Oh, I thought you said that we didn't have a link, so uh ready count me in.

Five, four, three.

Oh.

Good evening.

It is 723 p.m.

on May 27th and uh the year of our Lord and Savior 2026.

Um this is the Ordnance Committee meeting.

Um note this meeting is being live streamed, I hope, um, and recorded.

City Council and Committee meetings can be viewed on the City of New Bedford's homepage under quick links, then meetings.

I am joined in the council chamber tonight with my colleagues in government, counselor at large James Roy, Counselor at Large and Second Vice President, Naomi Renee Andrews Carney, Counselor at Large, Ian Abreu, Counselor from Ward 2, Scott Pembridge, Scott Gordon Pebberton, Ward 1 Counselor, Leo Choquett, Ward 5 Counselor Joseph P.

Lopes.

I couldn't think of his middle name.

Oh, Patrick.

Joseph Patrick Lowe's.

Okay.

And Counselor at Large, Brian K.

That's all you're gonna get from me.

And I am your chairman Shane Alstenbergo.

Um I will ask Dennis Lawrence if the clerk, if there's any letters to be read into the record.

I have two letters to read.

The record from Sean Oliver.

I'm ready to inform you that I've been able to attend tonight's committee meeting due to a prior commitment.

Please read this letter into the record to make my colleagues in the public aware of the reason for my absence.

This one is from Councillor Pereira.

No, Council President.

I'm writing to inform you that I expect to be late for tonight's committee meeting due to a prior commitment.

Please read this letter into the record to make my colleagues in the public aware of the reason for my absence or delayed arrival.

Motion received and positioned by Councilor Pemberton, seconded by Councillor Lopes.

Anyone on the question?

Seeing none, all those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed, the ayes have it.

Item number one is a public hearing on a communication.

Mayor Mitchell to the City Council submitting an ordinance.

Amending Chapter 9, zoning establishing form-based code districts.

Refer to you on April 9th, 2026, duly advertised in the Standard Times on Monday, May 13th, 2026.

And Monday, May 20th, 2026.

1A is the order.

That was referred here on April 9th, 2026, duly advertised in the Standard Times on Monday, May 13th, 2026, and Monday, May 20th, 2026, 1A and 1B.

1 and 1A before you to open.

Motion to receive and place on file and open the public hearing made by Councillor Loops, seconded by Councillor Gomes.

Anyone on the question?

Seeing none, all those in favor say aye.

Any opposed, the ayes have it.

Yes.

Ann Laura, are you presenting?

Wonderful.

As you make your way, I want to acknowledge that uh Councilor from Ward 6 and our fearless leader, City Council President, Ryan Joseph Pereira has joined us.

And Ann Laurel, take it away.

Good evening, uh Councillor Chair and Honorable Members of the Council.

My name is Ian Laura.

I'm an assistant city planner.

And we're here today to present an ordinance for your consideration to establish form-based code in three districts within the city.

You've been very um very thoughtful in your consideration of the forming the zoning reforms that we've put forth incrementally over the past year or so for you.

And part of the reason we've done the previous zoning reforms was to lead to form-based code.

And you probably will understand during the presentation why we incrementally um have put forward some of the zoning previously to um allow for this.

We have been working um for the past two years with Emily Innes, excuse me, who is here today to actually do the presentation for you.

She'll be able to answer any of your questions.

I'm also available to answer any questions when it comes to process or the ordinance itself.

But I'm gonna hand it um over to Emily.

Thank you.

Good evening, counselors.

Uh again for the record.

My name is Emily Keyes Ennis from Innesland Strategies Group.

Uh we have been working with your planning staff to bring the form-based code tier for your vote.

Uh thank you very much for your consideration tonight and for inviting me to present.

And if you can go to the next slide.

So this has been a multi-year evaluation, and we were not the first set of consultants to work on the form-based code.

Our remit was to take the work that had been previously done, have a good little hard look at it and evaluate it, see what should be brought forward and what is no longer necessary based on other changes.

We also looked at the comprehensive plan update to make sure that the form-based code was consistent with that.

And this is really based on the research done from that earlier process and then the work we've been doing for the last few years.

And these are just some of the images before I go through the rest.

I do want to check, counselors, if you want me to go through the whole presentation, or if you want the ability to stop and answer questions during it.

