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~ ~ ~ e I- - ~ ~ p Q I 92! 17 .rr~ tb~ 4 I hl m J mnrr lg ~ Agniyrrnm,"-' ' ! !! e ~ t ~ ~ ~ ~ I p I I- - ~ ~ Lynn Harbor: Planning For Coastal Development Report Based on Interdepartmental Student Projects In Systems Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Edited by I,isa Rosenbaua With a Poreword by William M. Seifert B.I.T. Sea Grant Prograa massachusetts Institute af Technology Cambridge, ilassachusetts This report describes the results of research done as part of the 5.I T Sea Grant Program with support from the Office of Sea Grant in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admini- stration, United States Department of Ccmmerce, through grant number 04-6-158-44081, and from the massachusetts Institute of Technology. The United States government is authorized to produce and distribute reprints for governmental purposes notwithstanding any copyright notation that may appear hereon. Lynn Harbor: Planning for Coastal Development Report Number 5ITSG 78-3 Index Number 77-103Udp Say 1978 hassachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, massachusetts 02139 ~ ~ ~ h ~ I T. SEA GRANT PUBLICATIONS Related Reports hcpherson, Roy Nick, ed., Gloucester Resource Stu~d. hITSG 74-3, Caahridge: hassachusetts Institute of Technolcgy, Noveaber 1973, 179 pp. 45.00. Zngellenner, Thoaas, Fred Curtis, and Millias Seifert, eds., The Boston South Shore Area: Some Problems and Conflicts. 8ETSG 75-23. Canhridge: hassachusetts Institute of Technology, August 1975. 175 pp. 45.00 Herr, philip, ee., ~haaa in Gloacesteris Coast. hITSG 77-23. Caahridge: hassachusetts Institute of Technology, Novesber 1977- 67 pp- $2.50 The Sea Grant Inforaation Center naintains an inventory of technical publications. We invite orders and inquiries to: Sea Grant Inforaation Center h.I.T. Sea Grant Pragraa, Roon 838-306 hassachusetts Institute of Technology 77 massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, hassachusetts 02139 Hichael J. Saylcr Departaent of Ocean Engineering, 8- I.T. ~ Under grad u ate Lisa T. Rosenbaua Departaent of lrchitecture, H-I.T., Undergraduate John 1. Stetkar Departaent of Nuclear Engineering, I.I. T., S. H. prograa During the spring seaesters of 1976 and 1977, students enrolled in the design subject worked with aeabers of the LynnPlanning Board, Departaent of CoaaunityDevelapaent and Lynn Port kuthority. Charles Kubat elected to vrite about LynnHarbor for his aasterIs thesis f or the Depart- aent of Urban Planning at H.I ~ T., and vas involved in the pro]ect froa June 1976 through June 1977. In addition to his thesis work, vhich is a aajor part of this voluae, he and Ioraan Oliver authoredseveral preliainary reports and «orkingpapers during the suaaerof 1976. Thesevere given ta the Lynndepartaents listed above,and were also usedby the students in the Spring 1977 seaester as a point of departure for their research. The students presented their work orally ia Lynn at various intervals with a final aeeting to the LynnCity Council and interested citizens on June 9, 1977. This voluae represents the coapilation of all the vork carried out in Lynn. kdditional research and preparation of this final version are the efforts of Lisa Bosenbaua.Special thanks are due Elizabeth l. Howell for her aeticulous effort with the typing of the manuscript. Thecity of Lynnsupported this work bath financially and by the tiae donated by key city personnel. The aid of h. Linda Bensonof the Port Authority, %illiaa HcInerney of the Departaent of Coaaunity Developaent, and Kevin Geaneyof the Planning Departaent is gratefully acknow- ledged. The production Qf this aanuscript vas supporters by the 1ational oceanic ataospheric aasinistration of Sea Grant, grant auaber 04-6-158-44081, project eleaent 1976-1977 ~ the City of Lynn, massachusetts, Developaent Lnalysis associates, Xnc., and the massachusetts Institute of Technology. I'i3.liaa 1. Seifert Separtaent of civil Engineering Sassachnsetts Institute of Technology Caabridge, Massachusetts June 1978 Table of Contents Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter . 2 Lynn's Self-appraisal Chapter 3 The Harbor Today 13 Chapter 0 Local Issues: Tazes and Enployaent Chapter 5 a Regional Conparisoa Chapter 6 assessing Developnent Potential 71 Chapter 7 Policy and Xnplenentation 89 Chapter B Policy Reconnendat ions 105 Chapter 9 Coastal Xone llanagenent 125 Chapter 10 Prelininary harina Developnent 163 Chapter %1 Conclusions and Suggested %or'k Progran 181 appendices 197 Bibliography 267 ~ ~ Introduction This volume describes one of a series of studies made by a group .of faculty and. students at the Nassachusetts I'nstitute of Technology under the auspices of the National Oceanic ktmOSpheriC ldminiStratiOa Of Sea Grant. The study Of Lynn Harbor was begun ia January 1976 aad completed in June 1977. The report summarizes the information collected, analyzes it, assesses development potential, and makes policy proposals for harbor development. The material presented here will be of interest to two audiences. Pirst, to the citizens of Lynn for immediate use ia current planaiag aad development schemes; and