Public safety building committee no longer considering HRA land for combined police/fire station

Click this image for the latest presentation by the committee’s consultant.

By Christopher Haraden 

The committee studying options for constructing a combined police and fire station last week informally eliminated the Hull Redevelopment Authority property from its list of potential locations.

At its August 17 meeting at town hall, the public safety building committee reviewed the sites under consideration for new or renovated buildings – the HRA land, the current town hall property on Atlantic Avenue, Central Fire Station, the former 7-11 at the corner of A Street and Nantasket Avenue, and the athletic fields at L & N Streets.

With a survey under way to gauge public opinion on the process, committee members did not formally vote on any of the proposed locations, but a consensus emerged from the roundtable discussion that the redevelopment authority land was not a good fit.

“I think that’s a big step to push that out of the way,” said James N. Russo, chair of the committee and Hull’s fire chief from 1984-2002. “I think it alleviates a lot of issues and a lot of concerns from some of the people, too.”

Both the current fire and police department buildings need renovation, and town meeting voters in 2024 appropriated $150,000 to hire KBA Architects to study alternatives. Central Fire Station at 671 Nantasket Avenue is more than 100 years old, and the police station has been in its current location on the first level of the municipal building since the late 1970s. The fire department’s southernmost presence – commonly referred to as the Green Hill Station – has been part of town hall for decades; the Village Fire Station on Spring Street is used during storms and emergencies.

The building committee will recommend a preferred site and a new configuration; voters will have the final say at a future town meeting.

For more information on the committee’s work, click here

Members of the committee – which include leadership from both the police and fire departments, representatives of the select board and advisory board, and citizens – displayed a wide range of opinions about the siting process.

Police Chief John Dunn said members of his department concurred that the current address – not necessarily the current structure – was ideal for the police station.

“We felt the number one place would be here where we currently are,” Dunn said. “I know there’s a lot of discussion about A Street and location across from the fire station. But my feeling, not just as a chief but as a citizen of the town is … that’s something we shouldn’t even be really considering until we have something in writing or something valid and saying, ‘Yes, we’re going to sell it to the town for a public safety complex or for a fire station.’”

Dunn said that the HRA land would be the second choice of the police department, and “the third area would be L Street, but the concerns there we’ve already talked about” – such as parking and the effect on nearby residents – dropped that location to third on the list.

Select board member Greg Grey said the costs of renovating the current town hall were too great, and that he supported siting the new building on the HRA property.

“There’s part of me that wants this to be the number-one choice, but in reality, it’s the expense that’s going to make it number two,” Grey said of the town hall structure. “The HRA would be the number-one because is the reality of it. It’s going to be a massive amount of money to do this building over, keep everyone up here, and when it comes down to it, it’s going to be dollars and cents.

“In the end, the citizens will decide which direction to go,” he added.

Hull Police Lt. Stephen Glavin said that if the HRA land was chosen, the risk of flood water blocking access to police headquarters was too risky.

Deputy Fire Chief William Frazier agreed that the HRA property should no longer be considered.

“In the beginning, I was a proponent of ranking the HRA lot higher,” he said, “but after looking and really evaluating that, it has fallen off my list.”

Frazier also clarified that combining the former 7-11 store at 670 Nantasket Avenue, which was purchased last year by Mambo’s owner Anthony Ghosn for $1.2 million, and the adjacent property at 664 Nantasket Avenue, would result a very similar situation to the current service delivery model.

“If we were able to acquire that lot or a lot in that section … the functions that are currently being provided from the current A Street fire station would go from where they are now to just across the street,” he said. “And if the town hall site is determined to be a finalist, the building here would be the police headquarters with the fire substation. So it’s pretty much the model that we’ve got.”

Russo, who is the brother of current Fire Chief Chris Russo, said that while cost should be considered, the goal of the committee should be to ensure that Hull residents receive the best possible service.

“We’re not talking about buildings. We’re talking about the future of public safety and how it’s delivered for the town of Hull and its residents,” Russo said. “And so, I think that becomes, in my mind, a much bigger question. I don’t want to see facilities that are just dropped into a place because they are the cheapest location.

“I can tell you, I literally grew up in that building,” he said of the current Central Fire Station. “It was dedicated in 1910. There’s not a lot more we can do to that building.”

