Swampscott's Zoning Map Doesn't Settle What Gets Built Next Door. Three Housing Projects Show Why.

In 2023, the owner of a vacant parcel at 0 Lodge Road asked Swampscott's Zoning Board of Appeals for a variance to build one single-family home. The board said no unanimously. The lot was under the 10,000 square feet the A-4 Zoning District requires, and it didn't have enough frontage, so the parcel stayed on the books as vacant and unbuildable.

On September 22, 2026, a developer filed with MassHousing for four ownership units on the same parcel, with one deed-restricted affordable unit. Itemlive reported that this time the developer used Chapter 40B, the state law that lets qualifying affordable housing developments seek exemptions from some local zoning rules in communities that fall below state affordable housing thresholds. The proposed building is 35 feet tall at the middle of the roofline. It's set back to fit four parking spaces underneath and four more off-street, according to Swampscott Tides.

If you're comparing Swampscott with Marblehead or Beverly, this one parcel shows how the town works right now. The zoning map tells you what a lot allows today. A single percentage decides who controls the answer later.

The number that decides who decides

That percentage is Swampscott's share of housing on the state's Subsidized Housing Inventory. The Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities counted 255 eligible units in town in its September 2025 update. Against the 6,262 year-round homes in the 2020 Census, that works out to 4.07%. Town Administrator Nick Connors has said new developments have brought the figure to about 5.7%. Safe Harbor generally requires a 10% minimum.

Safe Harbor is the status that gives a town more control over 40B proposals. Under the state's Chapter 40B overview, a local zoning board can approve these projects under flexible rules when at least 20 to 25% of the units carry long-term affordability restrictions. One affordable unit out of four at Lodge Road is 25%. There are other ways to qualify besides the 10% figure. Select Board member Ted Dooley listed affordable housing produced over a set period and subsidized housing covering at least 3.5% of developable land. The state's Housing Production Plan page says a town with an approved plan gets certification and Safe Harbor by producing SHI-eligible units equal to at least 0.5% of its housing each year.

The Select Board was open about where the limits are. "The decision about the project is not ours and we understand that," Chair Katie Phelan said, as Swampscott Tides reported. The board decided to send MassHousing a letter listing its concerns, and Dooley worked with Connors on the draft before the October 22 comment deadline. Vice Chair Danielle Leonard said the town would rely on the Zoning Board of Appeals for height and parking requirements. "If we have any stock at all, that's where it'd be," she said.

Three projects, three different referees

Lodge Road is one of three ways housing is moving forward in Swampscott this fall. Each goes through a different board and follows a different rulebook.

The Glover project shows a local overlay at work. The site at 299 Salem Street straddles the Swampscott and Marblehead line and includes the General John Glover Farmhouse, one of the few 18th-century structures still standing in the region. Swampscott Tides reported that the revised plans put 96 units on the Swampscott side and 44 in Marblehead. No building would be taller than 50 feet, and the plans include 144 parking spaces and a courtyard with a pool. The farmhouse would stay, with paths leading to it from each apartment building. Save the Glover! Inc. received a Pioneer in Preservation Award from Essex National Heritage Area in early October. Planning Board Chair Joseph Sheridan called the revised plan "much closer to what the town's intent was."

The 40R proposal would give the town more say than either of the other routes. Senior Town Planner Christa McGaha told the Planning Board that a 40R district allows qualifying residential and mixed-use projects by right, through a local plan approval process, while the town sets the design standards. "The purpose of this proposed 40R District is not to force as much housing as possible into this area," she said, as Swampscott Tides reported. The district would cover Railroad Avenue, Columbia Street, and two affordable housing properties built in 1960 and 1961, Duncan Terrace and Doherty Circle. The state pays a one-time sum of up to $600,000 when a district is adopted, plus $3,000 for each new unit built after that. Sheridan said it "would help us get closer to the threshold." The bylaw came off the warrant for the December 7, 2026 Town Meeting to allow more discussion and research, so the threshold stays where it is for now.

