School Committee proposes 20-year deal to relocate town offices to middle school in fall

 By Carol Britton Meyer

The school committee signed off on a 20-year memorandum of agreement with the town Monday night that would allow some town services to move into Memorial Middle School once its grade consolidation plan is complete and the building is available for other purposes, but no earlier than July 1 of this year.

CLICK HERE FOR THE ENTIRE DRAFT MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT.

The select board was scheduled to review the agreement Wednesday night. It is subject to obtaining funding for the town hall relocation and related costs of outfitting the building for town offices. [Click here for related story.]

The school committee would maintain control over the building for the duration of the agreement, which allows the town to occupy the first and second floors for town hall-associated “community purposes,” along with the use of certain shared space – including the auditorium, gymnasium, and cafeteria.

If there is an expansion of school programs in the future, the school committee would negotiate with the town for the expanded use of Memorial School for school purposes.

Also, the committee could at any time, with advance notice of not less than 24 months, terminate the agreement.

It would be effective for 20 years, provided that not later than 24 months prior to the expiration date, unless the agreement was terminated earlier, both parties shall attempt in good faith to negotiate a successor agreement.

The committee’s intent is to lease the ground floor to an educational institution such as the South Shore Educational Collaborative, which currently rents classrooms at the Jacobs Elementary School.

Should that tenant no longer need the space, nor the school department, the town would have the right of first refusal, subject to negotiations with the school committee.

Other portions of the agreement relate to making structural or appearance changes and the sharing of operating, bondable capital, and custodial costs and that “recommendations for allocations of the school budget shall not be affected as a result of this agreement.”

Last January, the school committee gave its vote of approval for the second and final phase of the Best Educational Use of School Facilities reconfiguration plan to change the Jacobs School configuration to PreK through grade 7 and the high school configuration to grades 8 to 12 beginning with the 2024-25 school year.

Phase 1, which has already been implemented, is housing Pre-K through grade 6 at Jacobs Elementary School, grades 7 and 8 at the Memorial School, and grades 9 through 12 at the high school for the current school year.

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Select Board rejects terms of Memorial School lease; assistant town manager hired

By Carol Britton Meyer

The select board reviewed this week the proposed memorandum of agreement between the town and school committee that would allow the town offices to move to Memorial School once the school consolidation plan is complete, but stopped short of approving it due in part to concerns about the 20-year length of the license.

Board members agreed that the agreement should be changed to anywhere from 25 to 40 to 50 to 99 years, a message Town Manager Jennifer Constable will take to Superintendent of Schools Judith Kuehn prior to a planned joint meeting between the committee and board to discuss the proposed agreement, the date not yet decided.

Concerns also were expressed that the school committee has the right to terminate the lease with no shorter than 24 months’ notice. The school committee would remain in control of the building.

“This would not give the town enough time to find alternative town office space, which doesn’t exist,” board member Irwin Nesoff said. “We need to protect the town, and a 20-year lease and 24-month lease cancellation period don’t do that. The substantial cost to relocate the town offices beckons a longer term.”

While noting that “we can’t not [ultimately] sign the agreement,” board member Brian McCarthy advocated for a longer cancellation timeframe. Otherwise, he said, the town “would only have 24 months to make a plan if the school committee needs the building back.”

Town Counsel James Lampke told the board members that if they aren’t satisfied with the license terms, “you shouldn’t enter into it, discuss it further at the joint meeting, or go back to the drawing board.”

The school committee accepted the agreement Tuesday night, which would allow the town offices, and perhaps the senior center, to occupy the second and third floor once the building is vacated under the school consolidation plan. [Click here for related story.]

While Select Board Chair Greg Grey called the agreement “less than perfect,” he referred to it as “a giant step forward. We’re in a better place right now.”

Constable emphasized that whatever the relocation costs would be, which voters will be asked to approve at the upcoming annual town meeting, they would be far less than restoring the deteriorating current town hall.

In other business at the meeting…

Constable announced that Stacy Callahan, who is currently serving as the human resources director for the Town of Rockland, was recently hired to fill the new position of Hull’s assistant town manager. Her first day on the job will be April 8. Before being hired as Hull’s town manager, Constable was the assistant town administrator in Rockland.

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‘Sunshine Week’ shines a light on the importance of open government, access to records

Op/Ed by Justin Silverman, Executive Director, New England First Amendment Coalition

Open government mattered to all of us during the height of the COVID19 pandemic.

