A Burlington traffic study connected to a plan to lease out the Burton warehouse to a live music venue is raising concerns in South Burlington.

According to online documents, Burlington Permitting and Inspections received Burton’s zoning permit application on Nov. 7. This comes five months after the Burlington City Council approved a zoning change that would allow any performing arts venue to take over the Burton Warehouse. Live music venue Higher Ground is a candidate.

The city of Burlington is now conducting a traffic study to look at potential improvements to the Burton campus. One of those changes would be made on the city line where Burlington and South Burlington meet. People in South Burlington say they felt blindsided by the study. They’re also worried the analysis omitted important information.

Since the zoning change approval, South Burlington residents and city leaders have expressed opposition to the potential relocation of Higher Ground, saying it would negatively impact and disturb people living in Queen City Park, which is across the street from the site.

Laura Waters, who lives in Queen City Park, brought her concerns to the South Burlington City Council at their latest meeting. She claims there are gaps and holes in the city of Burlington’s traffic study.

“One of the things that were left out was the fact that we have a three-way intersection up here at the end of Central Avenue and Queen City Park Road and that was not considered at all in the traffic study. Nor was the intersection of Pine Street and Queen City Park Road considered,” she said. “Unless Champlain Parkway is constructed, the traffic is going to flow on Queen City Park Road. It's either going to come off of Route 7 onto Queen City Park Road or it's going to come off of home avenue onto Queen City Park Road.”

Others are worried about a plan to shift a parking lot driveway. A diagram of the potential redesign shows it would be near the Queen City Park neighborhood entrance.

South Burlington City Council Vice Chair Meaghan Emery believes that it is problematic and may prompt concertgoers to wander into the neighborhood late at night.

“The entrance to the parking lot here is going to be moved farther east and almost directly across from the entrance to the Queen City Park neighborhood which, of course, is a concern because it then becomes much more natural when you are exiting a facility that might have a thousand people, with perhaps a crowd with some energy to it, exiting and they might wander into the neighborhood instead of exiting,” Emery told WCAX News.

Emery says Queen City Park Road is on the boundary line where Burlington and South Burlington abut. She claims South Burlington has been left out of the decision-making process and she wants the city to have a say moving forward since the changes will be partially made on South Burlington land.

“We actually do have South Burlington jurisdiction on the right-of-way on this parking lot as well as on the road, the Queen City Park Road. So, both the traffic study and the whole new redesign for the parking lot would impact our city. Therefore that’s why we will be inquiring further,” Emery told WCAX News. “The biggest concern is that we have a place at the table in order for everyone’s interests to be represented.”

Waters said she and her neighbors would be happier if South Burlington had “more influence as far as what’s going to happen.”

WCAX News made several attempts to contact Zoning and Planning and the Department of Public Works but did not hear back before this story was published.