Planning Board, Planning & Development Committee, and Committee of the Whole Meeting
Address
Notice is hereby given pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 40A, Section 5 (The Zoning Act) and the Newburyport Zoning Ordinance, Section XXII-B (Adoption and Amendment), that the Newburyport Planning Board and City Council (acting through its Planning & Development Committee) will hold a Joint Public Hearing on Wednesday, October 18, 2017 at 7:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at Newburyport City Hall, 60 Pleasant Street, Newburyport, MA 01950.
The purpose of this Public Hearing is to present, and hear testimony and comment from interested persons relative to, proposed amendments and additions to the Zoning Ordinance for the City of Newburyport, said amendments being submitted to the City Council for consideration on September 11th, 2017. After the Public Hearing the Planning Board and Planning & Development Committee will, as required by law, vote its recommendations on each proposal and report them back to the full City Council.
There are two (2) proposed ordinance amendments. A summary is provided below. Copies of the full text of such ordinances and maps thereof are available for review by interested parties in the Offices of the City Clerk and Office of Planning & Development (City Hall, 60 Pleasant Street, Newburyport, MA 01950) during regular business hours. Questions regarding these ordinances may be directed to the Director of Planning & Development, Andrew R. Port, at (978) 465-4400 x 1.
Summary of Proposed Zoning Ordinance Amendments:
1: Amend the Newburyport Zoning Ordinance Section VII-A, entitled “Off-street parking regulations,” such that:
A: For non-residential uses, parking spaces may be: (i) on site or off-site, within a private parking lot or structure (subject to confirmation of a five-year minimum lease agreement), within 600 feet of the principle building, structure or use, by right; or (ii) off-site within a municipal parking lot within 600 feet of the principle building, structure or use, by Special Permit from the Planning Board with payment into the City’s “intermodal transportation improvement fund (ITIF).
B: For residential uses, parking spaces may be: (i) on site or off-site, within a private parking lot or structure (subject to confirmation of a five-year minimum lease agreement), within 600 feet of the principle building, structure or use, by right; or (ii) off-site within a municipal parking lot within 600 feet of the principle building, structure or use, by Special Permit from the Planning Board with payment into the City’s “intermodal transportation improvement fund (ITIF).
C: The Planning Board, as Special Permit Granting Authority, may allow an “unmet parking need credit” (UPNC) to be deposited into the ITIF as a method of meeting the off-street parking requirements for residential and non-residential uses, such credits to be valued at $7,500 per space within a municipal parking lot utilized for calculations.
2: Amend the Newburyport Zoning Ordinance as follows:
A: Under Section II-B, entitled “Definitions,” add a definition and method of calculation for the new term “Existing building alignment.”
B: Under Section III-A, entitled “Establishment of districts,” designate two (2) new zoning districts, entitled “High Street Residential A” (HSR-A) and “High Street Residential B” (HSR-B), respectively.
C: Under Section III-B, entitled “Description of districts,” add two (2) new descriptions for the aforementioned HSR-A and HSR-B districts.
D: Under Section III-C, entitled “Zoning map,” amend the “Zoning Map of the City of Newburyport” such that a portion of those lots located along the topographic “ridge line” between High Street and Low Street, and High Street and Parker Street, are changed from “Residential Two” to “High Street Ridge Residential District B” (HSR-B) and “High Street Ridge Residential District A” (HSR-A), respectively.
E: Under Section V-D, entitled “Table of use regulations,” add two (2) new columns listing those uses permitted by-right, and those uses allowed by Special Permit, within the aforementioned HSR-A and HSR-B districts.
F: Under Section VI-A, entitled “General regulations,” add dimensional requirements for the aforementioned HSR-A and HSR- B districts, for all applicable uses.
NEWBURYPORT PLANNING BOARD
Jim McCarthy, Chairman
Published 10/3/17 and 10/10/17 in the Newburyport Daily News