Government played an outsized role in our day-to-day lives then. Schools closed, storefronts shuttered and the officials making decisions about quarantines, mask mandates, and vaccines often met in secret or exclusively online.

We demanded access to their Zoom meetings and to information about how long our kids would remain home and when our businesses could reopen. We requested reports on public health data underlying the policies decided by our local and state representatives. We used public records and open meeting laws to get answers to our questions.

With the pandemic largely behind us, however, it can be easy to forget about government transparency. Outside of newsrooms, few of us regularly make public records requests or attend open meetings. The decisions of government don’t seem to weigh as heavily on us as they once did.

Sunshine Week is March 10-16, and is a reminder that the need for open government never abated. The sunshine reference is attributed to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis, who famously wrote that “sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants.” In other words, an informed public is the best way to rid government of corruption.

We don’t need a global pandemic to appreciate our personal stake in government accountability. Consider the following examples of how sunshine laws are playing out in the region:

• Regular FOIA scofflaws in Connecticut rarely pay fines despite the law allowing up to $5,000 in penalties. As of last month, the state’s Freedom of Information Commission imposed only six fines for FOIA violations since 2012. Changes in the law now require the fines to be paid by officials personally. This is a strong incentive to follow the law, but only if fines are imposed and the message is sent to agencies that they cannot disregard their FOIA obligations with impunity.

• Following the worst mass shooting in Maine’s history, newsrooms are making public record requests to better understand how the tragedy in Lewiston unfolded. Through records obtained using the Maine Freedom of Access Act, we know more about the shooter’s military history and what, if any, attempts were made to treat his mental disorders prior to last October. The information learned through public records will almost certainly fuel arguments for – and against – gun reform in the state.

• A proposal by Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey would make the format of local open meetings completely discretionary instead of guaranteeing both in-person and remote access. Do you have a disability, parenting responsibilities, odd work hours, or any other reason preventing you from traveling to a government meeting? Under this proposal, you’ll be shut out when city councils, select boards, or school committees decide to hold their meetings exclusively in person.

• In a state where the right to know about government is enshrined in its constitution, New Hampshire lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow excessive fees to be charged for public records. The bill makes no exception for those who cannot afford the fees or for information of high public interest. Instead, the legislation incentivizes government officials to overestimate the time to comply with a records request, needlessly redact and review documents, and ultimately deter even modest requests from being made in the first place.

• Want to know how the Washington Bridge in Providence fell into disrepair and why it ultimately closed? You’ll need to pay. Rhode Island Gov. Daniel McKee is charging thousands of dollars for records that date back to July 2023 when the bridge last passed inspection. The Attorney General’s office said that while the charges are legal, they can also be waived by the governor. Legislation to change the state’s Access to Public Records Act would require those fees be waived and make it easier for us to understand what caused one of the biggest travel headaches in the state’s history.

• Vermont state agencies are turning the public records law on its head, requiring reporters to submit formal requests for basic information that should be readily accessible. As Diane Derby at the VTDigger recently explained, agencies are using the law “as a shield to deny reporters timely access.” Rather than just answer a straightforward question, she said, they force the reporter to file a formal request, slow the process and deprive readers like you of much-needed information.

Still not convinced you have a personal stake in government transparency? Consider sunshine an insurance policy. Even if none of the situations above resonate with you or relate to your daily life, know that transparency discourages government misconduct from occurring at all. Those in government are less likely to act in their self-interest when the public is looking over their shoulder. When malfeasance does occur, we can utilize our sunshine laws to learn what happened and hold those responsible accountable for their actions.

Let’s not wait for another pandemic or public health crisis to make transparency a priority. Sunshine is a cause we should always be rallying around. 

Justin Silverman is executive director of the New England First Amendment Coalition and a Massachusetts-based attorney. He is an adjunct professor at the University of Maine School of Law, New England Law-Boston, and the University of Connecticut.

Middle schoolers, parents suggest long-term changes in response to bullying

By Victoria Dolan

Last week, students and parents said they felt that bullying is not adequately dealt with at the Memorial Middle School. But what should the school do about it, and what does this mean for next year, when sixth- and seventh-graders will be at the elementary school and eighth-graders move up to the high school?

Both students and parents at the middle school think that school administration should reexamine its approach to preventing and handling bullying incidents.

“The current tools that they have in place aren’t truly working, and they need to rethink what course of action they should be taking,” said the parent of an eighth-grader who asked to remain anonymous.

The middle school currently employs numerous initiatives to proactively educate students about bullying, including presentations by the School Resource Officer and monthly assemblies with a focus on the school’s core values. However, students say the lessons aren’t really sticking.

