SOUTH BURLINGTON – In a move that threatens to drive a deep wedge between neighboring Vermont cities, South Burlington City Council voted to sue Burlington for an undisclosed amount due to a name. Burlington, spurred on by developers, has re-branded the section of the city from Maple Street to Home Avenue and west of Route 7 as \u201c\u201dSoBu\u201d (pronounced \u201cSo-boo\u201d). South Burlington\u2019s City Council members are not the only ones disturbed by the re-branding.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is blatant payback,\u201d says Pine Street resident Kurt Franklin. \u201cThis is so city hall can get the New Northenders off their back for the traffic pattern fiasco on North Avenue.\u201d Residents of the New North End have been up in arms about lane changes now permanently in place in their neighborhood.<\/p>\n
An anonymous source from the Mayor\u2019s office defends the re-branding of Burlington\u2019s south end. \u201cEveryone knows that part of the city is growing in its \u2018cool factor\u2019,\u201d says the source. \u201cAnd you can\u2019t expect money to pour in to a place known as \u2018Pine Street\u2019.\u201d According to minutes from the July 17 City Council meeting, both the mayor and Burlington council agreed that \u201cwe need something catchy to bring definition to the gentrification that we want to see for the south end.\u201d The minutes state other names were considered, including \u201cSouthy,\u201d \u201cSoPine\u201d and \u201cSoBuds.\u201d In the end, \u201cSoBu\u201d was chosen for its upscale appeal.<\/p>\n