PHOTO BY PAULA MULLER
Swampscott Town Planner Peter Kane addresses the crowd during the Town Meeting.
BY GAYLA CAWLEY
SWAMPSCOTT — Voters approved a proposal from B’Nai B’Rith Housing/Covenant Commonwealth Corp. on Monday to build an affordable senior housing project at the shuttered Machon Elementary School.
The nonprofit that builds affordable homes for seniors in Greater Boston, proposed Senior Residences at the Machon. Under the terms of the deal, the nonprofit would sign a 99-year ground lease for $500,000. The purchase includes an additional $50,000 payment for off-site improvements.
The complex, at 35 Burpee Road, will include 38 one-bedroom units. B’Nai B’Rith plans to reuse the original 1920 building and demolish the 1963 addition. After an amendment made at Town Meeting, the nonprofit must provide 48 parking spaces, rather than the three dozen originally proposed. Each unit would have one parking space. Ten guest spaces would also be available.
Other features will include patio and lawn space for residents and access to Jackson Woods. A laundry facility, gym, library and multi-purpose common room would also be on-site.
The approval was not unanimous and came after more than an hour of debate. Town Meeting member Gerard Perry requested a roll call vote, which required each member to vote one by one when their name was read. The final tally was 159 in favor and 89 opposed.
The approval allows the Board of Selectmen to negotiate with B’Nai B’Rith about density and parking.
Some neighbors opposing the project preferred open space on the site of the former school, rather than more development.
Perry, of Burpee Road, said there has been too much development in town.
“There’s been a lot of anger about this,” Perry said.
Ruth Hendrickson said neighbors have been ignored in the process after advocating for an open space reuse of Machon.
“It’s just not fair,” Hendrickson said.
Others agreed with officials who said there is a need for affordable and senior housing in town. Town Planner Peter Kane said only 3.7 percent of housing units in Swampscott are set aside as affordable. By state law, he said, that figure should be 10 percent. He added that half of the senior households in town have an income of $40,000 or less.
Robert Powell said he was in favor of Machon School being turned into senior affordable housing. Today, he said there are not enough options for the ever growing population of seniors.
“Most homes in this town are not age-friendly at all,” Powell said.
Officials are considering ways for Swampscott residents to have preference at the facility. The maximum for local preference is 70 percent of the units being occupied by residents.
Town Meeting will reconvene tonight.
Gayla Cawley can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @GaylaCawley