Aerial Flores, a student who noted that “nobody really pays attention” to school presentations and assemblies, thinks the school needs more awareness of the real impacts of bullying. She hopes the middle school will spread “awareness of how it makes people feel… talk about how online things hurt people, too.”

“I think they definitely need to do more, have speakers come in,” said another parent. She thinks even “having people closer to their own age come in, like high schoolers” could help prevent bullying as students may take the issue more seriously if hearing about it from their peers.

In a statement, Superintendent Judith Kuehn noted that the middle school plans to conduct a student survey on bullying. This will “enable us to compare current student data on bullying with historical data, empowering staff to make informed decisions for school-wide interventions.”

Kuehn added that during advisory sessions, “students will receive a refresher on bullying and the importance of reporting incidents to a trusted adult.”

When asked to comment on the specifics mentioned in this column, Kuehn declined.

The district’s policies on bullying and cyber-bullying are contained in the student handbook, which is posted on hullpublicschools.org.

Students and parents are hoping these interventions may include more than just assemblies and presentations, however. Many parents supported long-term changes focusing on bullying education.

“If they’re so intense about teaching Shakespeare, and Spanish, and geometry, why aren’t they having a class to teach human beings how to be nice to other human beings?” asked one parent.

At the core of this issue, many say, are the underlying problems that cause students to bully in the first place.

“I would love to see a real comprehensive program where they help kids develop their self-esteem and self-confidence,” said parent Kerry Hnath. “I think when you do that, you would see a drop in bullying.”

Hnath is also one of many who thinks that current disciplinary methods for substantiated claims of bullying aren’t enough. Superintendent Kuehn stated that “the response will be individually tailored to all of the circumstances, including the nature of the conduct and the age of the students involved.” Measures taken often involve after school or lunch detentions, or exclusion from school-sponsored activities.

Often, said Hnath, these methods are ineffective. “[They] see it as a ‘get out of jail free card,’” she noted, “because it’s better than sitting in class.”

Other parents agreed.

“They just call the parents and tell the parents to talk to their kids,” said one mother. “That doesn’t do anything. I think the school has to do something.”

Students seem to think the best action in lieu of current approaches would be for the school to help aggressors of bullying understand the full consequences of their actions, and decide on their own steps to remediate the issues.

A seventh grader, who requested anonymity, thinks that when the victim of bullying explains “how this affects their life, and asks [the aggressor] how it benefits them, and why they like to do it, they’ll think about it” and be more likely to not repeat the behavior again.

Flores agreed. She thinks the school should help aggressors “figure out why they’re doing it, and have them come up with their own solutions to stop.”

An eighth-grader added that “people need to be upstanders, they need to confront the aggressor.” At the middle school, she says, “everyone is quiet, if it doesn’t affect them, then they won’t speak out about it.” This student wasn’t aware that a concrete bullying policy even existed, and thinks more awareness about the specifics of the policy might help students feel supported in coming forward.

But the environment to address bullying will look drastically different next year. Sixth- and seventh-graders will remain at the Jacobs Elementary School, while eighth-graders will move up to the high school. The effects this may have on bullying are unknown.

One parent thinks “it will minimize some of the bullying,” because “you’re mixed in more” with other students. Having larger class sizes may help students feel less alienated.

However, others are worried, and think the issue may worsen. Once you’re at the high school, one parent noted, “they’re supposed to be mature,” but if bullying isn’t properly stopped, it may never be fully handled.

That’s why there is no better time for the middle school to take decisive action to put a stop to bullying with its students. By setting a firm precedent now, that there are clear consequences for bullying behavior, administrators can prevent the issue from carrying over into the new school arrangement.

To access last week’s column on the bullying problem at Memorial Middle School, as well as resources on bullying prevention and advocacy, click here.

Victoria Dolan is The Hull Times school correspondent. This column reflects her student viewpoint.

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Shorelines - Good news about your neighbors

TROUPE OF TROOPERS. Hull High School Theatre Arts’ production of ‘War Brides’ was named a winner of the preliminary round in the Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild Festival two weeks ago. In addition, four members of the group won awards – Dahlia Hedrick, Victoria Dolan, and Damien Lindsey for Excellence in Acting, and Milo Coyle for Excellence in Costume Design. The students then performed at the METG semifinals on Saturday, March 9. Congratulations!

