Developer withdraws plan for apartments over MBTA garage By Paul Leighton | Staff Writer Mar 7, 2023

BEVERLY — A developer has withdrawn a controversial plan to build apartments on top of the MBTA parking garage. Beverly Planning Director Darlene Wynne said Barnat Development requested a withdrawal of its special permit application on Tuesday, hours before the Planning Board was scheduled to hold a public hearing on the matter at City Hall. Barnat asked for a “withdrawal without prejudice,” meaning that it could reapply for the same project in the future, Wynne said. The plan to build apartments on top of the garage was opposed by Mayor Mike Cahill and drew negative comments from residents last week during a presentation by Barnat Development President Sarah Barnat at a Ward 2 Civic Association meeting. Cahill has said the plan does not meet the city’s zoning requirements because it does not include any parking. Barnat had proposed the construction of 70 apartments in three stories on top of the MBTA parking garage on Rantoul Street, across from the Beverly train depot. The company paid the MBTA $1 million in 2017 for the land and air rights around the garage. Former Mayor Bill Scanlon has also spoken out against the apartments. Scanlon, who as mayor pushed for years for the MBTA garage to be built, said apartments were never part of the original plan. He said the ability to build above the garage should be reserved for more parking if it is needed. Barnat has said residents of the new building could pay to park in the MBTA garage, which has 494 spaces and has only been about half full since the pandemic. But the garage filled up on a regular basis before the pandemic, and residents said the same thing could happen again. Barnat could not be immediately reached for comment for this story.