Until a route like 40R is adopted, or the town qualifies for Safe Harbor some other way, developers can choose 40B. That includes sites like Lodge Road, far from the station. Leonard raised this point. "We are always saying that we overburden the area of the commuter rail," she said in Itemlive's coverage. "This is on the opposite side of town." Board member MaryEllen Fletcher saw it differently. She pointed to the larger projects already in the pipeline and called a Safe Harbor review "an opportunity for us to slow that down."

Where the new homes are actually going

Fletcher's list shows what Swampscott's added housing looks like. Almost all of it is multifamily, and none of it is new single-family lots.

• Veterans Crossing, Pine Street. 41 units with state and federal financing awards. Itemlive reported an expected construction period of about 18 months once financing closes. Swampscott Tides reported geotechnical drilling scheduled at the site for October 23.
• Vinnin Square, behind Stop & Shop. A 163-apartment complex. Itemlive reported visible construction in April, along with restaurants including First Watch and Shake Shack.
• Glover Residences, Salem Street. 96 units on the Swampscott side. The plans call for apartment buildings, which the applicant's counsel presented as rental housing.
• 0 Lodge Road. Four ownership units on a lot that was once ruled out for a single house.

Together that's roughly 300 units on the Swampscott side, all multifamily, with most of it rental.

Single-family homes hold up while condos give ground

The sales data fits that split. In the Massachusetts Association of Realtors September 2026 report for Swampscott, single-family sellers received 101.5% of original list price in September. Year to date through September, they received exactly 100.0%. The single-family median was $875,000 for the month and $869,375 for the year to date, nearly the same as 2025's $871,000. Inventory went up to 26 homes from 20 a year earlier, which is 3.1 months of supply. That gives buyers a bit more choice, but it hasn't softened prices.

Condos moved the other way. In the same September 2026 report:

1. Condo inventory reached 14 units, up from 6 a year earlier, and months of supply rose from 1.6 to 3.1.
2. New condo listings through September totaled 64, up 45.5% from 44 over the same period in 2025.
3. Condo sellers received 96.8% of original list price year to date, down from 99.1%.
4. In September alone, condo sellers received 89.5% after 83 days on market. That figure comes from just five closings.

MAR itself cautions that one month can look extreme when the sample is small. The year-to-date numbers are sturdier. Over 45 sales through September, condos closed faster than in 2025, 45 days on market against 62, but sellers got a smaller share of their original asking price. In practice, condos are still selling, but buyers have more room to negotiate on price.

In 2026, Swampscott's growth is coming through apartments, condos, and the 40B pathway, and single-family homes stay scarce. A buyer looking at a single-family house is competing for a fixed supply. A buyer looking at a condo has more listings to choose from, with more coming.

What to ask before you fall for a Swampscott address

The zoning map is still worth checking. It just doesn't answer everything. Before you make an offer, these questions come straight from this fall's projects:

• Is there a vacant or undersized parcel nearby? The 0 Lodge Road parcel was denied a variance in 2023 and came back in 2026 as a 40B application. The state's Chapter 40B overview explains how that process works.
• How close is the house to Railroad Avenue and Columbia Street? That's the area the town has proposed shaping through a 40R district. The proposal is paused, and it hasn't been withdrawn.
• Does the house border Salem Street near the Marblehead line, or Vinnin Square? Those are the two largest projects. Construction was visible at Vinnin Square in April, and Glover Residences is in Planning Board review.
• What's on the next Select Board and Planning Board agendas? Swampscott posts them on the town's agenda center. Projects like Lodge Road come up there weeks before they reach a zoning hearing.

This post is general information about how these state and local rules are being applied in Swampscott. It isn't legal advice. If a specific property or nearby parcel matters to your decision, confirm the details with a real estate attorney or the town's planning staff.

At Michael Cannuscio | The Agency Marblehead, we track Swampscott's Select Board, Planning Board, and MassHousing filings, and we can tell you what's proposed around a house before you make an offer. If you're selling in Swampscott, we can show you how your property compares with the new multifamily supply coming to town, so your pricing and marketing account for it. Request a Red‑Carpet Listing Consultation.