2001-02-15 Transportation works CITY OF BEVERLY
Public Meeting Minutes
Master Plan Workshop on Transportation and Infrastructure
BOARD: Master Plan Steering Con-anittee
SUBCOMMITTEE:
DATE: February 15, 2001
BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Joanne Avallon, Wendy Fromiero, Scott Houseman, Wendy
Pearl, Larry Ralph, William Rodenbaugh, John Young,
Maureen Trouhetaris, Richard Dinkin, John Thomson,
Linda Ooodenough, George Simon, Bruce Oveson, Virginia
McGlynn, Donald Preston
BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT: John Murray
OTHERS PRESENT: Tiaa Cassidy, Planning Director and Ken Buckland, The
Cecil Group
RECORDER: Jeannine Dion
Cassidy introduces herself and welcomes all people attending the workshop. She introduces the
members of the Master Plan Steering Committee and consultants from the Cecil Group and
Parsons Brinkerhoff.
Cassidy introduces Ken Buckland from the Cecil Group and he provides an overview of the
Master Plan process and the Alternatives being discussed tonight pertaining to Transportation and
Infrastructure. There are three Alternatives:
1) Amenities and Quality of Life
The ultimate priority is maximizing and enhancing the quality of life of the residents of Beverly.
Achieving an understanding of how the City manages its resources in support of this type of
community vision.
2) Public Facility Improvements
Emphasis on infrastructure improvements. This alternative calls for a focus on infrastructure and
facility improvements aimed at better serving the City's current residents and businesses, and
providing adequate capacity to meet the demands of likely future residential and commercial
development.
Master Plan Workshop - Transportation and Infrastructure
February 15, 2001
Page2
3) Economic Development
Taking this approach, the City would seek to capitalize on its strategic location as a regional
resource.
The meeting breaks into small group discussion. When the meeting reconvenes, each table
reports its findings.
Table 1
· Traffic calming ideas (design options and public education).
· Make roads more pedestrian and bike friendly
· Change current policies for road designs (types of road% street widths, trees, signage)
· The group does not support putting utility lines underground based on the cost
projections.
· Retain public schools and other public space for public purposes.
Table 2
· Revise the city's subdivision and zoning regulations to improve water retention and soil
permeation and protect the future water quality that the residents of Beverly enjoy. Water
resources was determined to be the #1 priority.
· Improve the infrastructure of the downtown infrastructure and its connection to the
waterfront. Emphasize the use of the waterfront to draw people into the downtown area.
· Develop the area around the Salem/Beverly bridge and Ventron property with mixed light
industrial/commercial applications and possibly a marina.
Propose a parking garage at the depot and make parking improvements at the North
Beverly train station.
· Existing City bus services lack proper advertising.
· Increase citizen involvement in beautification efforts
· Develop bike paths throughout the city (wooded and public thoroughfares).
· Isolate future industrial development and truck traffic from residential areas.
· If the Route 128 overpass is developed, balance the recreational and industrial
development potential of that area.
Table 3
· Improve safety for those getting around without cars and encourage alternative methods
of transportation (improving walkways, bicycle paths and off-street parking downtown to
encourage more walking).
· Inventory existing public buildings to plan for use/reuse of public buildings.
Master Plan Workshop - Transportation and lnfrastructure
February 15, 2001
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· Improve process for public communication on issues such as the budget process, traffic
and zoning.
· Conduct a cost henefit analysis for the Route 128 interchange.
· Protect the water supply
Table 4
· Encourage cluster zoning.
· Create a downtown that is more walkable.
· Give more authority to the Design Review Board to oversee changes in facades, signs, etc.
· Support neighborhood groups by providing municipal funding
· Link neighborhoods to the downtown with walkways and bike paths.
· Promote specific kinds of retail uses in the downtown, including restaurants, art shops and
antique shops, and maintain the present mixed use zoning.
· Make the Chamber of Commerce more actively involved in promoting the downtown and
improving tourism
· Complete the Beverly/Salem bridge transportation project
Table 5
· Improve access to and emphasis upon recreational areas, especially the waterfront.
· Create a parking/train link.
· Encourage alternative transportation (bike/pedestrian paths, rapid bus shuttle and water
shuttle).
· Improve signage and create more compatibility with same
· School infrastructure is the #1 priority.
Table 6
· Encourage alternative modes of transportation (bikeways, walkways, public access to
public spaces and scenic areas).
· Create more parking downtown and at the train station
· Renovate and reuse existing public buildings.
· Identity areas for infrastructure improvements to maximize tax revenue return
· Incorporate public input into decisions that affect people.
Table 7
· Make entrances into Beverly attractive.
· Control development.
· Require independent traffic studies for developments.
· Reuse public buildings.
Master Plan Workshop - Transportation and Infrastructure
February 15, 2001
Page 4
· Promote public transportation and bicycle paths, and encourage staggered work hours for
businesses.
· Extend municipal sewer to all homes
· Develop maintenance plan for public buildings.
· Encourage well-planned commercial/industrial development.
· Protect quality of the drinking water.
Table 12
· Protect open space.
· Use infrastructure improvements to control development and establish urban growth
boundaries.
· Separate commercial/industrial development from residential areas.
· Protect water supply.
· Build cultural facilities.
· Expand parking downtown.
· Improve police and fire department facilities
· Partnership with businesses.
Buckland thanks all who have participated in the first workshop and outlines the schedule for
upcoming workshops:
March 8th - Diversity in Housing
March 15th - Economic Development
March 29th - Open Space and Residential Development
The workshop is adjourned at 9:15 p.m.