Some Burlingtonians concerned about potential Pine Street development

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - All this week, a handful of people have been protesting the development of the Superfund site on Pine Street in Burlington.

They say their protest was prompted by a “for sale” sign placed on a privately owned piece of the property. However, the city does own a large portion itself.

The protesters say they’re worried building on the polluted land could potentially harm the environment.

Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger responded to those concerns.

“Certainly anything that emerges, any kind of new effort, they will go through a great degree of review and rigor to make sure it’s consistent with the environmental controls that are in place,” said Weinberger, D-Burlington.

”The barge canal is already providing incredibly valuable services to the city like managing stormwater, like sequestering carbon, like filtering the toxins coming out and transforming them,” said Andy Simon with the Pine Street Conservation.

There is no timeline for any projects on that property.

Weinberger says there’s potential for things ranging from affordable housing to recreational space.

Copyright 2022 WCAX. All rights reserved.