SWAMPSCOTT – The Hawthorne Reuse Advisory Committee will be holding another public forum on Thursday from 7-10 p.m. in the Swampscott High School Auditorium to gain more public feedback on the development.
Committee Chair Brian Watson expressed that it’s a chance for community members to add their perspectives and ideas to the project, along with the chance to share any concerns or ask questions regarding the process.
He added that it will also be an opportunity to talk to residents about both “single site,” and “double site,” options for the land. A single-site plan entails examining the lot that has the Hawthorne-by-the-sea restaurant; the double site option would include the Hawthorne lot as well as the nearby church parking lot that’s immediately adjacent to the site.
“The committee will then look at what could be developed if the town had owned both parcels,” Watson said. “At the Thursday meeting, the committee will show the first drawings of the potential developments for the double site options.”
Watson continued, saying it will be the first time that the community can get a look at the double site options with “some possible development on it.”
The committee will also report briefly on the financial implications regarding possible plans, which Watson said was not covered during the previous public forum.
“We’ll go into the background of the financial costs of both single and double site plans, though the information will mainly be about single site options that the public has already seen,” Watson explained.
The committee will also report back to the Town on the answers collected from the public-input survey that circulated throughout town, where residents got to express their personal visions for the future of the site.
Watson elaborated on that point, noting that the questionnaire asked residents to rank the first four single site plans, and also to “elicit any and all comments that the public wanted to give.”
He also said the committee was able to gather 463 responses from community members, which covered a wide spectrum of ideas, thoughts and concerns.
“We’re hoping a large number of people come, because while it might be a great opportunity for the committee to gain more feedback, it’s also a great chance for the public to get more information as well,” Watson said.
