Vinnin Square
Four strip malls, a couple gas stations, three Dunkin’ Donuts, and
the ghost of General Glover. It’s not exactly what people in
Swampscott wish for to define the character of our town, but most of us
depend on the businesses there for everything from weekly groceries, to
prescriptions, to office supplies, to an anytime coffee fix. Now
with the economy improving, the fate of Staples up in the air, and
hints that the General Glover House owners could be ready for
development, we need to be ready accommodate some big changes to the
Vinnin Square landscape.
On one hand, new tax revenue would be generated by new development,
but on the other hand, the wrong kind of development could result in an
already chaotic traffic situation deteriorating even
further. I believe that “more of the same” kind of
development in Vinnin Square is the worst of potential outcomes.
Another strip mall attracting hundreds more shoppers from Swampscott,
Marblehead, Salem, and Lynn, all at the same time on weekday evenings
and weekends, would do more harm than good to our community.
I support the approach that the Town of Marblehead has already opted
for on their portion of the General Glover property – “smart-growth
zoning” with a healthy mix of condo-style residences and small
businesses focused on local customers. These units would be built
in multiple structures of a reasonable size with most parking in the
back, allowing for a look that’s not out of character with adjacent
residential neighborhoods and the golf course. A proposal to zone
the Swampscott portion of the General Glover property in this way is on
the warrant for Town Meeting in May.