Beverly Design Standards Talk Key In Developing New Zoning Bylaws

BEVERLY, MA — During a prolonged discussion, multiple public hearings and a vote on zoning bylaw changes and inclusionary zoning for commercial areas of Beverly this past fall and winter, City Councilors and officials often referenced the upcoming municipal determinations on new design standards as being the true mechanism to shape the future of development downtown and across the city.

On Wednesday night at Beverly City Hall, residents are asked to provide their feedback and what was the priority recommendation in the city's 2021 Master Plan.

The new design standards are intended to guide future development and redevelopment in downtown Beverly, but could also be applicable citywide. The primary goal of the standards is to create a uniform expectation for the development of Cabot Street and Rantoul Street, two mile-long corridors stretching north and south, and the future Bass River overlay transit-oriented development area, which has been put on hold amid the years-long closure and reconstruction of the Hall-Whitaker drawbridge.

Growing concerns about the height development on Rantoul Streets and whether that type of development could be in store for Cabot Street as well led to the push for the most recent bylaw changes that included the elimination of the tall building overlay district on Rantoul Street and essentially created a four-story cap on any new development on Cabot Street and adjacent side roads.

The existing downtown design guidelines were written in 2003. The need for updated standards and expectations amid population and business changes was recommended in the city's master plan published in 2021.

A draft plan of new design standards was published last summer with Wednesday night's discussion part of the public review process to follow. After review and adoption, the new design standards will be incorporated into the Beverly zoning ordinance.

Wednesday's forum is set for Beverly City Hall at 7 p.m. with a virtual live stream via BevCam available here.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)