Swampscott Vinnin Square Zoning Changes Pass At Town Meeting

SWAMPSCOTT, MA — Nearly three hours of town meeting debate resulted in an overwhelming vote in support of zoning changes to Swampscott's Vinnin Square that could open the town's primary commercial district to more mixed-used retail and housing development at the annual town meeting Wednesday night.

Planning Board Chair Angela Ippolito began the night with a 30-minute, detailed proposal to change the zoning bylaws in a way that could open the area, now home to an extensive strip mall, to further development that may result in more housing and diversified retail.

The debate survived an amendment for indefinite postponement by a vote of 111-54 and eventually passed by a vote of 152-13.

Proponents of the change, led by Ippolito and fellow Planning Board members as well as Select Board members David Grishman and Peter Spellios, argued that change was the town's best chance at attracting a diverse commercial district — beyond banks, budget stores, and a proposed commercial dental office — while adhering to overlay housing requirements in the pending state overlay districts around existing MBTA transportation hubs — of which Swampscott is one given its commuter rail station —before they are imposed upon the town, while expanding the town's residential tax base amid rising expenses.

"There is little left to cut at a time where there are needs on the town side, increasing needs on the school side, increasing needs on public safety," Grishman said. "And as a result, it is my view that we need to focus on growth and smart development, and that's exactly what's happening at the heart of this article.

"This didn't come out of nowhere. The Planning Board has identified Vinnin Square as the logical place for this to occur. It makes sense. Vinnin Square is already an undeveloped and underperforming commercial area ripe for rejuvenation and redevelopment. This keeps this considerable development out of our residential neighborhoods and helps preserve our quaint little beach town feel in our residential areas. ...

"It doesn't take a rocket scientist to determine that the town of Swampscott can either grow its residential and commercial tax base, and spread its tax burdens across a greater population with a greater value of commercial properties, or it will simply have to heavily tax those who remain in town to address its numerous needs."

Spellios argued that the changes open the area to smaller commercial entities at a time when larger-scale and more desirable stores are either going out of business or not looking to expand in a place like Swampscott with limited highway access and regional appeal given that most of the town is surrounded by the ocean.

"Fish don't shop," Spellios noted.

Ippolito said that any development in the new zoning district would still have to comply with Planning Board design standards, which could actually be much more influential than the current zoning standards.

While zoning bylaw changes cannot be passed based on a specific development request, proponents pointed to mixed-used developments in Woburn and Watertown as possibilities for Swampscott.

(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.)