LYNNFIELD — At Monday night’s Select Board meeting, newly hired and trained police officers and firefighters were introduced, and two presentations were given: a review of the Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) warrant article, and a review of the updated Hazard Mitigation Plan.
Two new police officers and four new career firefighters were introduced at the head of the meeting. Officers Anthony Nagwood and Angelica Noble were welcomed, as were firefighters Anthony Camela, Steven Collette, Andrew Pszurski, and Celia Shea.
The new firefighters were hired with funds from SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response), which is a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant that will help cover Lynnfield’s EMS and firefighting needs in the midst of the ongoing EMS shortage, something Fire Chief Glenn Davis called “critical to the citizens of Lynnfield.”
The first presentation given was about the Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) and Accessory Structure warrant articles, presented by Planning Board Director Emilie Cademartori.
An ADU is a dwelling on a parcel that already contains a single-family home. In 2024, the Massachusetts Legislature made ADUs a by-right option for property owners of residentially-zoned property in an effort to increase housing availability.
Since the law went into effect this year, multiple applications have been submitted by property owners for permits to build them, but the Town currently has little oversight. This warrant article intends to ensure that new ADUs follow the existing site-planning process, which ensures safety and limits the impact on neighbors and the environment without overly restricting the new right.
Town Administrator Rob Dolan commented on Cademartori’s presentation, imploring people to show up to Town Meeting so a quorum can be achieved to pass this article.
“I think people are going to be absolutely shocked if we do not regulate this law… If we don’t get a quorum to pass this, it will be, I don’t want to be overly dramatic, but the Wild West when it comes to building,” Dolan said.
He added that should a quorum not be reached, “there’s nothing we can do to stop it.”
Select Board Chair Phil Crawford further emphasized the importance of this vote, saying that if Lynnfield residents have “no other reason to go to Town Meeting, this is the reason to go.”
Cademartori closed by adding, “We haven’t really had anyone ask any questions, and I’d hope that people don’t wait until Town Meeting if they have questions.” She then offered to go over the specifics with people in-person. Curious residents should call (781) 334-9495 or email Cademartori at [email protected].
The next presentation was of the draft Hazard Mitigation Plan, which catalogs the potential natural hazards that affect Lynnfield and prioritizes potential steps the Town can take to mitigate them. This plan is put together by the Town of Lynnfield Hazard Mitigation Team, assisted by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC).
Getting this plan approved opens the Town up to multiple FEMA grants for five years, and it allows Lynnfield to plan for and collaborate with neighboring towns over potential natural disasters.
This plan, though still in its draft stage, has already seen impacts for Lynnfield. For instance, it contains specific data that the Select Board was able to point to in order to start a dialogue with Lynn about cooperation on brush-fire mitigation.
The Hazard Mitigation Plan is now open for a public comment period until Oct. 29, at which point the Hazard Mitigation Team will review the comments. Comment submissions should be directed via email to [email protected].
After reviewing the comments, the plan will be submitted to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) for review and approval. Once approved, it must be adopted by the Select Board before it can be sent to FEMA for approval, at which point the Town will be able to receive grants to implement the plan’s hazard mitigation steps.