Shorelines - Good news about your neighbors

Come on down! Will Mahon-Goldstein of Hull was selected as a contestant on The Price is Right game show. Filming took place last week, and we can’t reveal how well he did (mostly because the rules say he can’t tell anyone), the episode is scheduled to air on Tuesday, March 5. The whole town will be watching to see Hull represented on the beloved game show!

• Congratulations to Dr. Beth Ross of Hull, who was unanimously appointed by the board of trustees to become the 14th president of Emmanuel College in Boston. Ross had served as acting president since August.

Board Chair Margaret L. McKenna issued a statement last week announcing the appointment:

“As acting president for the past six months, Dr. Ross has steered a strategic course for the college, building on her 23 years of committed service to Emmanuel, her comprehensive understanding of all facets of institutional operations, and her strong collaborative engagement with students, faculty, and staff. By her energetic leadership, she has proven a superb successor to the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur who have preceded her in the office of the president, including President Emerita Sister Janet Eisner.

“Dr. Ross brings to the presidency a fervent belief in the importance and potential of Emmanuel in its second century. In particular, she has a profound grasp of the opportunities arising from the convergence of Emmanuel’s mission, values, and people with the explosion of growth and opportunity in our immediate Longwood and Fenway neighborhoods and throughout Boston.

“Already during her six months in office, Dr. Ross has succeeded in defining and building broad institutional consensus around a 10-year strategic plan and mobilized action teams tasked with measurably implementing the plan’s key priorities. In addition, she has worked in partnership with colleagues across the college to expand academic programs, internships, research opportunities, career coaching, and other high-value learning experiences.

“With her optimism and creativity, Dr. Beth Ross embodies the entrepreneurial spirit that has characterized Emmanuel from its founding in 1919. She enjoys the full and enthusiastic support of the board as she continues to lead Emmanuel forward in this time of unprecedented possibility.”

Before becoming acting president, Ross was the college’s Dean of Institutional Effectiveness/Chief Data Officer. She holds a doctorate in higher education leadership from Regis College and a master’s degree in higher education administration from Suffolk University.

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute has announced that Hull’s Stephen Fanning, a member of the class of 2024 majoring in computer science and robotics engineering, was named to the university’s Dean’s List for academic excellence for the fall semester.

• Five Hull students have been accepted into the Southeastern Massachusetts School Bandmasters Association (SEMSBA) festivals. On Saturday, Feb. 3, eight students from the Memorial Middle School and two students from Hull High auditioned to be a part of the 2024 Junior and Senior SEMSBA Festivals; five of those students were selected to participate.

Anibelle Chiba, Julia Effinger, Luisa Rizzo, and Aislinn Connors-Duffy were selected for the Junior Festival, while sophomore Victor Healey was chosen for the Senior Festival.

For the auditions, students were responsible for learning a challenging solo with their instrument or voice, and performing a number of musical scales from memory to a single judge. Students received a numerical score and those who earned a high enough rating were invited to participate. 

Seventh-grade student Robin Timins, eighth-grade students Scarlett Arevalo, Colin English, and Patrick Lancaster, as well as high school junior Monica DelGuidice earned respectable scores for their auditions.

“I would like to congratulate each student who auditioned for the Junior and Senior SEMSBA festivals,” said middle school music teacher Andrew St. George. “All of these brave young musicians represented Hull well on the South Shore and should be very proud of their growth and accomplishments.”

“Our performing students in Hull have begun to make a comeback in the classroom and at festivals since COVID,” said Hull High School music teacher Ian Barkon. “We still have a long way to go to return the music program to its pre-COVID days. Continued support and motivation from our administrators and parents is essential to make that happen.”

The 2024 Junior SEMSBA Festival will be held on May 3-4 at Braintree High School. The Senior Festival will be held on March 15-16 at Silver Lake Regional High School in Kingston. 

• Makayla McDonough of Hull has been named to the Dean’s List at the University of Maine for the fall semester. Makayla is a freshman in the School of Nursing. To be included on the Dean’s List, students must have completed 12 or more credits in the semester and have earned a grade-point average of 3.5 or greater.

• Caitlin E. Canavan was named to the Dean’s List at Saint Michael’s College for the fall semester. Students who complete at least 12 credits of classes and achieve a grade-point average of at least 3.5 in a particular semester earn a place on the Dean’s List.

