To the Editor,
RE: the state of business in Essex, and recent letters by Ed Neale and Rob Fitzgibbon, the Town's "schizophrenic" approach seems more like the balancing of differing needs of residential and commercial interests.
The "headwinds" that they mention certainly include the post-COVID challenges faced by businesses nation-wide, and inflationary cost pressures. However, Essexites have known for years that the Causeway is bound to transform itself, as the antique trade isn't what it used to be, even with online sales taken into account. Some other businesses, notably the brewery, are struggling not because of Town policies but due to their own challenges. Meanwhile, as Mr. Fitzgibbon pointed out, many new and interesting shops and restaurants are opening, so maybe the business environment is not so bad?
The Town has had one obvious focus on the Causeway, which—let's face it—is a difficult place to attract the foot traffic needed to sustain a good mix of businesses and services. Parking is scattershot and the through traffic on this State road is heavy, including lots of heavy trucking. The Town and the business community should do more to address these issues. The ill fated "period" lighting project would have been a nice touch, but if I stalled would have competed with the numerous, ugly, privately owned orange sodium lights that burn all night and make parts of the place look like a warehouse facility. I have corresponded with Town and business officials several times about getting the owners to participate in lighting improvements by replacing these with something more attractive, without any positive response.
Most significant is the recently enacted Essex Downtown Zoning District, allows mixed use by right and is intended to give business owners more flexibility in an area where just about every parcel was "non-conforming" with the bylaw.
Few will recall this now, but twenty or so years ago there was an ad hoc committee formed to work with MASS Highway on the design of the Route 133 upgrade across the Causeway. The affected businesses had a lot of influence on the design details of that project, including several areas where there are now "drive over" sidewalks allowing access to privately owned parking spaces. Since then, we've added "pocket parks" and a lot of really well done, interpretive signage.
Town-wide planning actions seen as adverse have in fact been in response to citizens' concerns and input, not some form of executive fiat. There was not a "business moratorium", per se, but a moratorium on changing property from non-business uses to new business or industrial. This was approved and extended twice by overwhelming Town Meeting votes, and reflects concerns that residential properties were being re-purposed for event venues, heavy equipment yards and other intrusive uses; it gives the Town, through the Planning Board, breathing room to overhaul the Zoning Bylaw.
Board members past and present and many citizens have recognized these needs for years and the current Board should be commended for taking them on. They have updated the Site Plan Review process for clarity, and added hearings and abutter notification for projects involving a change of use. They are also considering residential zoning districts, where Essex with its near total lack of same stands alone in eastern Massachusetts. I believe that they are trying hard to bring some manner of predictability to residential and business owners, including clarification of mixed uses on single lots.
If you want to know more, and make your voice heard, there are documents online, a series of workshops, and your elected officials' emails available to you. Meanwhile, enjoy the rest of summer. The greenheads are gone!
Mike Dyer
Essex
