Council approves 3A zoning changes

After months of debate with a Dec. 31 deadline looming, the City Council voted Tuesday 7-0 — with two councilors recusing themselves — for zoning to bring Gloucester in compliance with state MBTA Communities Act guidelines for multifamily housing zoned near public transit.

Councilors agreed passage of the Multi-family Overlay District was the right thing to do, because it fit with the city’s character and met past housing production plans. They said the zoning would preserve the city’s eligibility for certain state grants and help people find a place to live and work in a place that has become unaffordable.

This page requires Javascript.

Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

kAmr@F?4:=@CD D2:5 E96 >@G6[ 32D65 @? 2==@H:?8 E9C66\72>:=J 9@>6D 3J C:89E :? 46CE2:? s@H?E@H? $E2E:@? 2?5 (6DE v=@F46DE6C $E2E:@? 2C62D[ 2=@?8 H:E9 2 4@FA=6 @7 A@4<6ED @7 56?D6C 56G6=@A>6?E @? |2A=6H@@5 pG6?F6 2?5 $49@@= w@FD6 #@25[ >2J ?@E 4C62E6 >F49 9@FD:?8 @C 6G6? 277@C523=6 9@FD:?8[ 3FE :E’D 2 DE6A :? E96 C:89E 5:C64E:@?]k^Am

kAm(9:=6 E96 K@?:?8’D A2DD286 H2D 2AA=2F565 H96? E96 9@FC\=@?8 >66E:?8 HC2AA65[ 23@FE `_ C6D:56?ED DE@@5 :? E96 324< @7 E96 zJC@FK pF5:E@C:F> 9@=5:?8 D:8?D E92E C625i “v=@F46DE6C $2JD }@ E@ bp[” H:E9 bp C676CC:?8 E@ E9:D A2CE:4F=2C D64E:@? @7 DE2E6 =2H] p?@E96C C6D:56?E 96=5 2 D:8? D:EE:?8 :? E96 2F5:6?46 2>@?8 @E96CD @AA@D65 E@ E96 K@?:?8 492?86D] %9@D6 :? 72G@C @7 E96 K@?:?8 492?86D[ :?4=F5:?8 >6>36CD @7 w@FD:?8 c p== v=@F46DE6C[ H6C6 2=D@ AC6D6?E] x? 2==[ E96 >66E:?8 5C6H >@C6 E92? c_ C6D:56?ED E@ r:EJ w2==]k^Am

kAm“(92E :E 5@6D 5@ :D :E AC@G:56D @?6 >@C6 A:646 @7 2 G6CJ 4@>A=:42E65 AC@46DD @7 562=:?8 H:E9 E96 :DDF6 @7 9@FD:?8 277@C523:=:EJ :? E96 4:EJ H9:49 x 36=:6G6 E@ 36 E96 >@DE 6I:DE6?E:2= 4C:D:D E92E H6 7246[” D2:5 2E\{2C86 r@F?4:=@C y2D@? vC@H[ H9@ 492:CD E96 4@F?4:=’D !=2??:?8 2?5 s6G6=@A>6?E $E2?5:?8 r@>>:EE66 H9:49 H@C<65 @? E96 K@?:?8 492?86D]k^Am

kAm“x7 H6 5@?’E 7:?5 2 H2J E@ 4C62E6 >@C6 9@FD:?8 E92E :D >@C6 277@C523=6 E@ J@F?86C 72>:=:6D[ D6?:@CD 28:?8 :? A=246 2?5 A6@A=6 H9@ @E96CH:D6 H@F=5 ?@E 36 23=6 E@ 277@C5 >:==:@?\5@==2C 9@>6D[ E9:D 4@>>F?:EJ 2D H6 <?@H :E H:== 8C25F2==J 5:6[” vC@H D2:5]k^Am

