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Consultants present framework to guide Story Avenue’s evolution into a walkable, mixed‑use village
Summary
Gamble Associates and Newburyport planning staff presented a rezoning framework focused on mixed use, human‑scaled streets, dispersed parking, and green infrastructure to guide future development of Story Avenue / Low Street; consultants framed the plan as a nonbinding vision to shape zoning and private projects.
David Gamble, the lead consultant from Gamble Associates, laid out a conceptual framework for how the Story Avenue/Low Street commercial area could evolve into a smaller‑scale, walkable village rather than a strip‑commercial corridor. He said the work is a “framework for how this might evolve” and emphasized the goal of concentrating ground‑floor commercial uses, creating porous public spaces, and using 2–3 story building envelopes to encourage pedestrian activity while preserving character.
Andy Ford, director of planning and development for Newburyport City, framed the meeting as an early step in a multi‑meeting process and said the study is intended to give staff and elected officials policy options to shape future zoning rather than a final master plan. Consultants repeatedly cautioned that the drawings are conceptual and not regulatory; Gamble said, “If you’re coming tonight to see a master plan, I’m gonna disappoint you.” The presentation identified existing on‑site assets (mature street trees, a pocket park, and a wetland) that consultants propose to connect through new pedestrian links and public spaces.
