ZONING AMENDMENT PB REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL - PLANNING Planning Board Report to Council _
Regarding Zoning amendment aS
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CITY OF SALEM
PLANNING BOARD
1016 FEB -9 A 8: 59
Report to City Council
CITY CLERK, S;.'_la . l^,
February 9, 2016
At its meeting on February 4, 2016 the Planning Board voted to recommend approval of the
rezoning from R2 Residential Two-Family to B4 Business Wholesale and Automotive for the
following parcels: 297 Bridge Street (Assessor Map 26, Lot 635), a portion of Beckford Way
(Assessor Map 26), and 311 Bridge Street (Assessor Map 26, Lot 618) because the proposed project
promotes the public welfare for the following reasons:
(1) It allows commercial redevelopment in a historically industrial area; (2) conforms to the City's
Master Plan; (3) preserves and expands services from a company that has provided plumbing
supplies to local contractors in the City for decades; (4) increases the tax revenue through new
growth on two underperforming lots historically used for commercial enterprises; (5) creates
additional jobs for area residents; (6) retains existing jobs that are threatened; (7) properly zones
a lot that has not been remediated for residential use and would otherwise remain vacant and
underutilized;and (8) maintains public access between Beckford Way and Bridge Street.
The Planning Board voted, seven (7) in favor (Mr. Anderson, Mr. Veno, Ms. Yale, Mr. Rieder, Ms.
Sides, Ms. Hamilton, Mr. Koretz) and none opposed, to recommend the proposed zoning
amendment with the above listed findings.
In making this recommendation, the Planning Board made note of the following.
• If the proposed project does not proceed, the Board would be supportive of revisiting the
issue of what the most appropriate zoning district is for these parcels.
• The Board acknowledged that they have issues with the design as shown in the renderings by
the applicant. However, the Board is confident that they will be able to address said issues
during the Site Plan Review process.
• The Board noted that although the NRCC Master Plan envisioned residential development
for this site, residential development is not allowed on these parcels and a business is
appropriate for this corridor.
If you have any questions regarding this matter,please feel free to contact Lynn Duncan,Director of
Planning&Community Development, at 978-619-5685.
Yours truly,
I
Ben J. Anderson, Chair
CC: Cheryl LaPointe,City Clerk