kAmr@F?4:= ':46 !C6D:56?E $62? }@=2? @7 (2C5 d D2:5 :7 :E H6C6 `_ J62CD 28@[ 96 H@F=5 36 2E E96 324< @7 E96 2F5:E@C:F> 9@=5:?8 2 D:8? 282:?DE E96 bp K@?:?8 AC@A@D2=[ 3FE 27E6C 2=>@DE ?:?6 J62CD @? E96 4@F?4:= 2?5 562=:?8 H:E9 4@?DE:EF6?ED’ ?665D[ 96 D2:5 4@F?4:=@CD 92G6 2 C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ E@ 7@==@H DE2E6 =2H]k^Am

kAm“$@>6 A6@A=6 >2J D2J H6 2C6 ?@E =:DE6?:?8 E@ E96 >2;@C:EJ[ 3FE E96C6 2C6 2? 2H7F= =@E @7 A6@A=6 H9@ 5@ DFAA@CE E9:D[” D2:5 }@=2?[ H9@ =2F565 9:D 7@C>6C 4@F?4:= 4@==628F6 %C24J ~’}6:= 7@C 5@:?8 2 “8C62E ;@3” @7 =6EE:?8 96C @AA@D:E:@? E@ E96 K@?:?8 492?86D 36 <?@H?]k^Am

kAm~’}6:= 564=:?65 4@>>6?E 27E6C E96 >66E:?8]k^Am

kAm“x E9:?< H6 2== <?@H H6 92G6 2 9@FD:?8 DE@4< D9@CE286 :? @FC 4:EJ[ ?@E @?=J 7@C 277@C523=6 9@FD:?8 3FE 9@FD:?8 7@C D6?:@CD[ 9@FD:?8 7@C H@C<7@C46[ 9@FD:?8 7@C 72>:=:6D] ~FC 9:89\E649 4@>A2?:6D 2C6 DECF88=:?8 7:?5:?8 A=246D 7@C A6@A=6 E@ =:G6[” r@F?4:=@C 2E\{2C86 '2= v:=>2? D2:5]k^Am

kAm(2C5 ` r@F?4:=@C $4@EE |6>92C5 D2:5 E96 K@?:?8 492?86D “92G6 366? E9@F89E7F==J 2?5 42C67F==J E2:=@C65 E@ 7:E v=@F46DE6C]”k^Am

kAmr:EJ r@F?4:= !C6D:56?E %@?J vC@DD D2:5 H96? E96 K@?:?8 H2D 7:CDE AC@A@D65 3J E96 DE2E6[ 96 H2D “C2E96C 5:DA=62D65]” w6 36=:6G65 :E H2D :?2AAC@AC:2E6 7@C 4:E:6D DF49 2D v=@F46DE6C]k^Am

kAm“|J >:?5 H2D 492?865[” vC@DD D2:5[ “3642FD6 H6 H6C6 23=6 E@ E2:=@C E9:D E@ 92G6 E96 8C62E6DE 36?67:E E@ v=@F46DE6C H:E9 E96 =62DE 2>@F?E @7 492?86]”k^Am

kAm(2C5 a r@F?4:=@C sJ=2? q6?D@?[ H9@ C6AC6D6?ED >F49 @7 E96 5@H?E@H? H96C6 C6D:56?ED 2C6 4@?46C?65 23@FE >@C6 56?D:EJ 7C@> E96 ?6H K@?:?8[ D2:5 96 H2D 766=:?8 F?56C\E96 H62E96C 2D 96 E@@< A2CE :? E96 >66E:?8 @? +@@>] w6 D2:5 96 H@F=5 36 C6=62D:?8 2 DE2E6>6?E :? E96 4@>:?8 52JD 2D 96 DFAA@CE65 E96 K@?:?8 492?86D]k^Am

kAmkDEC@?8m#64FD2=Dk^DEC@?8mk^Am

kAm%96 >66E:?8 DE2CE65 H:E9 EH@ 4@F?4:=@CD H9@ =:G6 H:E9:? E96 D@\42==65 s@H?E@H? $E2E:@? pC62 DF35:DEC:4E C625:?8 DE2E6>6?ED 367@C6 =62G:?8 E96 2F5:E@C:F> H:E9@FE E2<:?8 A2CE :? E96 G@E6]k^Am

