VISUAL PREFERENCE SURVEY RESULTS

VISUAL PREFERENCE SURVEY RESULTS December 31, 2014

Foreword The Cecil Group conducted this Visual Preference Survey during Phase I of the Burlington Comprehensive Master Plan process. The 18 categories for analysis were selected with input from the Burlington Planning Department. The categories are intended to span many of the conditions that may be in play during the master plan process, including streets and open space, amenities, and building form for a variety of types, such as residential, commercial, and retail. The Visual Preference Survey was available online from September 4, 2014 through the end of December. 131 unique responses were collected. Invitations to participate were announced through the Planning Department s mailing list, on Facebook and Twitter, and during public workshops. The average time to complete was 14 minutes on a mix of desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Introductory Text The following information was presented to participants at the beginning of the survey. What is a Visual Preference Survey? It is a way to collect public input on design alternatives. The survey consists of sets of photographs depicting potential urban environments from which participants choose their preferred option. What is the purpose? Your participation will influence the content of Comprehensive Plan and the future look of Burlington. Based on the most preferred development type, decisions will be made about the Town of Burlington s future environment. Specifically, the results will be used in shaping the Comprehensive Master Plan. How do I take the survey? Select your preferred alternative in each of the 18 categories from the provided options. There is also an option to provide written comments along the way. ii Town of Burlington

Contents Results... 1 Open Space... 2 Neighborhood Retail... 3 Large Scale Retail... 4 Neighborhood Office... 5 Large Scale Office Park... 6 Mixed Use... 7 Townhouses... 8 Cluster Development... 9 Multifamily Housing... 10 Parking Garage Treatment... 11 Parking Lot Treatment... 12 Gateway Marker... 13 Streetscape... 14 Crosswalks... 15 Sidewalk Type... 16 Screening Fence... 17 Lighting... 18 Pedestrian Wayfinding... 19 Overall... 20 burlington comprehensive Master Plan iii

Results In the survey, participants were asked to chose their preferred option out of four possibilities in the following categories. The participants also had the option to include a comment if they so chose. The highest-ranking selection for each category is as follows: Open Space: Organic path through heavily-vegetated landscaped garden Neighborhood Retail: High density, mixed-use style with green space Large Scale Retail: Big box stripmall with village-style treatment Neighborhood Office: 1.5-story commercial building with wide front yard Large Scale Office Park: Sustainable building with green roof Mixed Use: Contemporary mixed-use with human-scale streetscape Townhouses: Brick rowhouses with small front yards Cluster Development: 1.5-story cluster focused around community yard Multifamily Housing: 3-story lining the street edge with porches Parking Garage Treatment: Painted with bollards Parking Lot Treatment: Landscaped median islands Gateway Marker: Streetscape: 2-lane street with on-street parking and brick sidewalks Crosswalks: Brick plaza Sidewalk Type: Brick Screening Fence: Small-scale arch with green Lighting: Pedestrian-scale lamp with banners Pedestrian Wayfinding: Classic kiosk information sign with two posts Some general trends can be identified within the results. The participants have a strong affinity for high-quality materials, such as brick, and for as much greenery and vegetation as possible. For the form of the built environment, the participants showed a preference for walkable places with green spaces. The results show a mix of both traditional building structures, such as the village-style retail, with more contemporary styles in mixed use development. Overall, the participants appear to want to preserve the New England qualities of Burlington s older districts while moving forwards towards a greener, more walkable, sustainable, and, in some cases, contemporary future. burlington comprehensive Master Plan 1

