Select Board Fields Pushback on Iron Rail Plan
Select Board · Meeting of September 17, 2026
Wenham residents pack a Select Board forum to challenge an Iron Rail redevelopment plan. Land Use Director Kate Mallory told the board the 80-acre town property's gymnastics-academy building needs at least $6 million in repairs to meet code, driving a working-group recommendation to ground-lease the site to a developer while building middle-income housing under the state's new Chapter 40Y program on a third parcel. Longtime tenant Rich Healy, who runs Iron Rail Gymnastics Academy, said a lease "doesn't make sense for a small business" and pushed the board to sell him the building instead.
Scout leaders said the Boy Scout barn, serving Troop 28 and Pack 28, was left out of the original plan. The board took no vote, but Chair Deirdre Pierotti said it will ask the Planning Board to begin drafting zoning changes ahead of spring town meeting.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 2,443 words
Source: the Select Board meeting of September 17, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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