Go through it?

Okay.

So you can see just some of the public engagement that went into the initial process.

The consultants at the time also did a street by street parcel by parcel evaluation as well to understand the existing conditions on the ground.

And that is consistent with what planning consultants would do for the form-based code.

So you see the reconnaissance and discovery all the way up to figuring out what the plan should look like, the district should look like, and then creating the code itself.

And the code is going to be based on both districts and on buildings within those districts.

And this just some of the analysis that they did to understand the development patterns, the historic development patterns and newer development patterns that had happened in our areas that we're looking at over time.

So the key goals for the form based code, there's there's a number up there, but if you think about the idea of the history of the development patterns in New Bedford, one of the goals was to preserve those development patterns to preserve the historic buildings while allowing sensitive context for new infill development.

It was to focus on maintaining enhancing transit-oriented walkable districts in the appropriate parts of the city, permitting options for a range of housing types, but also for jobs and economic development, enhancing public spaces, capturing the fiscal return on new investments that would be encouraged by the form-based code, and then also conserving and preserving natural resources as well as historic resources.

So the map changes you see on the left-hand side is your traditional zoning.

I have a client who talked about using a broad brush to create these large districts.

Form based code is very much tailored to what's on the ground now as well as the aspirational.

So it is what we would call more fine-grained.

It's a watercolor brush as opposed to a wall paint brush.

So the proposed areas that we have are the Acushnet district, downtown district, and Goulart.

Thank you, Ann.

And in many cases, cities will adopt a form-based code citywide.

But the choice that the city planning staff and the consultants made beforehand was to adopt them in key strategic areas where this type of zoning would be appropriate to give the city a chance to see how it works, and then to consider at a future date whether or not you might want to add more phone-based code districts.

But the key here is other than those three districts, the zoning in the rest of the city remains unchanged.

We're just talking about these three districts.

And so map by map will take you through each one, the akushnate district.

MU is mixed use, so this is mixed use three, four, and uh the innovation district.

And the district types remain the same throughout, but they're applied to each of the geographic areas differently.

The towntown downtown district has finer grained buildings and uses, so they have more districts.

Part of the keeping the and enhancing public spaces.

There you go.

Well done.

And then Gullert Square is quite interesting because, in addition to the standard mixed use 3, 4, 6, neighborhood residential.

It also has a special district because it has these larger parcels that aren't elsewhere in the two districts that have much smaller already developed.

This special district allows for these parcels to be split up if that should be happened and to allow different sets of uses and dimensions on them.

So the use table also looks a little bit different than what you're used to because uh all of the form-based codes, all of these subdistricts within each district has their uses.

So for example, MU3, which is a multiple, the uses for MU3 are the same in all three sub-districts.

So if you think about you have these geographic areas, and then you have these form-based code districts within geographic areas, the use table is by those form-based code districts.

And the key to that use table, it's okay, you move on.

The key to that use table is adding new uses again to support different types of housing and economic development and jobs.

In addition to the district uh regulations, you also have building regulations and building components.

And so if you think of somebody coming in wanting to do a development, first they they look at the geographic area of the city, then they look at their site, see what the site is zoned, and there's a set of regulations that govern the site, and then they look at this to understand what type of buildings are on that site and what type of building components are allowed for those buildings.

And building components are those things that contribute to an active streetscape.

So awnings, porches, stoops, etc., depending on the building type.

Now, this can sometimes look complex because uh it's uh had to be set up for e-code.

So although it does have illustrations and guides, it's still very much in black and white.

We also did for the city a how-to guide that brings all of this together in color and has not just the illustrative examples that you see in the form-based code, but also pictures of what this could look like, and that's valuable in a planning board process where the planning board, the developer, and members of the public can point to these pictures and illustrations and say, I like this or I don't like this.

It makes that conversation much easier, much more streamlined.

We also have updated the design guidelines.

There was a set that was created for the transit-oriented development districts, and rather than having multiple types of design guidelines, we've integrated the form-based code design guidelines in there.

Again, this is another useful tool in the planning process.

It holds uh developers uh responsible for certain um uh aesthetic uh and uh other standards around development.

Um and it also gives the community, the people watching a chance to point to images and say, we like this, we don't like this.

So we're just going to show you a series of images for potential impacts.

Uh we worked with city staff and AI and a couple of designers on our team.