“I disagree completely with the HRA. I think that the residents have spoken about keeping the HRA as a community location,” said advisory board member Moraiba Reyes, who also serves on the public safety building committee. She said she favored having the police and fire department at town hall, noting that “anything that we do is going to cost money,” but the investment would be worthwhile “if we are able to have a vision for what that is and what that will do for the community going forward for the next 40-50 years.”

Committee member Donna Pursel, who is a former member of the select board, agreed with removing the HRA from consideration and suggested that properties behind Central Fire Station be considered for acquisition to expand the footprint along A Street.

The committee also discussed ways to further engage residents, such as forums for residents to ask questions, additional surveys, and attending community events to discuss the process and answer questions.

The next meeting of the committee will be on Monday, August 31 at 5 p.m. at town hall.

Click here to take the survey.

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Planning board denies request to allow short-term rentals at Aquarium condominium complex

The Residences at the aquarium at 120 nantasket avenue. [FILE PHOTO]

By Carol Britton Meyer

The planning board this week denied the request by a co-owner of the Residences at the Aquarium condominium complex at 120 Nantasket Avenue to modify the building’s condo documents to allow short-term rental of individual units.

Director of Community Development and Planning Chris DiIorio told The Hull Times in response to an inquiry before Wednesday’s meeting that some “residents would like to be able to rent their units for less than 30 days, which is allowed in the commercial recreation zone, but there is language in the condo documents that restricts rentals to more than 30 days.”

When the planning board earlier reviewed and approved the condo documents, there was a discussion regarding short-term rentals – “so the thought is that to change them would require the planning board’s review and approval,” according to DiIorio. “It’s still a condominium building, but some residents want to rent their units for less than 30 days.”

Before voting on the modification request by co-owner Jonathan Leavitt, who attended Wednesday’s Zoom meeting, longtime board member Jeanne Paquin – who was appointed to the board last week after being defeated in the May election – pointed out that this decision required that the board first determine whether the modification was minor or major.

Leavitt confirmed that while the initial thought was that some buyers would not want other condominium owners to offer short-term rentals of their units, “that has proved not to be the case.” In fact, some potential buyers are specifically asking about whether short-term rentals (under 30 days) are allowed.

“We’re making this request in response to requests from buyers,” he said.

The final decision would be made by the condominium board, “which doesn’t mean the request would be approved, but [gaining] planning board approval would mean short-term rentals are not restricted by the town,” Leavitt said.

Paquin, while understanding that short-term rentals are allowed in this zoning district, recalled that the board approved the project as condominiums in 2023, with an option to rent them out for no less than one month.

“I believe that [allowing short-term rentals] would change the whole tenor of the property,” she said.

Board member Abby Klieman said she was concerned that if this modification were to be approved, “I think other [owners] would be lining up to request the same.”

Board member Lisa French noted that the development is across the street from a small motel offering short-term rentals.

“I’m just putting my thoughts out there,” she said. “There aren’t many homes in that area except above on the hill, and I’m not sure a lot of residents living close by would feel any impact.” But, she noted, “I’m not saying this would be a good thing.”

Short-term rentals are not what the planning board approved, Paquin reiterated.

“We always say we want people to move to town and become members of the community, but [allowing this modification] doesn’t seem to be heading in that direction,” she said.

Following some discussion, the board voted 4 to 2 that the modification should not be classified as major while at the same time denying the request for a modification to the condo documents, also on a 4-2 vote. Determining that this constituted a major modification would have required a public hearing. Board member Chandelle Schulte was not present.

When asked by French how many of the 21 units have been sold, Leavitt said four are under agreement or closed, with “more in the pipeline.”

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Select board approves first phase of converting bus route from flag system to fixed stops

[Source: MBTA]

By Carol Britton Meyer

As part of the Route 714 Bus Stop Safety and Accessibility Project, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is working with the towns of Hull, Hingham, and Cohasset to convert Route 714 from a flag-stop operation to fixed-stop service, which will ultimately result in 44 fixed stops in Hull and associated signage to increase visibility.

Tom Quattromani, representing the MBTA, provided an update last week when seeking select board approval for the proposed locations for the phase one stops, which the board granted. Irwin Nesoff was not present at the August 19 meeting.

Phase one upgrades, scheduled for fall 2027, will include 33 bus stops in Hull and one each in Cohasset and Hingham.

Of those, eight will be located on Department of Conservation and Recreation-managed roads. Fixed stops in Hull as part of phase one will include A, F, L, R, and W streets, Newport Road, Lynn Avenue,  Kenberma Street, Village Market, Malta Street, Mountford Road, Sagamore Terrace, Nantasket Avenue/Hull Shore Drive, Atlantic Avenue at Valley Beach Avenue, among others.

