real estate - Marblehead Current

Local couple plans to knock down historic harbor-front home, upsetting residents

9Nov

By Leigh BlanderNo Comments

Local History, Local News, real estate, Top Stories

Local couple plans to knock down historic harbor-front home, upsetting residents

A Marblehead couple plans to demolish a historic house on the harbor and is asking the town for permission to build a larger one on the same lot. The request has prompted an outcry from some neighbors and residents around town. Holly and Jerome O’Neill purchased 84 Harbor Ave. (not far from the Eastern Yacht Club) in April 2023 for $3.65 million. They currently live on Orchard Street. New owners of 84 Harbor Ave. on the Neck plan to knock down the historic home and build a new one. COURTESY PHOTO / RICK DODGE At a Conservation Commission meeeting on Nov. 9, the O'Neills' land development engineer Scott Patrowicz explained that the new house and pool will be built farther from the shoreline and 50 feet away from the so-called buffer zone. He also spoke about landscaping plans. ...

BALANCING ACT: MBTA zoning mandate generates hopes and fears

3Nov

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Local News, Municipal Matters, real estate, Top Stories

BALANCING ACT: MBTA zoning mandate generates hopes and fears

A public forum on Massachusetts' controversial housing zoning law gave the Marblehead Planning Board a sense of where residents stand on the charged issue. Marblehead residents huddle in small groups during Thursday's MBTA zoning meeting to discuss concerns and ideas regarding compliance with the state mandate. CURRENT PHOTO / WILLIAM J. DOWD Nearly 60 residents engaged in an information session and workshop to share their input on how the town can comply with the impending state mandate requiring denser multifamily housing. “No decisions have been made yet on where to put this district or districts," Town Planner Becky Cutting told residents. "We're still in the idea phase, soliciting input to develop something that will work for Marblehead." 'An incredible opportunity'...

At MBTA-zoning meeting, residents raise concerns over impacts to schools, traffic

1Nov

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Local News, Municipal Matters, real estate, Top Stories

At MBTA-zoning meeting, residents raise concerns over impacts to schools, traffic

***Thursday, Nov. 2, at 6:30 p.m.: The Planning Board holds its second public meeteing on the new zoning mandate. It will be held in-person at the Veterans School Performing Arts Center. More than 150 people Zoomed into a virtual public meeting Oct. 26 to discuss new state zoning requirements that mandate denser, multi-family housing. Marblehead is classified as an 'adjacent community' under the law since it borders two MBTA communities with train stations, Swampscott and Salem. COURTESY IMAGE / TOWN OF MARBLEHEAD The meeting, led by the Planning Board, aimed to gather community input on how best to comply with the law which requires MBTA communities to adopt zoning changes allowing multifamily housing by right in certain districts. Marblehead is classified as an "adjacent com...

Tonight: Virtual public meeting set to discuss new housing mandates

26Oct

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Local News, Municipal Matters, Politics, Public safety, real estate, Top Stories

Tonight: Virtual public meeting set to discuss new housing mandates

The Marblehead Planning Board is inviting residents to a virtual public meeting on Thursday, Oct. 26 to learn about new state rules requiring denser housing in parts of town. Marblehead has until late 2024 to adopt zoning changes that allow denser housing near transit or risk penalties. CURRENT PHOTO / WILLIAM J. DOWD The requirements are part of a push by the state to encourage more housing around public transit. Under the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Community Law, municipalities served by commuter rail, subway and major bus routes must adopt zoning changes allowing multifamily housing by-right. Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer said the state is making compliance a “very high priority” by providing resources to help towns navigate the process while also increasin...

Community Store leaving void one year after closure

6Sep

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Business, Local News, real estate, Top Stories

Community Store leaving void one year after closure

One year after closing, the Marblehead Community Store, 214 Beacon St., remains vacant. The decades-old grocer anchored Beacon Street for over 50 years before shuttering last August. In some residents’ eyes, the market offered more than groceries — it was a community hub. Resident Charlotte Lewis wishes a new Community Store, like the one that shuttered a year ago at 214 Beacon St., would open on the west side of Marblehead. CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER “It’s not actively being listed anywhere,” said Charlotte Lewis, a Marblehead resident who lives near the building and is a real estate broker. “We go to Crosby’s instead.” Known for its on-site butcher and made-to-order sandwiches, the Community Store is missed. “I have a personal interest in it because I am a neighbor,” Lewi...

