2006-03-08
CITY OF BEVERLY
PUBLIC MEETING MINUTES
BOARD OR COMMISSION: Economic and Community Development Council
SUBCOMMITTEE:
DATE: March 8, 2006
LOCATION: Beverly Public Library
MEMBERS PRESENT: Chairman Carla Cox, Neil Douglas, Frank Killilea, Bill
O’Hare, Vice-Chairman Pat Grimes, Don Stacey,
Tina Cassidy
MEMBERS ABSENT: Planning Board and Conservation Commission
representatives
OTHERS PRESENT:
RECORDER: Eileen Sacco
The meeting opens at 7:00 p.m.
Cox opens the meeting and initiates a discussion on the draft of the letter she prepared to
send to Mayor Scanlon on the recommendations of the ECDC regarding the waterfront.
The members review the draft letter with Cox.
Cassidy wonders if the Council should somehow acknowledge in its letter that the ECDC’s
recommendations were formulated without meeting with the neighbors. She believes that
consideration of likely neighborhood issues should somehow be acknowledged in the letter
to the Mayor, despite the fact that those issues will be resolved during the public review
processes that would have to occur before projects like those envisioned for the Ventron site
or Beverly Port Marina could be built.
Douglas believes the details of site development and the address of neighborhood issues are
best left to boards such as the Planning Board to hammer out during the permitting
processes. Cassidy clarifies that she was not specifically advocating for an additional ECDC
meeting with the public, but rather for the idea of acknowledging those likely issues in the
committee’s letter.
Cox notes that the purpose of the master plan was to obtain a view of what people would
like to see and this is an opportunity to take a step forward and embrace the master plan.
Douglas notes that all projects will have input from the neighbors, noting that overarching
issues like zoning should be dealt with now, and the letter makes specific recommendations
with regard to zoning. He says he would like to see the letter refined and take it to the
Mayor and also meet with him.
Grimes states that the details of projects can be worked out with the Planning Board and the
Conservation Commission. Cox agrees and adds that this is a way to get the process started
to get to the point of having public hearings. She states that she also sees this as an
opportunity to drum up some support for positive change on the waterfront.
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Douglas refers to the section on the Harbor Management Authority and questions whether
the letter should identify the funding source for Phase I. Cassidy says the funding for the
project is expected to come from the Seaport Bond Council and the City was expecting a
vote in February on the money. That vote did not happen but the City now hopes for a
positive vote in March.
Grimes states that there was some concern by the neighbors over the proposed height of
buildings on the redevelopment plan for the Ventron site as well as concerns about the
impact of traffic on the neighborhood. The issues ranged from the height of the proposed
buildings and the density of the proposed development to building aesthetics. She notes that
they compared the proposal to the Jefferson at Salem property and it was not received well.
Douglas states that the height will give the units a view of the water and add value to the
condos.
Cassidy notes that there was discussion between the ECDC and the Ventron owners
regarding a recommendation to provide some public parking on the site. Cox recalls that
they seemed receptive to the idea; Cassidy suggests that it should be mentioned in the report.
Douglas says the letter lends support to appropriate rezoning of the area and starting the
public process so that the rezoning and redevelopment can take place. He notes that the
Ventron site is a challenging site and the current zoning is not consistent with the master
plan and that should be mentioned.
Grimes states that the designated port area should be eliminated as well and questions how
difficult that would be to do and how the Harbor Management Authority feels about that.
Douglas notes that that they support the elimination of it to achieve the objectives of the
master plan.
Grimes questions what would benefit there would be to the City of Beverly’s treasury if slips
were to be sold in the federal channel. Cassidy says the City would have to negotiate
changes to the limits of the Federal Channel.
Cox asks for a consensus of the members on whether they support the elimination of the
designated port area designation. The members unanimously indicate support for the
elimination of the designated port area designation.
Cassidy questions the proposed recommendation regarding the Harbor Management
Authority’s plans to make the public pier handicapped accessible. She is uncomfortable with
the proposed wording, and believes the proposal to make the pier accessible was advanced
because the Americans With Disabilities Act required it. Cox expresses concern that
making the pier handicapped accessible might interfere with the public’s ability to fish off
the pier at all. She states she will contact Harbor Authority Vice-Chairman Don Neuman to
discuss the Authority’s plan in more detail before revising that portion of the draft letter.
Douglas notes that the Town of Plymouth has an aggressive and proactive development
department that chases down economic and community projects. He explains their system
and notes that it is a stand-alone department that reports directly to the Mayor. Cassidy
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wonders whether it would be better from the Mayor’s and City Council’s perspective to
suggest adding a new position to either the planning, municipal inspections, or community
development department rather than proposing the creation of a new stand-alone City
department. Cox expresses her opinion that it will be critical to recruit appropriate
businesses for the vacant properties in the downtown and to the new retail establishments
the City wants to encourage along the waterfront. She supports a recommendation that a
new position reporting directly to the Mayor be established.
The ECDC completes review of the draft letter to Mayor Scanlon and discusses the
appropriate process to present the findings of the ECDC to the Mayor. It was decided that
Cox and Grimes as Chair and Vice Chair would meet with the Mayor once the letter is
revised to reflect this evening’s comments. Cox says the revised draft will be redistributed to
members before the meeting with the Mayor.
Next on the agenda is approval of the draft minutes for the February 8, 2006 ECDC
meeting. Cox asks if there are any changes that should be made to the minutes. There are
no suggestions.
Stacey: motion to approve the draft minutes of the February 8, 2006 ECDC meeting,
seconded by Douglas. All members in favor, no one opposed. Motion carries.
Cox asks if there is any other business for the committee to discuss. Stacey asks how many
condo units are in the City. Cassidy lists the recent projects approved or under construction,
but says she does not have any data regarding condominium conversions in the City.
O’Hare states that he can get that information.
Cassidy distributes copies of the Bass River Dredging Feasibility Study that was requested at
the last meeting.
Cox reminds members that the next meeting of the ECDC will be held on April 12, 2006.
She states that the agenda will include discussion of the on-going waterfront build-out study,
an update on the meeting with Mayor Scanlon, and a discussion of the Bass River study that
was distributed this evening.
Cox asks if there is any other business for the committee to conduct. There is none.
Douglas: motion to adjourn, seconded by Stacey. All members in favor, none
opposed. Motion carries.
The meeting is adjourned at 9:00 p.m.
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