Second Update Responses
I would first like to thank everyone who took the time to respond to our latest update. The majority of responses simply voiced support for the project. Those with specific questions and concerns are addressed below.
Q: What action might be taken to mitigate the ongoing traffic issues?
A: Zoning Amendment to allow a restaurant use at an active marina was submitted by the Mayor’s office to City Council on 6/22 and had a first reading at City Council on June 28th.
Our understanding is that the Planning Board Hearing will be on August 8th followed by a review by the Ordinance & Administration Committee and the Planning & Development Committee in September. The 2nd reading and vote by City Council is expected at their September 27th meeting.
If approved on September 27th, the Marina at Amesbury Point will submit a Pre-application to Planning Board and notice of intent to ConComm in early October. A Pre-application hearing with the planning board will be held in late October.
It is worth noting, the Office of Community and Economic Development (OCED) has taken the lead to finalize the 40R Smart Growth District ordinance language and create design standards for potential development in the proposed East End Smart Growth Overlay District. Over the next 2 months, the Office of Community and Economic Development (OCED) staff will review the final report from the Merrimack River District project and hold at least one workshop with the Design Review Committee to ensure the design standards are consistent with the existing neighborhood character, while developing a vibrant, human-oriented and welcoming eastern gateway into Amesbury. It’s anticipated that a proposed ordinance will be presented to City Council in October 2022. Final approvals for adoption of the ordinance will be required by both the Planning Board and City Council.
Though I cannot provide specific examples of how the Marina at Amesbury Point will contribute to improving traffic safety; I have little doubt that the proposed ordinance will include traffic safety concerns that influence the marina/restaurant site design.
Q: Will you be able to get a traffic light for the intersecting streets – Merrimac and Main?
A: As stated above; specific traffic safety recommendations will be part of the ordinance being presented by OCED. I would not be surprised to see something more proposed for that intersection.
Q: Do you still plan to have Marina members park at 13 Merrimac?
A: Presently, we plan to use 13 Merrimac St. for employee parking only.
Q: Will the land at 13 Merrimac St. be fenced in?
A: We do plan on fencing the back lot at 13 Merrimac St. ANY proposed use for 13 Merrimac St. will still be subject to City regulations and require approval.
Q: What will the hours of operation be for the restaurant?
A: That will be determined when a restaurateur has been chosen. Dan Healey has discretion over choosing a restaurateur and has been clear that it will be a casual but upscale venue. The Black Cow might be a good comparison.
Q: Can you please provide a dog poop bag dispenser to your boaters and can you do that now?
A: I have discussed this with the marina manager. He informed me that there are less than a handful of slip renters that bring their dog and he has never seen them leave the property. We have put a request into the City to have a dog poop bag dispenser placed between the marina and the City boat launch.
Q: Will there be a dock available for boats to “dock and dine”?
A: Under our Chapter 91 marina license, three slips will be assigned for transient boaters.
Q: I disagree with your distribution of information especially with constant home sales. There should be a better way to include everyone and also new homeowners. Simple snail mail directing people to the website would be better.
A: Unfortunately, there is no simple mechanism that allows me to maintain an up to date mailing list for our bordering neighborhoods. I have done my best to create a mailing list that included Point Shore and Pleasant Valley (our bordering neighborhoods) exclusively. The updates are intended to engage feedback from our neighbors only. I apologize for having missed new home buyers and will make an effort to get them included.
I know there wasn’t a great deal of new information provided in this update but we did want to share the latest renderings with you. We expect, as we close in on our application submittal this fall, to have much greater detail with regard to the building design/appearance, hardscaping/lighting, curb-cuts and entrance improvement, etc. We will share that information as it becomes available.
Thank you again for your comments, suggestions and overwhelming support.
Best,
Peter Suorsa
The Marina at Amesbury Point
Project Coordinator
First Presentation Responses
Allow me to begin by saying thank you to all who took the time to respond to our presentation. As we had stated; the purpose in sharing our preliminary vision for the Marina at Amesbury Point was to gain insight to the concerns of our neighbors at this early stage of plan development. It is our hope, that with this understanding, we can now develop a masterplan that addresses these concerns.
The following is a collation of the questions / concerns received and our response:
Q. Traffic was easily the number one concern. Responses ranged from specific suggestions for traffic lights, crosswalks speed bumps, added sidewalks, making Merrimac St. one-way traffic to general acknowledgement of a growing traffic problem.
