The Planning Board voted unanimously Tuesday night to place a new multifamily zoning proposal on this May’s Town Meeting warrant (agenda) in hopes of bringing the town into compliance with the MBTA Communities Law and once again become eligible for millions of dollars in state grants.
The exact language of the plan is still being worked out, but it features three key multifamily districts: the Tedesco Country Club, part of the old Glover restaurant property and Broughton Road.
The state wrote to the town Friday, giving early approval to the concept of rezoning the golf course property for multifamily housing. The Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities did flag six “technical” issues that the town needs to address before moving forward.
“I’m overwhelmingly positive about this,” said Planning Board member Marc Liebman at the meeting. “What we achieved here is proof of concept that Tedesco will work.”
Liebman called the six technical issues “small hurdles” and added, “I’m very happy with this response. There’s nothing we can’t overcome. This is pretty much the best-case scenario.”
The state identified the following aspects of Marblehead’s new proposal as problematic: noise-limit rules for equipment, limits on unit size that could reduce housing capacity, concerns about frontage at the old Glover restaurant property, parking requirements and design rules.
Liebman and Select Board Chair Dan Fox will meet with a state-funded consultant on Wednesday to discuss solutions to the issues and the path forward.
The Planning Board plans to hold community meetings about the new plan sometime around March.
Voters rejected a zoning proposal in July that identified Broughton Road, Tioga Way and parts of Pleasant Street for multifamily housing.
Also Tuesday night, the board approved a place holder question for Town Meeting tweaking the town’s bylaws regarding Accessory Dwelling Units, to bring Marblehead in compliance with new state requirements.
Coffin School reuse
Earlier on Tuesday, the town’s Housing Committee met and approved a letter to the Select Board recommending the Coffin School property be used to expand “fair and affordable housing opportunities for Marbleheaders across different life stages while respecting the surrounding single-family neighborhood character.”
Several neighbors of the property complained that they felt uninformed about the process and wanted more say as decisions are being made.
It is ultimately the Select Board’s decision on what to do with the property. After receiving more input (including from neighbors) it will draft a request for proposal for development. Marblehead’s Cemetery Commission has expressed interest in the land, as has the Marblehead Housing Authority (for more public housing), Recreation & Parks Commission (for a dog park) and the Light Department (for battery storage space).
