Scituate Achieves MBTA Community Law Compliance, Advances Old Gates School Housing Project
Town now eligible for various grant programs; Select Board moves forward with housing development plans
SCITUATE - April 29 - The town of Scituate is now in compliance with the MBTA community law, making it eligible for various grant programs, Town Administrator Jim Boudreau announced at the April 29 Select Board meeting.
"The Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities has determined that the town of Scituate is in compliance with the MBTA community law," Boudreau said. "The town passed the zoning required for compliance at the annual town meeting last year."
This achievement makes Scituate eligible for several grant programs, including the MassWorks and Community One Stop grants. Boudreau indicated the town will now apply for an MBTA grant for the Scituate business district.
Select Board members expressed appreciation for the work done by the Planning Board and Town Planner to achieve compliance.
"The planning board and department heads worked for a year on getting that approved," said a meeting attendee. "Kudos to the planning board, the planner, chair, department heads."
In another significant development, the Select Board discussed moving forward with plans to explore housing development at the Old Gates School site. The board is considering entering into a development agreement with the Grantham Group for a potential 63-unit housing project.
"This is really just the next step," Boudreau explained. "We're not pushing to lease or sell, it would be a lease most likely."
The project follows a process that began with a feasibility study, continued with a request for proposals that received one response from the Grantham Group, and then received town meeting approval to allow the Select Board to pursue housing at the site.
"We did a study to say, can you put housing there? The study came back and said, yes. So we put out an RFP that said, would anybody want to do housing there? We got a response back that said, yes. Then we went to town meeting and said, do you want to let us put housing there? Town meeting said, yes," Boudreau explained.
Board member James Gilmore expressed confidence in the developer.
"Grantham Group are the best in Massachusetts for what they do, they have that reputation," Gilmore said. "I'm comfortable with them creating an agreement for us to look at and review, and then we can fill in the pieces as we go."
The board acknowledged several challenges that need to be addressed as the project moves forward, including traffic concerns at the intersection near the site, potential impacts on recreation fields, and ensuring proper community input.
"This is a very sensitive site, and there are a lot of stakeholders," said member Karen Canfield. "I don't want anyone to have even a concern that we're not considering the impact on all the uses of that site while we do this process."
Board members emphasized that entering into a development agreement is just one step in a lengthy process that will include multiple public hearings and opportunities for community input.
"It has to go through, it would be a LIP project, local initial petition 40B," Boudreau said. "Ultimately, we have a zoning board of appeals that hears that, the planning board has hearings on it, weighs in."
Chair Andrew Goodrich clarified that the project is not a done deal.
"This gets us to get those final quotes," Goodrich said. "We're going to try to make it happen. We're just not at that phase yet."
During public comment, residents raised questions about the need for affordable housing in town and whether the Old Gates School site is the best location for such a project.
Boudreau noted that Scituate is currently at 6.06 percent affordable housing with 455 units, meaning the town needs about 300 more affordable units to reach the state's 10 percent requirement.
In other business, the Select Board:
- Approved a one-year lease extension for the Scituate Food Pantry at its current location, with two additional one-year options
- Renewed a 10-year power purchase agreement for the wind turbine, which includes provisions for nighttime curtailment to reduce noise impacts on nearby residents
- Approved contracts for sewer infiltration and inflow investigation and improvements
- Awarded a contract for a new Chevrolet Tahoe for the Fire Department
- Approved the purchase of new equipment for the golf course
- Approved the fiscal year 2027 budget calendar
- Scheduled the fall 2025 special town meeting for Monday, November 3
- Disbanded the Cable Television Committee, which had not met in six or seven years
- Approved several appointments and reappointments to town boards and committees
The meeting concluded with board members providing updates on various community events, including Scituate Day, Get to Greenbush Day, and upcoming Chamber of Commerce events.