Click here for the full presentation from the August 19 meeting

The fixed-stop locations were identified by Hull and MBTA officials based in part on preserving as much access as possible within 0.2 mile of each bus stop (about a three- to four-minute walk) and prioritizing the proximity of stops to important community destinations such as pharmacies, grocery stores, and places of employment and in consideration of existing high ridership locations, Quattromani explained.

“We worked to find locations that would have the lowest impacts on neighbors,” he said.

Other goals relate to improved bus facilities for a better passenger experience and accessible bus stops and connections between paired stops. Stop locations must currently be, or able to become, accessible by Americans with Disabilities Act standards.

The MBTA initiated this project with the town in fall 2024 and obtained the funding the following fall.

Fall 2025 project planning included a select board Route 714 field visit to help identify what makes a location accessible or inaccessible and which are the most viable and safest. Input from the community and municipal and state agencies also was considered.

Select board approval for the phase one stops paves the way for the MBTA to proceed to the 15% design phase in late summer or early fall of this year.

“That is when we will be getting down to the real nitty gritty – are there utility poles that need to be moved, the initial costs, an environmental checklist, [and other considerations],” Quattromani said.

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Hull, Cohasset artists share inspiration across border during upcoming Open Studios tour

By Cara Smith

What do Hull and Cohasset have in common? Within the local arts scene, natural beauty and friendship. In southern Hull and northern Cohasset, a cluster of artists and artisans has found community and inspiration in the shared coastal landscape around them.

Since Rita Walsh moved to Hull, she's been “astounded to see nature and all four seasons go around with the ocean, seagulls, the waves, the sunsets and sunrises.” From her studio overlooking the Weir River, she makes striking collages, filled with shells, sea glass, and other beach treasures.

Walsh began making the collages during the snowy winter of 2015, when she found herself snowed in with little to do. She opened a closet, discovered a box of scavenged beach finds and began arranging them for fun. A friend soon encouraged her to join Hull Artists and share her work. More than 10 years later, she has made lasting friendships, shared studios, and exhibited her collages throughout the area.

Karym Murphy, a photographer, lives in Cohasset on Straits Pond. She frequently photographs the changing skies, light, and reflections on water. She also takes pictures of wildlife, particularly birds and swans, around the pond. Murphy views the creation of each photograph as a journey. “I like to be flexible and see where the lens leads me. I capture what my eye is drawn to and take it from there,” she said.

Murphy took up photography about eight years ago and joined Hull Artists. “The community here was very welcoming and helpful,” she said.

Among the most welcoming of area artists is Nanci Jaye. She has been active in the area for decades from her studio in the Rockaway neighborhood of Hull.

Jaye creates colorful glass mosaics on tables, mirrors, windows and wall art. “I love meeting new people and answering questions about the mosaic process,” she said. Living close to the ocean and Nantasket Beach has shaped her art. She loves to make pieces “influenced by my love of this beautiful place where I grew up,” she said.

Meanwhile, many of Peter Mallen’s paintings focus on the rocky coastline or sparkling light reflecting on water and waves. This is no surprise for an artist whose studio overlooks Little Harbor in Cohasset. “The natural beauty surrounds and inspires me,” Mallen said. A professional scientific illustrator, Mallen also appreciates the local arts community. When he joined Hull Artists several years ago, he quickly made friends and found opportunities to show his art locally.

For these artists, and many more, inspiration and friendship easily crosses town lines. Each will welcome visitors on August 29-30 during the Hull Artists Open Studios tour.

Jaye counts the event as a highlight of every summer. “I have been participating in Open Studios since its inception. I love welcoming people into my studio,” she said.

Hull Artists Open Studios welcomes visitors on August 29-30. Full schedule and map are available at hullartists.com/openstudios.

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It takes a village: Community effort helps refresh a significant piece of Hull’s maritime history

THE COLORS OF HISTORY: The new paint job on the Hull Lifesaving Museum represents more than just a refreshed exterior – it is a tangible reminder of Hull’s long history of lifesaving. The community’s generosity and collaboration helped make the project possible. [Sean Baggett photo]

One of Hull’s most recognizable landmarks is looking better than ever. The Hull Lifesaving Museum’s historic U.S. Lifesaving Station has recently been given a fresh coat of paint, thanks to a community effort to preserve this important piece of Hull’s maritime history.

