Development Potential

*Note that this page is based on my interpretation of local zoning ordinances and a few discussions with the building inspector and a zoning officer. There are no current zoning applications to change the property. All prospective buyers are encouraged to review the zoning ordinance and speak with local officials as needed to understand zoning and building requirements.*

33 Rose Street is a single-family house on a 9,471 square foot lot (0.2174 acres). It is in the city's Residential Medium Density zoning district, which means the site can accommodate up to 20 dwelling units per acre (first table). With its lot size, that means this site could hold up to four units, if you can meet the lot coverage (second table) and parking (third table) requirements.

Duplex or Accessory Unit: The owner could easily convert the existing structure into a 3BR house and attached studio, since the large family room at the rear of the house (~430 square feet) was built as an addition with its own crawl space and heating zone, and could be easily separated from the main house. It already has a bathroom with a washer/dryer. The back studio could be an "accessory dwelling unit" or the house could be converted into a duplex (each configuration has different parking implications.)

Triplex or four-unit: To go further and maximize the site's potential of four units, the garage could be removed and you could build an attached unit (or two) connected to the existing structure. Fortunately, the house is also in the "Shared Parking" district, which means that for multifamily structures (3+ units), only 1 parking space is needed per unit. The catch is that you have to attach any new units to the existing house to have it count as multifamily (a duplex + a single-family, for example, don't count as multifamily).

At one point I worked out a site plan and a few scenarios where it appears possible to get 3-4 units on the site plus required parking within the lot coverage requirements. With an actual designer/architect and local zoning expert, I'd bet you could come up with a pretty good plan!

You can consult the zoning ordinance here: https://www.burlingtonvt.gov/PZ/CDO