Demo Delay Invoked For Greenwood Property

The clock started ticking Tuesday on a demolition delay of up to nine months for the former school on Greenwood Avenue.

The town Historical Commission voted unanimously to invoke the delay, citing the property's historical significance, said Town Planner Pete Kane.

Tom Groom of Groom Construction has an agreement in place with the town to buy the property, demolish it and build 41 housing units on the site.

Generally, when a historical commission imposes a delay, the members then work with the applicant or developer on ways to preserve parts of a building or an entire building or to find a new owner for a property, the town planner said.

While the delay can last up to nine months, an agreement can be reached and the delay lifted any time before the nine month period ends. 

The delay will have no impact on the ongoing review of the proposal by the Swampscott Planning Board and the Swampscott Zoning Board of Appeals, the planning director said.

The developer is seeking a building permit and a demo permit from the town, he said.

The project is also being challenged in court by Greenwood neighbors.

Last fall, selectmen voted unanimously to accept a $625,000 bid from Groom Construction of Salem to build the 41 housing units in the former school on Greenwood Avenue.

The school, built in 1894, has served as both a high school and middle school.