The newly painted station is more than just a freshly restored building – it is a tangible reminder of Hull’s long history of lifesaving and the men and women who served along our coast. Maintaining historic structures like this one takes both resources and community commitment, and this project was made possible through the generosity and expertise of several local partners.

The Hull Lifesaving Museum extends its sincere thanks to Kaplan Painting for their remarkable work, and to Seaboyer Construction for providing the carpentry expertise needed as part of the project. Hingham Lumber generously donated the paint, helping make the project possible, and funding support from the Hull Community Preservation Committee provided an important investment in the preservation of this historic structure.

“Projects like this are about much more than maintaining a building,” said Executive Director Mike McGurl. “They allow us to care for the physical places that tell Hull’s story and ensure that future generations can experience and appreciate this important part of our maritime heritage.”

The completed project is a wonderful example of what can happen when local businesses, community organizations, and preservation partners come together to care for Hull’s historic places.

The museum is grateful to everyone who helped give the U.S. Lifesaving Station a fresh new look – and, just as importantly, helped ensure that this important piece of Hull’s lifesaving legacy will continue to stand for generations to come. We invite everyone to come visit the museum, see the newly painted station for themselves, and discover the stories of the lifesavers who made Hull a vital part of our nation’s maritime history.

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In the Sport-light: Roundup of news from Hull's wide world of sports

BOYS OF SUMMER: Hull’s 14U baseball team finished with a record of 5-4 this summer, climbing through the playoffs to the championship game, but came up short in the end. [Courtesy photo]

Compiled by Matthew Christopher Haraden 

• 14U Baseball finished summer in fifth place with a record of 5-4. In the playoffs, the team won its first game, 4-0, against Abington. Chase and Christian Silva combined for the shutout with 12 total strikeouts. Chase Silva collected three hits, two singles and a triple. A single by Evan Doyle put the Pirates ahead in the fourth inning. Dom Ramos and Silva each drove in one run for the Pirates. Doyle collected two hits on the game. Gavin Griffin had a walk and a hit. The team’s next game came against first-place undefeated Silver Lake Red, and the Pirates won, 19-3. Chase Silva and Christian Silva each had three hits. Nick Mihal singled, scoring a run in the first inning. The Pirates added to their early lead in the third inning after Chase Silva tripled down the right field line, Evan Doyle walked, and Gavin Griffin singled down the right field line, each scoring one run. Mackie Concannon and Mihal each had two hits. Doyle and Griffin had one each. The Pirates outhit Silver Lake 12-4. Finally, the team lost in the championship game, 8-1, to the second place Silver Lake Grey team. Thanks to coaches Mike Silva and Greg Griffin for all their efforts this season.

• Hull High’s fall sports season starts next week. The girls varsity soccer team’s first two games are at home – against Marshfield on Friday, August 28 at 10:30 a.m. and Quincy on Tuesday, September 1 at 5 p.m., while the boys varsity soccer team opens its season on Tuesday, September 8 against Norfolk County Agricultural High School at home at 4 p.m. The football team’s first game is on the road against Tech Boston Academy on Friday, September 11 at 6 p.m., followed by a return home on September 18 to face Monomoy Regional High School at 7 p.m.

For the full schedule of all Hull High teams, visit www.arbiterlive.com/Teams?entityId=10611.

• Hull High’s Girls Softball team is holding a cornhole tournament fundraiser on Sunday, August 30, beginning at 10 a.m. at the Danielle Struzziery Field on N Street. Each team gets T-shirts and a guarantee of two games. Entry fee is $50; all proceeds will benefit the softball program. Register at https://forms.gle/cjgQH7npMnhCviru6. Questions? Email AmyOB1435@outlook.com.

• Hull Youth Football has announced its schedule for the 2026 season. Games are played on Sundays – Mites play at 10 a.m. and Midgets are at 11:30 a.m. The season opens on Sunday, September 13 against Lower Cape at Monomoy High School. On September 20, the Pirates play Dennis-Yarmouth at home; September 27’s game is at West Bridgewater. The next three games are at home – October 4 against Carver, October 11 against Lower Cape, and October 18 against West Bridgewater. The next two games – October 25 and November 1 – are both away, against Dennis-Yarmouth and Hanson.

