Marblehead selectmen reject housing proposal

MARBLEHEAD – The Fair Housing Committee was praised for doing its job Wednesday night, but the selectmen unanimously rejected its proposal to build 14-15 housing units, half of them affordable, on 1.1 town-owned acres off Turner Road and Taft Street.After hearing opposition from seven neighbors and Walter Haug of the Conservation Commission, selectmen asked committee spokesmen Kurt James and Dirk Isbrandtsen to return to the committee’s former successful plan of rehabbing existing buildings as affordable housing instead of proposing what James and Isbrandtsen had called “a friendly 40B.”There were about 30 neighbors present and selectmen received a petition signed by 100 persons opposing the project.Selectmen voted against following the committee’s proposal, and asked town officials to take steps to include the parcel on the town’s open space list.James and Isbrandtsen made a brief presentation on their proposal in December and selectmen asked them to discuss their idea with the abutters.Isbrandtsen noted that he and James had what he called “a spirited discussion” with the neighbors last week. James said if selectmen and Town Meeting approved the proposal the committee would do their best to minimize the impact on the neighbors. He suggested 14-15 units, a reduction from their December proposal of 18, but had to admit that the parcel fell short of the two acres required for a multi-family development under the town’s inclusionary zoning bylaw.The neighbors led off their remarks with a Power Point presentation, in which Molly Welch and Kevin Collins referred to the idea as “an ill-conceived proposal,” pointing out that their neighborhood is built on ledge and already has two Housing Authority complexes, and adding to it would create drainage, parking and traffic safety issues.”Marblehead affordable housing should not be segregated,” Welch said. “This doesn’t fit the neighborhood.”Haug said developing a parcel of town-owned open space was “like a dagger in the heart to me.” He urged selectmen to support instead a Smart Growth Committee proposal to add affordable housing to commercial buildings.Jacqueline Williams said the basement of her Turner Road home had two to three inches of water in it every time it rained.In a lengthy written statement Selectman Judy Jacobi said the proposal was “a huge project that would affect the neighbors.” She urged the Fair Housing Committee to focus on expanding, enhancing and rehabilitating existing homes.Selectman William Woodfin said the proposal raised a question: “What do you want Marblehead to look like in the future?” Using the expression NIMBY – Not In My Back Yard – several times, he argued that the NIMBY concept can protect the town. “I will never vote to erode open space in this town,” he added.