Uh this is an example in a Cushnet Avenue where you have the building in the back, away from the street, the parking in front.

If you go to the next one, an AI generated shows what could happen under the form-based code, bringing the building towards the front, more walkable district, pedestrian amenities with the benches.

This is the original building on Rivet Street.

It was prior to the fire.

And if you go to the next one, post-fire, that's what was built on that same site.

So you see a loss of height and density and uses.

Uh, that was a mixed-use building.

Under the form-based code, you could have a mixed-use building that captured much of the original height of that building and not the loss of units or uh commercial.

Uh on the left-hand side, you can see historic buildings.

On the right-hand side, you can see an infill that is sensitive to the historic nature for the downtown.

And then just showing what a car-centric suburban style pharmacy could be any pad site could look like with design guidelines that bring the same use closer to the street and reinforce um uh the walkability of the area.

So I'll just uh summarize uh um the tools that you have is the form-based code itself, the ordinance, the how-to guide, and the design guidelines, which provides additional information um guidance and requirements for developers and information for the public and the planning board.

Form-based codes have been shown to improve the value of uh communities that adopt and use them over time.

Um we hope uh there are our our goal was that this would be a much more streamlined and easier process for everybody involved in the process.

And I thank you for your time today tonight.

We're happy to answer any questions.

Thank you.

Uh the chair recognized counselor lopes on its first.

Thank you so much.

My question would be for Ian.

So if if anybody has a question for on the presentation, I'll gladly wait and then ask Commissioner Laurel.

Okay, so for Council Abreu, is you yours?

Anyone have any questions?

So you're the star of the show right now, uh, Miss Laura, I guess.

No, no, no offense to you, Miss Inez.

Happy to answer.

All right, so Councillor Lopes.

And two super quick questions.

If we wanted to add additional districts, how long would that time frame be?

And where else could we place additional districts in the city?

So it doesn't now that we've established a baseline of how to do it, it would it's relatively simple to map out a geographic area and then analyze, you know, the the parcels and attribute the appropriate zoning, you know, microzoning um within a subdistrict.

So I I would say like we could probably depending on the size of the district, it could be just a couple of months.

Okay.

We would probably um be able to do that internally at this point.

If is there any try and see how see how this works?

But are there any like four, five, and six after you know what we have already seen?

So we haven't specifically targeted any areas.

We are looking at um um like an upper river um district where some of the um our mill buildings are located, which have already been a lot of them have already been um adaptively um redeveloped for housing.

But as you know, we are trying to attract, you know, um uh light manufacturing and um so mill buildings really lend themselves well to those things.

So those are areas we'll be looking at.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you, Chairman.

Thank you.

The Chair can it's Councillor Aberu on his first.

Thank you very much, Mr.

Chairman.

Good evening, Ann.

Um you know, in conversations I've had with your office and the presentation that uh we just saw, has your department uh and and or the planner or the planning board um has have you folks evaluated whether um our current existing water, sewer, drainage, or roadway infrastructure um uh support the density um contemplated under this ordinance.

I mean, is that been taken into any of account?

So those are very good questions.

We do look at that for for larger development.

Um we've you know I'm gonna be honest with you in these districts, other than the um Gulat Square area, which we already have a school going on there, so I do want to remind folks that we kept that within the district, that boundary was established prior to the the new school being being built.

But relatively the infill potential within a lot of these districts is relatively small.

Um we're I think we're all familiar, we've used them as examples in our past zoning um presentations to you along a cushion avenue, some of the broken teeth.

We've had fires, the current zoning just doesn't allow as of right building on those lots because they don't they don't meet um the they don't comply to the to the current zoning.

So on a cushion avenue, there's maybe four lots that maybe could be developed.

I don't see that potentially having a heavy impact on the audience that you noted.

Okay.

Thank you for that.

Um couple more quick questions.

Um in your thought and and the department's thought, um, how will parking demand be managed, especially in like densely populated neighborhoods like the Kempton Street area, the downtown pockets of the Avre and Gulat Square?

Um how will the demand sort of I guess be managed if this ordinance uh encourages um reduced vehicle dependency over time?

What are your thoughts on that?

So I do want to note that this ordinance adopts and uses the newly adopted parking standards.

Good, okay.

Um so there's no change.