• Registration for the 2026-27 Hull Pirates Youth Basketball Travel season (boys and girls entering grades 3 -8) continues online. Families are encouraged to register early to help with team planning and ensure players are ready for the upcoming season. The season runs from mid-November through March, featuring 14-16 regular-season games and playoffs in early March. Registration will close on October 2. The season begins with a tournament, and league schedules will be finalized in early November, with regular season games starting the first weekend in December. Games are held on weekends. The Hull Pirates Travel Program focuses on player development, teamwork, sportsmanship, and competitive basketball in a fun and supportive environment. Payment plans are available to help make registration more accessible for families. To register and learn more about the program, visit the registration page at https://hullbasketball.leagueapps.com.

• Coaches, league organizers, and superfans – We need your help to report the scores and results of the latest events in Hull’s sports world! Please send local sports news and photos to sports@hulltimes.com. Deadline is Wednesday at noon. When providing details of the games or races, please be sure to include the sport/team, the players’ full names, and the final scores. When sending photos, names (first and last) of those pictured are greatly appreciated, as well as who should get credit for taking the photo.

Thank you for your help!

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After six hours of testimony, ZBA hearing on Allerton plan is continued to September 2

ON POINT: Zoning board of appeals chair richard hennessey makes a point during tuesday night’s hearing on the Point Nantasket LLC’s appeal of the planning board’s vote to reject the project at 839-845 nantasket avenue. [screencapture from hulltv.net]

By Christopher Haraden

A week after listening to three hours of testimony from the developer proposing a nine-unit project at the foot of Allerton Hill, the zoning board of appeals spent an additional three hours Tuesday night hearing from town counsel regarding the planning board’s unanimous rejection during the site plan review process.

The ZBA continued the hearing until Wednesday, September 2, when members will discuss The Point Nantasket Realty LLC’s plan for the property at 839-845 Nantasket Avenue and vote on whether to uphold the May 14 denial or send the project back to the planning board for further action.

Click here for the documents, drawings, and other information on this project

“Our charge tonight is very narrow. It focuses on how we got here in the sense of how we got to this planning board decision,” ZBA Chair Richard Hennessey said at the outset of Tuesday night’s hearing. “There is no room for public comment as it relates to what we are dealing with here tonight.”

The developer is proposing nine “residential cottages” connected by a common deck at the former Sunset Marine property, as well as a pavilion, boat ramp, boardwalk, and other amenities on approximately 3.28 acres. 

The proposal calls for demolishing the existing structures, which have been boarded up and surrounded by fencing for years, and repairing the existing dock. The project is being proposed by Chris Reale of Hingham, who formerly owned the Paragon Boardwalk property at Nantasket Beach, along with Hingham builder Tom Fleck, whose father once ran the boat yard at the site.

The planning board’s decision cited inadequate time “to properly evaluate the project” and asserted that the applicant had not provided enough information. In addition, the board said the developer did not provide a scale model of the project and refused to pay for peer review by consultants. Members also raised concerns “that the traffic condition primarily at the intersection of Fitzpatrick Way and Nantasket Avenue will be negatively impacted and create a dangerous roadway condition.”

Town Counsel Brian Winner represented the planning board and began his presentation by addressing the “elephant in the room” – how an administrative site plan review application could be denied for a project not requiring a special permit or variance.

“It’s kind of an unusual situation to ever be reviewing the denial of an administrative site plan decision that’s not attached to a special permit when it’s a by-right use,” Winner said, referring to a 1986 court case indicating that site plan review can be denied if the developer’s application is incomplete. “If the planning board didn’t have sufficient information, if it didn’t have time to review that information, it didn’t have a fair opportunity to perform its duties as elected members of the planning board to approve a project when it wasn’t in a position to make the findings necessary to do so.”

In a 20-page appeal, The Point Nantasket Realty asserts that “the planning board’s decision should be annulled” and that the board “engaged in improper procedure, had no legal or factual basis to deny approval, and failed to impose reasonable conditions.”

The appeal, written by attorney Adam Brodsky, alleges that “egged on by a small vocal group of opponents, the planning board, together with the design review board, engaged in a witch hunt seeking to, among other things, challenge the Building Commissioner Bartley Kelly’s zoning determination and reviewing the project for conformance with the Massachusetts Building Code, none of which falls within the planning board or design review board’s authority.”

At the August 11 hearing, Brodsky asserted that the board did not have grounds for denial. According to the appeal, the planning board “engaged in improper procedure, had no legal or factual basis to deny approval, and failed to impose reasonable conditions.”

During the hearing, Brodsky claimed that the planning board made “procedural errors” and denied that the development team had not provided adequate information to the board.

