Letter: Blonder Explains His Past Experience, Future Hopes with the Planning Board

The following was submitted by Jeffrey Blonder

I have recently announced my intentions to seek re-election to the Swampscott Planning Board. I currently serve as the senior member of the Planning Board and its vice-chairman and am also an elected Town Meeting member from precinct one.

I am very excited about the future of Swampscott. I think with the many initiatives that the Planning Board has sponsored over the past few years Swampscott will continue to be a vibrant and livable town. As long as I have been a member of the Planning Board I have always voted in the best interests of the Town’s residents and business owners. I believe with the zoning changes that were overwhelmingly passed at Town Meeting last year and with the proposed Humphrey Street Overlay District zoning changes that are being voted on at this year’s Town Meeting, Swampscott’s residents will see a rebirth of Humphrey Street and a vibrant area where the old General Glover Restaurant stood.

One of the first questions that I asked when I was first elected to the Planning Board was “Why doesn’t Swampscott have a Town Planner?“ It took several years to convince the residents of Swampscott the benefits of a Town Planner, but I believe we are seeing the benefit of having a full time professional available to the residents and business owners to address planning questions. Over the past few years I have urged the Planning Board to become more transparent. I believe several of our Planning Board’s town wide forums, which were attended by many residents, have allowed the Planning Board to truly understand the needs and desires of all the residents of Swampscott.

Further Planning Board achievements include last year’s survey and upcoming Master Plan. A town should reexamine its Master Plan every 10 years but Swampscott has not updated its master plan since the 1970s, The Master Plan will serve as a road map for the future and will depend on extensive public input. With professional guidance from our full time planner and input from the Town’s residents, Swampscott will articulate our future. If re-elected, I will continue to be a strong advocate of a transparent process where every matter will get an extensive review. I will not support any proposals unless I believe the Town of Swampscott will benefit from it.

I have been a resident of Swampscott for over 25 years believe that Swampscott is a special place. I take my responsibilities seriously and would never vote for anything that I believed would not be in the best interests of Swampscott.

I attended University of Massachusetts and graduated with a degree in Environmental Design with a concentration in Planning. I am a Computer Consultant for State Street Corporation and recently retired from the U.S. Navy Reserves with which I served 28 years, including 15 months mobilized to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. I retired as a Senior Chief Petty Officer where I served as the Senior Enlisted Leader in several Navy Reserve units and also served as Chief of Information Technology for the Commander of Navy Reserve Intelligence. I’m currently the Commander of the Jewish War Veterans of the North Shore and a member of Swampscott’s VFW post.

I am a long-time sports official at the youth, high school and college levels in track and field, soccer, basketball, softball and lacrosse. My wife, Cindy Madfis Blonder, and I have two children who both attended Swampscott Schools, Gabriellle and Zachary.