To the editor:
At Town Meeting on Tuesday night, someone mentioned the founders would be turning in their graves if they heard of Marbleheaders acquiescing to the will of the state; I dispute this notion entirely.
If the founders were indeed restless in anger, it would be a result of the cowardice of many in this town amidst the winds of change. If the Marbleheaders of old were so concerned with keeping everything “as is,” then we would have opted to remain colonial subjects of a king across a sea. Instead, we saw what change was coming in the winds of history and bravely set our sails towards the storm.
Any fear as a result of the MBTA Communities Act is unfounded. We cannot go backwards, the state says we cannot stay the same, so like the heroes of old we must go forwards, asking ourselves how we can make Marblehead better. We should not settle for the bare minimum, for that is true acquiescence to power.
Marblehead is a town built on Revolutionary spirit with a track record that few could ever dispute. This Revolutionary drive was founded in an age full of those looking towards the future of their nation, their commonwealth, and their proud home in Marblehead. The founders were concerned with the great questions of their age and fought a war to craft a nation that would last centuries. This town has been on the forefront of that history, looking towards the questions of the next decade or the next century, ever since its conception almost 400 years ago. The great character and charm of this town comes not from the old houses and halls from those eras past, but from our fervent spirit and a will to rise to any occasion.
So, when the Commonwealth’s courts decide the MBTA Communities Act is constitutional, we should vote “yes” on a robust zoning plan that expands our renowned historic downtown and give property owners the right to build the density that Marblehead both deserves and needs. When the next Town Meeting is called, join me in voting “yes” on a zoning plan that marches proudly towards the future — alongside the Spirit of ’76.
Peirce Law
Devereux Street
