Marblehead home at center of planned zoning bylaw meeting

MARBLEHEAD – The proposed zoning bylaw that could legalize Wayne Johnson’s $1.1 million house on Bubier Road will get a Planning Board hearing Tuesday, Nov. 9 at the Marblehead Community Center.The Oct. 4 Land Court deadline for Johnson to move the house or raze it still looms 11 days from now and Johnson’s lawyer declined to say if he has a strategy to prevent that from happening.”I’m not putting out any thoughts on that,” said attorney Michael Pill of Northampton.Johnson’s appeal of the Land Court order remains in the Appeals Court pipeline, overseen by attorney Charles LeRay of Boston. No hearing date has been set on the appeal.The proposed bylaw change would reduce the amount of frontage needed for a legal house lot, a change some town officials fear could radically increase the town’s density.Johnson has conducted a 15-year court battle to save the home he built on an undersized lot. At present, if he fails to move or raze his home by Oct. 4 he could face civil contempt charges.He collected 200 signatures on a petition for a special Town Meeting to discuss his proposed bylaw change last month, but selectmen refused to call one. Reportedly, he is circulating a second petition to have a justice of the peace call a special Town Meeting but no petitions had been received at the town clerk’s office Thursday, where the signatures must be certified.Curran said the Planning Board had to call a hearing on the proposal within 65 days of receiving his request. Due to public advertising requirements, the earliest hearing date available was Nov. 9. After the hearing the planners will write their recommendation on the change for Town Meeting.