The one thing it does is it uh it does provide standards of how that parking is situated.

So as Emily noted, when we have like a 7-Eleven where it's in the back and you've got a C of asphalt or CVS, there's still the they still are will be required to meet the required parking numbers, but the parking will be um cited differently.

It'll be in the rear, it will be in the side, there'll be landscaping standards, things of that nature.

Okay.

Those are my two technical questions.

And my last question I have written down here.

Um talk about I know you've had the public processes, but have there been any type of uh neighborhood meetings, outreach, things of that nature, especially meetings held specifically in the Kempton Street area corridor, um, or and if so, if you've had some public meetings or any kind of outreach, what was some of the feedback you've received through some of these hearings and meetings from the community?

I'm just curious what you've heard.

Yeah, so that's a very good question because we the plan when we presented to the planning board, the planning board um questioned some of the heights that we had um in the downtown along the Kempton Street and County Street corridor, and we did agree with them that that it was probably too high.

We have it as an MU 14, meaning that as of right you could build a 14-story building.

And the reason why that the 14 came up is because of the the Regency New Bedford Hotel, um, those are similar heights.

But recognizing that that might not be appropriate, we're gonna go back and do some neighborhood meetings.

Um I shouldn't not make this assumption that you're may not be adopting it tonight.

And if you're not adopting it tonight, it will give us the opportunity to make those changes because those are some of the things that we did here.

But there will be a staunch, assuming this is punted out favorably and we go through that process, you will make an effort uh to have these community outreach meetings as you just spoke about.

Absolutely.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ann.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

Chair recognizes Counselor Pereira on his first.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

So in our discussions and uh I had said that uh, you know, because reading the ordinance gave me a headache because it is very complicated, that you have those books that will be made available to the public, engineers, architects, et cetera.

And and one of my requests uh was that uh we convene the architects engineers that we do business with that we know of, ask them to give it a read and report their findings back to this body.

Uh is that something the planning department still plans to undertake?

Yes, absolutely.

We we're we're starting to identify folks that architects, developers, engineers that we work with quite often um to, you know, come in either individually or as a group and review this process with them and receive their feedback.

Great.

Yeah, I think I think that, you know, this is a big change.

I think this is a uh uh I think the approach is right to do this change in small areas of the city.

Uh I do think after the presentation that this will better protect the neighborhoods.

Uh in and speaking of Gulat Square, uh I I think that the more I think the zoning is at mo so much more detailed and and literally parcel to parcel that it is protects the the neighborhood much better than our current zoning d allows.

Yes.

Our current zoning, I guess I could characterize it as one size fits all.

It l it usually encompasses great swaths of of city blocks and areas and segregates certain um things.

And um this is very nuanced, more granular.

Um I I can tell you honestly, um I'm the one that did the um the table of uses um for the zoning for each um category of subdistrict and um and it took me weeks to do because I was cross-referencing again as Emily noted, an MU3 zoning in School at Square is the same as it is would be um with very minute differences um as it would be on the cushion avenue, but two different areas.

So I had to make sure that, hey, MU3 here doesn't work the same up there.

Right.

So we d we did I guess that's my way of telling you we we were very thoughtful um and strenuous in our observations.

I definitely think the added defin uh uh for lack of better terminology, the added definitions or added uh uh styles of mixed-use business is is for me very important because to your point, mixed-use business in downtown compared to various locations on a Cushion Avenue, right?

Closer to Cogsall Street or going up past Nash Road or even Gulat Square, close uh Rivett Street close to Route 18 in County compared to to Rivet Street up by Orchard or Bolton are two very different it's it's it's not even a quarter of a mile, and those neighborhoods change so much from 18 all the way to uh to to actually Gulart Square and and it changes rapidly.

And I think being able to uh break out mixed-use business and I think in Goulette Square it's neighborhood residential.

Neighborhood residents.

Neighborhood residents is important to note those differences because neighborhood residence is different from uh uh RC that used to be or B which used to be.

And that uh that further detail I think is going to protect neighborhoods better.

But also allowing our developers to have a clearer use of what we're looking for in these zones.

Yeah, one of the things that I know you you counselors here as well is from from developers, and these are not big developers, these are local developers, is one in the room today.

