington council tours Colchester Avenue properties ahead of condemnation hearings

Town Board · Meeting of May 21, 2026

Burlington's City Council toured three Colchester Avenue properties slated for easement takings under a planned intersection redesign tied to the Winooski Bridge project. Consultant project manager Steve Spear of V-Trans walked council members through plans for a retaining wall reaching up to five feet in height across the three properties, rebuilt front staircases, buried aerial utilities relocated to rear driveways, and a Colchester Avenue cross-section widened to include two northbound lanes, buffered bike lanes, and five-foot sidewalks. Permanent easements extend roughly 10 feet from the face of the wall onto private property; temporary construction easements reach to each building's foundation.

A city staff member identified as Laura flagged that one property, at 448-450 Colchester Avenue, has an unpermitted driveway extension and a property line running through the middle of a shared driveway. Spear told the council that as of May 20, the bridge project carries no further right-of-way implications, leaving only the intersection project for the formal necessity and compensation hearings held the same evening.

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Source: the Town Board meeting of May 21, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.