• Do you have a great story that you’ve been waiting to tell? You’re in luck! On Tuesday February 27, Hull FireFly returns! This month’s theme is “A Story I Have Been Waiting to Share” and the event will be held at the Parrot restaurant. Hull FireFly storytelling was created with the mission of welcoming any and all to come, share, listen, and learn first-hand that there is more we share in common than that separates us. Begun in 2015 by Dennis Zaia, a former Hingham schoolteacher and resident of Hull, this event has grown from a small circle to a large following of intrepid spirits willing to tell short stories ranging from deeply personal to laugh-out-loud funny. Some of the previous themes have been family, gratitude, transformation, silver linings, and most embarrassing moments. Visit http://tinyurl.com/pee843rc to secure a Hull FireFly reservation. Dinner will be from 5:30 - 7 p.m. Storytelling begins at 7:15 p.m.

• Emmanuel College in Boston has named Victoria Rosado of Hull to the Dean’s List for the fall semester. To earn a spot on the Dean’s List, Emmanuel students must achieve a grade-point average of 3.5 or higher for a 16-credit semester.

• Western New England University is proud to announce that Jaden Stilphen of Hull has been named to the Dean’s List for the fall semester. Stilphen, who is majoring in criminal justice, is one of more than 700 students to achieve this mark of academic excellence. Students are named to the Dean’s List for achieving a semester grade-point average of 3.30 or higher.

If you have news about Hull residents to share – birthdays, anniversaries, career and education achievements, weddings, births, and other milestones – send your information to us at news@hulltimes.com. If you include a photo, please be sure that everyone in the image is identified. Thank you!

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A month after hiring, new superintendent’s contract not yet finalized

By Carol Britton Meyer

More than a month after the school committee voted to hire a new superintendent, a final employment agreement has not yet been finalized.

NEW SUPERINTENDENT MICHAEL JETTE

Michael Jette, current superintendent of the Litchfield, N.H., school district, was selected from among three finalists following lengthy public interviews with the school committee on January 10.

“Between Mr. Jette’s out-of-country vacation and attorneys on both sides not [being] as available as we would like, there are a few small things that need to be worked out,” Hull superintendent’s office executive secretary and office manager Maggie Ollerhead told The Hull Times in response to an email inquiry. “We do have a verbal agreement in principle between [School Committee Chair] David Twombly and Mr. Jette.”

During the January 22 school committee meeting, Twombly reported that the school committee was moving forward with the hiring of the new superintendent to replace Judith Kuehn, who is retiring at the end of the school year.

“We’re still working on [Jette’s] contract and hope to wrap it up by Wednesday [Jan. 24],” Twombly said at that time. “We had a good interview process, with three very strong candidates.”

That night, the school committee entered into executive session following the meeting in preparation for negotiations with Jette and did not reconvene in open session.

The other candidates were Cohasset resident Sarah Shannon and Michael Tempesta. Shannon – who came in a close second in a straw poll that was taken before the final vote and deliberations by the school committee following the interviews – currently serves as assistant superintendent of teaching and learning for the Canton Public Schools. She is the former assistant principal of the Duxbury Middle School and former principal of the Gates Intermediate School in Scituate.

Tempesta, who was superintendent of the Claremont and Unity school district (SAU 6) in New Hampshire at the time of the interviews, was terminated by the school board effective Jan. 12 after being awarded a five-year contract extension in Dec. 2021, according to an article published in the Claremont-based Eagle Times.

Jette has 32 years of educational experience, including as former superintendent of the Bedford, N.H., school district. During his interview in January, Jette said he was looking toward the next step in his career and was hoping Hull would be his “last stop,” with the intention of dedicating another 10 years to this work.

Jette also said he thinks “smaller is better” with regard to the size of Hull’s school system, allowing for more opportunity to have face-to-face conversations.

In addition, he finds the implementation of a school consolidation plan, which is underway for the Hull Public Schools, of particular interest.

“This will cause a lot of stress, and I think the easiest way [to address these issues] is to recognize the people behind those emotions, engage with them as to where they are, and to do everything possible to set folks up for success in the new environment,” he said during the interview. “It’s all about relationships and making sure everyone is part of the team.”

