Wenham Adopts 3A Zoning, Falls Short on $142 Million School Borrowing

WENHAM -- June 11, 2025, Wenham's continued Special Town Meeting voted 286-129 Wednesday to adopt multifamily overlay zoning under the state's MBTA Communities Act while rejecting the $142.3 million regional school borrowing that requires two-thirds approval, falling short at 350-134. The 3A vote, approving two overlay districts totaling roughly 23 developable acres and up to 365 units near the train station and on Boulder Lane, came with unanimous endorsement from the Select Board, Planning Board, and Finance Committee, which projected a net fiscal benefit of $2.9 million annually at full build-out. Town Counsel Lauren Goldberg warned that non-compliance could expose the town to Attorney General enforcement and the loss of a broad list of discretionary state grants, including the $425,000 LAND grant the meeting separately approved 401-29 for a conservation restriction on the Fuller Property. On the school project, Finance Committee Chair Phineas Sprague told voters to expect "an HVAC improvement at the crumbling Winthrop and Cutler schools to the tune of $15 million" at next spring's annual meeting as the near-term alternative. The meeting also passed 237-224 a firefighter pension service credit buyback option over the Finance Committee's unanimous objection that no cost data exists, after a motion to refer the matter for study failed by just two votes.