To the editor:
The Hawthorne property was purchased by the town of Swampscott in 2022 from the Athanas family for $7 million to provide a waterfront community park for residents. As a Town Meeting member, I voted in favor of this purchase.
The land, perched on a cliff at the southern entrance to town, provides breathtaking views of the ocean. Opposite the Hawthorne property is the Frederick Law Olmsted Mall, a majestic formal green space. Beside it stands our town hall, once the home of Elihu Thomson. Swampscott’s entrance is as stunning as it is distinct, signaling a special place where the ocean meets a centuries-old community deeply invested in its people.
The Athanas property offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deepen this investment by creating an invaluable space for recreation: to walk, socialize and picnic while enjoying ocean breezes. Marblehead has a somewhat similar space in Chandler Hovey Park, a 3.74-acre site at the tip of Marblehead Neck. Donated to the town in 1948, it is a signature public space with benches, picnic tables and sweeping views of the harbor and shoreline. Chandler Hovey Park is a town treasure.
It takes courage and foresight to consider the long-term use of undeveloped land. The Athanas property could be viewed as a cash cow, delivering tax dollars through private development. Or it could be preserved as Swampscott’s crown jewel — revealing the majesty of the ocean, offering space for family celebrations and daily enjoyment, and drawing residents together for generations.
The sun rising over the Atlantic each morning could be seen by only a few dozen condo owners, if the land were developed. Or it could be experienced by generations of adults and children ambling and playing on its landscaped oceanfront lawn.
It is my fervent hope that Swampscott takes the long view, creating this magnificent property as a public park to bring residents closer together.
Sincerely,
Sylvia Belkin
Founder, Swampscott Historical
Commission (1982–2004)
Member at Large, Local Historic District Commission
Swampscott Distinguished Citizen Award (2014)
Town Meeting Member (1975–2021)
Bachelor of Science, Geography/Urban Planning, Salem State University, 1979
