The Marion Zoning Board of Appeals met on Thursday, June 12 for a continued public hearing regarding a Variance Request submitted by Sippican Holdings LLC at 14 Barnabas Road. The variance would allow for the conversion of an existing commercial building in a limited industrial district into a multi-family dwelling with no more than 50 dwelling units, as explained by Chair Cynthia Callow. The surrounding area is currently comprised of primarily commercial zoning and is part of the larger former Lockheed Martin site.
Present at the meeting along with the Zoning Board was a legal counsel representative. Steve Gioiosa with CEC Engineering represented Sippican Holdings LLC and gave a presentation on the proposed work. Gioiosa showed details of the 3.7-acre property, and explained the applicant also owns nearly all abutting land. He added the building in question is the only one in the area that is “not suitable for industrial use,” though he explained his client/the applicant already holds “over a couple hundred thousand square-feet of office space throughout southeast Mass.” and believes it is not suitable for office usage, thus its desire for transformation to a residential site.
Rather than the $450,000 to demolish, Gioiosa explained, Sippican Holdings LLC would rather invest that money into the building’s conversion into 50 proposed units with 89 (with room to add 11 more, up to a total of 100) parking spaces divided between them. The building would contain smaller one-bedroom units up to a maximum of larger three-bedroom units.
ZBA member Dana Nilson explained he would like to see more industrial tax revenue for the town but believes taking advantage of the building is more important than leaving it vacant. Member Marge Baldwin agreed, saying “I see no reason we can’t repurpose that area – we need housing in the town. We need people,” adding “it’s a win-win for the town.”
The board approved the variance request unanimously.
The next meeting of the Marion Zoning Board of Appeals is currently scheduled for Thursday, June 26 at 6:30 pm in the Marion Police Station.
Marion Zoning Board of Appeals
By Sam Bishop