• Congratulations to Colby Goldstein, a sophomore at Thayer Academy, who earned a high honors for the most recent term in the Upper School at Thayer, an independent coed day school for grades 5-12 in Braintree.

• Christina Murphy, a nursing major in the Class of 2024 was named to the Dean’s List for the fall semester at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, N.H. To be eligible for this honor, a student must have achieved a grade-point average of 3.4 or better in the semester with at least 12 credits of study which award a letter grade.

• Get ready for St. Patrick’s Day! The Hull Nantasket Chamber of Commerce’s Pot O’ Gold celebration continues this week, with events for your sweet tooth at Nantasket Sweets by Swedes on Friday, March 15 at 4 p.m., followed by a tasteful tour of the Emerald Isle at A Street Liquors at 5 p.m. On Saturday, corned beef is on the menu at Daddy’s Beach Club and the Knights of Columbus annual dinner. The Hull Public Library is sponsoring a kids’ craft activity on Saturday, and on Sunday, a sober St. Patrick’s Day Dinner will be held at The Anchor of Hull. For all the details, visit hullchamber.com.

• Four students from Hull earned high honors on the second quarter Honor Roll at Boston College High School ­­– junior Brenden Ryan, sophomore Liam Hopkins, and freshmen Bruno Andrews Mundo and Jacob Parks. For High Honors, a sophomore and junior must have at least a 3.80 quality-point average; freshmen need a 3.6 quality-point average.

• Special education teacher Eileen Clancy-Pantano of Hull has published a new children’s book that families will love to read together. “Where Do Seagulls go at Night?” which follows the success of her heartwarming second book, “Crabby Cakes,” was released last month,.

In her latest book, Clancy-Pantano once again captivates young readers with a delightful tale that explores the importance of curiosity, adventure, and the bonds that connect us. Do seagulls gather on the sand, huddling together to safeguard their feathers through the night? Or do they gracefully sleep on the water’s surface, wading around and maintaining a peaceful silence? Clancy-Pantano weaves a charming narrative that not only satisfies a child’s curiosity about the nocturnal habits of seagulls, but also imparts a valuable lesson about the wonders of the natural world.

“I believe that fostering a sense of wonder and curiosity in children is crucial for their personal and emotional development,” the author said. “Through this book, I hope to inspire young minds to embrace the beauty of nature and the joy of discovery.”

“Where Do Seagulls go at Night” is available wherever books are sold.

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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Students, parents describe ‘widespread’ bullying at Memorial Middle School

By Victoria Dolan

Memorial Middle School students say the frequency of bullying has grown during the past two years, and that administration’s response to reported incidents is not consistently effective.

While speaking with parents and students, opinions widely differed on the true root of the issue, the severity of bullying, and the best way to put a stop to it. The consensus: Something isn’t working.

“In a town that’s supposed to be no place for hate, there’s so much meanness, and I don’t feel like the faculty at the middle school addresses this… they push it aside,” said one parent. “I’ve given up.”

“There’s a lot of bullying, it’s widespread,” said a seventh grader, who asked to remain anonymous. Aggressors “know where teachers will be, and at what time,” so they can bully students and not be caught. This causes two problems. First, “teachers might think it [bullying prevention] is working because it’s… outside of their view.” Then, since the teachers don’t see the alleged incidents, students don’t have a witness to back them up. “Kids don’t want to tell the teachers it’s happening, so the teachers don’t know the extent of the problem,” she said.

I attempted to interview numerous teachers in order to gain a better understanding of their perspective on this issue. These requests were denied by Superintendent Judith Kuehn, who cited the Hull Public Schools’ media relations policy that only the superintendent may speak on sensitive matters. Over the past four years, this policy has never been an issue when interviewing teachers. The school department also declined to respond to the specific allegations in this article.

In a statement, Superintendent Kuehn said that school district “is committed to maintaining a school environment where students are free from bullying and fostering a climate where all students feel welcome. We believe that there is no place for bullying, violence, or hate within our schools or school community.”

Kuehn said that so far this year, there have been 21 allegations of bullying across all three schools – seven at the Jacobs School, eight at the middle school, and six at the high school. A total of eight allegations districtwide were confirmed or substantiated as bullying, more than half of them from the two grades currently at the middle school. Five incidents were confirmed at the Memorial, three at the elementary level, and none at the high school, according to the superintendent.

Aerial Flores, a seventh grader, thinks that faculty doesn’t understand the true extent of bullying at the middle school.

