Swampscott residents support green space proposal for former elementary school site

SWAMPSCOTT – Out of the three suggestions posed by residents at a public forum on the reuse of the former Machon Elementary School, the crowd, through a hand vote, was mostly in favor of turning the land into open green space.The Monday night meeting, which about 30 people attended, began with a slideshow presentation from Town Planner Brian Szekely, who gave an overview of the school?s monetary value and future use options. The school sits on 1.03 acres, with a land value of $220,000. The building is worth $1.88 million and is part of an A3 residential zoning district, where buildings can only be up to 35 feet tall and 2? stories without a special permit. Among the acceptable uses for the land are a single- or two-family dwelling, an open space or a child-care facility. There could also be an assisted or independent living facility, or a building with up to eight dwelling units with a special permit.The Burpee Road school, which was built in 1920, closed in June 2007 due to budget cuts.Ray Patalano, chairman of the Capital Improvement Committee and a Town Meeting member, was the first resident to offer an opinion, endorsing the open green space plan, which he said could include an ice rink or a community garden.?We?ve done enough development in town and seen our neighbors suffer from it,” the Burpee Road resident said, adding, “Nobody says, great town, not enough condos.”Citing his knowledge from working on the committee, Patalano said the town could fund the demolition of the school and the construction of a green space over 15 years within the town?s finances without bringing the matter to Town Meeting for a budget override.His remarks were met with applause, closing with, “Do we want it to be something to create memories with our families ? or enrich developers and lawyers?”Town Administrator Thomas Younger then said it would cost $200,000 to tear down the school, not including asbestos removal, because an estimate on that service has not yet been performed. Once there is agreement on what to do with the school, the proposal will come before Town Meeting for final approval.Residents Laura Smith and Sydney Pierce said the building should be kept intact and renovated for what they called a “community house,” which could offer artist studios as well as music and dance practice space. The two women are part of the local group RREACH, which stands for Red Rock Events, Arts and Community House.Members of the audience challenged the practicality of the idea, asking whether the group would have plans to buy the building and if it would increase road congestion.Smith said the house would be a good option because of its year-round potential, but Burpee Road resident and Town Meeting member Niki Patalano said the open green space could be designed for use in all seasons.?We don?t live in Antarctica. We can be in this space all year round,” she said.Warren Sawyer, co-founder and board chairman of Swampscott housing organization The Caleb Group, said the school building should be converted to elderly housing. He said he had an architect and structural engineer look at the property, and the two concluded the building can be renovated to include 17 units.?We think the building needs to be preserved to benefit the population as it ages,” said Sawyer, who attended the meeting with his wife and daughter.A timeline for the Machon project will be an upcoming priority, Younger said, and he vowed, “this will not be put on the back burner.”?I don?t want to be sitting here seven years from now saying, ?What do we do with the Machon School?? when we?ve had seven years already,” he said.