LTTE: I’m disappointed by the Select Board’s zoning decision

To the editor:

I was disheartened to see that the Select Board decided not to schedule a Town Meeting to reconsider the Zoning By law vote that was defeated last May. I was especially concerned to see to see that those who opposed reconsideration overwhelmed the Select Board whose role it is to advance the best interests of the Town.

The Planning Board in its 5 year plan, offered in 2019, pointed out that 77% of Marblehead Housing stock is zoned as single family. That is 15% more of such single family units than Essex County, the North shore and the Commonwealth.

As of the time of a Census Building Survey for the period 2010 to 2017, the number of households headed by someone 55 years and older had increased by 21%, whereas the number of those led by someone 25-44 years old had shrunk by 63%. These trends have continued to the present day. We all know that the cost of single family units in town has skyrocketed in the past few years. Something must be done to make it possible for Seniors to downsize without leaving town, and to attract young professionals and young families that will support Marblehead’s future. At present it is nearly impossible for our teachers, firefighters, police officers to afford to live here in town. Small businesses and restaurants cannot hire staff.

So who or what is it that the opponents of changes in the zoning by-law want to keep out, by opposing the permitting of multi-unit housing. Do they want to live only among millionaires? Can we not permit expanding denser housing in the three limited areas selected by the Zoning board?. Only 15% of the new units are required to be ‘affordable”. The rest will be fair market value. Smaller but not cheap.

So then it’s just because the state government is pressing for these changes? It sometimes sounds like teenagers saying to the parent “you can’t make me “even in the face of reasonable requests. From my point of view Marblehead has everything to gain by agreeing to make these changes. ( The Marblehead Housing Coalition has a website that addresses all of the real concerns about the impact of adopting the proposed zoning changes.)

Sincerely

Carolyn Corzine
May St.
Marblehead

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