“I don’t think any teachers see it,” she said, because “it’s mostly online now.” For Flores, this exacerbates the problem. If bullying is purely in person, you can find respite at home. If it’s online, you “can’t get away from it.”

Those factors can make it more difficult for parents and teachers to see a child struggling. But even when they do, parents describe difficulty getting support from the school. An eighth-grade parent who asked not to be named said that when engaging with middle school faculty over bullying allegations, an administrator responded by saying, “This is kids, this is just how they act.” While trying to help her child deal with bullying, she said it felt like the school “cared more about what it looks like on paper.”

Another parent was satisfied with the results of her child’s case, but noted that “for us it did actually get handled. For a lot of people I know, it did not.” However, she described a similar problem – initially being brushed aside. “Anything at the middle school, you just get told there’s not much we can do,” she said. “That’s kind of their answer for everything.”

For this parent’s child, posting pictures and name-calling online soon turned to in-person alienation. When her student starting calling home daily, asking to leave school, the parent contacted principal Anthony Hrivnak. “He just talked to the girls and their parents, and they did surprisingly back off.” The school psychologist began checking in on her student to make sure no more issues arose.

Hrivnak referred all questions to the superintendent’s office. Kuehn said that “every bullying allegation is investigated and taken seriously. Each bullying investigation is handled independently.” If a claim of bullying is substantiated, “the school will take steps reasonably calculated to prevent recurrence and ensure that the target is not restricted in participating in school or in benefiting from school activities. As with the investigation, the response will be individually tailored to all of the circumstances.”

Across accounts, this process seems typical: A bullying allegation is made, the school follows policy and launches an investigation. If the allegation is substantiated, administration decides on a next course of action depending on the incident. These may include disciplinary action, but could also include enhanced adult supervision, a classroom transfer, counseling, exclusion from school-sponsored events, and more. The most common measure taken seems to be simply talking to the aggressors and telling them to stop their activities. For some cases, this works. For others, it’s not enough.

One eighth-grade student, who asked that her name not be published, was involved in resolving her bullying allegation. She described that bullies “think they won’t get in trouble… because the principal, they just tell you not to do it again.” When she spoke directly to her aggressors, they also temporarily backed off, but she thinks most victims are too afraid to do the same.

“I think there’s a large difference between the number of actually reported and known incidents. Some students might be afraid or think it will go away after a while,” she said.

Students fearing reporting bullying was a common theme. “I don’t think it’s really the school’s fault, but maybe the kids don’t feel comfortable,” said eighth-grader Colin English. Bullying, he added, “is definitely still a problem, but the school has done a pretty good job of reaching out to students.”

Many students noted the schools’ efforts to bring awareness to bullying and reach out to students through school assemblies. Superintendent Kuehn highlighted these as part of “numerous proactive schoolwide educational interventions aimed at educating students about bullying.”

Kuehn said these interventions encourage students to “report bullying and to be upstanders for their peers” through a variety of initiatives. In addition to assemblies, these include a focus on the school’s core values, the “Advocacy in Action” program through Raising Multicultural Children, a schoolwide “Respect Quest” that rewards students for performing acts of respect, and more.

The district’s policies on bullying and cyber-bullying are contained in the student handbook, which is posted on hullpublicschools.org.

While students agree that the presentation and resources the school offers can be helpful, they also say it’s not enough. Some kids don’t pay attention, and many feel the true impacts of bullying are not discussed enough. Bullying still occurs frequently, and on the rare occasions it’s reported, students and parents feel brushed aside. Only some achieve successful resolution.

So what can the middle school do to help its students, and what does this mean for next year, when the middle school will be fully consolidated with sixth and seventh grades at the Jacobs School and eighth-graders at the high school? Next week, we will explore ways that the middle school can move forward and address bullying.

For resources on bullying prevention and advocacy, visit these websites:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: www.stopbullying.gov

PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center: https://www.pacer.org/bullying/info

Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center at Bridgewater State University: https://www.marccenter.org/

Massachusetts Advocates for Children: https://www.massadvocates.org/resources-bullying

Preventing Bullying on School Buses: https://www.transfinder.com/resources/school-bus-bullying-prevention

Victoria Dolan is The Hull Times school correspondent. This column reflects her student viewpoint.

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Dismantled Pemberton wind turbine won’t be replaced; Hull Wind II remains offline

By Carol Britton Meyer

The wind turbine at Pemberton Point taken down last month will not be replaced, and the seawall damage that occurred when the tower fell to the ground will be paid by the demolition company, town officials said this week.

