ITEM PHOTO BY OWEN O’ROURKE
Some of the 12 Coast Guard homes that could be removed to make room for new condo units.
BY BRIDGET TURCOTTE
NAHANT — The former Coast Guard housing property will get its orders from voters in the fall.
A special Town Meeting will be held in September to determine if a zoning change will be adopted to allow redevelopment of the property, where 12 homes sit overlooking the Kelley Greens Golf Course.
The town-owned structures date back to World War II when they were used to house
soldiers who worked at a nearby bunker.
Nahant has owned the Coast Guard housing property, located on Castle and Gardner roads, since the late 1950s, said Jeff Chelgren, town administrator. Today, the homes are leased to tenants.
That section of town doesn’t allow for multi-family homes. Town Meeting will be asked to approve a zoning change to allow eight single family homes and a 20-unit condominium building.
Chelgren said 25 percent of the units would be set aside for income-eligible families.
“There’s a high demand for single-family homes and very few options for empty nesters looking to stay in town and to downsize,” he said. “There are very few rentals. We see single-family and condos as being badly needed here in town.”
The proposed project went before Town Meeting in 2005, when members voted to proceed with a development plan. A developer was chosen to complete the project. But the real estate market crashed and brought plans for the former military property to a halt.
Earlier this year, Chelgren discussed dusting off the plans and trying again.
The Coast Guard Housing Committee has been working with consultants to develop a proposal. The town issued a request for proposals last year and only received one bid.
To encourage developers, Chelgren said it’s important to clear up any zoning issues.
The Planning Board will next schedule a public hearing and establish a recommendation for Town Meeting. Chelgren said the process is expected to take about a month and a half.
Bridget Turcotte can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @BridgetTurcotte.