Yeah one of the things that I know you you counselors here as well um is from from from developers and these are not big developers these are local developers is one in the room today um that the uncertainty of you know what a building type would will be allowed or not allowed or the zoning if they need a zoning change you know that that affects you know their their investment in how they approach a project so taking away that barrier of uncertainty with you know either through the guidelines you know of the building types um the scale the massing where it needs to be set on a lot as well as what zoning what uses are allowed um I think just helps helps both the planning staff as well as the person who is investing into the city.

Yeah.

No I I think it's I think it's definitely a good idea.

I I like the fact that you're testing it out first.

We can make tweak tweaks before we deploy fully but I definitely think that um I definitely would like to hear the feedback from the architects and engineers reading that book if we were to continue this to the I think the next meeting I looked up Mr.

Chairman is the 24th of June is the next meeting would that give you enough time to get some feedback?

Absolutely and I know you mentioned about the neighborhood meeting you'd be able to conduct that as well I know that's a different word but I just wanted to I'd like to hear from my colleagues further Mr.

Chairman and then if I have any other questions I'll seek the floor.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The Chair recognizes Counselor Baptiste on his first thank you Mr.

Chair hi Ann how are you doing too counselor.

Doing well good um I'm just like like you know I'm gonna echo what a couple of people said um kind of worried about MU 14 the height of that I understand just looking in the area just knowing what buildings are in there I I can sort of understand why you're getting to that New Bedford Hotel Regency Bedford Towers and you know all that all that way down there.

What uh what I was con what I I don't know about is you know with all the talks about a new courthouse did you make that zone in with preparation of thinking that we're going to get a bigger courthouse as well?

That was a consideration but again be honest with you in retrospect an MU 14 I I I don't know if even in my lifetime on CNMU for a 14 story building here in New Bedford.

I don't know the way they the way they're acting right now might go up.

So um I I think that we can scale that back um a bit and we I don't want to commit to a story height until we have that conversation with the neighborhood and and have meaningful um dialogue with them.

All right and um an another one like I I like the um what what what is it urban residential?

Yes.

So when when you district that urban residential like what are you what is plan to be there?

Just the regular residence that's there now or do you plan on building like little development small townhouses or something that can go in the ur urban.

So the urban residential right now only exists in the downtown.

If we were going to go into other areas of the city I want to take this opportunity to say say we we picked the West end, Hoton Street where there's a lot of maybe single family residential that would have its own west end?

Hey I'm sorry.

I don't know it's west of County Street.

Is it I don't know that I don't know I everybody has a wrong my West End's only like six blocks.

I'm only playing in the butt let's just say west of County Street where with there's large swaths of I'm playing around I'm playing around of resident A um zoning that would have its own subdistrict because it wouldn't fit into neighborhood residential and it wouldn't set fit into urban residential because urban residential only exists in the downtown which would allow for as it does now because of the zoning allows for two family.

If we were to go into an RA neighborhood um based on uh what we've heard from from the city council that would allow only for single family so what it would it would have its own subdistrict.

All right good because we worry right because of the um especially with the M M U4 and MU6 it it trickles it trickles into certain neighborhoods um did what what did you have plans when you did that you know was that small mix mixed use buildings are you trying to just um well the question I should ask is there's a lot of empty spaces in a lot of these areas are you planning uh is there a lot of plans for development in these empty spaces within these um zoning so we are I I should just say has nothing to do with form-based code.

We're actively trying to um look at vacant storefronts um both in the downtown and uh well throughout our commercial districts, right?

And how do we activate them?

And um it's it's not easy.

I just read an article um from a national um publication that this is not unique to the city of New Bedford.

There's a lot of reasons post-COVID, uh you know, a lot of businesses, you've got people shopping, their shopping um styles have changed, they're ordering off of Amazon, they're not going to the local retailer.

So we're actively um looking at how we can solve that issue.

The form-based code, even though it has an MU4 or an MU3, we're not um dictating that you ha when there is a retail space, it doesn't have to be the entire floor um space.

I think we've we've limited it's it's active uses.

So for example, um we're seeing a lot of buildings, residential buildings, for example, who are doing co-working space, that's where they're having um their their um gym or just a gathering community room for their residents, so it doesn't always necessarily have to be an outward facing retail use.

Um last question.

Um and and I always want I always want to ask this question to people too talk about it earlier.

Um you know how you always put these plans together and then have public meetings.

