August 18, 2026 Submitted by Hingham Resident Shannon Brinkley
We in Hingham value our open space. It provides habitat for birds and other wildlife, supports the aquifer that supplies our water, and offers quiet respite from busy daily life. We also value affordability and the need for affordable housing. We owe it to future generations to balance these priorities responsibly, which is why we ask the Town of Hingham, the Hingham Housing Authority (HHA), and Peabody Properties to reconsider the scale of the proposed 68-unit development at 100 Beal Street.
HHA and its chosen developer, Peabody Properties, are pursuing a 68-unit large-scale affordable senior housing development at 100 Beal Street, on land zoned as open space and in the area of the Back River Area of Critical Environmental Concern and the Bare Cove Wildlife refuge. Based on the Town’s own records, previously the numbers for this development project was pegged at 20-48 units, but now, working with the developer, that number has ballooned to 68.
We understand that the 68-unit proposal will be filed as a 40B project, which means it would not be required to follow certain local wetland requirements or the standard planning site-review process. In our view, that approach bypasses local safeguards that help preserve the balance our community has worked to maintain.
Because Hingham currently is above the required 10% subsidized housing inventory, the project needs the Town’s approval to proceed as a 40B proposal. The Town can require the project to proceed not as a 40B and be evaluated against our local requirements, but at this stage, that does not appear to be the approach being taken. Instead, this will be the fifth 40B project on Beal Street.
As we reflect on how the Town’s Select Board sided with abutters in advocating when Habitat for Humanity wanted to build 3 houses next to another 40B development, which resulted in a reduction to constructing only 2 houses, or seeing the Town pursue litigation all the way to the state’s Supreme Court against the RiverStone 36-unit affordable housing project, we can’t help but feel abandoned. When we requested a meeting with the Select Board member that is the HHA liaison after learning that the liaison had already met with the developer in December 2024, we were told the Town was not involved. Given what we have since learned, that response has us wondering about transparency and consistency.
This summer, as in past summers, Hingham has faced significant water concerns. Our aquifer is a finite resource, and large multifamily and other development projects increase demand on that resource. We want to protect Hingham’s natural resources and support housing that respects the Town’s character. For that reason, we ask Hingham, the HHA, and Peabody Properties to take a closer look at the number of units proposed for 100 Beal Street. A smaller project appears feasible: the other developer that responded to the HHA’s 2025 request for proposals advocated building 46 units, and Peabody Properties agreed to serve as property manager for that smaller proposal.
We urge the Town, the HHA, and Peabody Properties to take a harder look at its 68-unit proposal, engage residents transparently, and pursue a smaller development that balances Hingham’s open space, water resources, and commitment to affordable housing.
Submitted by Shannon Brinkley resident and trustee of Craftsman Village