Swampscott Town Meeting forms building study committee

SWAMPSCOTT – Instead of taking action on surplus town properties Tuesday evening, Town Meeting formed another committee to conduct further studies.The Town Building Study Committee asked Town Meeting to declare four town-owned properties as surplus.The committee recommended transferring the former senior center, Phillips Fire Station, Temple Israel and the former middle school to selectmen.The articles, which would have allowed the selectmen to sell or lease the properties, were indefinitely postponed.Selectmen Chairman Anthony Scibelli said Town Meeting voted to form an oversight committee to advise Town Meeting and selectmen regarding the sale and potential re-use of the property. The new Town Building Oversight Committee would be charged with making recommendations to selectmen and Town Meeting regarding the disposition of those properties.Scibelli said he expects a special Town Meeting would be called no later than Nov. 15.The Town Building Study Committee recommended selling the Temple Israel property and former middle school on Greenwood Avenue to developers for housing. It also recommended the Phillips Beach Fire Station, which is currently being used by an ambulance service, be sold as surplus. Although it was not part of the article, in its report the committee said if the property is sold it should be for use only as a single family home with the following restrictions: the original 1903 structure is preserved and the development of the parcel is subject to oversight by a town appointed committee. The Town Building Study Committee also recommended the former senior center be sold, leased or demolished to provide municipal parking space.Scibelli said the new committee, which has not been appointed yet, would look into all the possible options for re-use or sale of the four properties.”The process of going through and managing the sale of property is different than the work the Town Building Study Committee did,” he said. “The new committee would be responsible for many things including looking at whether zoning changes would be required.”