Last week, the city approved changes in the areas where Bath Iron Works’ property meets Washington Street, allowing for the city’s largest employer to submit plans to improve parking near the shipyard.

Amendments to Bath’s Land Use Code were unanimously approved at the Sept. 3 City Council meeting, as BIW looks to improve traffic flow and pedestrian safety along Washington Street, according to an email from BIW spokesperson David Hench. The approval is a key step forward, but individual projects, including the construction of the parking garage on one of the main parking lots, must still undergo extensive site plan review by the Bath Planning Board before construction can begin.

The changes come after months of BIW sharing its plans for the proposed parking garage, which had drawn concerns from residents living near the shipyard during a presentation at the Maine Maritime Museum earlier this year.

The amendments were passed back and forth between the Planning Board and Bath City Council, with numerous adjustments.

Most of the concerns over BIW’s proposed parking lot plans were on Transporter Road, with residents of Weeks Street worried over traffic flowing into their neighborhoods. During a July 8 Planning Board meeting, one of its members, Phyllis Bailey, expressed concern over the design for the Transporter Road project and suggested separating it from the proposed parking garage package.

BIW proposed a revision to the City Council at the end of July, with council members giving first passage to the Planning Board. BIW Principal Engineer Brian Salter recapped the proposed improvements and described the company’s two-phased project to improve traffic and parking, along with the SUPSHIP (Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair) campus, according to Planning Board meeting minutes.