HINGHAM - January 13, 2026 - The Hingham Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) unanimously approved a Special Permit A2 for the construction of the new Hingham Center for Active Living (HCAL), a 26,000-square-foot facility slated for Bare Cove Park Drive. While the Planning Board voted to continue its specific Site Plan Review to February 9 to address engineering and traffic technicalities, the ZBA’s approval marks a major milestone for the town-led project designed to serve residents aged 60 and older. The meeting revealed a divide between officials touting “climate-friendly” architecture and neighbors bemoaning the loss of mature forest and quiet park access.
The Full Story
The HCAL project, sited on a 5.38-acre portion of a massive 472-acre town parcel, is designed to replace an existing munitions building currently in disrepair. Project landscape architect Mark Arigoni and architect Chris Wante presented a “low-carbon” vision for the center, utilizing a heavy timber structure and local Weymouth granite. The design features flexible activity zones for exercise, arts, and social connection, with large “glassy box” windows equipped with bird-safe glazing to prevent strikes.
Engineering and environmental stewardship were central to the presentation. The team proposed a robust landscape plan including 228 new trees and 500 native shrubs to offset the clearing of the wooded site. Andrew Goralski, a civil engineer for the project, detailed a stormwater management system designed to handle a 100-year storm event, achieving 80% total suspended solids removal through rain gardens and subsurface infiltration.
However, the town’s peer-review engineer, Pat Brennan, raised a significant technical flag: no actual test holes have been bored at the specific locations of the proposed infiltration facilities. While Brennan admitted it would be difficult to get machinery into the woods before clearing, he noted that modifications might be necessary once construction begins.
Public comment was sharply divided. Several residents expressed heartbreak over the “deforestation” of a mature oak forest. Henry “Bob” Hidell, a member of the Conservation Commission speaking as a resident, questioned the $8 million site preparation cost, arguing that the funds were being spent “moving stuff around” rather than on senior programming. Conversely, board members like Robyn Maguire lauded the project as a “real asset” and a long-overdue benefit for the town’s elderly population.
Traffic and circulation also drew scrutiny. While the traffic study suggested a “modest” impact, peer reviewer Jeffrey Dirk recommended that the town coordinate HCAL programming with events at the nearby Carlson Field to prevent gridlock during peak commuter hours.
“We have one chance not to deforest our immediate surrounding area... because once we deforest, that’s gone. And now we’re trending more towards Newark, New Jersey, as opposed to a tiny mountain town in Colorado.” — Douglas Hase, Hingham Resident
Why It Matters
This project represents a significant municipal investment in Hingham’s aging demographic, but it forces a difficult trade-off regarding the town’s open space. For taxpayers, the $8 million site preparation cost is a notable hurdle. For park users, the development will transform the “passive” nature of Bare Cove Park into a more “active,” trafficked corridor.
Shipyard Dining Expansion and Nona’s Relocation
In other business, the boards reviewed and approved a major modification for “The Beth” at 18 Shipyard Drive. The restaurant will “flex” its existing 303 seats to include an expanded outdoor patio covered by architectural “sails”. Despite neighbor concerns regarding late-night noise and high winds at the waterfront, the boards found the “activation” of the underutilized pocket park to be a net positive for the Shipyard’s economic vibrancy.
Additionally, the Planning Board approved the relocation of Nona’s Homemade ice cream to 25 Main Street. The move into the former Carolann’s space will allow for 45 seats and the addition of gelato, coffee, and pastries to their menu.
Official Minutes & Data
Key Motions & Votes (Center for Active Living)
Motion: To approve the Special Permit A2 for the Hingham Center for Active Living at 5.38 Bare Cove Park Drive with conditions.
Vote: 3-0 (Maguire, Ruccio, Healey)
Motion: To continue the Planning Board Site Plan Review for HCAL to February 9, 2026.
Vote: 4-0 (Shriver, Kelly, Carr, Tondorf-Dick)
Key Motions & Votes (The Beth)
Motion: To grant the major modification for the Beth Patio Expansion with conditions.
Vote: 4-0 (Carr, Tondorf-Dick, Kelly, Ellis)
Public Comment
HCAL: Residents were primarily concerned with the environmental impact (tree removal), site preparation costs, and the precedent of developing on town-owned open space.
The Beth: Shipyard residents raised issues regarding pedestrian safety at the Shipyard Drive crosswalk, late-night noise levels, and whether the proposed “sails” could withstand high coastal winds.
What’s Next
The HCAL project returns to the Planning Board on February 9, 2026, at 7:00 PM for further site plan and engineering review.
Source Video: Zoom recording requested by Public Records Request
The proposed HCAL location is within Weymouth Back River's area of critical environmental concern (ACEC), and is part of Hingham's own town-designated Wildlife Sanctuary (Town Meeting vote, 1985). It is still protected by Article 97 of the MA Constitution for its environmental importance and natural beauty.
Unlike Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, the area to be cut down for HCAL is alive with mating, nesting, and singing insects and songbirds, many rare and long-migrating. If town and state protections are removed, and HCAL is approved at Town Meeting 2026, the loss of habitat, noise of construction, traffic and lights will contribute to the huge drop in bird and insect populations that has been experienced everywhere around the globe.
Think globally, act locally. Find a less impactful site for Hingham's senior center.