A. We are aware of the organized effort to address the traffic issue on Point Shore and Pleasant Valley. We have attended the traffic meetings at DPW over the past year in order to better understand the magnitude of the problem and hear the specific concerns voiced by those who are championing the cause. We are included in the email exchanges of those organizing this effort and will do all that we can to be part of the solution.
In addition to gathering neighborhood feedback before developing our master plan; we will be required to conduct an independent traffic impact study. We have chosen a firm to conduct the study and currently working through the scope of work. The study will focus on Point Shore, Pleasant Valley and Main St and be conducted in two phases: 1. Current traffic 2. Traffic impact based on the development plan for the marina complex (not yet determined).
It should be noted that following phase 1 of the traffic impact study, we will be meeting with Amesbury’s technical advisory committee for a pre-filing meeting. It is at this meeting that we will gain better insight to what may or may not be allowed, based on the regulations of the respective departments comprising the committee. It is feedback from this meeting that will allow us to better define the scope of the marina project and base phase 2 of the traffic impact study on that plan.
Q. How will you address parking?
A. There is no question that available parking will be a determining factor in scaling this project. There are very specific regulations in Amesbury’s zoning bylaws that dictate the required number of parking spaces for marinas, restaurants and hotels. As mentioned in the above “traffic” response; our preliminary meeting with Amesbury department heads will provide regulatory guidance for what will be allowed on this site. That feedback combined with Mass DEP’s determination on jurisdictional limits and Chapter 91 regulations will provide a clear picture of allowable construction. Only then can we begin to weigh options for the size and placement of the respective project components. In doing so, our priority for inclusion is: 1. Marina 2. Restaurant 3. Boutique hotel
Q. Do you anticipate street parking?
A. No.
Q. Once completed, how will you mitigate noise?
A. At this point, we can only address the question generally as we do not yet have a specific layout. It is our desire to locate the restaurant on the riverfront, as many of you suggested in your responses. Though we do not yet know if this will be allowed, we believe it may be possible and would prefer this layout over that depicted in the renderings. This option also serves to consolidate pub/restaurant activities to a single location. We are sensitive to the concerns of our most immediate neighbors and will take measures to mitigate noise. There are many noise mitigating techniques that can be deployed when designing outdoor seating. i.e. acoustic fencing/panels, noise reducing awnings, etc.
Q. A restaurant in the proposed location would result in kitchen exhaust fumes permeating the neighborhood.
A. Location of the restaurant is subject to change. Regardless of the restaurant location, there are a number of ways to deal with kitchen exhaust. Carbon filtration, electrostatic and other oxidation systems are routinely used in restaurants located in city neighborhoods. Your concern is noted and will be addressed when designing the restaurant component.
Q. Will there be loud music at the pub/bar/restaurant?
A. It is not our intent to have a “rock” venue. We do however envision having live music. There may be a piano in the bar/restaurant area. There may be an area for jazz ensembles and solo performers to set up but we do not plan on having rock bands performing.
Q. What is the capacity for all components of this project?
A. As previously mentioned, it is premature to determine the size of the respective project components. Maintaining and improving the marina is first priority and is approved on state and local levels to have up to 98 slips. With a known parking requirement for the marina, we can integrate the parking associated with the seating capacity of the restaurant and work with site constraints to determine available parking capacity to support a boutique hotel. Parking requirements will be the variable for determining the size of restaurant and hotel. Though still in question, the original vision for the hotel (if included) was conceptually considered to be small; 10-12 rooms.
Q. How many visiting/transient slips are available? Are you adding more?
A. Currently there are three transient slips being made available. When the restaurant is operational, an adjustment may be made to accommodate small craft vessels and other visiting boats. The number of slips to be provided has not been determined.
Q. What are the plans for storing boats during the winter months?
A. Boats will not be stored on the property during off-season. Several off-site storage service options have been provided to marina members.
Q. Where will docks/floats be stored in the off season?
A. We anticipate storing the floats on the corner of the property bordering the Merrimack and Powow Rivers. This is area is within the allowed DEP jurisdictional limits. Consequently, it cannot be used for parking or any non-water-dependent use.
