Beverly Restaurant Bill Heads To Governor

BEVERLY, MA — The state legislature passed a bill Friday that would allow Beverly to lease land at 1 Water Street to a developer for a restaurant.

The legislation, which was passed in Friday's packed legislative session, now heads to Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker for final approval. City officials have already signed a lease and believe they have the right to lease the property even without the legislation, but pushed state lawmakers to approve the bill as added protection against a potential lawsuit.

The Beverly planning board unanimously approved a proposal to build a 340-seat restaurant n November. The lot has been vacant since 2006. Residents opposing the project hired an attorney last year and have argued the proposal is illegal.

Beverly Mayor Mike Cahill has proposed giving developer Marty Bloom real estate tax breaks to move the redevelopment of 1 Water Street forward. The group of residents opposing the restaurant say it is too big for the lot and neighborhood.

The city used a $483,600 state grant to purchase the property for $1.6 million in 1996. The city received one response to a request for proposals issued last year to develop a restaurant on the city-owned, waterfront property.

Dave Copeland covers Beverly and other North Shore communities for Patch. He can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).