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Residents packed Abbot Hall Thursday evening with sharp questions and competing visions for the former Coffin School property as town officials held their first community-wide listening session on the fate of the just-over 3-arce site at 1 Turner Road.
The meeting laid bare the tensions facing Marblehead: a town grappling with housing affordability, an aging population seeking downsizing options and neighborhoods wary of density and traffic impacts.
Community Development and Planning Director Brendan Callahan outlined the process to date and solicited public input on reuse options for the property, which has been vacant since 2021 and transferred from the School Committee to the Select Board in May.
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The town received five expressions of interest from municipal departments and three responses to a request for information issued in October. Only one came from a developer: Harborlight Homes, a regional affordable housing nonprofit, proposed a 40-unit development with one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments targeting seniors. The plan would retain the main 1948 brick building, demolish the annex and construct a second building fronting Turner Road.
“They were proposing to retain the main structure, the main school building,” Callahan said. “They were going to remove the annex building and then the concept had the second building up front on Turner Road.”
The Harborlight proposal includes significant open space behind the buildings, with the developer offering either to maintain public access or allow the town to retain ownership of that portion.
Other municipal responses included the cemetery department seeking future burial space, the Marblehead Light Department proposing temporary battery energy storage systems, the Recreation and Parks Commission suggesting a dog park and the Marblehead Housing Authority expressing interest in affordable housing development. Harbors and Waters also put in proposal for temporary boat storage to generate interim revenue during the disposition process.
Residents wasted little time raising concerns about neighborhood impacts. Maria Guider of Susan Road, speaking for area abutters, pressed officials on scoring criteria for evaluating proposals and demanded transparency throughout the process.
“We want to be aware of any additional requests,” Guider said.
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Traffic concerns dominated much of the public comment period. Alisha Hill of 12 Taft Street said her street already experiences safety issues with children present.
“The more units you put in over there, the more traffic we’re going to get,” Hill said. “More dangerous it’s going to become.”
Multiple residents also reported rat problems in the neighborhood since the building was boarded up. Catherine Derosier of Hibbard Road suggested implementing a rat removal process before any construction begins, citing similar issues when housing units replaced part of the former dump at Green Street.
The property currently sits in a single-residence zoning district. One-family dwellings are allowed by right, while semi-detached dwellings require a special permit. Any development not meeting current zoning would require a zoning change approved at town meeting. However, a Chapter 40B affordable housing development would go through the zoning board of appeals without town meeting approval — a prospect that appeared to unsettle some residents.
Fire Chief Jason Gilliland questioned whether officials had presented a historical alternative that predates the school itself. He asked Callahan about a plan from before 1941 showing a cul-de-sac with 12 houses of 1,500 to 2,000 square feet.
“I’m just curious if you share the original proposal for the plan prior to 1941 before they built the school … which would fit that neighborhood better,” Gilliland said.
Callahan confirmed the plan exists and said he would share it with anyone interested.
Steve Elliot, whose family bought property on Turner Road in the 1940s and witnessed the school’s construction, offered a detailed alternative vision: converting the main building into 10 to 12 studio apartments exclusively for Marblehead seniors and veterans, with the athletic field improved and the annex demolished for a fenced dog park.
“I know that will never happen,” Elliot said. “So since that’s not going to happen, I’d rather see it revert back to what they did in 1940.”
Bill Peach, speaking online, advocated for the primary use to be a community park with a portion developed for housing to generate funding.
Jack Attridge urged officials not to rush the process and consider the long-term value of town-owned property beyond immediate revenue.
“Let’s not rush to an RFP when we should consider the value of the property, that we can’t just unring the bell and get it back,” Attridge said.
Derosier framed the debate in broader terms about community character and economic diversity.
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“If the only real decision about who moves into town is if they make enough money to buy million-dollar homes or buy something for less and turn it into a $1 million home, then what kind of community are we insisting on having?” Derosier said.
Albert Jordan of Roosevelt Avenue expressed concern about local residents facing rising tax bills and emphasized any development should benefit existing Marblehead residents, not just generate one-time revenue for the town.
The 1948 building contains approximately 26,000 square feet of finished space and is assessed at $3.39 million. A capital needs assessment identified $260,848 in critical repairs and $991,098 in 20-year capital needs.
Housing authority chair Jennifer Schaeffner clarified that state laws allow up to 70% local preference for affordable housing units, which can include town residents, town workforce and veterans.
Callahan emphasized the department’s focus on community needs rather than revenue generation.
“We’re not looking at the make a quick buck,” Callahan said. “We’re definitely looking at the community needs.”
Officials will evaluate the input from Thursday’s session along with the responses to the expression of interest and request for information. A second community engagement session is planned for early December, after which the department will present recommendations to the Select Board.
The Select Board has final decision-making authority on the property’s disposition, though any zoning changes would require town meeting approval.