kAmr@F?4:=@C\2E\{2C86 y677 (@CE9=6J DA@<6 23@FE @H?:?8 2 D:?8=6\72>:=J 9@>6 7@C aa J62CD :? @?6 @7 E96 K@?:?8 5:DEC:4ED 36:?8 4@?E6>A=2E65]k^Am

kAm“x’G6 366? 25G:D65 3J E96 DE2E6 tE9:4D r@>>:DD:@? E92E >J A2CE:4:A2E:@? :? E9:D G@E6 @C 6G6? 36:?8 :? E96 C@@> @E96C E92? E@ C625 E9:D DE2E6>6?E AFED >6 :? 2 4@?7=:4E @7 :?E6C6DE[” (@CE9=6J D2:5]k^Am

kAm(@CE9=6J D2:5 2?J DF886DE:@? 96 H2D 5@58:?8 E96 G@E6 H2D HC@?8]k^Am

kAm“x 92G6 6I92FDE65 6G6CJ A@DD:3=6 6I6>AE:@? E96 4@?7=:4E @7 :?E6C6DE CF=6D AC@G:56[” 96 D2:5]k^Am

kAm(2C5 b r@F?4:=@C |2C;@C:6 vC246 2=D@ D2:5 27E6C =6?8E9J 5:D4FDD:@? H:E9 E96 tE9:4D r@>>:DD:@? “:E :D H:E9 8C62E C68C6E E92E x >FDE C64FD6 >JD6=7 7C@> E96 c_p[ bp K@?:?8 G@E6 E92E H:== E2<6 A=246 E9:D 6G6?:?8]”k^Am

kAm$96 D2:5 2 BF6DE:@? H2D C2:D65 E92E AC@>AE65 96C 42== E@ E96 tE9:4D r@>>:DD:@?] $96 H2D 25G:D65 E@ C64FD6 96CD6=7 E@ 2G@:5 2?J 4@?7=:4E @7 :?E6C6DE “2?5 x 2> >@C2==J 2?5 6E9:42==J @3=:82E65 E@ 7@==@H E96 =2HD @7 E96 4@>>@?H62=E9]”k^Am

kAmvC246 D2:5 DE2E6 =2H C6BF:C65 E96 :>A24E @7 96C G@E6 “>FDE 27764E >@C6 E92? `_T @7 9@>6@H?6CD E@ 2G@:5 2?J =682=[ 6E9:42= @C >@?6E2CJ 4@?7=:4ED … 2?5 E9:D E9C6D9@=5 92D ?@E 366? >6E]”k^Am

kAm$96 2D<65 96C 4@?DE:EF6?ED E@ C6DA64E 96C 564:D:@?]k^Am

kAm“x H:== =62G6 96C6 E@?:89E <?@H:?8 E92E x 92G6 5@?6 E96 C:89E E9:?8 3J 36:?8 9@?6DE[ 7@==@H:?8 E96 =6EE6C @7 E96 =2H 2?5 H:E9 >J :?E68C:EJ :?E24E]”k^Am

kAm%96 4:EJ DE:== >FDE DF3>:E :ED bp K@?:?8 @C5:?2?46 E@ E96 DE2E6 tI64FE:G6 ~77:46 @7 w@FD:?8 2?5 {:G23=6 r@>>F?:E:6D 7@C :ED 2AAC@G2= H:E9 2 5625=:?6 E@ 4@>A=J E96 6?5 @7 E96 J62C]k^Am

kAmtE92? u@C>2? >2J 36 4@?E24E65 2E hfg\efd\af`c[ @C 2E k2 9C67lQ>2:=E@i67@C>2?o?@CE9@73@DE@?]4@>Qm67@C>2?o?@CE9@73@DE@?]4@>k^2m]k^Am