The Peabody City Council held committee meetings (Industrial & Community Development, Finance) followed by a regular full council meeting on May 14, 2026, addressing zoning amendments, accessory dwelling units (ADUs), special permits, budget transfers, and capital improvements.
Good evening, everyone. The Industrial and Community Development Committee, which consists of Councils Latiff, Councils Manning Martin, Councillor Peach, and Councillor Welton are all present for this meeting. His property is currently vacant. We do know that it is an area that is protected by the Conservancy ordinance. Craig's Pond is at an elevation of 80. That is the protected elevation. Our property seems to mirror that 80 elevation below which there cannot be construction. This particular property is entirely paved. We're hoping to build a if this zoning were allowed, it would uh I had previously been here with a uh suggestion of uh of a BN2. Uh that was interpreted as a spot zone, uh since it would only this would be the only BN2 uh neighborhood uh in the city, and as such it uh it filled the uh uh criteria, checked all the boxes for a spot zone. We withdrew, came back and uh said that we would uh like uh housing by special permit uh uh issued by the city council uh under this zoning ordinance. So if the city were to uh oh I think there's been a uh sentiment that perhaps we should go to the CONCOM uh first and see whether or not uh we can build anything. Um we have uh an engineer on board, uh Engineering Alliance, Engineering Alliance has uh we've determined topos, we've determined the condition of the land when you review the uh 21E, it's been paved in its entirety for a significant period of time. So we will be able to approach this as a um uh previously degraded uh parcel of land. And in as much as it is uh uh uh entirely paved, uh we are in a position where if we add landscaping, uh if we uh reduce the paved areas, then we can actually improve the uh drainage uh to the extent that uh um where there is now no runoff being absorbed, uh we will be able to absorb a significant uh amount of it. Uh but that'll be a matter uh if we're able to get uh a positive recommendation from the subcommittee. Uh I view it as an opportunity. Uh down the road, uh my client uh is looking uh at this uh as a mixed use. There would be uh uh limited retail on the first floor. Uh Ramsey would move his uh Ramsey's Roast Beef from its current location in the uh brick uh plaza adjacent uh uh the other side of Corwin Street. Uh that business would move over. Uh there would be some space in uh approximately uh 5,900 square foot building for uh uh a couple of other or one other tenant. Uh my client is uh uh contemplating a um uh kind of a specialty market, but at the same time we could put uh uh a myriad number of uh retail and uh commercial uses in the first floor. The uh idea currently is uh two additional floors above. Uh they would uh house apartments if we are able to uh design uh what we're thinking in terms of designing is either replicating the look of the uh plaza that is immediately adjacent, but we're currently uh trending toward uh kind of a hybrid uh looking uh uh building that would uh look residential, have a first floor that uh had storefronts uh and would be kind of a transitional structure between the pure commercial brick uh plaza uh that houses uh Ramsey's now and also uh houses uh Alto Forno, and we would be able to uh uh create a building that uh you would get to view under special permit and get to uh uh critique and uh determine whether uh you like the notion, uh but that would be uh come available to you at the special permit uh uh level. Uh the thinking is that if we are able to uh have a positive recommendation from this committee, uh then it would go to public hearing before the full council in a couple of weeks. At that public hearing, if we were successful again and the zone and zoning amendment were realized, we would then uh file special permit and with the conservation commission simultaneously. So both issues uh were being addressed. Uh the statute provides uh the rules and regulations here in PBD. Uh special permits are supposed to be last, conservation commission. Uh the state regulations say they should be last. This has been uh uh ongoing issue uh between various boards and cities and towns as to who goes first. Uh but we firmly believe uh we're not in a position to do full design until such time as uh we can pass go, and that would be uh with the uh um with the uh passage uh positive recommendation of this and a subsequent passage of the uh zoning amendment. Uh last thing is that uh um my client Ramsey has been uh um uh employing people, uh many of whom have been with him for years. Uh they rent uh elsewhere in Peabody. Uh there's a significant uh goal and desire to rent to his uh own employees. I think in the truest spirit of affordable housing and creating housing uh for people of moderate means uh to live in uh to live where you work gives a family, small family an opportunity uh even to um reduce their um footprint to one car. Um if I work downstairs, I don't need a car to go to work. If my husband or wife needs to go to work, kids need to go to school. It that's up to the individuals. There's no suggestion here this evening uh that uh that's what will end up occurring, but it uh Ramsey does take particular note of the fact that uh employees that he's had for years uh renting all over Peabody and the North Shore. And uh this idea of uh uh creating almost a tantamount to a live workspace uh is uh exciting and I think uh fills the needs of uh a community uh that um wants to uh see change and wants to uh wants to uh look down the road and improve uh conditions here in Peabody. Thank you. Thank you. Uh recomm uh take a motion to receive eight I so moved. Comments or questions from the committee. Council Walton. Thank you, Chairman Gamash. Uh thank you, Attorney Kelty, for the overview. Um I understand there's been a lot of work done.