second, to those interested in the generic problems of planaing in coastal urban areas. The problems that Lynn faces, while serious, are not unigue. They are shared by other declining harbor cities. Much of the material here may be extrapolat- ed to fit a variety of circumstances which are common to Lynn and to other cities. Urban waterfronts are in a constant state of transition. Chaages in land uses, land values, economic demand, trans- portation modes, industrial technologies, and public values and desires all contribute to the evolution of the water- front. The challenge is not how to prevent or enforce change but how to manage it in a manner which makes best use of both natural and manmade waterfront resources to accommo- date the diverse aad evolving needs of the community. 2 In%rod,uction an approach for optiaizing developaent cannot be stated siaply. Mo single public policy vill provide the solution to all the probleas that exist. Siailarly, no one group can cope with all the coaplex issues iavolved; cooperation aaong local organizations and governaent as well as vith other levels of governaent is necessary. Purther, no one land use is adequate for the entire waterfront. a balaaced land use package incorporating industry, port facilities, recreation- al, ccaaercial, and residential uses can aost advantageously exploit the diverse characteristics of the waterfront.~ LTII as' THZ Haaaoa STUar aT a GLaICZ population Losses: Lynn, once a thriving center for North Shore coaaerceg 1950 99i000 industry, and residence, is suffering froa a coabinatioa of 1960 95,000 probleas: a loss of population; a loss of jobs and a 1970 90 F000 narrowing of opportunities in the gobs that remain; a 1977 80r000 shriaking ecoaoaic base; a loss of retail sales; aad a deterioration of physical structures. Eaployaent Losses: Nith a population of approxiwately 80,000 people in 1977, 1950-1970 350 gobs/year Lynn is the second largest city on the massachusetts coast. 1972-1973 700 gobs/year Despite its probleas, it reaains a coapetitive aanufacturing 1974-1976 250 gobs/year center. Pifty-five percent of the workforce is engaged in aaaufacturiag with total payrolls exceeding those of coapar- ably sized cities. Xn 1973, Lynn actually had sore jobs than available workers 37,000 jobs for 36,000 workers. Hovever, since 1950, the population of Lynn has been ISU.4uore 0»ings and Harr5.11, 8ostou, lass., ~t ~~ II» decreasing: froa approxiaately 99,000 ia 1950 to 95,000 in +~! !ting yg ~ 0+ ~tQ 1960 to its present level. lnd predictably, those losses ~d ~~, ~ QQtM have been aaoag the aore employable and financially stable Ie» England 81»ar Basins Couuission, January, 1975, residents of Lynn, especially faailies vith young children. yp. 139 The city has, as a result, twice as aany people on public assistance as the state average In 1973, Lynn's unemploy- ment rate «as almost twice the national average, 8.2 percent ia T.ynn, 0.5 percent nationwide. In 1977, the latest year for which figures are available, the unemploymeat rate in Lyan «as 9.4 percent, and 7.0 percent nationwide In additio, Lyaa is also presently losing approximately 000 manufacturing jobs each year The loss of population, then, the shrinkage of the economic base, and the continual loss of jobs have all, in turn, contributed to declines ia the associated retail aad wholesale trade sectors, declines that have themselves been further compounded by the increased competitioa of regional shopping centers k strong community desire exists, however, to find a vay to halt this decline and to reestablish Lynn as a desirable place ia which to live aad to do business. One obvious direction for such a revitalization to take vould be to eacourage the fuller use of Lyna~s natural and manmade resources. Rnd the harbor, even in its abandoned state, is oae of the most promising resources Lynn possesses Currently, the harbor and attendant commercial area are in states of disrepair. The harbor is not used by business or industry~ and the water front district of fers very little inducement to investors although it is an unmistakable physical backdrop for the city, the harbor does not add to the positive public image of Lynn nor to the ambience of the nearby downtovn area. It is cut-off, physically, from the center of the city by the Lynnvay and, through long neglect, cut-off spiritually from the on-going life of the city. Therefore, to make better use of the harbor as a priceless resource--to begin the process of revitalizing Lynn--change is necessary. This volume formulates options for Lynn to help the city redevelop and manage the harbor so it can > Hassachuset to Divtaioa of Ihploy- become an asset to the community. The options take several Ieat Secarity, Labot linea Dirision. attractive, stands much of a chance of success if considered in isolation of possible means to implement it This chapter defines what a city policy is, then what particular shape Lynn' s policy might take, and includes seven broad recommendations for the successful implementation of that policy, Chapter Bight is a presentation of 21 specific suggestions for Lynn Harbor policy and methods to implement each.