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Marblehead officials are charting a new course to meet state-mandated multifamily zoning requirements after voters scrapped prior plans, enlisting consultants to draft alternative districts as the Marblehead Housing Authority advances a $67 million overhaul of Broughton Road public housing, the Housing Committee heard Oct. 14.
Town officials said they secured technical assistance from the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities and hired Barrett Planning Group to draft alternative zoning districts after voters repealed prior compliance measures on July 8. The work aims to accommodate the state-mandated capacity for 897 units.
Committee Chair Brendan Callahan said the consultants “are helping us identify districts, additional districts beyond what has already been looked at.”
Town Planner Alex Eitler said staff are weighing options beyond Pleasant Street and Tioga Way in response to community pushback but noted Broughton Road will likely remain in any revised map.
“Broughton Road's a well established area. It's densely developed already, and it makes sense to have that,” Eitler said.
Eitler said the town wants preliminary state sign-off before unveiling any alternative to ensure it meets compliance.
“We want to make sure that whatever we come up with, if we come up with an alternative plan, it works, and it's not a kind of half to bake scenario of like, maybe it will work, and we'll find out later,” Eitler said.
Officials are targeting state preapproval by the end of 2025, Eitler said, while cautioning the schedule depends on the quality of the plan.
Select Board Chair Dan Fox said officials are meeting informally with opponents of the prior plan to identify concerns.
“We've definitely been reaching out ever since the referendum got voted down, and we continue to have conversations and are asking for input, which we've done since day one, because we are hearing loud and clear that the last plan doesn't work,” Fox said.
Fox said the aim is a revised proposal “is something that we believe that we can get past, and that we are meeting the objections of those who oppose our original plan.”
Broughton Road redevelopment
Housing Authority Executive Director Cathy Hoog outlined a 51-49 partnership between the authority’s affiliate nonprofit and a WinnDevelopment affiliate to overhaul Broughton Road.
The plan would fully renovate 44 units, demolish and replace 18, and add about 60 new units in a building for residents 55 and older. The existing 62 public housing units will retain rents set at 30% of income for residents at or below 30% of area median income.
“All of the folks in those units pay 30% of their income, and they're at a very low AMI, so 30% or below, and that will remain in perpetuity,” Hoog said.
The preliminary budget is about $67 million.
“That is likely to go up. It always does,” Hoog said.
Hoog said the team is targeting the 2026 low-income housing tax credit round and expects a mixed financing stack that could include public housing innovation funds, Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities grants and other specialized sources.
Hoog said federal relocation protections will apply. The authority plans to hire a relocation firm, cover moving costs and maintain rent subsidies during temporary moves. Residents will have first right of refusal to return.
“They will remain subsidized throughout the entire time they're relocated. They also get the first right of refusal to return,” Hoog said.
The authority has held three resident meetings focused on design. Early displacement worries have eased as tenants propose amenities such as a pool, fitness center and community space.
“It's really great to see people feeling more at ease and more comfortable and participating in offering us suggestions about the design. That's what we want,” Hoog said.
The authority hired SV Design as an independent consultant to represent local interests alongside Icon Architecture, WinnDevelopment’s design firm.
“Our design consultant is incredibly important, because we want to make sure that the local interest is represented,” Hoog said.
HOME funds and local match
Kevin Hurley, director of the North Shore Home Consortium, said Marblehead receives about $38,000 to $40,000 annually from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development through the HOME Investment Partnerships Program. The 30-member consortium has distributed more than $70 million regionally over three decades.
“We have expended well in excess of $70 million in this region to help in the development of affordable housing,” Hurley said.
Communities have 12 months to commit each allocation before it reverts to a competitive pool. The consortium allows two years of forward commitment, so Marblehead could dedicate about $80,000 in fiscal 2025 and 2026 HOME funds to Broughton Road.
“So if it's something, let's say approaching 40,000 then we have 80,000 from the town to commit to this project,” Hurley said.
Hurley said even modest local dollars strengthen larger funding bids.
“Our money is not to diminish it, but it might be seen as kind of small potatoes compared to the cost of developing something, but it does demonstrate the local support, so that it enables the larger funders to commit the millions of dollars to a project because of the local support,” Hurley said.
Affordable Housing Trust
Committee member Kurt James said the Affordable Housing Trust Fund holds about $75,000 to $100,000 and urged a request for Broughton Road.
“The trust literally has never met, and certainly does, although it has bylaws, I'm pretty certain, there's no application process,” James said.
Established in 2008 under state law, the trust can accept property, purchase and hold real estate, execute contracts and conduct transactions to support affordability goals. Hoog said the authority will seek the funds.
“Local match is incredibly important to a project like this. A lot of the larger grant applications do require it, and there's a good reason for that,” Hoog said. “The larger funding sources want to ensure that there is local support and local buy into a project.”
Coffin School next steps
Callahan said the town issued a request for information for the former Coffin School site in late September, with responses due Oct. 30. Departments expressing interest include Marblehead Municipal Light Department for battery storage, Parks and Recreation for a dog park, the cemetery department for expansion and the Marblehead Housing Authority for additional affordable units.
A neighborhood meeting with abutters was held in early October. A public meeting is planned in early November after RFI review.
The committee set its next meeting for Nov. 18, noting the usual second Tuesday falls on Veterans Day.
