• An issue relating to the developer’s right to install a water line along an access easement on adjacent private property was raised in regard to the proposed 12-unit condominium development at 25 Ipswich Street in the Rockaway Annex neighborhood. An abutter objected to the developer’s plan to install utilities on his property and any other improvements or alterations. His property, which was originally part of a larger lot of land surrounding the former Veterans of Foreign Wars post, was sold to him and his wife with an easement that attorneys say was not properly created. Without the easement, the developer would need to modify his plans significantly.
• Wintry weather didn’t dampen the excitement as Wellspring’s annual Winter Warrior Games got under way at Nantasket Beach. Dozens of hardy souls hit the water to help raise money for Wellspring, while the afterparty warmup at the Parrot included an arts and crafts table for kids.
• With numerous reports of dead birds in communities across the South Shore, the state Division of Wildlife issued guidance on how to stay safe from the HPAI virus, or “bird flu,” which is relatively rare in humans but can infect pets and other animals exposed to diseased birds. Residents were encouraged to report cases if they saw five or more sick or dead wild birds; to avoid contact with wildlife, especially birds that appeared sick or dead; and to keep pets, especially cats, away from wildlife.
• After hearing complaints from neighbors, the select board accepted a noise mitigation plan from the owner of the Tipsy Tuna restaurant to control the sound coming from the establishment’s outdoor patio in the summer.
• The select board adopted a “dignity pledge,” based on the work of the Dignity Index Project. The pledge reads: “As an American who knows and loves my country, I am convinced there is no America without democracy, no democracy without healthy debate, and no healthy debate without dignity; therefore, I pledge to do more to treat others with dignity, not contempt.”
• The Weir River Water System Citizens Advisory Board and WRWS Managing Director/Superintendent Russell Tierney reported that construction for the new one-million-gallon water tank on Strawberry Hill would take place from spring 2026 to the summer of 2027, with the system expected to be up and running that fall.
• A new art installation at Jacobs School featured sea creatures made from ocean waste, including trash collected last year when the project first started with a beach cleanup led by teacher Heather Weber and parent volunteer Jackie Kilroe Ranney.
• To kick-start the Hull Redevelopment Authority’s consideration of an additional option for its draft Urban Renewal Plan, the board heard Chair Dennis Zaia’s new vision for the property that included a bayside boardwalk, college classrooms, and a small apartment complex with affordable units. The HRA also heard a presentation from a Cohasset family interested in building a wellness and community center on its property.
• Despite the sunshine, there was little relief from freezing temperatures as wildlife center staff members rescued a seal from the ice on the southernmost part of Nantasket Beach.
• Bulldozers made quick work of the former Dalat restaurant building at Nantasket Beach, as well as the outdoor Paragon Boardwalk, as the new owners prepared the site to make way for a 132-unit mixed-use development. Also slated for demolition was the former arcade building and miniature golf course.
• Wearing everything from pirate outfits to bunny costumes, hard hats to bathing suits, hundreds of people gathered at Nantasket Beach for the annual Polar Plunge to support Special Olympics. Congregating at the Mary Jeannette Murray Bath House, more than 300 participants and 30 teams highlighted a shared commitment to supporting the Special Olympics organization.
MARCH
• Town Manager Jennifer Constable presented a proposed $52.6-million fiscal 2026 municipal budget, representing a 4.84%, or $2.4 million, increase over the fiscal 2025 figure. Major expenditures included health insurance, pension liability, and collective bargaining agreements, debt, seawall repairs, and restoration of Fort Revere. Included in the operating budget were the addition of two full-time fire department paramedic/EMT positions; a patrol and desk clerk position for the police department; and union and nonunion salary adjustments.
• The town manager also presented the annual $11.5-million annual light plant budget, which goes by the calendar year instead of the fiscal year. A rate increase was under consideration, as was the continued rental of the winter generators.
• The select board voted 4-1 in favor of allowing 900 cars to be parked in HRA summer parking lots. The affirmative vote was contingent on the HRA working with the town’s piping plover ambassadors again to educate beachgoers about the plovers’ presence.
