Neil Kane Aiming for Planning Board Spot

Editor's note: The following is an interview with Planning Board Candidate Neil Kane. Burlington Patch will feature articles on all of the candidates in the contested Board of Selectmen and Planning Board races.

Neil Kane has been campaigning and speaker to voters in his pitch for one of the two open seats on the Planning Board. His message stands in contrast with his two competitors in the race as he is more favorable of development projects, including the proposed that will be in front of Town Meeting in May.

Kane first moved to Burlington with his wife and family in 1998. The couple had three children, who of whom are in the Burlington Public Schools. Tragically, the family lost a son in a car accident. Kane said the community response, the way everyone gathered to support and comfort his family in their time of tragedy, inspires him to give back to the town.

"I feel like I want to serve the town," he said. "When my son was hit by a car, it seemed like the whole town came together for us. We made a lot of friends. The town also named a field for him and dedicated a tree on the Town Commons and the middle school has a trophy case for Pop Warner Football in his honor. That is what drives me to want to give back."

This is not the first time Kane has participated in the community, though it is his first time running for an elected position. He is a member of the Board of Appeals, which he said has given him background in planning decisions. He has also volunteered with Burlington Pop Warner for roughly 16 years, and was the organization's vice president for the final five years he was involved. Professionally Kane has a masters in accounting and is currently holding down three jobs, one in automated data process and he works with and Golf Galaxy. Before returning to school to get his Masters, Kane worked for 25 years in a lumber yard outside of Boston, a job he said gave him experience reading plans, the building process and design.

Kane said he decided to enter the race after following the Planning Board and finding himself disagreeing with the direction of the board, which he said is too anti-development.

"I've been following what is going into town and I'm seeing a lot of opposition to development in town and felt I would voice my opinion," he said.  "For example, the Canyon proposal is one of those that bothered me. As well as the members of the Planning Board do, they don't look at the big picture. I'm afraid what the state could do in that area, maybe put in prison or park n' drive."

Kane said he views the , the developer behind the project, as something with potential.

"I like the Canyon project," he said. "I believe the traffic plans are accurate and we have the power to question them if we feel there are mistakes. The additional money they will put in after to fix the problems, I'm happy with that. I would have definitely voted in favor of recommending it." 

During the March 29 Planning Board meeting, the plan to Town Meeting, but Kane argued that if his competitors in the race, Barbara L'Heureux and John "Jack" Kelly, were on the board the vote likely would have had a different outcome. He added he believes that the two outgoing members, John DeFrancesco and Jayne Hyde, are more in favor of development projects, but that the other members have a relatively strong anti-development view.

"The other candidates seem to be against development in town, and there are people in town who have share that feeling," he said. "When I watch the Planning Board I get the impression the members who will remain are against development. Again, with the Canyon project, the members aren't weighing the positive; $1 million in tax benefits and the fact that Gutierrez will fix the roads. There is nothing else in that area that has been proposed to get that area fixed and to do so with some state money. If my opponents were up there, I don't think that would have been in favor of it."

Kane said he is also in favor of re-development projects in town, including the , which includes a new Wegman's set to open next year.

"I like the re-development projects we have going on," he said. "When I was working in the lumber yard I did a lot of redevelopment in projects in Dorchester. Projects like bringing housing up to today's standards, and I like seeing similar things happening here. There are a lot of old office buildings and strip malls that could be improved. What they are doing in NorthWest Park is fantastic. I think it shows the economic strength in town; we're coming out of bad economic time and it's good so see vacant buildings now being address."

On residential development, Kane said he thinks the space in town for new projects is growing thin, but said compromise projects like the is a good example of how the town and developers can work together to create something that provides housing but with a limited impact on the neighborhood.

"My thoughts on residential development is it's getting pretty much coming to the end," he said. "As a member of the Planning Board I don't think it would be my right to tell a landowner what to do with his or hand land, but we can have some input. Muller Road I think it was a good compromise. The developer came to the plate and did what the board asked them to do."

Kane said he would like to see decisions based on research of each individual project and not on any personal bias.

"What concerns me a little bit is when I feel that people on the board are set in their own ways and try to run based on their views alone," he said. "I think we need to evaluate each situations on its merit. The other thing is to be conscious of the situation and to vote for what is best for all the people in town."

If elected, Kane said he would evaluate each project on its pros and cons.

"I really believe in listening and making my own opinion," he said.

Finally, Kane said that on the Board of Appeals he is often the singular vote in opposition to the other members and that he would continue to be an independent voice if elected to the Planning Board.

"In my experience on the Board of Appeals, I'm constantly voting the opposite way than the other members," he said. "They usually vote against project like a new garage or something else a homeowner is looking to do. I prefer looking down the road for when house is sold and what will help the most. I don't agree with their opposition."

The Burlington Town Election will be held on Saturday, April 14 and the polls will be at .