Future of Beverly Registry of Motor Vehicles branch in doubt

BEVERLY — The Registry of Motor Vehicles is seeking offers for a new location on the North Shore, a move that could lead to the closing of the Registry branch in downtown Beverly.

The Registry is required by law to consider new locations every 10 years or so. Beverly is still in the running, but the Registry is also accepting proposals to lease space in Peabody, Danvers, Middleton, Topsfield or Wenham.

The Registry has been in downtown Beverly, diagonally across from City Hall, since 1996. The branch serves an average of 566 people per day, making it the 11th-busiest among the state's 35 branches, according to the Registry.

Business owners said losing the Registry would be a major blow to the downtown, which has a thriving nighttime restaurant business but has been suffering from lack of activity during the day.

"It would be a serious loss," said Don Preston, owner of the Casa de Moda gift shop on Cabot Street. "I see people changing their (license) plates right in front of my store, and I'm three blocks away. It brings people to town, and it brings customers to all of us."

"You've got all the Registry people that work there who get coffee, breakfast, lunch, plus the people who go there," said Amy LaFountaine, sales associate at the Dunkin' Donuts across the street from the Registry. "That's a lot of business."

State officials would not say who has submitted bids to house the branch because the bidding is still open. The deadline is March 26. It could take officials several months to review the proposals before choosing a site.

The owner of the Registry building at 176 Cabot St. said he has submitted a bid to keep the branch where it is. Daniel Chansky, who has owned the building since 2003, said the site meets the Registry's criteria in terms of size, location and parking.

Critics of the Beverly location have cited a lack of parking. But Chanksy said there are more than 350 parking spaces in lots within a quarter-mile of the branch, not including on-street parking. The state requires 125 spaces within a quarter-mile, according to the request for proposals.

Many of the parking spots are in city-owned lots on side streets off Cabot Street. City officials have acknowledged those lots can be difficult to find for people unfamiliar with the area.

State Rep. Mary Grant, D-Beverly, said she will write a letter to the Division of Capital Asset Management, the state agency that will decide who gets the Registry, urging that the branch stay in the city.

"It brings a lot of people into the city," Grant said. "I hear that from merchants and from people on the street, and that's a good thing. I would certainly like them to stay here."

Grant said state agencies are required to look for new locations to make sure taxpayers are getting the best deal for their money. The Registry's annual rent at the Beverly location is $170,100, the agency says. Grant added that state officials will also have to consider the cost of moving the Registry when making a decision.

"It would have to be something significantly better than what they have," she said.

The Registry will not be moving to the Cummings Center in Beverly. Cummings Center General Manager Steve Drohosky said the company considered submitting a proposal, but state guidelines require the branch to be located in a retail environment, and the guidelines do not consider an office park a retail environment.

The Beverly branch has had two security-related problems in recent months. In February, a customer was arrested and charged with threatening to shoot Registry employees after a dispute over his state identification card.

Last July, authorities closed off a section of the downtown when a Registry employee called about a suspicious briefcase. The briefcase turned out to be harmless.

The Registry branch had previously been in an office park off Route 114 in Danvers. Before that, it was on Rantoul Street in Beverly.

According to the request for proposals issued by the state, the Registry branch must be in Beverly, Danvers, Middleton, Peabody, Topsfield or Wenham and within one mile of a major thoroughfare.

The building must have 6,300 square feet of usable retail space. The lease will be for 10 years. Officials hope to open the branch by November.

Photos

The Registry of Motor Vehicles office on Cabot Street in Beverly could move to a new location. Staff photo