Q. Who can be a marina member? What is provided?
A. Paying for a boat slip constitutes membership. Fees and member benefits can be found at the marina web site: www.amesburypoint.com
Q. I am concerned about the height of the buildings along Main St. and Merrimac St.
A. Currently, there are large metal buildings bordering both streets that are in disrepair and an eyesore to the neighborhood. It is our intent to work with our architectural design engineers to develop buildings that are complimentary to the look and feel of the neighborhood. Height of the buildings will need to conform to city building regulation. It is anticipated that the proposed building heights will not exceed two stories, however final heights will need to be determined based on engineering and permitting requirements.
Q. We received a number of questions regarding the use of 13 Merrimac St. (located across from current marina entrance). Will the duplex building remain? If kept, used as part of the hotel concept? Is parking being put there? Lighted? Fenced?
A. At this point, the plan is to utilize the back lot of the property for parking. There are many zoning regulations that will dictate the design of the lot, its lighting, drainage, fencing etc. A more definitive plan will emerge when we have a better handle on the masterplan for the marina site and the anticipated parking need. Until then, it is difficult to address questions regarding 13 Merrimac St.
Q. Are you working with a design firm?
A. We have not yet chosen a design firm but yes, a professional firm will be chosen once we are further along on developing the masterplan.
Q. How is light pollution being addressed in your final plan?
A. As with many of the concerns being voiced; we will address the concern with our design firm. A quick investigation of commercial lighting that mitigates light pollution indicates that there are many options for dealing with this matter. It is our intent to maintain aesthetic value without compromise to lighting safety. Advancements in LED technology will likely play into how the campus is lit.
Q. Regarding environmental concerns: green space in river buffer area, natural hydrology, site filtration, minimizing impervious surfaces, etc.
A. Once we have a masterplan that defines building locations and parking needs, we will be working with our design firm and environmental engineers to determine best practices for site development. Our location at the confluence of two rivers places us under very strict regulation. We are mindful of our environmental responsibilities as stewards of this historical site.
Q. There were a number of questions regarding kayaking.
A. We are currently upgrading the existing deteriorated seasonal timber floats with new floats which will include a net increase of four finger floats and slight increase in sizing of individual floats for safety reasons. The available watersheet widths across both River’s and the passage of vessels will not change. Providing a launch site on the marina property is not something we have discussed. We will give this some consideration and if we choose to accommodate this request, we will post it in the “Updates” section of the marina web site. We have discussed how best to accommodate restaurant visitors in the future, and we anticipate an adjustment to the boat slip layout to accommodate small craft vessels. We will give further thought to how we might accommodate kayakers as well. The public access points currently being used to launch kayaks and canoes on the adjacent City property will not be affected by this project.
Q. Can you help with an upgrading of the town boat ramp including floats?
A. We will be working closely with nearly all Amesbury municipal departments and will add this to our talking points. We do not anticipate any negative impact on the public launch as a result of this project.
Q. There were many more questions regarding access points to the marina property, design of the public walkway, hours of operation for all business segments on-site, placement of hotel and where the room windows might face, plans for retail stores…etc. All good questions
A. The simple answer is that it is too early to provide answers. When we get further along in the design process, I will answer these questions and post in the “Updates” section of the marina website: www.amesburypoint.com
I would like to point out that the renderings provided in our presentation were strictly conceptual. They were intended to illustrate what The Marina at Amesbury Point might look like. We are aware that these drawings also create a misconception with regard to parking, placement of restaurant and hotel and scale of the respective buildings. Hopefully, the input received and responses provided here will provide a better sense of where we are in the process and what realistically might be achievable. We do not view this exchange of ideas as a one-time connection with our neighbors. It is the beginning of a dialogue we will continue with you as we work towards a final design.
Thanks so much for your input.
Best regards,
Peter Suorsa
Project Coordinator – The Marina at Amesbury Point
Invitation to Comment
To those of you who received an email notification regarding the posting of this response:
My notifying those of you who took the time to respond to our presentation was intended as a courtesy. Unfortunately, in my haste to email you, I neglected to BCC the group. It is an oversight for which I am a bit embarrassed and sorry. It was inconsiderate and unprofessional.
Please do not “reply all” to my notification email but rather use the comment button on the Response Page to communicate.
My sincere apologies for any inconvenience.
Peter Suorsa
We will eventually post these questions and response on The Marina at Amesbury Point web site. As this presentation was restricted to neighbors only; we will keep this site active as it provides a dedicated means of communication. Please feel free to comment on this response or ask additional questions. We will do our best to respond to you individually.