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In the Sport-light: News and notes about local athletes

By Matt Haraden

The 5th Grade Girls Basketball team had a lot to celebrate on Saturday, February 10, as the Pirates welcomed back teammate Molly McCarthy from a wrist injury and defeated Scituate, 31-4. McCarthy wasted no time getting back to work, totaling eight points in the game. Other scorers included Piper Yakubian with 10 points, Natalie Tiani with seven, and Ruby D’Errico, Josie Tyrell, and Addy Mahan all scoring a basket. The team will travel to Scituate on Sunday, March 3 for the final game of the regular season.

In the upcoming school vacation week, Hull High’s winter teams have an active schedule. The boys varsity basketball team has back-to-back home games this week. On Friday, February 16, the Pirates host Carver at 6:30 p.m. (JV at 5 p.m.), and take on Calvary Chapel Academy on Saturday, February 17 at 4 p.m.

The girls varsity basketball team will play at Carver at home on Friday, February 16 at 6:30 p.m., with the JV playing at 5 p.m. Next week, the varsity Pirates take on Calvary Chapel Academy at home on Tuesday, February 20 at 6:30 p.m. and Dennis-Yarmouth on Wednesday, February 21 at 6:30 p.m., also at home. On Monday, February 12 the Pirates lost to Middleborough, 73-36; bright spots for the team included Fallon Ryan scoring 15 points, Margot Harper with 11, and eighth-grader Gianna Thorne scoring four points, her first on varsity.

Cohasset/Hull Hockey fell short against the Abington Green Wave, 4-3, on Monday, February 12, two days after a big win over Middleboro, 5-3. In Saturday’s game, Luke Dunham and Taighe Dwyer scoring two goals each; Robbie Casagrande also scored a goal for the collaborative squad. The team next faces off against South Shore Regional Vocational-Technical High School on Saturday, February 17 at 6 p.m. at Connell Rink in Weymouth. This will be the team’s Senior Night.. On Monday, February 19, the team will play Southeastern Regional Vocational-Technical High School at noon, also at Connell Rink.

Congratulations to Hull High Indoor Track & Field South Shore League All-Stars Chris Resnick, Lawrence Bodley, Veronica Fleming, and Lilly Copenheaver-Smith. Elsie Harper has two reasons to celebrate, as she was named an All-Star and the Tobin Division MVP. On February 14, Resnick (55 hurdles and high jump), Bodley (high jump), Copenheaver-Smith (55 hurdles), Harper (55 hurdles), and Sam Tuchmann (600m) participated in the MIAA Division 5 State Championship – watch for results in next week’s edition.

Visit www.hullpublicschools.org/athletics for all the details.

Coaches and Super Fans – we need your help to report the scores and results of the latest games in Hull’s sports world! Please send local sports news and photos to sports@hulltimes.com.

Deadline is Tuesday at 8 p.m. 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 of those pictured are greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your help!

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Chapter 40B permit filed for four-story, 12-unit complex near old VFW

By Carol Britton Meyer

A 12-unit condominium complex with three units designated as affordable has been proposed for a three-quarter-acre parcel of land behind the former Veterans of Foreign Wars post in the Rockaway Annex neighborhood.

Vineyard Point Ventures Inc. development consultant Dean Harrison indicated in a Dec. 26 letter to the select board that an application has been filed with the state to build 12 townhomes on the vacant lot at 25 Ipswich St. The developer is seeking approval through the comprehensive permit process under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 40B, which allows developers to circumvent a number of local zoning regulations in exchange for an affordable housing component.

Ipswich Street is partially built street that runs up the hill along the former VFW’s driveway. The land to be developed includes an unpaved area that was previously used as the post’s parking lot. The select board talked briefly about the proposal at last week’s meeting. Harrison, of Attleboro, was not present.

“This project is in the very early stages,” Town Manager Jennifer Constable said. “We’ve had a site visit with full staff and MassHousing.”

If the agency approves the application, a project eligibility letter would be issued and the applicant would then advance to the comprehensive permit process, Constable explained.

The proposal, to be called “The Residences at Rockaway,” includes 12 townhouses, of which three would be affordable and available to qualified buyers by lottery. The remainder would be market price. A total of eight four-story buildings are planned, with nine four-bedroom units and three units with three bedrooms.

