Saugus Board Votes 5-0 to Invoke Safe Harbor
Saugus's Zoning Board of Appeals voted 5-0 to invoke Chapter 40B safe harbor on a proposed 300-unit Ironwood Apartments complex off Route 1.
Other Committee · Meeting of January 22, 2026
Saugus's Zoning Board of Appeals voted 5-0 to invoke Chapter 40B safe harbor on a proposed 300-unit Ironwood Apartments complex off Route 1. Town Counsel John Vasapoli's opinion letter found Saugus's subsidized housing inventory at 11.22 percent, above the 10 percent threshold that lets the board, rather than the developer, control the project. Special Town Counsel Jesse Shomer told the board that under safe harbor "you dictate what this project looks like, you dictate how long the process lasts." More than a dozen Hood Street and Anawan Avenue residents demanded no vehicle or pedestrian access through their neighborhood and cited a 1988 covenant barring it, while warning that blasting granite ledge for the project "is going to ruin foundations, chimneys, retaining walls," per resident Deanna Belanger.
The board also authorized the town manager's office to line up peer-review consultants and continued the hearing to March 26, 2026.
In the full story:
- The complete report — 1,027 words
Source: the Other Committee meeting of January 22, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.
Members read the rest of this story and every Saugus meeting we cover, in full.
Become a memberAlready a member? Sign inA 30-day free trial needs a payment method. After it, your membership renews at the price shown at checkout until you cancel, which you can do anytime from your account. Subscription terms
Share this story
Know someone in Saugus who follows town government? Share Townbrief Saugus: they can sign up free.