Swampscott Town Administrator Urges 'No' Vote On Elm Place Project

SWAMPSCOTT, MA — Swampscott Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald informed the Zoning Board and WinnDevelopment that he remains opposed to the proposed 120-unit Elm Place 40B Affordable Housing Project as the ZBA nears a vote on a comprehensive permit following a lengthy public hearing.

In a letter provided to Patch, which was also delivered to the ZBA and Winn representatives before the last Board meeting on April 12, Fitzgerald said there remains "serious concerns with how this project has been presented in our densely settled town" and the project is one of "such inappropriate scale and density" that he said it will do "long-term and significant damage to Swampscott's ability to build community support in the future for the creation of additional affordable housing."

"As a town, we continue to grapple with the complexities of this pandemic and our efforts to communicate the perils and promise of smart growth leadership for Swampscott," he said in the letter. "While I appreciate the Zoning Board's careful review of this project, I urge the ZBA to deny the comprehensive permit.

"It has become clear that the only way to properly address traffic, parking, and water and sewer infrastructure capacity concerns is to reduce the size of the project and to show a significant investment in traffic demand management strategies —including making room for the rail trail and other measures."

He said the "no" vote would "help Swampscott ensure we can return to the table or courtroom to ensure we have a project that best aligns with the highest goals of (Mass. General Law) 40B and Swampscott’s Master Plan."

The Zoning Board had appeared set to close the half-year-long public hearing on the project during a public meeting last week — but instead called for another public hearing on May 6 to address new questions about some potential sewer infrastructure, groundwater and open space issues. Winn representatives agreed to extend the public hearing process an additional two weeks to June 14 but made it clear they believe they have satisfied most of the requirements they need to under the 40B statute that allows developments to bypass many local zoning bylaws in the interest of fulfilling the "essential town need" of creating more affordable housing.

Swampscott has an inventory of 3.7 percent affordable housing — which is well below the 10 percent necessary to prevent developers from seeking 40B allowances.

"We are confident the few remaining issues can be resolved through discussion among the experts and/or conditions from the ZBA," WinnDevelopment spokesman Ed Cafasso said in a statement to Patch following the April 12 ZBA meeting. "Our hope is that this is the final delay. The plan for Elm Place is not only legally appropriate for the site but, with one exception, also has been endorsed by the town's own peer review experts as a smart, well-designed proposal to bring badly needed transit-oriented affordable housing to Swampscott."

WinnDevelopment has proposed that 49 of the 120 units be priced at a below-market rate, which is well above the 40B's statute requirement of 20 percent, but developers have argued that only a project of that size makes the financing work to provide that many units at the lower price
point.

Eighty-four of the 120 units — 70 percent of the units — are one-bedroom or studio apartments.

Fitzgerald's letter echoed many nearby residents' frequently voiced concerns that the building simply remains too big and will put too much strain on the already-congested neighborhoods. He indicated he is willing to work with developers on a smaller project — which to this point they have said is not financially feasible — but does not support it in its current form.

"Quite simply, we need good faith engagement between the town and the development team," Fitzgerald said. "Clearly, the magnitude of this proposed project will have a dramatic impact on Swampscott’s public safety, open space and quality of life.

"We need time to ensure that Swampscott's professional, appointed and elected officials can continue to work hard to ensure that this comprehensive project is a partnership between the private interests and the public good."

Developers have noted that independent peer reviews have already signed off on traffic and parking impact studies, while Fire Chief Graham Archer said last week he was satisfied that the complex would satisfy fire access concerns.

"We have worked hard, at great expense in time and money, to meet the town more than halfway throughout this 18-month journey," Cafasso said. "We look forward to wrapping up this process and earning Board approval as quickly as possible."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)