Open Space Brick pedestrian plaza 35% Pocket park with green features and functional furniture 2% Wide green buffer 10% 1. Trees and more trees 2. Please keep the green, we need trees and grass for clean air for my babies. 3. I like a place to sit 4. I feel its important to have spaces for people, plants and animals. I would like to keep the rural nature of Burlington alive. 5. They all are well-designed, but the curved pathway with large plantings is my idea of open space (perhaps with a few benches). 6. A calm place to walk. 7. Good use of shade trees, nice walkways, without looking too Disneyland nice. 8. Visitors should have a chance to relax and enjoy the peace and calm of the countryside. 9. Water features are always nice Organic path through heavily-vegetated landscaped garden 53% 10. Brick for shopping / pedestrian zones adjacent to the common. Grass and trails to get in/out of the central area. 11. I love the brick and the courtyard feel. 12. Build as much natural space into developments as possible 13. Different built areas could have different looks, but we also need woods and meadows. 2 Town of Burlington

Neighborhood Retail Colonial-style 18% Brick mill village style 16% Contemporary garden city style 1% 1. Limit commercial intrusion in single family residential neighborhoods 2. Think small-town downtown! 3. Lets keep areas classy and elegant--think Lexington center! Will draw the a nicer, more mellow type of crowd. Important to allow people to walk places. 4. Needs to be an easy walk between stores. Park once, not too much walking. 5. Beats a strip mall every day. 6. A bench to sit on while waiting for someone who might be shopping 7. Good use of wide sidewalks, shade trees, peopleoriented scale of buildings with storefronts that are charming, not too old-fashioned nor bleak-looking modern or chain-store-everywhere-the same. 8. Return to a folksy way of buying and selling. High density, mixed-use style with green space 65% 9. Nice balance, convenient access with direct parking; some plantings; a place to sit and clean lines. 10. I like the green space for some smaller store groups. 11. This looks like a mix of buildings and different kinds of retail. I see people walking, benches and greenery which invite you to walk and sit. Also seems to be a mix of mom and pop and big retail - I m guessing Mercer is local but I think I see Crate and Barrel in the background 12. Old town main street look is very inviting for walking and talking between shops & offices. 13. I like the combination of buildings and the grassy area. So much of Burlington s retail is on main roads so there is no hangout space. 14. Mom and pop shops are the way to go burlington comprehensive Master Plan 3

Large Scale Retail Typical big box stores 5% Urbanized big box mall with pedestrian area 31% Lifestyle center with mix of facades 12% 1. No Big Box anywhere. Big-block stores and malls are a 50 s relic 2. Lets keep plants, walking and nice trees with an elegant atmosphere, like 3rd ave 3. I hope we do not entertain box retail in Burlington. 4. Need to park only once. Near the door. 5. For New England, malls interior walkways are needed, but I like the way the California style looks. 6. If it has to be large-scale, it should have visual character 7. Realistic, organic looking, not a cookie-cutter development with fake charm ( as in D ). Nice use of sidewalks, shade trees, mix of building styles, without giving a big-box sprawl-mall or a city-scape feel. 8. Nice to see many architectural design aspects 9. I generally prefer indoor malls with parking garages. Parking at our mall is often problematic. Big box stripmall with village-style treatment 52% 10. Patio seating integrated with some green is a great use of space and offers options other than sit in restaurants. 11. Burlington needs a hardware store. Not more clothing stores, furniture stores and certainly not supermakets or car dealerships 12. I like the benches and the open space with the small intimate stores. 13. Less asphalt; more non-heat-producing materials 14. Not that important what it looks like, if it includes pervious land (lets the rain and other water soak through to the ground underneath) and vegetation. 4 Town of Burlington

Neighborhood Office Two-story colonial-style commercial building 10% 2.5-story wood and brick commercial building 25% Two-story building framing the street 30% 1. Elegant but warm. 2. Offices can be grouped together. 3. Green Space, trees and the brick wall adds a nice touch. 4. I would not appreciate any more wooden buildings in town. 5. Charming, pedestrian, friendly storefronts. 6. Multi-unit rentals so that occupants share the cost of utilities. 7. Nostalgic look is most appealing for this area. 8. Burlington needs to get rid of some of the houses, turn into commercial businesses especially on 3A. 9. Height rather than extra width. 10. Please don t put buildings (business or residential) right on the sidewalk. Have a well planted setback. 11. A variety is fine. 1.5-story commercial building with wide front yard 35% burlington comprehensive Master Plan 5

