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Waterfront redeveloper iStar Financial was granted permission by the city council on Wednesday to install new bike racks on city property in the waterfront area.

The number and location of those racks will now be determined administratively by city staff, according to Donald Sammet, the city’s director of redevelopment and planning. The council’s vote was to approve the style of the racks, which are larger than permitted under current waterfront redevelopment regulations.

Bike racks proposed by iStar on its own property will require approval of the Design Review subcommittee of the Planning Board, Sammet said. That’s required because the bike racks were not in plans originally submitted by iStar, and approved by the Planning Board, for beachfront amenities it installed on the waterfront, he said.

The waterfront redevelopment plan has an approved rack that only fits 2 bikes, while the ribbon-style rack iStar proposed has space for more bikes, iStar’s Brian Cheripka [above right], told the Sun Tuesday. As a result, temporary permission from the council was sought for the summer season, Cheripka said.

As a result of objections raised by members of the Council, the racks placed on city property will have a brushed aluminum finish rather than the ‘surf blue’ color proposed by iStar. On iStar’s property, the color of the racks will be the subject of the approval by the Design Review subcommittee, Sammet said.

While the vote to approve the larger racks was 5-0, Deputy Mayor John M. Loffredo and council member Sue Henderson openly spoke out against the proposed blue tone at the Wednesday night Council meeting.

Amendments to the overall waterfront redevelopment plan are now being negotiated between iStar and the city. Various issues ranging from allowable uses in the waterfront zone to approved bike racks can be a part of those amendments.

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