What is the HRA?

•  The HRA was created in the 1960s by the vote of Hull Town Meeting and approval by the Federal and State governments. At that time, Town Meeting approved the razing of 76 homes and the displacement of 126 individuals by eminent domain.

• The HRA owns 12.5 acres of property from Water Street to Phipps Street from the ocean to the bay.

• The HRA is currently working to create a DRAFT Urban Renewal Plan. This is the State Department of Housing and Community Development’s term for a document that encompasses a strategy for revitalizing a portion of the community for economic improvement and community reinvigoration. Approval of this document will allow the town to obtain state assistance to improve the designated area.

•  In order to create this plan, the HRA has been meeting with planners and developers only for the purpose of gathering ideas and developing/formulating a suitable vision for the property. These meetings do not constitute development plans or agreements with contractors.

•  The DRAFT Urban Renewal Plan will be presented for review by and feedback from Hull citizens, the Select Board, and the Planning Board prior to submission to the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development.

What is an Urban Renewal Plan?

An Urban Renewal Plan is the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development’s term for a document that proposes a strategy for revitalizing a portion of the community for economic improvement and community reinvigoration.

An Urban Renewal Plan does not include actual plans for development. It does include:

• Boundaries of the property, identification of parcels, parcel size and condition, and maps.

• Statement of need and conformance with municipal and regional comprehensive plans.

• Project vision, goals, and objectives for the property.

• Commonwealth of Massachusetts sustainable development principles.

• Site constraints and zoning regulations.

• Traffic, transportation, and access.

• Public improvements, including roadways and circulation.

• Land disposition agreement.

• Redeveloper’s obligations as defined by the HRA.

• Financial plan, including site preparation, proposed public improvements, planning, legal and administrative needs, and amount and sources of project revenue.

• Requisite municipal approvals (Select Board and Planning Board) and opportunities for citizen participation.

What happens with the plan once completed?

• Once a DRAFT Urban Renewal Plan has been completed, it will be presented for review to Hull citizens, the Select Board, and the Hull Planning Board.

•  Once approved by the Select Board and Planning Board, the Urban Renewal Plan will be submitted to the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development for review.

•  When the Urban Renewal Plan is approved by the state, the HRA will reach out to planners and developers/contractors who have an interest in improving the property.

•  The selected developer/contractor will need to obtain approval and permits for their specific design from all appropriate town boards and departments. All of those meetings will be open to the public and commentary will be accepted.

•  When all of these steps are completed, the Urban Renewal Plan will facilitate development on the HRA property.

How can I make my voice heard regarding the future of the HRA property?

Making improvements to the HRA property will be a long process and there will be multiple opportunities to participate in discussions at every stage.

• HRA meetings are open to the public and participation is encouraged. This is also true for joint HRA, Select Board, and Planning Board meetings held to discuss the status of the property.

• Additional special public meetings will be scheduled with the Select Board, the Planning Board, and the Hull community starting in 2023. The current plan is for six meetings to be scheduled specifically to discuss the disposition of the HRA property.

• Residents can email the HRA via its website, www.HRA02045.com. Emails are received  by all HRA members and are reviewed and addressed at the next HRA meeting.

•  Letters and emails to town officials and elected boards are excellent ways for residents to communicate opinions and preferences, as these officials and boards will be deeply involved in the process.

•  When the Urban Renewal Plan is approved by the state, any selected developer/contractor will need to obtain approval and permits from all appropriate town boards and departments. Those will be open meetings and are excellent opportunities for public participation.

What can I expect from the public presentations of the Draft Urban Renewal Plan?

A series of public meetings are coming up with presentations and input on the HRA’s draft Urban Renewal Plan! We hope you can attend and add your thoughts. Here’s what to expect over the next few weeks and months:

• Pairs of meetings will be held featuring the same presentations followed by open discussions.

• Each pair will include an in-person session and online session so that people can choose which one will be most convenient for them.

• The first pair will be Monday, February 13 (in-person) and Thursday, February 16 (online). Both will run from 7-9 PM.

• The Monday in-person session will be in the exhibition room at Hull High School.

• For the Thursday online session, you will find the Zoom link on the HRA website.

• First, the HRA and its consultants will make a presentation of the draft Urban Renewal Plan at the meetings. Next, participants will have the opportunity to discuss the plan and share their ideas, thoughts, reactions, and suggestions.

• Following the meeting, a summary of these reactions will be posted on the HRA website.

• Following these meetings, the HRA will review and discuss the received input and consider additions and/or revisions to the draft plan.

• A summary of public input and potential Plan revisions will be presented at a second pair of meetings on Tuesday, March 14, and Thursday, March 16 (the first in person, the second via Zoom). Again, the HRA invites everyone to add their thoughts and reactions.