Do you ever think of having the public meeting first, thinking about a little strategy of what goes on and then making the plan after that and bringing it to the public and then trying to like modify it after that?

Like you want you understand what I'm saying?

So if you came to a meeting and said, hey, we got this area up over here.

You have a public meeting, you get it out there, not in the Standard Times because you know a lot of people read the newspaper nowadays, but I'm just saying you get it out there enough so more people can get out there and you and you propose what you plan on putting in areas, right?

And you just put I don't know whether you color it or you have little things that you're putting up.

But just so people can be aware in the process, I think that a lot of the times where the the negative feedback comes from people of the city is that um the how how it's presented after the process is already done.

You know what I'm saying?

And so actually going through the process with the community so that way you you would get less feedback, uh less negative feedback, um, be happen be able to work faster, and then just you know, and that bridges the gap with communication.

Um just for further.

So I do want to be clear that for the form-based code, we did have a very aggressive um community outreach.

Um I think when it came to the feedback that we heard about the um 14 in the downtown is in direct correlation to some of the development that is currently taking place in that area, and we want to be um sensitive and cognitive of that.

And so at the planning board meeting, we realized like a little bit of Mia Culpa, like we should have we should have caught this, you know, prior to bringing it before this body as an MU 14.

So we are retracting that and going to have those community meetings and then come back with a revised um at least for for the that that's that area, a revised um subdistrict that is reflective of what the community wants.

Thank you.

And I because you know, and that that's what we get voted in for, right?

To represent our c uh constituents and the people that you know that that want us in these seats to fight for them.

You know, we don't always, well, some of us don't always make decisions based on what's best for the constituents that we have.

And I think that, you know, we we should take more of that in mind, you know, not just with us and how we make decisions, but other offices around the city that do make decisions for the people that actually live in them communities and see how they're going to be affected long term for that.

I thank you for your time and what you guys do.

Um I yield the floor.

Thank you.

Thank you, Council.

Thank you.

Chair recognizes Counselor Gomes on its first.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

I like what I see.

I like what has been proposed.

Um I think it can really make a difference in the city and in these, and I love the spots that you have picked.

But I would love for you to take an area like Wells Square from the exit.

The common park.

Imagine I'm just imagining what this zoning could do for that area.

You understand there's a lot of vacancies there.

You know the whole stretch there.

At one time I wanted uh to post I don't know if I did or I talked about it.

I wanted that to be not uh downtown north.

Had a vision of downtown north, getting rid of that stigma of the Well Square and what was happening there.

But I I envision this working in an area like that.

And just was wondering if um this goes through and we go through with these three zones that you have already picked.

If you would consider uh area like that as one of your possible next fixes or proposals that I really could bring a rebirth to that area.

And if you got the right development in there, uh the vision is phenomenal, which you could see in that stretch from common park south.

And I'm talking about where the old restaurant used to be um the um Lebanese restaurant going all the way north to Wells Square.

Yeah.

So I agree with you, and let me tell you some of the things.

So that that very likely will be an area we're looking at.

Um I can tell you that one piece of zoning that does benefit that area right now is the TOD overlay, which captures that that area.

Not to the extent that form-based code does.

It does have TOD does have its um it design guidelines associated with it, um, not to this level.

So um I think that would be an area that we would likely look at.

But I also want you to be aware that we received a um uh mass mass DOT infrastructure um grant for Purchase Street last two years ago.

And um it was for design and construction.

We've just finished the design.

You're gonna start seeing construction um along uh around Hillman Street.

Um I think that there were some renderings that were put out when we first received that grant a year ago.

So there are street improvements that are taking place on Purchase Street.

We are putting in a grant yeah, but isn't that South Hillman Street South I I know about it, let me finish.

Okay.

So that was phase one because we didn't have enough match.

So we have a limit.

They they gave us five million dollars, and we had to come up with a five million dollar match.

We wanted 10 million dollars, but we didn't have that amount match.

So we cut it into phases.

So phase one, we have design and construction.

You're gonna start seeing bulldozes out there soon.

Next week we're putting in a grant for phase two, which is going all the way to Clasky Common Park.

So as you know, as a body, infrastructure improvements always attract development.

It's showing developers that we're putting money into a corridor that is important.

So we're also Josh's office is also have a um program that they've been working along that corridor going all the way to Weld Square.

