Picture: The president of Vermont Rail Systems, David Wulfson, speaks on behalf of the company’s new facility to a group of people at the Shelburne Community School.

The Town of Shelburne has filed a lawsuit against Vermont Railways earlier this year in dispute of a transfer and storage facility in which preparation is already under way. The facility is being prepared in close proximity to the LaPlatte River and Shelburne Village, causing the town to have become wary of nearby wetlands as well as traffic flow. Environmental advocates have harshly objected to the railroad’s developing facility as it obliterates a now standing crucial buffer zone to the river. The company has already cleared 18 acres in preparation for the structure, but it can’t proceed with actual construction until the next round of hearings in late April.

To read the full article: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/news/local/2016/03/11/shelburne-salt-shed-case-advances-court/81488204/

Please contact Steve Lipkin and the LipVT team for any and all of your real estate needs!

An interesting business opportunity has slid on to the plate of Burlington multifamily property owners.

Photo: Building performance specialist Jeremy King inspects a Burlington multifamily property for heat fluctuation using an infrared camera.

There's been a long time tug-of-war between Burlington landlords and tenants. Why would a Burlington landlord fret over a tenant's high heating bill? On the contrary, why would a tenant give thought to maximizing a landlord's long-term investment in their property?

The simple answer: neither does. And that's exactly why numerous Burlington multifamily properties have been neglected as far as improvements go in the past years. 

Energy Champ, a program developed by Vermont Gas Systems and Burlington Electric Department, is a possible solution to the predicament. The program is split into two stages. Stage one for a landlord is having energy auditors conduct a walkthrough of the entire building. The auditors use tools such as infrared cameras to determine how well the structure retains heat, and calculate the investment a landlord would need to make to achieve total heat efficiency. Stage two of the program for the landlord is making the improvements suggested by the auditors.

Oh, and I forgot to mention, Vermont Gas Systems and the Burlington Electric Department will cover up to 75% of the total improvement cost the landlords incurr. 

This has created an awesome opportunity for Queen City landlords. Not only can they do their part in making our planet energy efficient, but they can keep tenants in their properties longer as tenants tend to stay in an apartment longer the lower the heating bill is. They also have a darn good chance at increasing the resale value of their property more so than what they invested in Energy Champ. 

To read the full article: https://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/life/green-mountain/2016/02/21/landlords-burlington-leap-energy-upgrades/80397658/