Petition to Maintain Single Residence Zoning

Developers are seeking a special permit to construct an 86,386 sq. ft. assisted living facility in a neighborhood zoned single residence.

263-269 Pleasant Street, Marblehead, MA
Pleasant Street LLC: Michael Lafayette, Heather Cairns and Phil Helmes

If the Zoning Board of Appeals votes to allow an exception to Marblehead’s Zoning Regulations, it will allow a large commercial facility to be built in a Single Residence Zone in a Single Residence District located within ½ mile of 6 schools and will have an adverse impact on the Town of Marblehead.

This project, if allowed, will have a major negative impact on traffic and safety in an area that already suffers from heavy traffic congestion. Additionally, this will risk the safety of the majority of Marblehead's school age children.

Unlike residential property with limited lighting that, typically, turns off at night, the hill upon which the ALF is situated will positively glow all night long. Late night workers and early morning deliveries require industrial lighting. Lots of it. You can try to point the fixtures down to eliminate glare, but you can’t avoid the appearance of a well-illuminated institutional facility.

This development “The Mariner Living” is elevated compared to neighboring structures. The proposed building plan has paved road, 80 parking spaces, delivery areas, garbage disposal areas and such. All these massive paved surfaces would prevent soil to absorb rain water.

* FEMA "New Development Flood Risk”:
Construction and development can change natural drainage paths and create brand-new flood risks. That’s because new buildings, parking lots, and roads mean less land to absorb excess precipitation, which can leave an area more susceptible to flooding during a hurricane, tropical storm, or heavy rain.