Swampscott Vinnin Square Redesign Input Sought Ahead Of Final Draft

SWAMPSCOTT, MA — The long-anticipated plans to redesign Vinnin Square into a more modern residential and commercial retail district will be largely influenced by the new Vinnin Square Design Guidelines imposed following the vote of town meeting to allow zoning changes to the square properties.

Swampscott residents are now urged to provide feedback on the proposed draft version of the guidelines that Metropolitan Area Planning Council Principal Josh Fiala presented to a meeting of the Planning Board on Oct. 16.

The draft, which can be found here, is expected to be finalized in December.

The redesign guidelines would apply to the properties between Essex Street and Paradise Road and are "designed to encourage future mixed-use redevelopment and investments that would strengthen the town's commercial tax base."

Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald has repeatedly cited the town's relatively small commercial tax base as the cause for its disproportionate reliance on residential property taxes to fund essential town services, schools and projects, with Vinnin Square identified as the one area of the town with significant commercial growth potential.

According to a MAPC survey shared at the Oct. 16 meeting, 52 percent of respondents "strongly agreed" with a vision statement that reads:

"Vinnin Square will be a re-imagined, revitalized and walkable center of commercial activity that fits well with the seaside community and responds to the town's nautical heritage and coastal architecture while improving multi-modal transportation and appropriately scaled mixed-use retail, residential and office space that attracts much-needed business, jobs, commercial tax base and increased consumer spending to town."

The MAPC said that 32 percent agreed with that statement — totaling 84 percent of respondents who said they strongly agreed or agreed with it — while 8 percent of respondents disagreed or strongly disagreed, and 8 percent said they were neutral.

Comments on the Vinnin Square Design Guidelines can be sent to Marissa Meaney, Land Use Coordinator, at mmeaney@swampscottma.gov.

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