Councilor proposes three-story limit on new buildings
Sep. 20—BEVERLY — A proposal by City Councilor Matt St. Hilaire would restrict the height of any new buildings in the city to three stories.
In a letter to his fellow councilors, Hilaire said he has heard "loud and clear" from residents that the city is rapidly changing due to development, "and not entirely for the better."
"Increased traffic, a lack of available parking, crumbling road and sidewalk infrastructure, schools that are already over capacity and concerns about the ability of our local police and fire departments to adequately respond and serve our residents are concerns that are not only impacting the quality of life of our residents, but they are increasingly impacting public safety," St. Hilaire wrote.
St. Hilaire, who is the councilor for Ward 6, has submitted proposed amendments to the city's zoning ordinance that would limit the height of new buildings to 35 feet. The city currently allows buildings as tall as 55 to 70 feet in some areas. The changes would have to be approved by the City Council and a public hearing would need to be held.
St. Hilaire said two events this summer prompted him to propose the three-story limit — the sudden closing of the Hall-Whitaker Bridge, which has caused traffic backups, and a proposal to build a five-story building on the Family Dollar parcel on downtown Cabot Street.
"That, to me, really convinced me that we need to act and do something," St. Hilaire said at Monday night's council meeting.
Councilors did not discuss St. Hilaire's proposal at the meeting. They referred it to the council's legal affairs committee, which is scheduled to discuss the matter at a meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 27, at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall.
Mayor Mike Cahill said in an interview that it's a good time to talk about the issue following the city's recent master plan process, which included several recommendations regarding zoning.
"I'm very interested in having this conversation with Councilor St. Hilaire and his colleagues," Cahill said.
In his letter, St. Hilaire said the city has undergone "unprecedented growth" over the last several years, with more than 1,000 units of new housing that he said have transformed much of the downtown. He also pointed out several other "large-scale" projects that are in various stages of proposal or development, including the Depot II apartment building on Rantoul Street, the Briscoe Village senior affordable housing project on Sohier Road, a five-story apartment building on Dunham Road, and a five-story apartment building on lower Rantoul Street.
St. Hilaire also mentioned discussions about creating a new zoning district along the Bass River that would allow apartment buildings to be built. That plan is on hold due to the closing of the Hall-Whitaker Bridge.
St. Hilaire said his proposal would not impact any existing projects that are underway and would not "eliminate development" in Beverly.
"They would restrict new large-scale development, the type of which in my opinion has had the most significant impact on our community," he wrote.
Staff Writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2535, by email at pleighton@salemnews.com, or on Twitter at @heardinbeverly.