AWAITING REPAIR. Hull Wind II at the landfill is still offline, awaiting an update of its software. Hull Light expects it to return to service in a few weeks. [Richard W. Green photo]

Meanwhile, at the other end of town, Hull Wind II at the landfill remains offline, awaiting repairs to its computer system, according to Hull Municipal Light Board Chair Patrick Cannon.

“Once that work is completed, hopefully within the next couple of weeks, Hull Wind II should be back in service,” Cannon told The Hull Times, adding that there are no plans to replace Hull Wind I.

“It would be far too expensive compared to years ago [when the first one was built],” he said.

When both turbines were working to capacity, the electricity generated was equivalent to 11% of Hull Municipal Lighting Plant’s power portfolio. With the removal of the Pemberton turbine, the electricity for streetlights and traffic signals it previously generated now may have to be covered by the town’s budget.

Hull Wind I was commissioned in December 2001, and turbines of that vintage have a lifespan of about 20 years. Hull Wind II, which generates enough energy to power 800 homes on an annual basis when working at capacity, has been offline for some time for repairs, which have been completed except for the software issue.

Although Vestas, the company that installed Hull Wind II in 2006, opted out of its maintenance contract with the town some time ago when the agreement expired, another company was hired to perform the necessary maintenance on the remaining wind turbine.

Arrangements have been made for Vestas to reboot the computer, “because it’s their software,” according to Cannon.

While the subject of electricity rates came up at the light board’s February 29 meeting, no decisions have yet been made. There will be another related item on the March meeting agenda, Cannon said, at which time the recent rate study will also be discussed.

“We usually review the rates every three to five years,” he said.

Also at that meeting, the recommendation was made to send the bill for streetlight electricity to the town since Hull Wind I will not be replaced. When fully operational, Hull Wind I, which has been out of commission since April 2021, supplied enough electricity annually to power the town’s streetlights and traffic control signals as well as 220 homes.

“Moving forward, the town [would] pay this cost, which [would] be less money than it used to be because all the street lights are now LED,” Cannon said. “We’re doing the calculations now.”

Town Manager Jennifer Constable told The Hull Times in response to an email inquiry that she is “assessing the history associated with the town’s past agreement with the HMLP, as well as the town’s position going forward relative to this recommendation,” which was first introduced to her at last week’s meeting.

The town manager also said that the repairs resulting from damage to the seawall that occurred when Hull Wind I was demolished will be made at the expense of the company that dismantled the wind turbine.

“Kevin Mooney from Waterways Project Management assessed the damage on behalf of the town, and based on Kevin’s recommendations and discussion with the contractor, the repair was agreed upon,” Constable explained. “Atlantic Coast will perform the repairs in the next couple of weeks, and the work will be further evaluated by WPM.”

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Paragon Dunes developer revises plans, seeks vote to meet April 30 deadline

By Dolores Sauca Lorusso

A week after threatening to “walk away” from purchasing the Paragon Boardwalk property in order to build a 132-unit mixed-use project, the developer presented revised plans with a view corridor to address concerns about the “wall effect” of the four-story building.

On Wednesday, Procopio Companies Vice President of Development David Roache said the timeline stress that prompted last week’s comment by a member of the development team is brought on by its business situation, which calls for Procopio to purchase the property from Nantasket Dune Holdings LLC next month.

“We realize it is not a problem of the board, but a reality still the same,” Roache said, indicating the closing is April 30, and the developer needs the planning board’s approval to complete the sale. Last week, the developer said that without a vote soon, it may “walk away or come to another alternative that gets built there, like 40B” affordable housing.

THE PROCOPIO COMPANIES PRESENTED REVISED PLANS FOR THE PARAGON DUNES PROJECT, INCLUDING A ‘VIEW CORRIDOR’ to open up the building, which straddles land visible from both the beach and bay.

At Wednesday’s public hearing, the developer presented revised plans addressing the “wall effect,” which has been frequently cited by the planning board, Design Review Board, and residents as what “continues to cause pause.”

Planning board member Jeanne Paquin has said she would “like to see something going through the building, not just on the building… when I said break, I meant a break in the building, not the architectural interest.”

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Click here for the full plans, reports, and public comments on this proposal

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Last week, residents told the developer of a desire for views from the beach to the bay, and Procopio came back with a design including an approximately 35-foot wide, two-story view corridor.

“It has been a productive and collaborative process where every step of the way the design has gotten better…this is a good step bringing us closer to completion,” Roache said. “It is not just a hallway through the building, but a meaningful connection… an opportunity to get to the new path on George Washington Boulevard through the building and to the public open space.”

