The Hawthorne Reuse Advisory Committee met Tuesday night and added three refined redevelopment plans to its roster.
The committee was formed to advise the Select Board on the future use and redevelopment of the Hawthorne-by-the-Sea Restaurant property. Swampscott acquired the property in 2022 through a special Town Meeting vote, aiming to create a new downtown feature.
“We should be pulling for that sense of place in whatever plan we select,” Chair Brian Watson said.
The three new plans were variations of concepts previously discussed. The committee noted the plans are not entirely new, but refined and improved versions of earlier concepts they’ve already reviewed.
Version B.2 featured the most green space among the new options. It includes canopies along the Humphrey Street side and 28 parking spaces. The rest of the design features stone dust paths, benches, raised planters, wildflower beds, fountains, and a gazebo.
Version H.1 proposes 26 parking spaces next to the Mission on the Bay property. A brick plaza and trees would sit to the left, leading to four storefronts extending toward the water. There would be additional green space closer to the water as well.
Plan E.4 features a clock tower with six storefronts facing Humphrey Street. The buildings would open into 33 parking spaces, followed by a green space near the water.
According to Watson, the committee agreed the space will not be entirely a park.
Don Giard, a regional planner with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, presented concepts for urban village-style streetscapes. His graphics helped define the space, showing possible building placements and the layout of the entrance to the green area.
“A public street can show a world,” Giard said. “It does give you a nice sense of closure, a sense of protection and a defined space.”
Giard presented various “flexiblescapes.” The committee seemed less receptive to the more enclosed aspects of Thames Street Landing near the Bristol Harbor Inn in Rhode Island. They preferred the entrance at Hammetts Wharf in Newport, Rhode Island, which offers a clearer view into the green space and water beyond the buildings.
“They did a wonderful job combining landscaping and hardscaping and making really memorable activities,” Giard said.
There appears to be disagreement among committee members over the height of the buildings planned for the front of the space. Some members expressed concern about “losing [their] connection to the water” if the buildings were too tall.
The committee plans to gather public feedback on the space during a meeting scheduled for August 20.
“We have made a lot of progress,” Watson said. “We might even be closer than people think.”
Updated on July 19 at 6:10 p.m. with the new meeting date in August