Um you haven't seen anything physical there.

We're also put in what is called an SS4A grant for that corridor as well, which is surface street improvements, which are better lighting, better walkways, um bump outs, because that's a uh that's a difficult corridor.

You've we've not only do we have the vacancies that you mentioned, but it's not a pedestrian-friendly corridor.

We've walked out there with consultants be prior to doing these grants.

So I guess my long story that I'm going on here a little off subject is that it is an area that planning, housing community development, and DPI are all looking together to do these roadway infrastructure improvements.

We've done the TOD, and I agree with you.

If we're going to extend another district for form-based code, that is the perfect location.

I understand what you said about the road work and all that.

Um that that's it's true, a grant.

We just physically like to see this area looked at.

It is uh an immediate area when you come off 195 when the exit's all done.

I was saying about Wells Square.

At one time I wanted to change that from um Well Square exit to downtown north.

You would just come in and in the north side and getting rid of all that.

I just think this is something that that could work in that area, and it would even give an opportunity to um give give opportunity to everybody from them car dealers and some of them lots are just owned and they're just sitting there really doing nothing or whatever to the developers maybe that are sitting behind me or the developers that you have talked about locally.

You can envision a whole new purchase street along with the corridor that you just talked about from Hillman Street going to Clasky Carmen Park.

That's already somewhat filled as far as business.

There might be a couple of lots there, something that can be done.

But going further enough, I definitely think that this is something that could work.

And if you would keep that in the back of your head as this moves along and we see how this turns out, I believe this is going to work.

A lot of different things could come out of this, but that area could be prime to showcase this proposal what it can really be be done.

Well noted.

And just one other thing.

You had a picture up there earlier of a house.

And then it showed the store that was there and it burnt down.

Oh on Rivet Street.

Yes, I think we're one block west where the fire was.

No, that wouldn't, but that was a house.

Yeah, it wasn't.

That was in a storefront.

Are we just using that picture?

Because I even said it to the counselor.

Um if you go back.

Yeah, the restaurant is one block.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Right there, Ann.

Right there.

You see that?

No.

Oh, he's still there.

No, he's still there, Ann.

Yes, that's what I'm trying to say.

That's a Christian Avenue.

And if you go up one, one block down in the case.

Go up.

There was a fire there at that house.

But look at this.

And that's more.

But that picture, I'm telling you, this I we worked with I worked with this lady when that house burnt.

And um she had that house all rebuilt and everything.

That house.

Is this house?

Where am I?

Why, Joe?

Why?

For some reason.

Yeah.

Near Townhouse move down on South.

You've got three locations now.

When that house right is across by Langaran School.

This bird down, because that's that house, which is that house.

That property across the street.

Is that property?

There's the fire hydrant.

Okay, Ann.

I apologize.

Might be in another life, but I'm going down there when I leave here because I have to clarify this.

What do you want to wage in?

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

You're welcome.

I thought these were I thought these were all AI generated photos just to show examples of uh form-based coding.

But uh any other uh counselors have questions for either of our presenters.

We also have uh Catherine uh uh representing the solicitor's office here tonight.

If anyone had any legal questions.

For uh Chair recognized Councilor Roy on his first.

How are you?

Hello, Councillor.

Um the planning is gonna have these community meetings or community meeting or community meetings that it for the for the height thing.

So we think right now the only um the only item that seems to be a concern for folks is the downtown height.

Because the other the other things are pretty pretty standard.

They're there's that seems to be so I think we'll probably I mean it I think I'll work with um Councillor Baptiste um because it's in his ward to have a neighborhood meeting, but it would be open to to all.

Um if we have to have more than one meeting, we're more than happy to do that as well.

I I'm just struggling with the timing here.

I know that this will be in front of the full city council next month um for the first reading if we if we approve it here tonight.

And I I'm wondering if if it's smarter to keep it here for now and and and to work on the height requirements, you know, in committee, um, and then send it out to the full city council.

That's my thought.

I don't know.

We're we're open to whatever whatever your comfort level is.

That's all thanks.

Appreciate that.

And other uh questions from the body.

Okay.

Mr.

Chairman.

Uh uh Councillor Pera.

Point of information.

It is my uh intention to continue this hearing to another date.

I would yield to you, Mr.

Chairman, if you'd like the public to speak now or at the continued date.

