South Burlington Zoning Intelligence
Zoning, permitted uses, and development potential for South Burlington, Vermont. 19 districts with their permitted uses and building controls.
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Zoning districts are shown at zoom 15 and closer. Zoom out for the South Burlington city outline and street context.
How is South Burlington zoned?
South Burlington regulates land through 19 zoning districts, and the naming convention uses scale as its organising word.
Low Scale Neighborhood is the largest district at roughly 3,327 acres and Medium Scale Neighborhood covers about 490, with Higher Scale Mixed Use at roughly 416. The industrial and institutional districts follow the same convention: Mixed Industrial Higher Scale Commercial at roughly 1,078 acres, Industrial Higher Scale Open Space at about 443, and Institutional Higher Scale Agricultural in north and south versions covering roughly 509 together.
Using scale rather than density or intensity is a deliberate vocabulary choice, and pairing it with a second use in the industrial and institutional districts produces some unusually specific combinations.
Three Form Based Code transect zones appear at 3, 4 and 5, covering roughly 328 acres together, so the city runs a form-based framework alongside the scale-based one.
A Natural Resource Protection district covers roughly 1,751 acres, the second largest classification.
The Commercial 1 districts are subdivided by intended use: Limited Retail at roughly 50 acres, Automobile at about 40 and Airport at roughly 15.
An Airport district covers roughly 796 acres and a Queen City Park district about 47. This is pre-development intelligence, not legal advice - verify with the local planning department before acquisition.
South Burlington, Vermont Zoning Districts: What Do They Mean?
Zoning districts are areas regulated by specific laws that determine land use, building types, and development rules. Each district below shows its zone type. South Burlington's ordinance does not state permitted uses as citywide flags, so they are read from each district's own table rather than summarised here.
| Zone Code | Zone Type | Area |
|---|---|---|
LSN Low Scale Neighborhood | - | 3,326.5 ac |
NRP Natural Resource Protection | - | 1,750.5 ac |
IC Mixed Industrial Higher Scale Commercial | - | 1,078 ac |
AIR Airport | - | 795.9 ac |
What are the building controls in South Burlington?
Setback, height, FAR, lot area, and density controls enforced across South Burlington zoning districts.
- Building height
- Coverage
- Density
- FAR
- Front setback
- Lot
- Lot width
- Multi
- Pervious
- Rear setback
- Side setback
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South Burlington zoning: frequently asked questions
- What is the scale vocabulary in South Burlington?
- Districts are named by scale rather than density: Low Scale Neighborhood at roughly 3,327 acres, Medium Scale Neighborhood at about 490, and Higher Scale Mixed Use at roughly 416, with the same word running through the industrial and institutional districts.
- What are the paired industrial and institutional districts?
- Combinations such as Mixed Industrial Higher Scale Commercial at roughly 1,078 acres, Industrial Higher Scale Open Space at about 443, and Institutional Higher Scale Agricultural in north and south versions.
- Does the city use a form-based code?
- Yes, three transect zones at 3, 4 and 5 covering roughly 328 acres together, running alongside the scale-based framework rather than replacing it.
- How are the Commercial 1 districts subdivided?
- By intended use: Limited Retail at roughly 50 acres, Automobile at about 40 and Airport at roughly 15, each a separate district.
- How much protected land is there?
- A Natural Resource Protection district covers roughly 1,751 acres, the second largest classification, with a Park Higher Scale Recreation district adding about 582.
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Book a demo →Zoning data is pre-development intelligence, not legal advice. Verify with the South Burlington planning department before acquisition or design.