“The development will be consistent with the affordable needs of the town,” Harrison wrote in the letter. “It is our intention to provide a presentation of our plans at future meetings with the Town of Hull.”

Harrison provided a copy of the site plan application that was submitted to MassHousing with the letter. The property, located near the Hingham-Hull town line, consists of about .63 acres. The lot last sold on August 30, 2022 for $310,000.

According to the application, the site, or a portion of it, is located within a designated flood hazard area and includes a significant amount of ledge/steep slopes.

“Just so we are aware, this is a very small area in between all those homes,” Chair Greg Grey noted.

Board member Irwin Nesoff, who lives on North Truro Street, expressed concern that there are a number of homes in the surrounding area and “a lot of ledge” in the neighborhood.

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From the heart: Our readers' messages of love for Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine’s Day! We are so happy to help our readers share their messages of love. Click the links below!

Click here for a larger version of the first page of Valentines (image below).

Click here for a larger version of the second page of Valentines (image below).

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In the Sport-light: News and notes about local athletes

By Matt Haraden

• The Grade 5 girls basketball team earned a home win on Sunday, February 4, defeating Norwell, 27-12. Ella Souza has been stellar on the defensive side this season, and was able to notch her first points on offense last weekend. Piper Yakubian, Ruby D’Errico, Josie Tyrrell, and Tess Rand also added points for the Pirates. The team’s next game is at home against Scituate on Saturday, February 10 at the Jacobs School at 3 p.m.

ON THE RUN. Coach Brian Lanner and some members of Hull High’s indoor track and field team pose in front of the mural of the namesake of the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center in Boston. Congratulations to the Hull athletes who qualified for the MIAA Division 5 championship and will compete there on Valentine’s Day: Chris Resnick (55 hurdles and high jump), Lawrence Bodley (high jump), Veronica Fleming (300m), Lilly Copenheaver-Smith (55 hurdles), Elsie Harper (55 hurdles), and Sam Tuchmann (600m).

• Congratulations to the Hull High baseball team leaders for the 2024 season – Co-Captains Nick Tiani and Luke Dunham, and Assistant Captains John Reynolds and Ken Autio.

• The Hull High School girls basketball team began a new initiative on January 8, the Pirate Readers Program, to read to and play basketball with students at the Jacobs Elementary School. As a part of the #OneTeamOneFamily initiative, JV and varsity players read with elementary students on Monday and play basketball on Wednesday. About a half dozen players visit the school each week and interact with students in kindergarten through grade five. Players involved in the program include seniors Maeve Mulvihill, Emily Punchard, and Bailey Her; juniors Fallon Ryan, Margot Harper, and Monica Delguidice; sophomore Erin Walsh; and freshmen Libby Harper, Chloe Hutcheson, Riley Munn, and Georgia White.

TEAMWORK. As a part of the #OneTeamOneFamily initiative, Chloe Hutcheson of the Hull High School girls basketball team helps promote literacy and connectivity with elementary students through the Pirate Readers Program.

Ryan, a junior captain, has quickly recognized the value of this program for both the Jacobs students and the basketball team. “It’s a rewarding experience because they look up to us,” she said.

“This has been an extremely successful endeavor on all fronts, and everyone is having a blast getting to know one another,” said JV Coach Jon Hawes, who also teaches at the Jacobs. “The high school students are amazing role models and are making a huge impact on Hull’s youth and the future of the basketball program.”

• Cohasset-Hull hockey team captain Luke Dunham was recognized on January 27 for scoring his 100th point. The junior was honored at a ceremony during a game against Boston Latin Academy at Connell Memorial Rink. He was presented with a plaque, recognizing his efforts and welcoming him to Hull’s 100-Point Club. In hockey, a point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. On Jan. 20, Dunham scored three goals and tallied one assist against Sandwich – those four points put him at the 100 mark.

“On behalf of the entire team, I would like to congratulate Luke Dunham for reaching 100 points, particularly as a junior,” said Coach Mike O’Donnell. “In addition to this impressive accomplishment, Luke is a valuable team player that brings a strong presence each time he steps onto the ice.”