“From my standpoint this was a quick and effective way to break up the wall effect on George Washington Boulevard,” planning board member Steve White said.

“This is what I have been hoping for; something to break up the mass,” said Paquin.

“I appreciate your acknowledgement of the concerns people put forward on the wall effect.”

Chair Meghan Reilly said.

Commending Procopio for its “impressive” responsiveness, Town Planner Chris DiIorio said that “how they plan to activate the vibrant area along Nantasket Avenue is a game-changer.”

The project also will add 250 feet of community space to house a cultural use. Steven Greenberg, speaking as an individual and not on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce, said this space could fulfill a “dream for the Chamber to have an information tourist center.”

For the retail space, Roache said the commercial area to replicate the arcade and the beer garden is closest to the comfort station.

“The focus is on how the retail creates a better building and not the income associated with it,” he said.

Planning board member Jim Pitrolo said he is “happy with the facade work” but is “still concerned with density and number of units.”

“The building is not feeling like Hull, and I am still concerned with parking issues,” said resident Lisa French, who said she thought there should be two parking spaces for each household.

Pitrolo also pointed out that the letter from the sewer department indicated that it may need to add a pump station. Roache said the developer would not be opposed to contributing to the cost of the sewer mitigation, but he would need to research the issue.

Roache said Procopio has had discussion with the Hull Municipal Light Plant and plan to bring the “unsightly” utility lines underground to Rockland Circle.

Roache said the project will bring in $550K in new annual revenue, $700K in building permit fees, 9,000 square feet of indoor commercial space, an outdoor commercial plaza, improved pedestrian access, and the developer will make a commitment to maintain the adjacent Art Walk.

The next planning board hearing on the project will be Wednesday, March 20 at 7:30 p.m., and the Design Review Board will discuss the proposal at its next meeting on March 12.

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ADUs, MBTA Communities Law among zoning changes on town meeting warrant

By Dolores Sauca Lorusso

Three proposed zoning changes for the spring town meeting warrant will be discussed by the planning board next week.

On Wednesday, March 13, at 7:30 p.m., the board will hold a public hearing on the MBTA Communities zoning district, a plan to allow accessory dwelling units (ADUs), and establishing a floodplain district.

The state MBTA Communities Law was enacted in January 2021 to encourage the construction of housing near transportation lines. Cities and towns that do not adopt zoning changes risk losing access to grant money through programs such as MassWorks, Housing Choice funding, the Local Capital Projects Fund and other grants.

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Click here for details on the zoning proposals for the spring town meeting.

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“Beyond that, the Attorney General’s office has said communities have to do this, and if you don’t, they can go after you for federal and state fair-housing violations,” said Town Planner Chris DiIorio.

Grant eligibility is safe until December 2024, at which time commuter rail and “adjacent” communities like Hull must comply with the new regulations.

According DiIorio, Hull was required to provide the state with districts that would produce 586 multi-family units by right, at a density of 15 units per acre, while also having no age restrictions. While the land must be developable, it cannot be owned by the town or located in a floodplain.

“The units don’t have to be produced; the law only requires towns to create by right zoning. Zoning is a long-term process,” said DiIorio. “The proposal is a mapping change; at this point we don’t need changes to the language of the zones.”

As long as the district-wide gross density of 15 units per acre is provided, zoning districts can include use restrictions and intensity limits, such as setbacks and height limitations. By-right uses can also be subject to site plan review standards.

DiIorio explained changes were made to zones so that larger developments that already exist, such as Ocean Place and Seawatch condominiums, can help Hull meet the requirements. The plan has been sent to the state for review.

“Commercial Rec zones and Multifamily B zones, with a few tweaks, can get Hull to the right number,” said DiIorio. “Hull has already been doing the things we are being asked to do [by the state], now the zones will reflect that. This gets us to where we need to be with minimal negative impact.”

“We need to try explain to people that this is a planning exercise to not be excluded from grant opportunities,” said Zoning Board of Appeals Chair Patrick Finn.

DiIorio said the planning department hopes to hear back from the state within the month. If deemed compliant, the MBTA Communities bylaw will be presented to town meeting this spring.

Based on the recommendation at May 2023 town meeting, the planning board, along with the zoning bylaw committee and the zoning board of appeals, have been working to revise a proposed accessory dwelling units (ADUs) bylaw.

The bylaw provides owner-occupants of single-family homes with a means for obtaining rental income, companionship, or security, proponents say, enabling them to remain in homes they might otherwise be forced to leave.