• Edward C. O’Brien, better known as Captain Ed, the longtime owner of Jake’s Seafood Restaurant, died on March 2 at age 94.
• Following the zoning board of appeals’ sixth hearing on the proposal to build a condominium development at 25 Ipswich St. in the Rockaway Annex neighborhood, a number of issues remained unresolved, including public safety concerns and a dispute over an access easement. Hull Fire Department concerns included ensuring adequate water pressure to fight a fire, adequate turning radius specific to the town’s fire trucks, ensuring that the proposed landscaping and planted trees wouldn’t impede access for emergency vehicles, and installation of a sprinkler system.
• The Hull Lifesaving Museum’s signature race, the Snow Row, began and ended at the beach alongside the Windmill Point boathouse. Rowers traversed a 3.75-mile course to complete the race, which attracted youth and adult crews from New England, New York, and along the East Coast.
• About 75 people attended the No Place for Hate Feast of Conversations at the Nantasket Beach Resort to talk about community, diversity, dignity and identity in Hull.
• Hull High School hosted a career exploration day for juniors and seniors where guest professionals answered questions, offered advice, and shared insights into their respective fields, including education, social work, the military, human services, public safety, government, real estate, engineering, performing arts, entrepreneurship, and several skilled trades.
• Former select board member John Reilly was appointed as chair of the town’s 250th anniversary committee. He also had chaired a similar committee to celebrate Hull’s 375th anniversary. Board member Greg Grey, who also served on the 375th committee, was appointed to the 250th committee as the select board’s liaison. Overall, the committee is charged with planning townwide activities commemorating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence; focusing on remembrances concentrated throughout 2025-26; coordinating events related to the founding of the country; and aligning Hull events with other local, state, regional, and federal commemorations.
APRIL
• The first plovers arrived and began preparing for the nesting season on Nantasket Beach, where protective fencing was already installed. Hull Piping Plover Ambassadors gathered were tasked with helping to protect the birds and educate the public about the importance of safeguarding their nesting areas. There are only about 8,000 piping plovers in the world and Massachusetts is home to almost 4,000 of them.
• The zoning board of appeals closed the public hearing for a proposed 12-unit townhouse complex in the Rockaway Annex neighborhood under the state’s comprehensive permit law, but did not take a final vote on whether to approve the project. The board would have 40 days to review the document and then make a final decision with conditions for the project.
• The Hull Public Schools held an open house for local real estate agents to learn more about the school system in order to better advise homebuyers looking to relocate to Hull. Superintendent Michael Jette led the discussion, outlining the school district’s curriculum, extracurricular offerings, and the academic achievements of students.
• For at least the third year in a row, there were no public comments during the hearing on the proposed $18.4-million budget, which represents a 3% – or $535,643 – increase over the fiscal 2025 budget figure.
• The planning board heard a proposal to construct a new 3,600-square-foot commercial building at 15 Nantasket Avenue adjacent to the DPW barn – to include four tradesman garage bays on the first floor and offices on the second floor. The board awaited peer review and comments from all departments involved with land use, public safety, and infrastructure The ZBA granted a special permit for the project earlier in the year.
• Henry Dunn of Dunn Rite Parking was confirmed as the winner of the HRA’s summer parking lot lease. Dunn’s bid of $175,000 for the 2025 season was the only response to the HRA’s request for proposals.
• Families converged on the lawn of the Paragon Carousel for the traditional Easter Egg Hunt during the merry-go-round’s opening weekend. Festivities began on Saturday with photos with the Easter Bunny and continued with the egg hunt on Sunday.
• The town has received two grants from Coastal Zone Management to study building a new combined DPW/Hull Municipal Light Plant facility at the site of the current DPW barn at West Corner. Both are considered to be “critical facilities,” and CZM grants are awarded to municipalities and nonprofits to address coastal flooding, erosion, and sea-level rise impacts.