Brodsky also claimed that the board’s “allegation that they were not afforded sufficient time to review the project” is inaccurate. Brodsky advocated for the ZBA to send the case back to the planning board.

Separately, Reale filed an Open Meeting Law complaint on August 5 claiming that planning board member Abby Klieman improperly emailed other members about the project, constituting “deliberation” outside of a public meeting, which is prohibited.

As a remedy, Reale asked that the board “vacate” its denial, “which followed from deliberation conducted outside public view, and rehear the application on a properly posted record.” The planning board met in executive session last week about the Open Meeting Law filing and “litigation regarding the permitting appeal.”

Brodsky requested that the ZBA deliberate on the matter and vote Tuesday night, but Hennessey said members needed time to review the information provided during the six hours of hearings. The ZBA hearing was continued to Wednesday, September 2 at 7 p.m. at a location to be determined.

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A heartfelt thank-you from Hull’s US Semiquincentennial (250th Anniversary) Committee

[Photos by Richard W. Green, William Chiba, Joan Meschino, Ann Goldman, James Lampke, Kim Kingston, Jane Holtz, and Marianne Buckley-Curran]

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On behalf of Hull’s US Semiquincentennial (250th Anniversary) Committee, we extend our heartfelt “thank you” to our entire community and to everyone who helped make our past year’s US 250th event series such a tremendous success.

After a year of planning, hard work, and countless hours, seeing our community come together to celebrate our history, heritage, and home-town patriotic pride made it all worthwhile.

Your support, enthusiasm, and community spirit made every event truly special and unforgettable. We are incredibly proud of what we accomplished together and grateful to everyone who helped make this historic celebration a success.

A special thank you to our generous sponsors, participants, vendors, performers, our four Grand Marshals, Mary Jane Silva, Joe Divito, Tim Dunn and Herb Fleck, volunteers, police, fire, all public safety teams, Hull Select Board, Town Manager, Town of Hull staff, DPW, Hull Cable TV, Hull Re-development Authority, Hull Light Board/Department, Hull Pride, Hull Senior Center, Hull Park and Recreation, Baby Squid Ink, Weir River Water, The Hull Times, Pat Cannon/Cannon Electric, all the businesses that let us use their parking lots for the day, and everyone who worked be-hind the scenes and in be-tween.

Your time, dedication, generosity, and support were invaluable, and each of you played an important part in bringing this celebration to life and making each event possible.  If we have inadvertently missed anyone, please know that your contributions were equally appreciated, and we extend our heartfelt thanks to you as well.

What an incredible way to bring this yearlong celebration to a close. From the fireworks to the parade and field day – and everything in between – Hull truly came together and showed its patriotic spirit.

Hull, you made this celebration unforgettable!

With tremendous gratitude and Hull pride,

The Hull USA Semiquincentennial (250th Anniversary) Committee

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Former planning board chair appointed to fill vacancy months after narrow loss in May election

By Carol Britton Meyer

Former planning board Chair Jeanne Paquin, who narrowly lost her bid for re-election last spring, is back on the board at least until the May 17, 2027, town election, with plans to run for re-election.

Jeanne Paquin is once again a member of the planning baord.

Paquin, who lost her seat in May by eight votes, was appointed this week to fill the vacancy created by the earlier resignation of Cindy Borges at a joint select board and planning board meeting. In addition to Paquin, three other candidates were interviewed – Elizabeth Chapman, Eric Osterberg (currently an advisory board member), and Francine Townsend. 

Zoning board of appeals member Edwin Parsons initially expressed an interest in the position but withdrew Tuesday night citing an increased ZBA workload.

In accordance with the process – designed to be equitable – for filling the single vacant seat recommended by Town Counsel Brian Winner to the two boards in advance and ] shared with the candidates ahead of time, each candidate had two minutes to make an opening statement.

Each member of both boards (select board member Irwin Nesoff was not present) had an opportunity to ask the same one question of all the candidates. Then each candidate was allowed to make a one-minute closing statement, followed by a roll call vote.

The winning candidate required a majority (six) of the votes of the remaining filled seats on both boards. Absences did not affect this requirement.

Since no candidate received that majority in the first round of voting, the two top candidates – Paquin and Townsend – were advanced for a revote.

The result of the first vote was five for Paquin, three for Townsend, and two for Osterberg. The second time around, Paquin won the required six votes, with planning board member Abby Klieman abstaining and planning board member Nathan Peyton changing his vote from Townsend to Paquin, who has served on the planning board for 20 years.

