By Carol Britton Meyer

Four Hull Redevelopment Authority members met with the select board last week to review their plans for the upcoming summer season.

“We wanted the board to know that the work we’re doing to engage people to use the HRA property will impact your schedule during [town meeting season],” Chair Dennis Zaia said.

The lengthy discussion covered many topics, including the events to be held at the site this summer and the capacity of the parking lots. At times, the discussion became heated.

An unresolved question is whether the select board will support the HRA’s inclusion of 900 parking spaces in the request for proposals for an operator this summer. That topic will be discussed at another joint meeting of the two boards on March 12. The paid parking season begins May 1.

Greg Grey, acting as chair in Irwin Nesoff’s absence, asked why the HRA hadn’t gone before the select board before including that number of spaces in the RFP.

In response, Zaia said he had requested a meeting with the board, but one wasn’t scheduled.

After some conversation, he acknowledged that it would have been a good idea to be more specific in his request since the parking lot lease process is time-sensitive. He also noted that the 900 maximum parking spaces included in the parking lot lease can be changed if necessary.

HRA members Bartley Kelly, Joan Senatore, and Dan Kernan also attended the meeting. Adrienne Paquin was not able to participate.

Update on HRA’s activities

 Zaia presented an update on the board’s activities and upcoming dates and let the select board know that the parking lot operator and vendors chosen as part of the RFP process will be going before the board and town departments for the necessary approvals.

Five events already approved by the HRA as part of its “application for use of the HRA property” also are required to go through this approval process before their organizers get the green light to move forward with their plans.

These include the second Northeast Public Power Association line workers rodeo; South Shore Revival, supporting individuals who are in recovery; the two annual Hull Boosters/Hull Youth Football Association carnivals, and the Mass Bears and Cubs beach party.

The HRA will consider applications for a Hull community market and “Rooted in Hull” summer barbecues at its next meeting after hearing preliminary proposals at an earlier meeting.

Select board member Brian McCarthy asked how events on HRA land “tie into the redevelopment of the property.”

Zaia said the idea is to put the property to public use while the HRA works on creating an option 3 for the draft Urban Renewal Plan.

At the same time, Town Manager Jennifer Constable said that while she appreciates the HRA trying to activate the space, she wishes there had been an opportunity for town input before the HRA approved special events for the summer season.

Impacts on town services, neighborhoods

“Such events tax town services and neighborhoods,” she said, recommending that the application and RFP processes for summer uses of the property be put on an earlier timeline in the future.

In response, Zaia noted that “the HRA is only the first step on [the] ladder. We realize that all these events happening is subject to select board approval.”

Constable suggested that the board “take a step back and look and listen to all the things going on around town and not focus so much on the divide,” referring to differing opinions on the use of the HRA property. “We would like for there to be constructive feedback, and I suggest for the board to reach a compromise on what can happen there.”

Following a lengthy discussion about the parking lot lease, Kelly pointed out that the HRA has “spent a lot of time trying to activate this space. Ultimately, we’re a redevelopment authority, and it’s the board’s job to come up with an URP that provides economic development opportunities, open space, and housing – including some affordable units.”

While he said the parking lot RFP discussion that night was “good,” he felt strongly that there should be more of a focus on “getting the URP on paper and then submit it to the select board and state” for review and approval.

“It’s time to move, and I’m looking forward to working with the select board and the other committees and boards who have helped get us to this point right now.”

Periodic meetings with select board suggested

Zaia suggested that both boards meet periodically and that select board members watch the replays of HRA meetings on hulltv.net to “keep up to date and to listen to what each of us is saying.”

Zaia also shared with the board a booklet containing all the HRA information boxes that were published in The Hull Times from October 2022 through November 2024.

Grey noted that “there’s frustration among citizens after 60 years. They want something to happen,” he said, and suggested that the HRA “get to that point as soon as you can.”

Resident Lisa French said that she believes that “the majority of the public” doesn’t want large-scale development on the property, preferring to use the space for “community events, recreation, and entertainment.”

She added later in the meeting that “this is a democratic process, which doesn’t mean that the people at the top make the decisions and then try to get buy-in from the people below. You should get input from the community first and then discuss it in front of the public, with everyone hashing it out and calling in experts as needed.”

Grey said he holds a different view.

“The HRA and select board have been very open and transparent,” he said. “We’re trying to do our jobs for the citizens of Hull.”

Kernan said that it is important to involve the community from the beginning, and “the first [draft] URP wasn’t developed that way,” in his opinion. “We need to continue with citizen engagement throughout the process, or else they’ll [slow it down] again.”

On the other hand, Kelly said the HRA has “been seeking public input from the beginning of the URP process. It’s about creating a happy medium,” he said.

Select board member Jerry Taverna said the HRA is “one of the best examples of how [the process is] supposed to work. They got involved and are stating their cases. This is exactly as a board should function, and it’s not easy for them to come to a decision” about the use of the property.

Grey suggested a no-binding referendum to gauge the views of the town’s population about the best uses of the property.

The HRA will meet on March 31 to review and approve vendor proposals and on April 7 to review and evaluate parking bids – both in response to the recent requests for proposals.

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