BURLINGTON – Developer Don Sinex was reading the New York Times this week when a lightbulb went off. He was inspired by an article discussing a new commercial building trend. Developers are using timber instead of steel for construction. Within two days he had Burlington’s win-win approval for a towering idea.
The city will sell CityPlace all of the trees on city property, whether on the greenway or city parks including of course those deteriorating trees in City Hall Park. While the cost for Sinex is much less then obtaining the wood from the Canadian market (“those darn tariffs” he was quoted as saying), the money will provide a great windfall to the city coffers. In fact, Mayor Weinberger indicated it will likely mean that taxes will be reduced next year.
In a hastily called meeting the City Council unanimously approved the deal on the strength of the city arborist’s approval. “After all” he said. “The trees will die eventually anyway. We might as well put them to good use. I say this even though it may put me out of a job once the trees are all removed. But I am ready to begin replanting!”
Tree removal will begin immediately. The process will work around the city’s dozen tree lovers who have promised to chain themselves to select trees.
Sinex’s 35 story downtown mall will look much more distinguished using indigenous Vermont wood. Without the need to maintain trees the city will see additional substantial savings.
Sinex will contribute to the Downtown Beautification project by planting chia pets in the form of famous Vermonters in place of the trees downtown. In other areas of the city micro gardens will be planted once the tree stumps are removed thus leaving Burlington to be one of the first places in the world with sustainable food available for all of its vegan citizens.
The trees will be milled in Vermont, providing thousands of new jobs. Rumors are flying that if the Air Force changes its mind about basing the F-35s in Vermont, the milling plant will be located at the Air National Guard base at the airport. This may create some controversy since the decibels in lumber cutting is actually higher than, and more continuous than, the take-off decibels of the new jet fighters, though Mayor Weinberger says he is not, nor has he ever been, concerned about decibel levels.
With this new chapter of the 20 year saga of CityPlace behind him, Sinex promised construction soon, though he noted that this will delay the construction at least until the Fall to make sure ash borers are not present in the wood.
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