One Tall Task: Beverly City Council Mulls New Building Height Limit

BEVERLY, MA — A proposal to restrict the height of new building construction in Beverly to three stories received general support for its intention while getting some pushback from housing advocates that worry the limited size of structures would dampen the number of new units that developers say are needed to make affordable housing projects viable.

City Councilor Matt St. Hilaire proposed the height restriction at a special Council meeting Monday night as a way to slow the rush of new construction projects in the city that he said has the potential to alter the unique character of downtown — especially on Cabot Street — and put a strain on parking, infrastructure and emergency services.

"Beverly has undergone unprecedented growth over the last several years that has transformed much of our downtown," St. Hilaire argued. "Our city is rapidly changing and recently I have become concerned about the pace and scale of development in our city."

St. Hilaire said with the plans announced earlier this summer to develop the Family Dollar parcel on Cabot Street into a five-story apartment complex, "it became apparent to me that the City Council must act now before it's too late.

"I believe in a balanced approach to development that puts the interests of the residents we serve at the forefront of consideration," St. Hilaire said. "My proposal is not intended to eliminate all development in Beverly and is not intended to impact existing projects that are currently underway.

"I am seeking to limit new, large-scale development, the type of which has the most negative impact on our community."

Mayor Mike Cahill said he was "appreciative that we are having the conversation" and said he is supportive of policies that would end the height overlay district on Rantoul Street and limit high-rise construction on Cabot Street.

"You're right in terms of feeling a sense of urgency here," Cahill said. "We have been looking at getting something like this teed up this fall. You kickstarted that."

But he noted the city's commitment to "transit-oriented housing" which is part of the state's MBTA Community Housing Project that requires cities and towns with commuter rail and subway stations to have multi-family housing zoning in the proximity of those stations to qualify for state grants.

Many developers argue that financing considerations make it so that only larger buildings with significant market-based housing units make it viable to include sufficient units at the "affordable" rate.

"We are disproportionately taking on a heavy responsibility for the region," countered St. Hilaire over the affordable-housing burden that Beverly and Salem already shoulder compare to more rural surrounding communities. "You look around at other communities and they are not developing like we are."

There was talk of a "moratorium" that would give the city more time to examine the issue without having to green-light new projects based on current zoning allowances, and of a special permit process that would give the Zoning Board of Appeals more authority over granting a height exemption to projects that warrant taller buildings.

However, Beverly Planning and Community Development Director Darlene Wynne said the city has actually moved away from special permitting to more consistent zoning regulations in recent years in order to provide additional cost certainty for property owners and developers considering projects as opposed to making it seem like everything is decided on a case-by-case basis.

City Council Chair Julie Flowers agreed that Monday night's 150-minute discussion was "an important beginning piece of the conversation" as she and the rest of the City Council agreed to table the discussion as unfinished business while they determine a next step at the next Council meeting.

(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.)