Cohasset/Hull Hockey next faces off against Middleboro on Saturday, February 10 at 4 p.m. at Connell Rink in Weymouth, and then against Abington at the Rockland Ice Rink at 6:40 p.m. on Monday, February 12, and vs. Blue Hills Regional on Wednesday, February 14 at 7 p.m. at the Canton Ice House.

• Hull High’s other winter teams have an active schedule coming up next week. On Friday, February 9, the boys varsity basketball team plays at Abington at 6:30 p.m. (JV at 5 p.m.), and takes on Calvary Chapel Academy at home on Tuesday, February 13 at 6:30 p.m.

The girls varsity basketball team will play Abington at home on Friday, February 9 at 6:30 p.m., with the JV playing at 5 p.m. Next week, the varsity Pirates take on Middleboro at home on Monday, February 12 at 6:30 p.m. and will travel to the South Shore Charter Public School at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 15.

Visit www.hullpublicschools.org/athletics for all the details.

• Coaches and Super Fans – we need your help to report the scores and results of the latest games in Hull’s sports world! Please send local sports news and photos to sports@hulltimes.com.

Deadline is Tuesday at 8 p.m. 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 of those pictured are greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your help!

Virginia Ryan celebrates 100th birthday

Happy Birthday to Virginia Ryan, who celebrated 100 years on Monday at the Hull home of her daughter and son-in-law, Jinnie Walsh of Hingham Institution for Savings and John Walsh of Auto Negotiators Unlimited.

Born in Williamstown on February 5, 1924, she was the youngest of three girls. Jinny worked for the telephone company during WWII and moved to Hingham in 1962 because its Main Street reminded her of the Main Street in Williamstown.

She opened a real estate office in her home to be present while her daughter grew up. The door was always open for the neighborhood kids, and in 1975, when her daughter graduated from Hingham High School, she accepted a position as a mortgage officer at South Weymouth Savings Bank. In 1985 she returned to real estate for Preferred Properties in Norwell and went to work in the Hingham town clerk’s office. The COVID19 ended her career at age 96. She spent the last few years enjoying her garden with her rescue dog, Jayden.

After many years of canceled birthday parties while growing up in the snow of the Berkshires, she requested a celebration at her daughter’s home overlooking beautiful Nantasket Beach.

Happy 100th birthday, Jinny!

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Paragon Dunes development earns mixed reviews at latest hearing

By Dolores Sauca Lorusso

As the proposed Paragon Dunes condominium project makes its way through the planning board’s special permit process, the developer continues to receive mixed reviews of changes to its design.

The Procopio Companies, which is purchasing the Paragon Boardwalk site form current owner Chris Reale of Hingham, has applied for special permit for relief from Nantasket Beach Overlay District (NBOD) regulations relative to uses, minimum front yard, roof design alternatives, and total building height.

On Wednesday night, Procopio Director of Development David Roache said working with the planning board and the Design Review Board (DRB) has been a “fruitful process… over eight months, we have made significant changes and are moving in the right direction.”

The Paragon Dunes would be a 47-foot-tall mixed use building, with 132 market-rate apartments and 7,000 square feet of retail space. The plan features 185 parking spaces under the building and along the former railroad bed that runs behind the property. The building would have clapboard siding in gradient shades of blue, brown, and white. There would be a private pool for residents and 3,000 square feet of public open space, as required by zoning.

“My sense is there is a general support for your project from the board and the town…we are down to specifics,” said planning board member Harry Hibbard.

Board Chair Meghan Reilly said she is “pleased with the changes that have been made; but the details need to be there so we will keep working through it.”

The Design Review Board and others at Wednesday’s meeting offered critiques of the plan’s look and its anticipated impact on traffic.

“The purpose of the Nantasket Beach Overlay District is to stimulate mixed-use redevelopment of commercial and multi-family property at scales and densities appropriate for an historic beachfront community...” according to the DRB, which “remains concerned about many of the issues raised previously dating back to their October 11, 2023 submission, such as need for increased setback from the comfort station, additional public vistas and view corridors, greater variation in roof heights, limiting unbroken wall length to 80 feet, and develop architectural style to better reflect a sense of place.”

“Many requests made by the DRB are not viable to the project and cannot be accommodated,” said Roache, in reference to the request for reduction of height and length of the building.

