Saugus boards weigh major housing proposals, retirement changes, and conservation hearings
Saugus residents saw a packed stretch of public meetings in late July, with the Zoning Board of Appeals scheduled to take up two large residential developments — including a 300-unit Chapter 40B rental project — while the Retirement Board, Conservation Commission, Board of Assessors, and Planning Board all had full agendas. Minutes have not yet been published for any of these meetings, so the items below reflect what was on each agenda; outcomes are not yet confirmed.
Zoning Board of Appeals — July 23
The Zoning Board of Appeals was scheduled to hold a public hearing on a major comprehensive permit application under Chapter 40B at 20 Rear Bennett Highway. The proposal calls for 300 rental units, with 75 designated as affordable, spread across four buildings plus an amenity building, with 475 parking spaces. The applicant requested waivers from numerous zoning bylaws.
Also on the agenda: a petition to redevelop the Kowloon's property at 920-950 Broadway into two six-story mixed-use buildings with 198 one-bedroom units, ground-floor commercial space, and a drive-thru. Variances were sought for the project.
Additional items included a special permit request at 11 Harvard Ave. for a second-story accessory dwelling unit on a nonconforming lot with a 19-foot front yard setback where 20 feet is required; a petition at 24 Ballard St. to reverse a zoning enforcement notice and vacate fines for an illegal fence; and variances at 214-218 Hamilton St. to split a lot with an existing dwelling and business, requiring frontage, setback, and area relief.
Retirement Board — July 21
The Retirement Board agenda included a vote on July payroll and expenses and discussion of a PERAC memo proposing an increase to the post-retirement earnings limit from $15,000 to $25,000. The board was also scheduled to consider a 3% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) posted to the July 2027 retirement payroll and Quinn Bill adjustments for retirees.
New members Richard Skomurski (Electrician) and Joseph Videtto (Purchasing Manager) were slated for enrollment at a 9% + 2% contribution rate. The agenda also listed a transfer-out for Richard Skomurski, with a date of hire of July 13, 2026, at the same contribution rate.
Conservation Commission — July 22
The Conservation Commission scheduled a new public hearing on a Notice of Intent for construction of an accessory dwelling unit and driveway at 104 Saville St., located within the 200-foot Riverfront Area to the Saugus River.
Continued hearings were set for 148 Forest St., involving a single-family dwelling in a wetland buffer zone and riverfront area, and for 41 Rear Pennsylvania Ave., an abbreviated notice of resource area delineation for Hammersmith Storage, LLC. The commission also planned to consider certificates of compliance for 3 Berthold St. (single-family dwelling in buffer zone to BVW) and 141 Broadway (parking lot improvements, continued to September 16, 2026), and to vote on an October meeting date.
Board of Assessors — July 27
The Board of Assessors was scheduled to approve prior meeting minutes, sign motor vehicle, boat, real estate, and personal property warrants and commitments, and discuss revaluation data in regular session. The agenda included a roll call vote to enter executive session for abatements, statutory exemptions, and possible continuation of Appellate Tax Board case discussions.
Planning Board — July 30
The Planning Board agenda included continued public hearings on site plan review permits for 266, 268, 286R Broadway (The Morin Cameron Group, Inc.) and 24 Broadway (Meisner Brem Corporation). The board also planned to discuss an ANR (Approval Not Required) plan at 214-218 Hamilton Street (Otte & Dwyer, Inc.), a site plan modification at 1753 Broadway (D'Ambrosio, LLP), and roadway acceptance for 10893 Rivercrest Circle (David Dwyer).
Coming up
The Saugus Cultural Council meets August 4 to finalize art show plans for the Summer Concert on August 5, approve grants cycle guidelines, finalize Founders Day activities and budget, vote on a program expansion opportunity, and approve an FY25/26 financial update.
Note: All recent meetings listed above were agenda-only at the time of this report. Minutes have not been published, so final votes and outcomes are not yet available. Readers seeking confirmed decisions should check the official meeting minutes on the town's website.