SWAMPSCOTT — At its meeting on Wednesday, the Select Board agreed upon a version of an agreement to provide the developers of 12-24 Pine St., which may relocate the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1240.
B’nai Brith’s proposal included developing 42-units of senior veterans housing. The Board will present the developers with two major amendments to its original version, which either includes the VFW Post in the housing unit or relocates. It would be relocated 600 feet beside the new units to another parcel of land owned by the town.
Board member Katie Phelan noted that if B’nai Brith accepts the amended agreement, the project can move into the next phase of discussion and planning.
“We’re trying to meet in the middle,” Board member Danielle Leonard said. “We’re trying to find the best possible solution that checks all the boxes included.”
If the town could not reach an agreement with B’nai Brith by the end of its due-diligence period – the end of the year – then it ran the risk of losing funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which funded the project.
Concerned residents at the meeting opposed the plan to construct the 42-unit housing, citing reasons such as the large size of the proposed development and potential construction-related issues in surrounding neighborhoods.
“Your actions seem insensitive, and you seem to show no compassion for the fact you’re moving over 150 veterans, brothers and sisters of the community,” resident Susan Bishop said.
Residents and Board members disagreed on some aspects of the proposal, but both voiced their support for the housing and care of local veterans.
“This is going to be something that exists for decades,” Board member David Grishman said. “As a town, as a Select Board, this is something that we need to get right. We really need to get this right.”