“Affordability is an enormous benefit for the property owner…in return the town gets a guarantee of affordable units,” planning board member Harry Hibbard said.

The proposed ADU bylaw provides for a permitting process for 10 accessory apartments per year within existing single-family homes, up to a maximum of 100 units. The ADUs will not add to the number of buildings in town or reduce open space, and cannot be used for commercial purposes.

The ADU bylaw states the units are by special permit, must be owner-occupied, cannot be used for short-term rentals, and carry a deed restriction to remain affordable.

Finn has said the idea behind the ADU bylaw is to create “housing choices for people who need help by using stock we have and not using open space… also beneficial for providing multigenerational housing.”

In their planning, the boards have also had to consider the impact of Gov. Maura Healey’s housing bill that would allow ADUs as of right throughout the state without a special permit.

The state estimates that the zoning change could create more than 8,000 ADUs over five years.

Cities and towns would have some control over the ADUs under Healey’s bond bill language. The units could be subject to “reasonable regulations” like structure size and setbacks, or limitations on short-term rentals.

Hibbard said based on the outstanding state ADU bill, Hull should not continue to draft the town bylaw because it could be “eviscerated by the state law.”

The remainder of the board members felt by continuing to draft the local ADU bylaw, they are upholding a commitment made in 2023.

“I want to move forward because it shows we are doing what we said we would do…we don’t know what is going to happen with the state law; so we should get something on the books,” said Jeanne Paquin.

Steve White also said the board should move forward because members do not know what the state’s process will be.

“This ADU proposal works for Hull then we should lead with this…the state could come back and say anyone without an ADU law on the books, the state law is for you,” he said.

According to DiIorio, the intent is to also draft some language that indicates if the state law passes, the components of the town ADU bylaw that are still viable would remain in effect.

Another proposal would establish a floodplain district as an overlay zoning district to better control development in areas subject to flooding. Building Commissioner Bartley Kelly explained the flood plain maps are being updated to comply with FEMA regulations.

“The map is effectively the same for most of Hull…but updates have been made to the version of Coastal A zone areas with wave action up to three feet requiring an open foundation on piles,” said Kelly, who would be the administrator of the bylaw on behalf of the town.

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Consultant to identify town-owned parcels that could be developed with affordable housing units

By Carol Britton Meyer 

The Affordable Housing Committee’s March 12 meeting will feature a presentation by a grant-funded consultant on town-owned properties that could be developed into affordable housing in cooperation with South Shore Habitat for Humanity. Town meeting authorization would be required before town-owned land could be used for this purpose.

This is considered a high priority since more than 37% of Hull residents pay more than 30 percent of their income on housing, according to the town’s 2022 housing production plan.

Irwin Nesoff, the select board’s liaison to the AHC, has seen a draft of the presentation and thinks “it will be of interest to everybody in Hull. The study is a win-win at no cost to the town.”

Following an update from AHC Chair Cynthia Koebert and a couple of requests for its support, the select board gave approval for the AHC to work with the Massachusetts Housing Partnership – at no cost to the town – to determine the best way to create affordable housing, and for the committee to move forward with an outreach campaign to engage residents about affordable housing.

“The MHP will assist the town in moving through the process and help with the community aspect,” Nesoff said. “There’s a lot of misinformation out there about what affordable housing really is, and our town is in a housing crisis.”

The creation of more affordable housing “can’t happen without a commitment and action from the town,” Koebert said, noting that the AHC’s community outreach will continue throughout 2024. She also encouraged town officials and residents to attend the March 12 meeting.

“We’re a nine-member volunteer committee that cares deeply about this issue. There’s an urgent need for more affordable housing in Hull,” Koebert said. “It’s a difficult process that requires the support of the select board, town manager, civic organizations, and residents, and we welcome their interest and support for various approaches to address the lack of affordable housing for seniors, families, service providers, veterans, and others.”

Hull’s current affordable housing comprises 1.6% of the town’s overall housing stock, and much of it is under the control of the housing authority. The state’s affordable housing threshold for Massachusetts communities is 10%.

Chair Greg Grey praised the committee for making “great strides” in a short time. “Your work has been lightning fast,” he said.

Town Manager Jennifer Constable also commended the AHC for its commitment to affordable housing. “It’s a really solid committee, which is really comforting,” she said.

Constable also called MHP “a great resource” in working toward achieving the committee’s and the town’s goal to create more affordable housing.

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