Public hearing on Waterfront zoning ordinance tonight

LYNN – The next step toward making the Waterfront Master Plan a reality will be voted on tonight by the City Council.A proposed amendment to the city’s zoning ordinance that would set the maximum and minimum height restrictions will be hashed out during a public hearing at 8 p.m. at City Hall.Eager to push the plan along, City Council President Tim Phelan said he doesn’t anticipate any complications with the proposed amendment.”We just need to get it through,” he said. “It’s just like getting a check in the mail though, you’ll believe it when you see it.”In February, the Ordinance Committee approved the amendment to the city’s zoning ordinance for the Waterfront Master Plan, which details the height restrictions for four designated waterfront districts, off street parking restrictions and several other restrictions.Zone 1, which encompasses the southern portion of the site along with the area closest to downtown was proposed to have a maximum height of 20 stories and a minimum height of three stories.Zone 1A, located along the northern edge of Lynn Harbor and the Nahant Rotary, would have a maximum height restriction of eight stories and would not allow research and development or transit facilities.Also located on the northern edge of the Lynn Harbor and the Nahant Rotary, Zone 2 would have a maximum of four stories.Zone 3, located between Blossom Street and the extension of Carolyn Road would have a maximum of 20 stories.The Washington Street Corridor, also known as the lower portion of the Sagamore Hill area behind Zone 1A would include a maximum of six stories to match the rest of the neighborhood.James Cowdell, executive director of Economic Development & Industrial Corporation (EDIC) said the amendment is the next step in the overall plan and expects that it will pass as well.”The Ordinance Committee unanimously approved the amendment, so I imagine it will pass,” he said.Cowdell previously said the owners of Christie’s Restaurant were reportedly pleased with the proposed zoning amendment because it would scale back the maximum height restrictions in the area of the eatery and allow for alternate uses of their property.The City Council approved the Waterfront Master Plan in September and if it is implemented, the massive 250 acre plan would net more than $18 million in annual property tax revenues, create a mix of residential, commercial and office space, a hotel, light industry, a mixed-use marina, a designated port area for marine use, and ample open park spaces.Before any of the work can begin, Cowdell said the lengthy process of relocating the power lines has to be finished in order for work to get underway.