Lynn officials look to quell zoning quirks

LYNN – Lynn Area Chamber of Commerce President Ralph Sevinor said he has been looking at and talking about the city’s zoning issues for years, and it largely boils down to three major issues.”Special permits, special permits and special permits,” he said. “It’s 80 percent of the problem.”A recent permit review committee meeting that focused on streamlining the permitting process led to a discussion on Lynn’s inherent zoning quirks.The City Council recently voted to expedite zoning issues for the waterfront. Economic Development and Industrial Corporation Executive Director James Cowdell led the charge several years ago to have the downtown area rezoned to allow for residential. But by and large the rest of the city operates under zoning ordinances that have been on the books since 1926.Inspectional Services Director Michael Donovan said there are also problems with the city’s sign ordinance and site plan review issues, “but the number one complaint is that special permits take too long.”Sevinor, who owns and operates Wayne Alarm Systems Inc., said that is a problem because nearly every development requires a special permit.”It’s not a new problem, but we need a solution,” he said.Special permits are required for any project that reaches outside the margins of what the property is zoned for.Tropic Star Development is seeking to build a pharmacy on the sites of Ernie’s Harvest Time, Over Easy Restaurant and Happy Valley Automotive, but because all three properties are zoned for light industrial special permits are needed for each parcel.S2 permits, as they are sometimes called, are also needed for restaurants, even if it’s an allowed use, laundromats and anyone who wants to build a three-car garage, Donovan said.The permits are also subject to public hearings which must, by law, be advertised for two weeks, a waiting period if approved. If contested, the process could drag out indefinitely, Donovan said.Sevinor said it’s not always the cost of the permit that is the problem; often it’s what he calls “the time to market,” or the time it takes between applying for the permit and being able to actually build.”To a lot of developers, time is the most precious commodity,” he said. “Money you can always get back, but you can’t get time.”Although he is not a fan of committees, Sevinor said he would like to see one formed between the Chamber and City Council to start the actual work of rezoning.”This time the committee will be different and I’ll tell you why,” he said. “There seems to be a renewed spirit among the Chamber, the mayor’s office and the council.”He said he’s unsure if it’s a spirit of working together or a matter of survival, but the result is the same: forward movement. Ultimately, Sevinor said he would like to see the waterfront plan transferred to the rest of the city.”Definitely,” said Ward 5 Councilor Brendan Crighton, a driving force behind the plan. “That is ultimately what we will look at.”Crighton, along with Ward 3 Councilor Darren Cyr, agrees zoning is huge issue but it’s not an easy one to tackle.”Lynn was an industrial city as recent as even 20 years ago,” Cyr said. “It’s changed so dramatically.”Donovan said there are still ordinances on the books that deal with dyeing and feed establishments, both of which date to when Lynn was a city of factories.”Our zoning ordinances still talk about keeping live chickens, plucking and killing them,” he said. “They need to be looked at top to bottom, but that’s a big undertaking. You’d need to bring in a consultant. It could cost around $50,000 but you need to be relevant.”Chris Stevens can be reached at [email protected].