Storey Avenue

Storey Avenue is the location of Newburyport’s two grocery stores, several banks, two pharmacies, an urgent care center, and a range of other stores and services. It is thus an important commercial district and employment center in the community.

However, as is the case with many commercial strips developed in the mid- to late 20th century, Storey Avenue is built for access primarily by automobile. Sidewalks are inconsistent and not well maintained, pedestrian crossings are long and unprotected, stores are set back from the road with extensive parking areas for pedestrians to traverse, and there are no bike lanes (other than poorly maintained ones west of Low Street). With these conditions, the road’s high traffic volumes (20,000 vehicles per day) and speeds (35 mph posted limit) make it uncomfortable and sometimes unsafe for people to walk or cycle for their jobs and errands.

The City’s 2017 Master Plan sets forth a very different vision for the future of the Storey Avenue business area:

Goal LU-7: Preserve the existing variety of commercial uses while allowing new, complementary development and redevelopment along the Storey Avenue corridor that creates a safe, hospitable environment for pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles as they travel and access the properties along the corridor.
The Objectives and Actions for Storey Avenue seek to shift this area from its exclusive focus on vehicles to make it more visually attractive, welcoming and accommodating to other modes of travel. The concept is to transform the Storey Avenue corridor into a mixed-use, walkable neighborhood by modifying current zoning and/or creating a new zoning district to promote this type of development.
To accomplish a walkable, mixed-use neighborhood, dimensional requirements for lots and development should be changed, and supporting facilities, such as parking, driveways, and storm water systems, should be shared among the properties. New buildings should be located closer together and to the street, with fewer curb cuts, surface parking lots located behind and better non-automotive connections.
Storey Avenue is ripe for reinvestment and growth. By providing incentives for mixed-use development, including the development of affordable housing, in this neighborhood, local employment opportunities and tax revenues will increase, and the City’s housing stock can grow. This area may function much like the Smart Growth Overlay District and include an affordability component with residential development.
Transforming the corridor into a walkable, bikeable, mixed-use neighborhood will also improve the area’s appearance, preserve open space and reduce the impact on city infrastructure.

A transformation from an auto-oriented strip to a mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly center will take years: the City’s zoning ordinances must be revised and public investments must be programmed in order to incentivize businesses to redevelop the existing commercial properties.

The City has received a State grant to undertake a planning process that will lead to proposed zoning changes for the Storey Avenue business district by the end of June 2025. Look for project planning meetings beginning in the summer of 2024.

In the meantime, there are concrete steps that can help make incremental improvements in the Storey Avenue corridor. In March 2023 NLS wrote to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) with two requests to improve safety at the easterly end of Storey Avenue, near the Three Roads intersection and Atkinson Common. First, we asked MassDOT to place a 25 mph sign on the eastbound side to mark the transition between the higher-speed commercial corridor and the City streets. Second, we asked for the two-lane section (from about Kelleher Way to Three Roads) to be restriped to narrow the travel lanes and provide marked shoulders for bicyclists. MassDOT responded positively to both of these requests, and we are expecting to see these safety improvements implemented soon.

Resources

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