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In an editorial is the Salem News they seem to agree with me regarding the dangers inherent in the special permit process. You can read the Salem News editorial here.
It seems that Zoning Reform in this City is alive and well... as long as it is done by the City Council's rules.
Read the Peabody Weekly News story here.
After months and months of stalling on the City's plans for rezoning much of the Downtown area, the City Council accepted a proposal by Councilor Athas to amend the zoning uses in the current BC (business central) zone. The City Council approved the measure with very little discussion.
The new plan now restricts multifamily residential and rooming house uses in the BC zone to be BY SPECIAL PERMIT ONLY. This allows the City Council to have final say to approve or deny applicants based on nothing more than who-you-know or simply the whim of the day.
Mark my words... As the City Council is certainly NOT a very legally savvy group... and they are prone to follow the whining of a few vocal people present in a particular meeting (instead of considering the 'good' for the City as a whole)... We are going to be hit with lawsuit after lawsuit IF the properties in Downtown ever become interesting to developers again. The City Council should really leave the important details of economic development, city planning and developer negotiations to trained experienced people.
So now we will have even less opportunity to make Downtown into someplace that people will want to visit, work in or even live in.
Here is a great quote from the article...
“We have a population already that’s adequate to revitalize the downtown,” [Councilor Arthur Athas] said, adding that the area just needs to be made friendlier to pedestrians.
See folks... Peabody's Downtown is PERFECT! All we need to do is make it more pedestrian friendly and we will be all set!
This is the kind of mind at work planning the future of our City.
I find this frightening and sad.
5 comments:
The best way to make the downtown more pedestrian friendly would be to bring in a wrecking ball. Antiquated buildings inside and out abound. The cost of renovating and bringing up to code these heaps is beyond their value. Traffic congestion, lack of adequate parking and the North Shore Mall within shouting distance take away any real interest in doing business there. The best solution would be to knock it down and turn it into 1 and 2 family homes with a little greenery. Or maybe it would be better suited for a bunch of car dealerships and fast-food restaurants. Drastic measures need to be taken, for it is currently pretty much worthless to any serious investors.
I think a more pedestrian friendly area would indeed help Downtown. However, it is NOT THE solution to Downtowns woes.
And while I appreciate your posting WGAF, I disagree with your notion that Downtown is un-savable.
Now I understand that this attitude probably comes from years of frustration with LITTLE OR NOTHING BEING DONE to help Downtown and the sadness of watching it deteriorate more and more each day.
I think Peabody has a few ways to make Downtown better. But in all cases it requires 1) more people to BE in the Downtown area and 2) businesses to serve these people.
The catch is... the people don't see it as a good place to be right now because there is nothing to do and it is not a nice place to be... And the businesses don't see it as a good place because there are not people there to support them.
Add the archaic mindset of some in the City Council who think we will be starting up new leather tanneries ANY DAY NOW...
And the atmosphere is ripe for FAILURE.
What we need is to get some developers on board for a Downtown redesign with mix-ed use developments and people generators (think cultural, tourist, entertainment, etc. from both the Public and Private realms.
At the VERY LEAST we should be talking about this and not planning the 1880s industrial revival simply because some old-thinkers can't make there way into the 21st Century.
I still think that any form of a redesign, remodel, makeover or whatever you want to call it, must involve a wrecking ball to a number of the buildings in the downtown. These improvements must be substantial if only because of the downtowns relatively close proximity to the Mall(s). You are correct that right now it is not a real nice place to be. I'm sure that some form of rezoning needs to be included in the future plans for this area. Exactly what kind of rezoning, I'm not sure nor am I any kind of authority on the subject to form an intelligent opinion about it. Someone needs to figure this out soon, though.
Roundtable, you are misrepresenting the zoning process. The council accepted Athas' proposal and REFERRED IT TO THE PLANNING BOARD for a public hearing as required by the Zoning Act, Mass General Laws Chap 40A. They will hear a recommendation from the planning board (advisory, non-binding) and then hold their own required public hearing. THEN they will vote on it; it requires a 2/3 vote to become zoning law.
Yeah, the result may indeed be just as the council has voted already, but there are TWO opportunities for citizens to comment and attempt to change the councillors' minds. Neither the planning board nor the council is obligated to take into consideration citizen input, but they DO have to provide a forum for citizens to be heard.
whogaf, wtf? Why are Peabody residents so disdainful of their historical and architectural heritage? Downtown Peabody has gorgeous if neglected buildings and a couple of blocks of a potentially appealing commercial district. Mayor Pete worked constantly to cajole the property owners downtown to give a rats ass and do something with their properties. Check out Melrose or even Danvers Square - THEY are making it work! Why are we so defeatist and LAME!?
You'd wreck this in favor of some crappy single family houses or generic stores or god forbid fast food? Shame on you! Have some pride in your past!! (or maybe the past isn't important; maybe you just want to make a couple of bucks if "someone else" does the wrecking???)
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