LYNN – The City Council passed a significant rezoning ordinance on Tuesday, looking to modernize land use in alignment with the 2023 Vision Lynn strategic plan, an incentive for innovation and for rebalancing residential and commercial development in the city.
Mayor Jared C. Nicholson expressed his full support for the rezoning effort. The 1925 ordinance “doesn’t meet our needs today,” he said.
Zoning is the regulatory tool that balances out land use in a community. As of now, four percent of properties comply with the current zoning code, dating back to 1925.
“We are right-sizing the zoning ordinance so that we can support growth that is consistent with the character of neighborhoods,” said Aaron Clausen, the City of Lynn’s Principal Planning Director.
By passing the rezoning ordinance, the City’s aim is to push for more balanced land use; housing, vibrant commercial development, an innovative economy and fiscal sustainability.
Among key revisions, the Council considered the Floodplain Hazard Overlay District, the mapping of which is subject to being modified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) updated maps.
The Council discussed whether the City will adopt the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) updated maps, affecting portions of Lynn as part of the Floodplain Overlay.
FEMA is responsible for mapping the nation’s flood risk. The Council will decide whether to adopt FEMA’s new maps, which will go into effect regardless on July 8, and remain compliant with the National Flood Insurance Program.
Failure to adopt these amendments could result in “immediate and serious consequences,” said Michael Smith, Emergency Management Director for the City of Lynn.
The City would lose access to federally backed flood insurance, federal disaster recovery funding and federal mortgages, affecting property owners and businesses.
Smith corrected a common misconception that the city is trying to raise insurance costs or change who is included in the flood zone.
“This is simply not true,” he said. “The City does not create the flood maps. FEMA does.”
However, homeowners can verify whether their property is in a Special Flood Hazard Area on the FEMA Flood Map Changes Viewer. If they disagree with the map, it is possible to file a request for revision directly with FEMA.
Adopting the updated federal maps would assure that Lynn continues to provide access to affordable insurance and federal assistance, “protecting our homeowners, businesses and housing market,” Smith added.
When asked whether federal discussions to discontinue FEMA at the end of hurricane season would affect Lynn, Clausen said that they don’t control the maps, nor do they have visibility into the happenings at the federal level.
“I don’t have a crystal ball,” he said. “I don’t even know if Washington knows.”
Discussions on the new flood maps were tabled; the Council will return to vote on July 7.