Large Scale Office Park Conventional glass and steel 27% Glass building set in stormwater infiltration landscape 22% Traditional materials 24% 1. All look good provided parking is adequate and traffic access is not gridlock. 2. Lets keep it classy Burlington! Traditional always goes well for the long run. Think how the high school looks awful now but maybe was modern when it was built. New England is a traditional part of the country. 3. We need a Biotech Zone in the town to attract this important industry 4. Conventional buildings grouped in an area. 5. Sustainable is the future, and is cost-effective for reducing energy costs. 6. Green surroundings cuts the look of steel and concrete. 7. At least some incorporation of green roofs in town. 8. [Traditional materials] keeps hometown feeling on large scale projects. 9. Go green! Sustainable building with green roof 28% 10. Truly green offices need to consider their roof footprint to reduce reflective energy of traditional black tarred roof. Green surroundings are equally important but the more congested the bldgs, the more important the need to ensure all new construction has a low energy footprint inside and out. Also, the design needs to be appropriate for this area. 11. Burlington Mall Road or the Avenue area works well. 12. Absolutely - green roofs, solar panels 13. All new (and renovated) buildings should be energy efficient, environmentally friendly, use solar power, have green roofs, pedestrian access to and from the site, bike racks, etc. whenever possible. 14. Keep some grassy area 6 Town of Burlington

Mixed Use Contemporary mixed-use with human-scale streetscape 40% Contemporary brick mixed-use 3% New England village-style with different facades 33% 1. Like the stores on street level. Don t really need to use the offices too much. 2. I thought this was what we approved instead of the fortress apartments on Cambridge Street 3. [Mixed-use should be] charming, friendly, and inviting. Parking and pedestrian needs addressed well, with shade trees, cheerful, colorful awnings. 4. I like nearby parking. 5. Less concrete; more natural materials 6. More setbacks - don t have them towering over the sidewalk 7. I like the charming feeling 8. Not so important what it looks like. It s more important that all new and re-development should be energy efficient, environmentally friendly, use solar power, have green roofs, pedestrian access to and from the site, bike racks, etc. whenever possible. 9. Use old town theme Colonial-style buildings with dormers 24% burlington comprehensive Master Plan 7

Townhouses 2.5-story colonial-style with front yards 43% 2.5-story colonial-style within a planned development 6% Contemporary infill with a green courtyard 5% 1. While the Back Bay look is superior, it would feel lost in within the suburban space of Burlington. 2. I want pleasant suburban architectural features 3. [Townhouses] seem to take less green space. 4. Charming, walkable, friendly. Mature shade trees, small garden/yards, and wide sidewalks add to pleasant set-back from street. 5. Reminds me of Boston 6. A little more of the classical Georgetown style row houses in the heart of town would spruce up the center and create a more central, walking town. 7. Winchester has some nice townhouses on Rt 3 8. Depends on the neighborhood. Brick rowhouses with small front yards 45% 8 Town of Burlington

Cluster Development 1.5-story cluster focused around community yard 81% 2.5-story contemporary shape with traditional materials 1% 2.5-story cluster focused around parking and circulation 12% 2-story sustainable buildings with contemporary materials 7% 1. Traditional New England, with greenspace. 2. Close to being a village. 3. Love the garden area. 4. The modern, spare look does not look appealing. 5. Lots of green space, gardens, and walkable paths and sidewalks is a huge plus. burlington comprehensive Master Plan 9

