BURKE: History and Background

Like much of Vermont, Burke has been in a process of slow transition over the last fifty years from an economy based on farming and forestry to one that relies more and more on tourism and second home development. The development of ski slopes on Burke Mountain in 1953 was the initial catalyst for change. Unlike resorts in towns like Killington and Stowe, though – where large-scale investment in the 1970s and 1980s turned the slopes into year-round attractions with substantial spin-off development – Burke Mountain remained a relatively low key resort well into the 2000s. As a consequence, the broader community has retained its rural character to a degree not commonly seen in ski towns.  

But the lack of investment in Burke Mountain was not without its downsides. There were several points in the 1990s where it was unclear whether the resort was going to survive financially, and numerous facilities were in need of major upgrades. It was therefore with a significant measure of relief that the community heard the news in 2005 that the Ginn Corporation, a major national developer of high-end resorts, had bought the ski area along with adjacent acreage and was planning on investing a substantial amount of money in new and upgraded facilities. Many town residents were delighted to hear that Burke Mountain would get the investment it needed to thrive and grow, but at the same time, community members wondered what effect that investment would have on the character of the town as a whole.  

The community soon began to come together to discuss how they wanted Burke to grow over the decades to come. The town plan was completely rewritten in 2006, and the updated version outlined a range of strategies ensuring that growth benefited the entire community. A revised version of the town zoning bylaw adopted in 2007 implemented a number of these strategies, including the creation of multiple zoning districts (the town previously had only one district with a one-acre minimum), provisions for residential clusters, expanded provisions for Planned Unit Developments (PUDs), and a scenic overlay district.   

Given the scale of the proposed Ginn development, however, town leaders felt that additional measures were necessary to ensure that growth was compatible with the community’s vision for its future. With partial support from state Municipal Planning Grants, the town has worked on a variety off tasks, including development of a capital budget and plan, drafting of growth management strategies, and preparation and approval of an application for state Village Center Designation. The Town has also been working on how to encourage economic development, protect natural and scenic resources and support compact housing developments. Smart Growth Vermont (a nonprofit organization that helps communities plan for growth in ways that is compatible with Vermont’s traditional land use pattern of compact cities and villages surrounded by working rural landscapes) and the Northeastern Vermont Development Association (a regional organization whose mission is to develop and promote the recreational, agricultural, industrial, natural and human resources of the Northeast Kingdom) have been partnering with the town to provide assistance on these issues.