By Dolores Sauca Lorusso

Hull’s planning department anticipates that the Procopio Companies will submit a new application with modified plans for the Paragon Dunes development by early August. The potential for a “major modification” of the approved plans, based on a state environmental review, could require another public hearing before the board.

The approval of the Paragon Dunes plans granted by the planning board on March 20 for a four-story, 132-unit building at the site of the Paragon Boardwalk was subject to conditions the board began to review on April 3 and subsequently approved April 10.

One of the conditions was approval by all state agencies. Procopio withdrew from the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) review process on June 3 and is expected to resubmit its Environmental Notification Form to address the state’s flood resiliency concerns.

Town Planner Chris DiIorio said he, along with Building Commissioner Bartley Kelly and Director of Climate Adaptation and Conservation Christian Krahforst, recently met with Procopio to offer feedback to modifications to the plans based on comments from state agencies.

DiIorio said the developer is working on a design that better complies with what MEPA wants while also maintaining the streetfront commercial space previously approved by the planning board.

From what he saw, DiIorio speculated the planning board will consider the changes a “major modification,” which will prompt the reopening of the public hearing process.

Planning Board Chair Jean Paquin said the MEPA regulations state that no board should vote on a project before the MEPA review is completed, causing her to question whether the planning board should wait to review the project until MEPA has finished.

“Of course, MEPA says they want to review it first,” said DiIorio. “If they [MEPA] drive the development, we wouldn’t see any commercial on the first floor.”

Paquin suggested the developer could make one presentation to all boards so that each gets the same information at the same time offering a “cohesive approach.”

“The developer has a process they want to follow…at the first meeting we can have a discussion about them going to MEPA first,” said DiIorio.

Paquin says she takes exception to Procopio getting through the planning board and then filing with MEPA, and not ensuring the planning board was kept involved.

Procopio’s attorney, Adam Brodsky, told the planning board he always gets approval from the town before MEPA on development projects.

Susan Short Green, member of the Beach Management Advisory Committee, said she thinks she attended every meeting regarding Paragon Dunes and recalls former planning board member Steve White constantly raising the question of MEPA review and stressing it should be happening while the planning board was conducting its review.

“I am disappointed it did not happen simultaneously and then we could have approved a proper project,” said Green.

Planning board member Nathan Peyton said he wants the town to have adequate input into the process.

“It is important the people who live next to it, live in it, and shop in it have a voice,” said Peyton.

Resident Lisa French pointed out that the developer previously pushed the planning board to come to a decision to meet Procopio’s self-imposed deadlines.

“I hope you won’t be pressured to rush through the process this time,” said French.

Susan Mann, chair of the beach management advisory committee, said she believes “the planning board needs to push back at appropriate places.”

Paquin stressed that whatever the planning board approves is what will have to be built.

“The process will be followed as it was initially, at this point we don’t know what is coming,” said Paquin. “If there are more changes due to MEPA, they will be right back here again.”

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