Multifamily Housing 4-story with balconies and green space 12% 5-story brick building set on street 6% 3-story lining the street edge with porches 46% 1. Good to have a porch. 2. It s an apartment building but makes better use of green space, is more set back from the street, not right up against it, has a yard or garden area, and does not look cookie cutter or too cutesy (the problem with the fake village look). 3. C would be great, if there were front yards, more set back from the street, more shade trees. 4. B looks very unfriendly to community building/meeting your neighbors, and too industrial looking. 5. Variety allows different size living spaces, I hope. 6. Keep hometown feel. 7. Less concrete; it s not visually nor environmentally pleasing 3-story with landscaping and parking lot 36% 10 Town of Burlington

Parking Garage Treatment Brick 25% Stamped brick pattern 14% Painted with bulb-out 18% 1. Can they be made to look more like an office building, or underground where we do not have to look at them? 2. Let a garage look like a garage. 3. Go for Green 4. A has the best use of green space, shade trees, walk ways. It s a garage--what can you do? 5. Headlights should not shine out to the neighborhoods. 6. The less garage-like the better. 7. I went with the solar arrays to again reduce the energy footprint and cost. 8. I have seen some garage s with green or other uses on top. 9. Solar panels on all parking structures should be encouraged (required?). Any additional green (vegetation) is good, too. Painted with bollards 42% burlington comprehensive Master Plan 11

Parking Lot Treatment Solar panel shades 16% Trees on end islands 34% On-street parking 9% 1. Yes trees 2. Love the brick walking path 3. Really like the trees. 4. [On-street] seems to be lined to accommodate opening the door instead of jamming in as many vehicles as possible. 5. Solar - that would be something! 6. With a lot more shade trees, this is the friendliest option. The solar panels are interesting, but there s too much hardscape/impermeable asphalt. The islands are a good compromise, with shade trees and places to help collect rain water and define areas nicely. But the on-street parking will be better for pedestrians and shoppers. 7. A mix of trees and solar would be nice. The San Diego Zoo parking lot has a nice mix of trees and solar panels 8. I would like to see on-street parking and trees. Landscaped median islands 41% 9. I do not like granite cubs that stick out from the center as they cause tire damage and complicate snow removal. 10. Either solar or trees 11. This was a tough one--i like the solar panel roofs but actually prefer a mix of curbside with wide walkways and trees (to offset carbon footprint). 12. Put solar panels on top of every office building and new residence. Put trees for shade in parking lots. 13. Islands with solar would be great! 14. Solar and trees. 15. Keep solar on roof of buildings, 16. This depends on the neighborhood, but solar panels and/or trees should be included whenever possible. 12 Town of Burlington

Gateway Marker Arch over roadway 15% Small-scale arch with green 40% Brick pillar with ornamentation 9% Brick wall with name 36% 1. A competition between architects would be a good idea. 2. C and D are too stiff. A is ok but something like B on the corner of the common with a grape vine trellis would be a nice hometown touch. burlington comprehensive Master Plan 13

Streetscape 2-lane road with on-street cycle lanes and green buffers 39% Shared-street model 8% 2-lane street with buffered on-street parking, cycle lanes 6% 1. I see very few cars. That is my kind of Burlington street! 2. Love anything brick--elegant and not cheap. 3. A: Looks like a nice community B: Ok for an urban area. C: San Francisco? D: Not bad. 4. Like the side area with room to get in and out of buildings but away from direct contact with cars. 5. Bricks for the downtown area, assuming Burlington ever gets one. Also, this is better than the existing sidewalks, especially those with utility poles planted in the middle of them so that Burlington violates handicapped access codes. 6. C has wide open space, friendly to both cars and pedestrians, good use of shade trees, welcoming and calming. Side areas for bike lanes and/or parking are a good addition. Houses and buildings set back from the street help with traffic noise. 2-lane street with on-street parking and brick sidewalks 46% 7. Must have separated bike route protected with mini- Jersey Barriers like Paris. Helps prevent dooring. 8. D has easy parking, looks like you might want to walk around there. I d want to shop there. 9. Need to accommodate cars, pedestrians and bikers in a well delineated manner along with tree-lined drives. 10. We need sidewalks and bike trails. 11. Need to make sure that there is a defined bicycle lane. 12. This depends on the area use. Residential or commercial. 13. We should add bike lanes whenever possible. 14 Town of Burlington

