the developer who proposed nine townhouses at the site of the former sunset marine has appealed the planning board’s denial of its site plan review permit.

By Christopher Haraden

The developer proposing nine townhouses at the foot of Allerton Hill has appealed the planning board’s unanimous vote to reject the plans for the former Sunset Marine property at 839-845 Nantasket Avenue.

The zoning board of appeals will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, July 21 at 7 p.m. at the high school on The Point Nantasket Realty LLC’s challenge of the planning board’s May 14 denial vote as part of the Site Plan Review process. Under the town’s zoning bylaws, building permits cannot be issued for projects without site plan approval.

The Point Nantasket Realty had sought to construct nine “residential cottages” – units connected by a common deck – as well as a pavilion, boat ramp, boardwalk, and other amenities on approximately 3.28 acres.

The proposal called for demolishing the existing structures – which have been boarded up and surrounded by fencing for years – and repairing the existing dock. The long-vacant property that once housed the Lighthouse Restaurant, Sunset Marine, and an apartment building, is located at the base of Allerton Hill.

The current owner, ARC DC purchased the site, once owned by businessman William R. Kelley, from a court-appointed receiver for $1.05 million in 2018. 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.

Less than one month after the planning board rejected the development plan, the property owner blocked access to a boat ramp frequently used by the town’s fishing fleet and recreational boaters.

The ramp at the corner of V Street and Cadish Avenue is privately owned, but is subject to a state Chapter 91 license issued in 1994 that has provisions for public access. The 99-year license also covers the dilapidated pier at the end of U Street and the deteriorating wharf that once was the centerpiece of the marina.

Amid outcry from the public about the unexpected closure in early June, a member of the development group said the owner’s insurance company raised safety concerns about allowing the public on the waterfront lots, but pledged to work toward providing long-term access.

At the May hearing on the townhouse development, planning board members said they felt that the developer had not addressed all of their concerns and had presented plan revisions in a piecemeal format. That sentiment differed from comments board members made the previous month, when the developer was lauded for “responsiveness” and “making a lot of good progress” in modifying the plans in response to feedback.

Design Review Board Chair Julia Parker told the planning board that the DRB had voted against the project on May 13.

After the planning board voted 6-0 to deny the project, members of the audience applauded the decision.

A replay of the planning board’s May 14 hearing and other meetings about this project are available on demand on Hull Community Television’s website, www.hulltv.net.

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