• The HRA will again consider the input it receives and will present its responses in a revised Plan in presentations followed by discussion at a third pair of meetings on April 25 and April 27 (the first in person, the second via Zoom).

How can I find out what the HRA is doing?

This is an important time for the town’s residents to stay informed about the HRA property. Here are some ways for you to find out what the HRA is doing:

• The most immediate way to stay informed is to attend HRA meetings, which are held via Zoom. Meetings are open to the public and participation is encouraged. Meeting dates are regularly posted on the HRA website at www.HRA02045.com and on the Town of Hull website calendar at www.town.hull.ma.us/calendar/month.

• Residents who are unable to participate in the live Zoom meetings can find the recordings on the Hull TV website video on demand page at https://hulltv.net/video-on-demand/. Type HRA into the search bar and select the meeting you wish to watch.

• Residents can also find the minutes of previous meetings on the HRA website. These minutes will be posted once they have been approved for posting at a subsequent meeting.

• The website is a valuable source for other HRA information as well. You can view the reports and studies sponsored by the HRA, previous development proposals, the member biographies, the HRA financial documents, and news releases, as well as past information boxes like this one. You will also find an email form for contacting the HRA directly.

Why is an Urban Renewal Plan necessary?

• The HRA property (urban renewal area) has been vacant since the completion of the razing of the original neighborhood in 1976 based on the Urban Renewal Plan approved by the town, HUD, and the Department of Housing and Urban Renewal in 1961. The intended redevelopment was never undertaken after the initial action.

• Development attempts under the initial urban renewal plan were made in ­­­­­­­­­­1978 and 1986 and did not succeed.

• In 2002, a developer was selected and went through the permit process, but ultimately chose to not go forward with the project due to market conditions.

• In 2017 and 2018, efforts were made to find a developer for the property by Request for Proposal (RFP) under Massachusetts General Law 30-B.

• Due to the lack of bidders on the 2017 RFP and the questions related to the responses to the 2018 RFP, the HRA determined that the creation of a new urban renewal plan, under Massachusetts General Law 121-B, was the most viable method by which to address the complicated challenges to the improvement/development of the site, which has remained vacant and largely unused, other than for three months a year when it is utilized as parking.

• The HRA’s goal is to enhance the HRA properties by creating a user-friendly area that preserves open space and is suitable for viable economic development that meets the needs of Hull.

What does the HRA do, other than control the HRA property?

While stewardship of the HRA property is the largest item on the HRA’s to-do list, its contributions are wide-ranging. These include funding of or contributions to:

• Construction of the Lieber Tierney Gazebo for public use. ($87,000)

• Improvements to the sidewalks at the war memorial. ($40,000)

• Renovation of public library reception area. ($10,000)

• Grant to Town of Hull for engineering and design work related to the Surfside business project (Nantasket Avenue from the Nantasket Beach Resort to The Parrot). ($250,000)

• Washable anti-graffiti paint for Fort Revere. ($5,800)

• Review and challenge of the FEMA flood maps resulting in flood insurance savings for 1,300 property owners. ($47,700)

• Town of Hull Artwalk (between Horizons Condominiums and Dalat). ($10,000)

• Annual Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) to Town of Hull. ($65,000 annually)

• HRA shuttlebus pilot program. ($12,100)

• Module classrooms for the Hull Public School building project. ($250,000)

• Jacobs School roof repairs. ($108,000)

• Allerton harbor dredging project. ($90,000)

• Forgiveness of loan to Friends of the Paragon Carousel. ($27,700)

• Coastal infrastructure funding: engineering services for a townwide seawalls, flood protection feasibility study, dune construction feasibility study. ($442,000)

• Destination traffic study in conjunction with DCR. ($50,000)

• Police Department for future traffic control ($20,000)

• Nantasket Avenue Repaving Committee for repaving Nantasket Avenue. ($20,000)

• Repair of Veterans Memorial ($40,000)

How did the HRA help with flood insurance coverage for the town?

In July 17, 2012, FEMA issued new flood maps for the town of Hull. As a result, the flood insurance premiums increased for many homeowners and businesses in town.

•  The HRA and the Town of Hull hired Woods Hole Group, specialists in coastal environmental sciences and engineering consulting as well as oceanography and measurement systems, to evaluate and review the components FEMA used to create the flood maps. The intention was to potentially challenge the new maps.

•  Based on its findings, Woods Hole Group filed a letter of map revision application to FEMA for the Town of Hull.

•  On December 13, 2017, FEMA issued revised flood maps for the Town of Hull. This reduced flood insurance rates for approximately 1,300 properties in Hull, about 20% of the town’s 5,313 properties.

What are the boundaries of the HRA property?

A: View the photo below for general outline of the HRA property. This image does not show the actual property lines, it should only be used as a reference point.