NAHANT — Residents were given the opportunity to voice their questions and concerns regarding the town’s Housing Production Plan at the Planning Board’s meeting Tuesday night.
The feedback centered around a town-submitted Community Preservation Grant proposal that would fund a study on the feasibility of town-owned land on Greystone Road for potential housing developments.
The proposal is requesting $43,556 in funds from the fiscal year 2025 Community Preservation Fund and $16,444 from the Community Housing Reserve. Town Administrator Tony Barletta previously described the study as one part of Nahant’s long-term goal to achieve “safe harbor” with the Commonwealth’s zoning laws.
Resident Sierra Mcnamee-Kardos inquired about how Greystone Road was chosen as the optimal site for the study, as opposed to the Nahant Country Club. Housing Plan Advisory Subcommittee Chair Michelle Capano named the higher cost of privately owned land as one reason.
“We included both public and private-owned land in our proposal to the state,” Capano said. “Any privately owned land would likely require some type of eminent-domain taking that would have to be a vote at Town Meeting of the residents versus using town-owned land, which wouldn’t require that and would be less of a cost burden and a tax burden on the taxpayer.
Mcnamee-Kardos expressed her belief that “90%” of residents in the surrounding area have not been informed enough about the proposal.
“I think that it’s really important we aren’t blindsided,” Mcnamee-Kardos said. “I don’t know if we need to do flyers or what, but people don’t know this is happening.”
Barletta responded by saying he feels the town has put forth its best effort to push public discussion.
“We’ve had a number of public meetings related to the Housing Production Plan, a number of public meetings related to the CPC application, a number of public meetings with the Finance Committee reviewing the application, and there’s going to be a number more of public meetings leading up to Town Meeting,” Barletta said. “It’s impossible for us to knock on everybody’s door.”
He added that he is always open to feedback on how he and his staff can better inform residents.
Resident Ken Carangelo pointed out language used by Barletta, Board of Selectmen Chair Mark Cullinan, and Planning Board Chair Rob Steinberg suggesting that the Greystone Road proposal is “just a plan.”
“It’s never just a plan,” Carangelo said. “I think we need to be mindful of that and the reason all this effort goes into it is because it’s not just a paper exercise, it’s meant to drive action.”
While the statewide 40B affordable housing compliance deadline is at the end of the year, Barletta emphasized that there is no time-sensitive deadline for Nahant’s Housing Production Plan.