Throughout her comments and responses to various questions, Paquin emphasized the importance of listening to citizens, including their involvement in the upcoming restart of the master plan process.

“This is an incredible opportunity for the town,” she said.

“Being a member of the planning board requires attention to deadlines and balancing the concerns of the community and the rights of a developer – which can sometimes be a difficult line to walk,” Paquin said in her closing statement. “I’ve met that challenge for years and would love to continue.”

In her remarks and answers to questions, Townsend emphasized the importance of everyone who goes before the board feeling comfortable and respected.

“[The board] needs to know what [their] guardrails are and enforce them. It’s not our job to please the public, but it is our job to do what’s right by the town, which [can be difficult].”

Townsend – who was involved with the development of Sandcastle Condominiums on Beach Avenue, Spinnaker Island, and the renovation of the historic Victorian building at the former Sunset Marine site – said that while she wouldn’t advocate for development as a planning board member, she would advocate for “positive discourse representing all points of view” and that she would have voted to continue The Point hearing rather than to deny site plan approval when asked a question about whether there was a planning board decision from which she would have differed.

She also objected to the NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) “no growth” attitude she said she has encountered in Hull during the last few years.

To that same question, Paquin said she would have liked the town to have “[gotten] a little more” from the Paragon development. She also mentioned a number of initiatives she has been involved with – including “shepherding the Community Preservation Act” in Hull, serving on the waterfront access group, and attending meetings with the Department of Conservation and Recreation representing the planning board.

Chapman talked about the importance of weighing development against neighborhood concerns. “Hull is a special place to me,” she said.

Osterberg thinks this is a “fascinating time to serve on the planning board,” and he would be interested in serving, “but I don’t mean to be jumping boards and am happy to serve in whatever way [works out],” he said.

Paquin noted before her appointment that “the planning board has gone for a quarter of the year without a full board, and I would like to assist the board with their work.”

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HRA to consider hiring designer, working with Wildlands Trust on future options for property

By Christopher Haraden

Members of the Hull Redevelopment Authority are rarely in complete agreement when discussing the future of the 13-acre property, but at last week’s meeting, members consented to talk to the Wildlands Trust about preservation options and to draft a scope of services for a design consultant.

At the HRA’s next meeting on August 31, Technical Operations Manager Mark Hamin will share preliminary specifications for hiring a landscape designer to look at the property as a whole. And at the suggestion of member Charles Richardson, Wildlands Trust President Karen Grey will be invited to share ideas for preserving the property and how nonprofits like her organization can work with the HRA. Grey previously met with the authority in March.

“She’s done a lot of legwork over the past several years,” Richardson said. “I think she knows the place pretty darn well, and she will be an asset.”

One topic that members could not find common ground on was the recently conducted survey of residents by Market Street Research, which sought opinions on the future uses of the land. Some thought the questions were biased toward those who favored development, while others said the survey leaned in the direction keeping the property as open space. Richardson said he felt that the survey was biased toward action.

“I think the big question is, do we want something to get done?” Richardson asked. “The first takeaway that Market [Street] Research said, the number-one thing was that people want to get something done.”

Members debated whether to look at the property piecemeal or as a single unit. Several ideas have been discussed for different areas of the land, including the potential to keep the middle section open for events and building single-family housing on the northern end near Phipps Street. The town’s public safety building committee had the middle area on its list of potential sites for a combined police and fire station, although members this week ruled out the redevelopment authority property from further consideration.

HRA member C. Anne Murray said that the next step in the process should be to “hire a firm that has experience laying out public spaces” to frame the authority’s discussions on future uses.

“I’d rather have a professional designer lay it out,” she said. “Otherwise we will be going around in circles.”

“I don’t disagree with you. But I think we should figure out which areas we agree should be open space and which areas should be available for development,” Chair Bartley Kelly said. “We need to decide whether there is going to be some development or whether it’s going to be all park space and no development before we bring in a consultant and start spending money on design.”

The question of what to do with the property has existed since the redevelopment authority was formed in the 1960s under a federal program to revitalize urban and suburban neighborhoods. The HRA’s original footprint – designated Town Center No. 1 – encompasses the land between the beach and bay from Water Street to Phipps Street; at one time, the authority planned to expand its territory into three additional districts that stretched south toward Atlantic Hill. 