Although everyone is not in agreement, Roache believes they have “now landed on a more traditional beach funky design with size, scale, geometry, appropriate use, intentionality, and selected prominence.

“It does not feel traditional and beachy…I have said it before, it is not evocative of what we were envisioning when we put together the bylaw for the NBOD,” said planning board member Jeanne Paquin. “George Washington Boulevard is every bit as important as the beach side because it is how people come into town…it is just a big, long wall along George Washington Boulevard.”

Planning board member Steve White said the plan is “dramatically better, but there is still a way to go…. when this is built, we all must feel this is a project we can be really proud of.”

Roache said feedback from the last hearing was the need to “understand the design context, how it fits in the neighborhood, and the need for more points of reference for the scale.”

Resident Kimberly Kingston said she “heard some fear of the project, but if not this, then what? … every time they [Procopio] have come they have been asked to do more and they have given more.”

“You come into town and Horizons is sitting there like a huge pumpkin. Add this edifice in front and it mutes it…more graceful entrance into town [and] won’t be as onerous,” said resident Bill Smyth.

In response to the boards and residents’ requests for a model of the development, Procopio created a 3D digital model fly-through to give a “real-time” sense of “scale, architecture, and flow.”

Procopio presented studies that predict $350K in net revenue to the town, $700K in building permit fees, slight increase in school-aged children, and an increase in activity in existing and new business from new residents.

Regarding flooding, Karlis Skulte, of Civil and Environmental Consultants, said there was a “significant improvement to the flood conveyance to accommodate pass-through flooding to the garage areas.”

Skulte said there are 185 parking spaces in the proposal, while only 177 are required under the zoning; the excess will be for visitors and other uses. Revisions to grading were also made to raise garage elevations and entries.

The stormwater management systems within the courtyards and parking area are designed to contain water from a 24-hour, 100-year storm event. “More refined stormwater evaluation” includes treating onsite stormwater prior to discharge, he said.

“We are going above and beyond the requirements,” said Skulte, saying that total water capture increased from 6,200 cubic feet to 9,000 cubic feet.

The developer’s consultant said the traffic impact study found “no significant impact,” said Erin Fredette of Bowman Consulting. Initially, the study was conducted in October and the boards requested analysis during peak traffic patterns.

Summer has 30% higher traffic, they added another 20% over the comparison for an increase of 50% in the sensitivity analysis. The study was conducted in  2019 at George Washington Boulevard, Rockland Circle, and the site driveway during weekday mornings and evenings.  According to the study,  the proposed development is “not estimated to have a significant impact on traffic operations within the study area.”

MJ Walsh of Rockland House Road said she finds it “hard to believe the traffic study concluded there is not a significant impact from an addition 132 residential units.”

The 1928 Paragon Carousel and its accompanying museum in the clocktower are next door to the project. Paquin said she has “great concerns of juxtaposition of the project to the carousel and the clocktower… [you] must respect what it is and surrounds.”

Paquin suggested a shadow study as well as a wind impact study be conducted.

Hibbard pointed out there is still a significant loss of commercial space.

Roache countered that “square footage is not everything; the quality of the space is more important…6% return on cost is minimum level.”

Smyth said the developers have “come a long way in modifying and revamping… it is good for the community; I think it is a go.”

Resident Pam Marlow agreed the design has “greatly improved from the beginning, but it still doesn’t seem like it works for Hull.”

The planning board review of the Paragon Dunes project was continued until Wednesday, February 28, with subsequent meetings already scheduled for March 6 and March 13.

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Board begins long-delayed process of accepting retail marijuana sales applications

By Carol Britton Meyer

After two weeks of discussion about Hull’s existing marijuana sales bylaw, Town Manager Jennifer Constable told the select board that town hall staff continues to work on updates to the regulations. Members voted this week to begin accepting applications for retail sales in April.

In 2018, town meeting voters prohibited the sale of recreational marijuana, but voters had a change of mind five years later and approved amending the current bylaw to allow an existing registered medical marijuana dispensary that has been licensed and lawfully operating for at least one year to also offer adult-use retail sales, with specific requirements in place.

The town “is trying to develop a path forward,” Town Counsel James Lampke said last week.

