Swampscott may sell unused town-owned properties

SWAMPSCOTT-The Town Building Oversight Committee is recommending the town sell four surplus town-owned properties.The properties being recommended for sale are the former middle school on Greenwood Avenue, the former senior center on Burrill Street, the former Temple Israel on Humphrey Street and the Phillips Avenue fire station.Selectman Jill Sullivan, who is chairman of the Town Building Oversight Committee, said the committee is recommending the former middle school site on Greenwood Avenue be used for condominiums. The Greenwood Avenue building was built in 1895 and has been used as a high school and middle school. The former school sits on a 90,000 square-foot parcel and the expected selling price is approximately $2.1 million. Sullivan said the RFP would specify only materials compatible with the existing building would be used for the project. Some of the zoning revisions under consideration for that site include any limiting the height of the structures and requiring two parking spaces for each unit.Other members of the Town Building Oversight Committee are Vice-Chairman Michael McClung, who is also on the Finance Committee, Capital Improvements Committee representative Joe Markarian, Martin Grasso, Gail Rosenberg, Carl Christie and William O’Brien.Sullivan said some of the major factors being looked at in regards to proposed use for each property include whether the proposed project is compatible with the neighborhood, benefits the town and would generate tax revenue.Sullivan said the committee is working on writing zoning law changes, deed restrictions and design guidelines, which would be incorporated into a Request for Proposals that would be issued for each property the town decides to sell.