Joint Public Hearing with the Planning Board and the Planning and Development Committee of the City Council

 

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 Planning & Development Committee will hold a Joint Public Hearing on Wednesday, May 4, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at 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 January 25^th, 2016 and February 8^th, 2016, respectively.  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 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.

 

 

1:   Amend the Newburyport Zoning Ordinance Section XXIX-B (Smart Growth District: Establishment & Applicability) to include a new subsection (4) entitled “Intersection of State and Parker Streets which provides as follows:

 

“until such time as the City’s Director of Public Services certifies to the City Council that U.S Route 1 has been rebuilt, reconfigured, retrofitted, or otherwise improved to ensure safe pedestrian access across U.S. Route 1 within the [Smart Growth District] and south of Parker Street, development of a Project pursuant to this Section shall not [be] permitted at any of the following parcels located near the intersection of State Street and Parker Street:  Parcel 34-5 (165 State Street); Parcel 34-6 (3 Parker Street); Parcel 34-9-A (4 Parker Street); Parcel 34-11 (163-165 State Street); Parcel 34-12 (161 State Street); and Parcel 34-13 (151-155 State Street).”

 

2:   Amend the Newburyport Zoning Ordinance and the “Zoning Map of the City of Newburyport” pursuant to Section III-D “Changes to Zoning Map” such that the Downtown Overlay District (Section XXVII) is expanded to include Parcels 35-39 (13.5 Pond Street), 35-40 (5 Central Place), and 35-160 (149 High Street), and all other land, as depicted on a map entitled “DOD Zoning Map Change – Proposed,” prepared by the Office of Planning & Development, and dated February 8, 2016.

 

NEWBURYPORT PLANNING BOARD

Jim McCarthy, Chairman