A meeting with an outside counsel is planned to determine whether the town’s bylaw needs to be amended due to uncertainty “as to what was actually adopted [at the 2018 town meeting],” Constable told the board this week.

The town also is waiting for the state Cannabis Control Commission to issue a revised model for host community agreements between the town and recreational marijuana dispensaries. That is expected to happen by March 1.

Constable said at the time the board needed to make a policy decision about the process for accepting applications for HCAs, suggesting that the board might want to wait until the CCC issues the new template. That issue was resolved this week with the decision to move forward with the application process. The town has the ability to negotiate two recreational marijuana agreements.

Board member Irwin Nesoff, who has been asking for some time for the board to discuss the regulations, said that HCAs and accepting applications “are two different things. Whether we get 1 or 3 or 20 businesses interested in a possible HCA with the town doesn’t affect the application process,” he said at last week’s select board meeting. “It’s time to begin moving forward with this.”

He also suggested that applications accepted prior to the CCC’s finalization of the template should have a disclaimer stating that if the regulations change, the board reserves the right “to go back and ask for more information. To not accept applications now will slow the process down.”

The issue was clarified at this week’s board meeting, when the discussion continued. After a lengthy conversation, the board voted in favor (with one abstention) of posting a request for applications on or about April 1, with a deadline of June 1 for them to be returned. Two applications already have been submitted – from the Alternative Compassion Services medical marijuana dispensary on George Washington Boulevard and another Hull business, Skarr Inc., owned by Mambo’s restaurant’s Anthony Ghosn – and do not need to be resubmitted, Constable said.

Board member Jason McCann said it’s important to ensure a “clear and fair process for applicants,” adding that he wants to “[move through the process] as fast as we can.”

Constable noted that the “social equity requirements” around the sale of marijuana aren’t clear at this time.

Stephen Werther, president of Alternative Compassion Services, attended both meetings and expressed concern last week that ACS “was told by town counsel that we could fill out an application” some time ago, but it hasn’t yet been reviewed. 

“We submitted an application with 100-plus pages to the board recently as a great starting point, and I offered to send the town more information,” Werther said. “I’m trying to run my business.”

Constable said the issue “isn’t so much about the HCA. The stall is making sure what the town legally adopted on record [following the 2018 town meeting] was what it was intended to be. We have been spending extensive time reviewing the bylaw and speaking with outside counsel to ensure it’s effecting what we intended it to do and to move forward.”

Chair Greg Grey urged patience in the process “because we have to do our due diligence. I know it’s frustrating, but we’re on a path to try to get there as quickly as possible.”

In response, Werther said he “would be happy to be patient as long as we see things happening. We’ve been wanting to have this discourse for a while. HCAs aren’t that complicated, and there are some clear rules.”

For more details about the state’s Cannabis Control Commission, visit http://masscannabiscontrol.com.

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Select Board increases HRA parking capacity to 900 spaces for summer season

By Carol Britton Meyer

In a 3-2 vote Wednesday night, the select board agreed to increase the number of parking spaces on the Hull Redevelopment Authority property from the current 500 to a maximum of 900 for the 2024 season.

The original number of seasonal parking spots was 900, which was reduced in 2020 during the COVID19 pandemic, increased to 600 in 2021, and reduced again in 2023 to 500. The season runs from May 1 through September 30.

CARTOON BY PETER MENICE

This agenda item was addressed at the request of the HRA in order to discuss parking capacity and operations for the upcoming season. The discussion lasted for more than 1-1/2 hours.

Part of the conversation centered on the possibility of getting the Department of Conservation & Recreation to share the cost of police details at Phipps Street – where traffic congestion often occurs as cars leave the beach – using funds from trust fund monies that come from beach parking fees.

Town Manager Jennifer Constable said this issue can be addressed at an upcoming meeting between the town and the DCR as part of a new collaborative effort.

Beyond the 900 spaces that the HRA normally licenses to vendors, there are additional parking spots for residents who hold valid parking permits.

Another possibility the HRA is considering, according to member Dennis Zaia, is to change the operation to an automated platform through which beachgoers can prepay the parking fee through an app and also learn where parking is available.

Before the vote, HRA member Adrienne Paquin supported maintaining the 500 spaces in order to encourage people to find other ways to get to the beach rather than by car.

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