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2007-01-10 CITY OF BEVERLY PUBLIC MEETING MINUTES BOARD OR COMMISSION: SUBCOMMITTEE: DATE: LOCATION: MEMBERS PRESENT: Economic and Community Development Council January 10, 2007 Beverly Public Library Tina Cassidy, Frank Killilea, Pat Grimes, Neil Douglas, Bill O'Hare, Don Fournier, Don Stacey MEMBERS ABSENT: RECORDER: Eileen Sacco Grimes calls the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Approval of Minutes The minutes of the ECDC meeting held on December 6, 2006 were presented for approval. Grimes asks if there are any changes to the minutes. Killilea says that the minutes show him as being present at that meeting and he was not. The minutes will need to be amended to reflect that fact. Fournier: motion to approve the minutes as suggested, seconded by Killilea. All members in favor, motion carries. Discussion on Scope of Work and Studv Areas for Waterfront Rezonin2 Cassidy summarizes the draft scope of work that she prepared noting that she incorporated some of the suggestions members made at the last meeting as well as several that were made by Douglas in an email after the meeting. Douglas notes that he had suggested that a map of the study areas be included as well as excerpts from the master plan for the consultant to review. He also suggests that the consultant be encouraged to read the entire master plan. He also notes that the harbor's Designated Port Area status is intended to encourage industrial maritime uses and that may not be what the City wants to see in the future. Cassidy explains that the scope of work is intended to be an outline of what the city is looking for and notes that a number of comments that were made were individual impressions (like the waterfront build out analysis) and suggests that those kinds of things should be messages delivered to the consultant during face to face discussions, rather than as specific statements in the scope of work. Douglas notes that his email was sent following the last ECDC meeting and he sees some reflection of that in the revised scope. He agrees that some of the contents of his email Minutes Page 10f4 01/10/07 ECDC Meeting are in fact best conveyed during discussions with the consultant that is hired. He notes that the task of the consultant is to prepare a zoning ordinance for the city, not a master plan for the city. He feels it is important to underscore the elements of the comprehensive master plan that we would like to see and he would like the consultant to keep the focus on drafting the new zoning ordinance. Grimes notes that the master plan is a high level, "big picture" guideline and did not involve a detailed analysis of the issues. Douglas notes that the language regarding the Bass River was an attempt to clarify the master plan. Douglas reviews his comment and suggests that the study area should encompass the area from Elliott Street to beyond Pleasant Street and include all of the land between the Bass River and Rantoul Street. He also notes that there are incubator businesses in that area and that type of use should be encouraged by the City and suggests the City should rezone the area as an overlay district and allow the market, over time, to dictate what uses locate there. He also notes that he would like to see a higher and better use for the area generally than that which is there now. Cassidy notes that there is a fundamental question in the minds of some about what happens to the existing businesses in that area if it is rezoned to allow mixed commercial and residential uses. Douglas notes that the ECDC is the economic arm of the City and is sensitive to jobs and the creation of jobs, noting that it starts with small businesses and grows. Cassidy notes that she would eventually like to see residential and retail uses at the Moynihan Lumber site. Douglas states that he would be comfortable with that. Cassidy notes that parking is an issue in this part of the City and that within the next five years Beverly Depot may serve as an important transportation center. She explains that the MBTA is trying to move forward with building a large scale parking garage in the immediate area. She explains potential locations that the MBT A is looking at. She also notes that there is $3.5 million earmarked for a parking garage in Beverly thanks to the efforts of Congressman John Tierney. She also explains that the MBTA is required to build about 1,000 parking spaces in the Boston area as a result of a successful environmental lawsuit several years ago. The timeline for creating those spaces has run out and as a result she is even more confident about the possibility of the parking garage becoming a reality now than she was a year or two ago. Cassidy says she agrees that additional off street parking aside from the MB T A garage is also needed. Fournier states that he feels that mixed use zoning of this area is important and that industrial uses will gradually migrate out of the area if it is rezoned. He also thinks it is important that the industrial uses stay there. Minutes Page 2 of4 01/10/07 ECDC Meeting Douglas says he is struck by the fact that other cities are raising the same issues about industrial uses, mentioning Walnut Street in Peabody as an example. Fournier notes that building owners will dictate future uses as they choose to redevelop their properties, and suggests that if there is an alternative location in the City where those industrial uses are more properly located, it should be identified by the City and businesses encouraged/assisted to relocate there. Douglas states that this is a complex issue that we are asking the consultant to address. He notes that his suggestion of an overlay district would add a new layer of allowed uses that would allow existing businesses to remain as allowed uses while still letting the market drive future land uses in the desired direction. Cassidy notes that the benefit of an overlay district is that existing businesses do not become non-conforming. She points out the working waterfront area on the map. Members generally concur with the proposed boundaries for that part of the study. Cassidy notes that the Bass River area along River Street will be included and she was thinking about including the McDonald's site and the Stop and Shop site on Elliott Street. She explains her thinking on this as well as the current limits of the IG zoning district. Douglas recommends that the Stop and Shop/McDonald's site not be included as the owners will do what they want with that property anyway. Cassidy notes that it is zoned CG, which does allow residential and commercial uses anyway. Douglas notes that most redevelopment will focus on property that has some relative size. Many of the existing IG lots are very small, and their redevelopment will be hard unless they are aggregated. Douglas says that he would go all the way out to Rantoul Street in terms of the study area and would drop back to Park Street, noting that some properties have frontage on both Rantoul and Park Streets. Fournier states that he feels the City would get some resistance if the McDonalds and Stop and Shop sites were included in the study area. Fournier suggests that the street names be added to the map. Cassidy will add street names to the map and will email it to members for their review prior to the next meeting. The committee can discuss its thoughts on the Bass River study's physical boundaries at the next meeting. Other Business Cassidy updates the ECDC on progress with the Black Cow proposal. She reports that the restaurateur is in the process of drafting an Environmental Notification Form and that Minutes Page 30f4 01/10/07 ECDC Meeting the applicants will also have to file for a Chapter 91 license from DEP. Following those State-level review and approvals, the restaurateur will file for the local approvals. Cassidy updates the ECDC on the pending lawsuit between Beverly Port Marina and the City and potential solutions. Cassidy reports that the Ventron project has been reviewed by the Design Review Board and that the property owners have filed applications for Site Plan Review and a Special Permit with the Planning Board. The hearings on those applications will be held in the next few months. Grimes notes that a Chair is needed for the ECDC to replace Carla Cox who resigned. She indicates she is not interested in filling that role, preferring to remain as Vice-Chair. Cassidy says there are currently four vacancies on the committee. Two are reserved for representatives of the Planning Board and Conservation Commission, but two others are also vacant. Those two vacancies are also prescribed, but she cannot recall what they are. Grimes suggests that Cassidy provide the membership information to the members and that members think about possible candidates to serve on the ECDC. Any suggestions should be forwarded to her or Cassidy. Fournier nominates Douglas to be Chair of the ECDC. Douglas declines the nomination. Douglas suggests that Grimes stay on as interim Chair until the two vacancies are filled, at which time the entire membership can vote on the matter. Grimes agrees to do so. Next Meetin2 Grimes states that the next meeting of the ECDC will be held on February 21,2007. Douglas: motion to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Killilea. All members in favor, motion carries. The meeting is adjourned at 8:40 p.m. Minutes Page 40f4 01/10/07 ECDC Meeting