Crosswalks Brick plaza 31% Stamped brick pattern 27% Painted zebra stripes with bulb-out 15% Painted zebra stripes with bollards 27% 1. Keep them simple and easy to maintain 2. Whatever is proven safest. 3. Lively and different. Not a typical mall look or suburban sprawl look. 4. Should be like Lahey Hospital crossings with yellow rubber speed bumps - needed at all Burlington commercial locations 5. Depends on the location 6. Looks like this forces cars to slow down for pedestrians so that s why I like it. 7. Safety first. 8. Brick is too high maintenance. 9. The painted one but with real brick! burlington comprehensive Master Plan 15

Sidewalk Type Cobblestones 18% Brick 33% Grass buffer 22% 1. Keep them simple and easy to maintain. 2. Love the look of the cobblestones and the brick but they are less friendly for walking. 3. If only the side streets had these nice side walks 4. Great use of greenery and shade trees with wide sidewalks set back from traffic spray and noise allows for more variety of plantings/gardens. 5. Sidewalk lighting should be indirect and close to the ground like the Hi-Line in NYC. Many low-level LED, low energy lamps rather than a few glare bombs every 50 feet. 6. The side walks in Burlington are awful. blocked with mailboxes, telephone poles, bushes, in addition to being not level, and the snow cannot be removed without leaving sections where one has to step into the street to get by. Very unsafe conditions. Call them sidewalks but they are not efficient or safe. Bioswales 26% 7. Location dependent 8. Sidewalks both sides of streets. 16 Town of Burlington

Screening Fence Picket fence 23% Brick 14% Iron 36% 1. When there is space, shrubs screen best. 2. Depends on the site or neighborhood. Green berm 27% burlington comprehensive Master Plan 17

Lighting 4-head pedestrian-scale ornamental 8% Double-sided with street and pedestrian lamps 16% Double-sided curved street lamps 14% 1. As long as Dark Sky Compliant 2. LED! 3. Pedestrian scale 4. Light be directed downward to eliminated light pollution would be my preference. 5. Need fully shielded with a low glare rating. c or d something classic and traditional. led lights important 6. Already started in the Shaw s interchange and we like the nostalgic look. 7. Make them solar powered or not very many of them and down lighting only. 8. Use lights that shine downward only - no skyward lighting. 9. Spend the money on energy efficient lighting. Pedestrian-scale lamp with banners 62% 18 Town of Burlington

Pedestrian Wayfinding Classic sign 68% Artistic sign 2% Pedestrian walking direction arrows 22% Information sign 9% 1. Pedestrians will have a GPS app in a smartphone. 2. Small town feel wins out again. burlington comprehensive Master Plan 19

Overall Thank you for taking the time to compile this survey. Using the pictures is excellent. It was nice that you took the time to present this to everyone and give choices - thank you. Excellent job. I like a mix of retail spaces, things that bring you out of the car and invite you to walk around a bit to do errands. so you need places to stop for coffee or ice cream, maybe bookstores, things that invite strolling and browsing. Easy parking, room to walk, things to look at, not too cookie cutter. Small restaurants, specialty stores. Outdoor tables and benches. Dog friendly, everyone will be out and about. Not too many banks and insurance companies, they don t invite browsing and walking around. Nice survey I feel adding Sugar Maple trees to the town landscape will only add to the New England charm of the area. Good job! Please stop building on non-developed land. The town can t take anymore traffic. Thank you. I d like it to look green and likes you stepped back in time to a more green and simple time in the US Recent and continuing construction of condos/apartments towering over the sidewalks with no set back looks terrible on Cambridge street. 20 Town of Burlington