By THOMAS GRILLO
LYNN — A pair of controversial proposals that would have essentially prohibited multifamily construction in much of the city were tabled by the Planning Board Tuesday night.
Following a public hearing where a landlord, a commercial real estate broker and residents sparred over the merits of a major zoning change to limit new home construction to one- or two-family dwellings, the panel declined to take a position and referred the matter to the city council.
If approved, the proposals by City Councilors Peter Capano and Jay Walsh would require developers to seek council approval to build multifamily units in portions of Ward 5 and all of Ward 6 and 7. A second, stricter proposal would require Zoning Board of Appeals approval for multifamily construction in the city.
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John and Marilyn Marsello, residents of Fairmount Avenue, said a Saugus-based developer has approvals for two apartment buildings on their street that would contain 100 units. The new apartments would add more cars to an already congested area of the city with narrow streets.
“We never had any say on the construction of these units,” said John Marsello. “It’s not a bad thing for developers to come before the city and the neighborhood for approval before they tear down homes and build apartment buildings.”
Marilyn Marsello said these new properties will change the lives of families in what had been a neighborhood of single-family homes.
“It’s horrible,” she said.
But Christopher Bibby, president of Bibby Real Estate Corp., opposed the measure, noting it would hurt real estate values and chill construction of apartments at a time when demand is up.
Gordon Hall, president of The Hall Co., and chairman of the Lynn Business Partnership who also serves as a director of The Daily Item, said while he sympathized with the Marsellos, such sweeping zoning should be rejected.
“This is not the way to address zoning,” he said. “It’s like taking a machete to it.”
Hall recommended the city hire a planning director and city officials, the business community, and the neighborhoods work together for a better solution.
Michael Donovan, the city’s Inspectional Services Department chief, said he opposed both measures, noting that it would not only end construction of multifamily dwellings but make it difficult for owners of two- and three-family homes to make improvements.
Resident and activist Elisabeth L. Daley said the city should consider the need for more housing and a way to keep neighborhoods from being overrun with high-rise properties.
“We need to find a balance,” she said.
The city council also tabled the plan and Capano noted discussions are underway to amend the proposals.
In other news, the council took no action on a plan supported by the city’s unions to amend the residency requirement. Under the proposal, employees who live in the city for 10 years would then be free to live anywhere.
Peter Caron, the city’s chief financial officer, said the city’s bond rating has been downgraded to A-3 with a negative outlook from A-1 by Moody’s Investors Service as a result of the city’s financial woes.
“Since our reserves are being depleted, Moody’s doesn’t expect us to produce a balanced operating budget,” he said.
Thomas Grillo can be reached at [email protected].