It is up to you though.

I would uh it's important to have them do it now if they're here.

Um really quickly, just for procedural matters, uh the this amended documentation that you all should have received on your desk with the highlighted uh paperwork.

Does everyone have this on their desk?

From from John Carnell.

If we can just get a motion to receive motion receiving place on file by Councilor Abers, seconded by Councillor Gomes.

Anyone on the question of receiving and placing on file?

Seeing none, all those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed, the ayes have it.

Anyone here uh from the general public that would like to speak in favor?

I see some head nods, Mr.

Carson.

Come on up, pal.

You know the drill.

Name, address.

All right.

Uh Edward Carson.

Not really?

All right, listen, okay.

Government name out here.

All right.

Uh listen, I just think this is a good idea.

I think it'll preserves neighborhood character, allows for more development, helps build the tax base, and uh goes back to a way of building uh that allowed a lot of building to happen already in the city instead of these uh more terrible recent developments.

So hope you guys vote for it.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Carson.

Yes.

Yep.

Will.

I only need mail on slides.

Uh Will G Gardner.

Um South Coast Places for People.

My my interest in in this and the reason I would support it is uh part of what our group is about is we envision there being a generation, uh a group throughout this city of small scale, incremental local developers who know their neighborhoods intimately, who love their neighborhoods, who aren't gonna build something that's bad because they they are gonna be walking by it every day, and their friends and neighbors are too, right?

And we imagine those are the people who can build the housing and the mixed use and all the good stuff that New Bedford needs.

Now, big developers can do good work too.

Not knocking them.

They have lots of cash to burn, lots of time, they have fancy lawyers, so no matter what the zoning, as you all know, they can wait things out and get what they need.

And again, I'm not knocking the big guys.

But what something like this does by streamlining the process and giving people clarity up front is it gives an equal footing to the people who are already here, to small scale local developers, so they can build things like infill and build the things that New Bedford needs.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Oddly Baden.

Um this is my wish.

Could you I'm sorry, could you spell it for our clerk?

Oddly Baden, B-O-D-D-E-N.

Three Miles Properties, L L Cergent Developer in a beautiful city in New Bedford.

Councilor Glooms, I agree with you.

Uh currently I have a property on uh Kushnet Avenue that I just recently acquired, and I believe that this is perfect uh for that development.

We want to create more walkable, friendly area in communities.

Uh I also feel that in our area, we should be part of that downtown conversation.

Uh this here will give us the opportunity to actually make those developments happen.

Um this is great for the city.

Um I'm a local individual who wants to do things in my community.

Uh and I would love to be part of that decision making.

And this does give me the opportunity.

And uh South Coast for place for people, that's what we're promoting.

More walkability, uh, more beautiful, vibrant communities.

If we look at the changing times now, New Bedford is becoming more of that city, that we have to create these environments where it feels more comfortable for our local people that are here.

And we have to look at this parking issue also.

We know our community.

We know what we have for parking and what we don't have.

Uh so we can't be restricted because of that parking.

Uh we have to build these um neighborhoods that it's for all.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Anyone here uh wish to speak in favor or be recorded in favor?

Speak in favor or record in favor.

Anyone wish to speak in opposition?

Speak in opposition.

Be recorded in opposition.

Be recorded in opposition.

Okay.

Councilor Pereira?

I move to continue this hearing to June 24th at 7 p.m.

Motion made by Councilor Pereira to continue the public hearing to June twenty fourth, twenty twenty six at seven PM, located at one hundred thirty three William Street in room two fourteen.

Seconded by Derek Baptiste, Councillor of Ward 4.

Anyone on the question of continuing the public hearing to june twenty fourth, twenty twenty six at seven PM here in City Council Chamber, room two fourteen.

Seeing none, all those in favor say aye.

I see.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Thank you.

Any opposed?

The ayes have it.

Motion to adjourn made by Councilor Abrew, seconded by Second Councilor Baptist.

Anyone on the question of adjourning?

Roll call.

Seeing none, a roll call has been requested.

Clerk will call the roll.

He just withdrew it.

Oh, he withdrew.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Very enthusiastically.

Any opposed?

The ayes have it.

We are adjourned at eight fourteen PM.

Mr Chair.

You act real funny when you got your mint shirt on, man.

When you act in real meat.