Ordinance and Administration Committee

RECEIVED By City Clerk at 4:06 pm, 9/16/21 AMESBURY CITY HALL 62 Friend Street Amesbury, MA 01913 MEETING NOTICE POSTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF M.G.L. CHAPTER 30A §§18-25 Version 7.1.10 City Council Ordinance Committee Meeting Tuesday, September 21, 2021 at 7:00 PM Virtual Meeting NOTICE: This meeting will be conducted under the ‘Executive Order Suspending Certain Provisions of the Open Meeting Law G.L. c.30A, §20’, signed on March 12, 2020. You can also dial in using your phone. United States: +1 (224) 501-3412 Access Code: 793-979-541 Topics for Discussion / Agenda: Roll Call Minutes for approval: August 17, 2021 2021-043 An Ordinance to amend Amesbury Zoning Bylaws (2015 as amended) to govern electronic signs, message boards, and billboards – Councilors Stanganelli, Mandeville, and Lennon Sponsor Summary: A measure to amend the Amesbury Zoning Bylaw by updating Section VII: Signs to include defined uses and restrictions on electronic outdoor advertising. 2021-093 An Ordinance to establish a licensing process for short term leases of residential units in the City of Amesbury. – Mayor Gove and Councilor Gilday sponsor Summary: Like many communities in the Merrimack Valley and on the North shore, Amesbury is a desirable location to visit. Companies like Airbnb and VRBO offer an “away from home” experience by offering residential units for lease. However, this can negatively impact the community and our neighborhood character if left unchecked. Therefore, the City of Amesbury should establish a licensing process permitting residential units to be leased on a short-term basis through brokers such as Airbnb, VRBO, etc. This process has been researched extensively though interviews with similar communities across the Commonwealth. This is Step 1 of a two-step process. Once the licensing process is established, regulations should be developed and adopted outlining the length of stay, number of leasing agreements per year, and other criteria that will minimize the impacts of these short-term rental units on the City’s neighborhoods, but still allow a resident to temporarily lease their units to visitors to enjoy and appreciate Amesbury. 2021-105 An Ordinance to establish zoning regulations for short-term rentals of residential units in the City of Amesbury. - Mayor and Councilor Gilday Sponsor Summary: Like many communities in the Merrimack Valley and on the North Shore, Amesbury is a desirable location to visit. Individual property owners and agencies such as Airbnb and VRBO provide an “away from home” experience by offering residential units to guests as an alternative to the more traditional hotel stay. However, this practice can have a negative impact on community services such as police and fire, disrupt neighborhood peace with noise, traffic, and related issues, 1 and erode a community’s long-term residential rental unit inventory. Therefore, the City of Amesbury shall establish zoning regulations that define the type of residential unit that can be used as a short- term rental in the City of Amesbury, the minimum length of stay for rental agreements for such units, and the residency requirements that must be met by a homeowner in order to offer their residential property as a short term rental unit in the City of Amesbury. 2021-107 An Ordinance to Establish a Means-Tested Senior Citizen Rental Assistance Program. - Councilor Stanganelli, Rinaldi and Hogg Sponsor Summary: An Ordinance to establish a means-tested rental assistance program for senior citizens. 2021-108 An Ordinance to adopt a limit on the number of licenses that may be issued for local cannabis retail sales locations. - Councilors Stanganelli, Rinaldi and Hogg Sponsor Summary: This ordinance implements the local option to limit the total number of retail cannabis licensees operating within the city. 2021-110 An Ordinance to Establish a process for Licensing Business Activities. – Councilors Stanganelli, Lennon and Rinaldi sponsor Summary: An Ordinance to establish enabling legislation to regulate businesses operating in the City of Amesbury and their fictitious names. 2021-111 An Ordinance to amend the Amesbury Zoning Bylaw to establish and extend the retail cannabis overlay district to the Central Business District. – Councilors Stanganelli and Rinaldi sponsor Summary: An Ordinance to amend the Amesbury zoning bylaw to extend the retail cannabis overlay district to allow retail sales of adult use and medical cannabis within the Commercial Zoning District of the Central Business District to be defined by Special Permit and site plan approval from the Planning Board; to amend section (XI.02) to the Amesbury Zoning Bylaw to regulate the permitting, locations, and operations of Adult Use Cannabis Establishments in this extended area; and to update the Zoning Map and the Table of Use Regulations in accordance with the changes. 2021-125 An Order to authorize the Mayor to release a Drainage Easement located at 12-14 South Hunt Rd. – Mayor Sponsor Summary: The property located at 12-14 South Hunt Road is subject to a drainage easement which is described as Parcel 1-D-6-T in a taking by the Department of Public Works acting on behalf of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The taking is recorded in the Essex South District Registry of Deeds in Book 5116, Page 1. The Amesbury Department of Public Works has made a determination that the drainage easement is no longer needed. If the City Council adopts this Order, the Mayor would then execute the documents necessary to release the drainage easement so that it no longer burdens the property at 12-14 South Hunt Rd. Adjourn Respectfully Submitted by, Ellie Andersen, September 16, 2021 2