Much of the HRA land has been vacant since the 1970s, when homes and businesses were taken by eminent domain by the authority and bulldozed, burned, or relocated in anticipation of development proposals that never materialized. The HRA has been working for the past several years to create a set of guidelines for the property’s future. 

“I personally feel that the community has spoken that they do not want development there and they really want to see it as open space and community space, so I am not for housing,” Murray said. “I am concerned about parking... Bart and Charlie, you have mentioned housing on Phipps Street. If you take that lot away, where are you putting the parking?”

“The parking discussion has been going on for years and years, and we’re not a parking authority,” Kelly said. “I still feel personally… that we have a mission to bring some sort of development to the town. I’ve heard it loud and clear – [nobody wants] an overwhelming large condo project here; they don’t want to have 100% of the property used as housing development. We’ve got to come to a compromise.”

Member Dan Kernan said he favored a “high-level view” of options for the property by a consultant.

“There’s no need to go parcel by parcel. We need a high-level vision,” Kernan said. “If we decide we want some housing, then we tell the designer that we want some housing. We are getting the cart before the horse. I don’t want to put housing there. I’m going to vote no on putting housing anywhere.”

During the public comment section of the meeting, resident Dan Sullivan said he found the Market Street Research survey to be one-sided. According to the survey firm, 996 Hull residents responded, with the majority saying they are not interested in large development and are highly interested in open space. MSR was paid $22,000 to conduct the survey this past spring.

Click here for the results of the HRA’s survey

“I’ve heard so much about the survey, and I have to tell you, I think it was the most prejudicial survey I’ve ever done in my life,” said Sullivan, who added that he thought the HRA’s future should include some affordable housing. “I think that the survey was skewed toward making sure that everybody wanted open land, and I resented the fact that so many of the questions did not have the opportunity for a ‘no’ answer. I really thought it was a horrible, horrible survey and I do not want decisions made about the HRA land based on that survey.”

In contrast, Murray said she found that the survey “was prejudicial toward building.”

“I’m for open space, and I thought the opposite,” she replied to Sullivan. “It was weirdly worded, I grant you, but it was put out by two members who sat down and went with a company that is a well-respected company, and I answered the questions not really knowing if it was going to come out the way I hoped it would. So you can it was swayed one way or the other, but I heard a lot of people say the exact opposite.”

Kernan agreed that the survey questions did not present respondents with a clear choice.

“I had the same experience. I took the survey and I thought about it a lot and it seemed like, from my perspective, it was not a choice,” Kernan said. “It wasn’t in the survey ‘would you like to have a safe, large, beachfront park in the town of Hull?’ That wasn’t an option.”

Kelly said he shared Sullivan’s concerns.

“I happen to agree with Dan. I’ve talked to a lot of people about the survey and I actually know family members and friends who started to take the survey and they stopped taking it because it was too ambiguous,” he said. “I think everyone wants open space. I want open space. But the question is, as a redevelopment authority, how do we accomplish that goal, create a compromise, and get some of the things that we need to get?”

Hamin, who formulated the survey with Richardson and former HRA member Adrienne Paquin, defended the methodology and process.

“The survey was developed out of a solicitation of services that was developed, discussed, and approved by HRA,” Hamin said. “The survey questionnaire was presented to the entire HRA membership, was discussed and reviewed and approved. There was opportunity during the survey for people to indicate any issues they were having with the survey.

“Market Street Research won out of a competitive process [and] has a sterling reputation in terms of its methodology,” he added. “It’s designed precisely to avoid bias in the survey questions, so the fact that some people think it was biased toward open space and some people thought it was biased toward development is indicative of the bias of the people who were taking the survey and not the bias of the survey designers, and what I have indicated to everyone who expressed a point of view or frustration with the survey is, HRA has regular meetings, has an email platform for people to communicate whatever their preferences are, so if people felt that their views were not represented in the survey, it was not because of the survey design and was not because the survey did or did not work. It’s because people made choices about what they wanted to and how they wanted to express themselves.”

Richardson, who was elected to a full term on the authority in May, said the divide over the survey results – and among HRA members – is reflective of the opinions of the broader community.

“More people voted for me than actually filled out the survey in favor of open space,” said Richardson, who received 873 votes in the May 18 election. “I wish people would just understand that there is a split, which is why there is a split on our own board. We make up the town in a lot of ways. And we need to be able to listen to both sides and come to a compromise.”

The next HRA meeting is scheduled for August 31 at town hall. A replay of the August 10 meeting is available on demand on Hull Community Television’s website, www.hulltv.net.

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