LYNNFIELD — The divide over whether to build a movie theater in Lynnfield was evident Tuesday night when Selectman Christopher Barrett asked the panel to delay the vote and the chairman ruled him out of order.
The tense exchange began prior to consideration of an agreement between Lynnfield and co-owners of MarketStreet, the open air mall with more than 80 shops and restaurants off Route 128. The three-member panel was about to consider a deal with National Development and WS Development to spend $7 million to satisfy traffic, access, and parking issues at the popular shopping center if the proposed eight-screen cinema is approved at Town Meeting next month.
Barrett asked that Police Chief David Breen, who served on the 13-member Market Street Advisory Committee, answer questions about traffic impacts.
But Chairman Richard Dalton quickly ruled him out of order, noting the board and the community have had ample opportunity to make their positions known about the theater at prior public meetings.
“We all did, and that part of the discussion is closed,” he said. “Now we’ll have the final vote on the development agreement.” But Barrett refused to yield.
“I fully support MarketStreet and I greatly appreciate the strong partner they’ve been for the town of Lynnfield,” he said. “But the Market Street Advisory Committee recommended a decision on the cinema be delayed until we fully know what the impact of the Lahey development will be … my vote is not against the cinema, it’s a vote to delay any decision we make until we have all the facts to make a fully informed decision.”
Barrett was referring to the $10 million Lahey Health Urgent Care that opened last fall. The two-story, 41,000-square-foot brick building houses the clinic and retail on the ground floor, and medical office upstairs. The property still has some vacant space.
In its summary report, the advisory panel wrote about the Lahey complex and referred to it as Building 1350.
“We believe that Building 1350’s impact needs to be assessed. This can only be done after it is open, fully leased, and operational for a period of at least one year. To do otherwise will deprive the town of that information necessary to make an informed assessment of its impact.”
Breen was not allowed to speak and the agreement was approved with Dalton and Selectman Philip Crawford voting in favor.
Following the meeting, Dalton and Crawford said Barrett was trying to satisfy residents opposed to the cinema.
“To delay the cinema is just a ploy by opponents to kick it down the road,” Dalton said. “Next year, they’ll say the same thing. They have no credibility when they use that argument.”
Crawford said if the theater is not built, something will go in that space.
“Whether it’s office and retail or a theater, something’s going up that will create traffic, a theater will have traffic off hours,” he said. “Waiting for Lahey has nothing to do with it. Waiting a year is just a stall tactic.”
But Barrett disagreed.
“This is not in any way a delay tactic,” he said. “The chief of police is asking we delay this until we understand the impacts.”
In 2008, voters rejected plans for a movie theater by a 16-vote margin. The new vote is scheduled for Town Meeting on Monday, April 29 at the Lynnfield Middle School at 7 p.m. Changing the zoning to allow the cinema requires a two-thirds majority.