Bartlett’s Garage renovation gets initial OK amid opposition

16Aug

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Local History, Local News, Municipal Matters, real estate, Top Stories

Bartlett’s Garage renovation gets initial OK amid opposition

A proposed renovation to Bartlett's Garage received initial approval from the Marblehead Old and Historic Districts Commission on Aug. 15, despite opposition over the project’s inclusion of a second-story addition to the 1 Stacey St. building. Architectural rendering of the proposed renovation of Bartlett’s Garage, showing the controversial second-story addition that aims to balance modern needs with historical preservation. COURTESY PHOTO /WALTER JACOB ARCHITECTS "I have many of my neighbors here with me today who are universally in favor of the restoration of Bartlett's garage," said Katherine Howe in her remarks before the commission and residents in Abbot Hall's Select Board Room. "We love Bartlett's garage. We are excited for it to be restored to its former glory. We're excite...

YOU ASKED, WE ANSWER: Crews lift, move a 64-ton building on Pleasant Street

18Jul

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Culture, Local News, real estate, Top Stories, Uncategorized

YOU ASKED, WE ANSWER: Crews lift, move a 64-ton building on Pleasant Street

In an impressive engineering feat, a Pleasant Street building that once housed a Bank of America branch has been moved 15 feet from its initial spot to make room for a new foundation, according to Stan Wildes and his team from Atkinson, New Hampshire, for whom lifting and moving buildings is all in a day's work. "We engage in some structural work, but primarily we move and lift buildings," Wildes said during an interview at the site. The endeavor had piqued curiosity around town, prompting a visit from the Marblehead Current. The 64-ton structure at 66 Pleasant St. is being transformed into a residence. The 64-ton structure at 66 Pleasant St., previously a Bank of America location, is undergoing a transformation into a residence. CURRENT PHOTO / WILLIAM J. DOWD How do you move...

Marblehead Current launches override calculator

9Jun

By Leigh BlanderNo Comments

Local News, Marblehead Public Schools, Municipal Matters, Politics, Public safety, real estate, Top Stories, Town Election Guide

Marblehead Current launches override calculator

Marblehead voters head to the polls on June 20 to approve or reject a $2.5 million permanent override and elect many town leaders. It has been 18 years since Marblehead has approved a general override. Launching today within its comprehensive Election Guide, the Marblehead Current is including an override calculator which allows residents to input their property's estimated value and learn their additional tax burden should the override be approved. The calculator, created by Marblehead resident and web developer Ed Lewis, shows additional taxes for year one, and also quarterly within that year. Unlike a debt-exclusion (temporary) override, which comes off the rolls once a building or project is paid for, a general override becomes a permanent part of the tax base. This means the...

Demo delay pauses Glover property development

7Jun

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Local History, Local News, Municipal Matters, real estate, Top Stories

Demo delay pauses Glover property development

The Glover’s Marblehead Regiment and Swampscott Historical Commission have joined forces to save a historically-significant building on a Vinnin Square property that is being developed into a 140-unit condo complex. The property at 299 Salem Road spans three towns: Marblehead, Swampscott and Salem, and possesses a colorful past dating back to before the American Revolution. General John Glover’s main house was built in the late 18th century. COURTESY PHOTOS / SWAMPSCOTT PUBLIC LIBRARY Initially, the property was the William Browne family farm, managed by Thomas Vining. It later became the residence of Gen. John Glover, a famed Revolutionary War figure, from approximately 1781 until his death in 1797. Glover was the brains behind the Crossing of the Delaware, a surprise attack led...

The Dixey Collection: Remembering the Rockmere

24Mar

By Leigh BlanderNo Comments

Local History, Local News, real estate, Uncategorized

The Dixey Collection: Remembering the Rockmere

The Marblehead Current is proud to partner with photographer and historian Dan Dixey, who regularly shares photos of Marblehead from his extensive collection, along with information about each shot. “This is a view of the Rockmere Hotel from Crocker Park in 1906,” Dixey said. “The hotel had over 100 rooms and was located where Glover Landing is today. This photo is from the original Fred Litchman glass negative.”