SWAMPSCOTT – Supporting veterans and bringing affordable housing to Swampscott should have been a positive development. But now it has turned into a controversial debate, leaving the future of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in limbo.
For thirty years it has been a gathering place for the men and women who defended our country. Now veterans defend the VFW Post 1240 building.
“It’s a safe space, I kind of hate that term, but it’s a safe space,” said Vietnam veteran and VFW Quartermaster Dave Emerton.
Affordable housing
Veterans say the city voted about two years ago to purchase property next to the VFW with the intention of building a new VFW in an affordable housing development, giving preference to veterans.
But now veterans say the city council is considering a new plan that would force the VFW to move from its current premises to the former ReachArts building and not be in the new development.
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“It’s really not that suitable, it would need a lot of renovations,” Emerton said. “Our concern is that once we get there, we’re going to stay there and they’re not going to build a new VFW building.”
The move is troubling for Robert Langford, who worked there for seven years. “It’s actually disgusting to me that they are willing to kick veterans out of their social club because of a structure where they don’t even know what the parameters are,” Langford said.
Board member David Grishman supports the veterans and says he disagrees with the back and forth. “This is not okay, and this is not normal,” Grishman said.
He concedes that most discussions should have taken place with public input, and not during the board meeting. “I think we all need to take a deep breath; we need to relax, we need to come back together, and we need to come together and put our heads together and really focus on what’s best for the city and what’s best for the veterans. Grishman said.
Special town meeting
That’s why veterans are heading to the town meeting Wednesday night, hoping to keep the select board from making decisions until there’s more public discussion.
Katie Arrington will join them; she collected 200 signatures to file a citizen complaint for a special meeting to be held within 45 days.
“We elected them to have a voice so we can advocate for the city and the residents of Swampscott and they need to make sure we are part of that conversation,” Arrington said.
The city president said the City Council voted to use two parcels that would provide 40 units of new affordable housing for veterans and that two parcels are needed to help with the scope of the project, including where the VFW now sits.
“We really don’t know where we are right now,” Emerton said.
The meeting is Wednesday at Swampscott High School at 6:30 p.m.
