With Town Meeting less than three months away and facing a lawsuit filed by the Attorney General’s Office, the Planning Board discussed next steps for its latest plan to comply with the MBTA Communities Act.
On Feb. 5, the town received “pre-adoption approval” from the state’s Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities.
The new proposal includes the following changes:
- Allowing two parking spaces per unit with no guest parking
- Removing the General Glover property, which does not meet frontage requirements
- Slightly increasing density in the Tedesco zone and on Broughton Road. The new total number of possible units would be about 900, according to Select Board Chair Dan Fox
- Removing landscaping rules
“Our legal counsel may have to make some tweaks,” said Brendan Callahan, director of Marblehead’s Planning and Community Development Department. “That will probably be what we present. We will present it at a public hearing and ultimately put it on the Town Meeting warrant.”
Meanwhile, the Select Board was expected to meet in executive session Feb. 11 to discuss the Attorney General’s lawsuit against Marblehead over its 3A noncompliance.
Planning Board member Bob Schaeffner referenced the lawsuit during Tuesday night’s meeting.
“The state’s aware that we’re making every reasonable effort to get this in front of Town Meeting,” he said.
The Planning Board is also making changes to the town’s bylaw on accessory dwelling units. Marblehead must make minor revisions to comply with the state’s updated ADU regulations.
Voters will decide whether to approve the changes at Town Meeting. If the town’s ADU bylaw does not meet state requirements, state rules will supersede local regulations.
