By Carol Britton Meyer

The Hull Redevelopment Authority has been working on a much-anticipated Urban Renewal Plan during the past couple of years, and Chair Bartley Kelly said a draft of the document could be ready by late summer or early fall.

The HRA was charged in the 1960s with redeveloping a large parcel of land in the Nantasket Beach area that is considered to be prime property, and the plan relates to this area.

After denying in 2019 two responses to a Request for Proposals, the HRA determined that an updated URP was necessary in order to give the HRA the flexibility needed to negotiate with, and choose, developers for the property and to ensure the result is in accordance with the opinions of town officials and residents. Some affordable housing is expected to be included in the plan.

“We’re currently working with a consultant to help us drill down the details,” Kelly told The Hull Times. “We’ve already had discussions with developers about what we would like to do with the property, and the HRA is trying to get an idea of what the town [would like to see there]. It’s important to maintain the fabric of the community and to avoid overwhelming the surrounding neighborhoods.”

The HRA has identified the parcels to be developed and is now working to find the proper balance and scope of any future project, Kelly said.

“The draft will include the layout of what we’re looking for, including the unit count and how the [planned] two-way road would intersect with that,” he said.

The HRA was earlier awarded a $272,000 state MassWorks Infrastructure Program grant in support of a two-way road design for Nantasket Avenue, Hull Shore Drive, and Hull Shore Drive Extension around the HRA property.

This grant provides for the continued development of the two-way road beyond the 25% design concept, funded by the HRA, into fully designed and shovel-ready construction plans.

This major change is geared toward improving vehicular flow and pedestrian safety and access through the area, as well as helping to resolve traffic backups and adding open space along the bay side of the HRA property.

Once complete, the draft form of the Urban Renewal Plan will be presented to the select board and planning board for input, followed by public meetings to gather comments from citizens.

“We’ll incorporate the boards’ and residents’ comments into the final plan,” Kelly said.

The draft will also be submitted to the state Department of Housing and Community Development. The ultimate goal is to gain DHCD’s approval of the final URP following the select board’s endorsement of the document.

“It’s important that the final approved plan meets the needs and wants of the community,” Kelly said.