Bed and Breakfast Ordinance Passed

The Winthrop Town Council unanimously approved a new town ordinance paving the way for bed and breakfast establishments to open in residences in the town.

After the vote, Town Council President Jeffrey Turco credited Maggie Morris and Cindy Levins “for putting a lot of work into the issue and bringing it to the fore. I thank you for your patience and perseverance. It’s been a long process.”

Morris said three years ago she sought a town permit for a bed and breakfast and “the permit didn’t exist.”

“So I’ve spent last two-and-half to three years researching bed and breakfasts in our area and providing information to the town,” said Morris. “I’ve gone through the building inspector, the Economic Development Committee, the Town Council, and finally the Planning Board.”

Morris said a year ago the Planning Board  officially grasped on to the issue.

“The Planning Board wrote a bed and breakfast proposal, did its own research, and presented it to the Town Council a couple of months ago – it’s now been voted into law and we’re very happy.”

Morris feels that the idea of bed and breakfasts will be popular in the town and help stimulate tourism.

“I know of about four or five people who are interested in creating bed and breakfasts right now and they’re beautiful old homes that I think will add a lot of value to the town,” said Morris. “With the ferry now running, we can advertise that. We have some great people at the Deane Winthrop House. We have landmarks and fabulous restaurants and beaches, so there’s a lot of attraction. We’re so close to Boston. Maybe we’ll get some overflow from the airport. We’ll get people traveling to the North Shore that want to be close to the city. I think we have a big plus here.”

Levins also thanked the Town Council and other boards for supporting the proposal and ultimately passing the ordinance.