Brought to you by Item Live. MARBLEHEAD — Plans to build the town’s first assisted living facility are back on track. The Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously voted to approve the special permit needed for the Mariner project to proceed, reversing a decision it made last year. More than 200 residents packed the gallery to argue for and against the Mariner project, which would sit in a neighborhood of single-family homes. Developers Michael Lafayette, Heather Cairns and Phil Helmes are also allowed to exceed the area’s height restriction thanks to a special permit issued on Monday. Located … [Read more...]

Brought to you by Item Live. Like a bad penny or a cautionary tale, the Mariner assisted living project is sailing back into Marblehead for a court-ordered review by the same town board that rejected the 87-apartment project last year. Mariner’s developers hope to drop anchor at 265 Pleasant St., but their return is getting a none-too-pleasant reception from residents who have posted “single residence only” signs in the neighborhood in preparation for a Nov. 6 Zoning Board of Appeals hearing. The public hearing scheduled for 7 p.m. at Veterans Middle School places the board in an almost … [Read more...]