MARBLEHEAD — Marblehead’s first sustainability coordinator, Logan Casey, will leave his position later this month after two years helping guide the town’s climate initiatives.

Casey announced earlier this week that he will step down from the role, with his final day scheduled for March 27. He will be leaving to take a new position with the MBTA, where he will help manage the development of the agency’s long-term transportation investment plan.

“Over the past two years, I’ve had the privilege of working with dedicated colleagues, community members, and partners to advance projects that strengthen Marblehead’s climate resilience,” Casey said in a statement announcing his resignation.

Casey was hired as Marblehead’s first sustainability coordinator as the town began implementing its Net Zero Roadmap, a long-term strategy to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. The role focused on developing sustainability programs, coordinating climate initiatives, and securing outside funding to support local environmental projects.

During his tenure, Casey said he helped the town secure more than $745,000 in grant funding for projects ranging from electric vehicle charging infrastructure to coastal resilience planning.

But many of the town’s funding opportunities have been significantly affected by Marblehead’s ongoing non-compliance with M.G.L. Chapter 40A Section 3A, commonly known as the MBTA Communities Act.

According to the Community Development and Planning Department’s annual report, the town lost access to or was denied more than $3.8 million in state grant opportunities in 2025 alone because it had not adopted a compliant zoning plan under the law.

The law requires certain communities near MBTA transit systems to establish zoning districts that allow multi-family housing by right. Marblehead initially approved a compliance plan at Town Meeting in May 2025, but the measure was later overturned by referendum, leaving the town out of compliance with the state’s requirements.

The consequences were immediate.

Several grant programs the town had previously relied on for infrastructure and planning projects became unavailable. The town was denied funding requests for projects, including: nearly $1 million for accessibility improvements at Abbot Hall; $866,930 for Marblehead Rail Trail improvements; $735,000 for the Marblehead Shipyards resilience project; $519,193 for coastal resilience planning at State Street Landing and Tucker Wharf, and $301,050 for improvements along Washington Street near Five Corners.

Altogether, more than $3.9 million in proposed grants were denied due to the town’s non-compliance status.

In addition, the state rescinded a previously awarded $50,000 Massachusetts Revolution 250 grant tied to local historic programming.

In an interview, Casey said navigating the funding losses and uncertainty created by the 3A situation has been challenging for the department.

 “It’s definitely had a real impact,” Casey said.

While Casey said he ultimately decided to accept a new professional opportunity, he acknowledged that the broader circumstances facing the town added pressure.

“I love Marblehead. The people here have been great,” he said. “But there have definitely been some significant headwinds.”

Despite those challenges, Casey said he is proud of the work accomplished during his time with the town.

He joined Marblehead as the first hire focused specifically on sustainability and climate policy, helping implement the town’s Net Zero plan and coordinate with community groups, including Sustainable Marblehead.

“I think the best part of the job was the people,” Casey said. “Sustainable Marblehead is such an organized group of people who really care about climate resilience. It was great to take their ideas and help turn them into real projects.”

One of Casey’s favorite projects was developing Marblehead’s town-wide bicycle facilities plan, designed to create a safer and more accessible bike network throughout the community.

“I’m a bicyclist myself,” he said. “Working on the bike plan and hearing the diversity of opinions in the community — and then trying to turn that into something that works — was really rewarding.”

The plan aims to expand bicycle infrastructure, improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians, and reduce vehicle emissions through alternative transportation options.

Casey also worked with town officials and the Green Marblehead Implementation Committee to advance Marblehead’s application to the state’s Green Communities program, which would make the town eligible for significant funding for energy efficiency projects.

To qualify, the town had to adopt several policies, including a municipal energy reduction plan and a zero-emissions vehicle procurement policy.

Casey said those steps were completed earlier this year, positioning Marblehead to apply once other barriers are resolved.

Casey’s work also coincided with a major organizational shift in town government.

In 2024, Marblehead created its Community Development and Planning Department, consolidating planning, housing, sustainability, and economic development initiatives into a single department for the first time.

The department oversees a wide range of initiatives, including land-use planning, transportation improvements, historic preservation, climate resilience projects, and grant coordination.

Officials said the goal was to better coordinate long-term planning and position the town to compete for state and federal funding.

Casey said he hopes the sustainability initiatives launched during his tenure will continue moving forward after his departure.

“My position was really about starting the groundwork,” he said. “Getting the coordination in place and launching some initial projects.”

He added that he hopes the town continues to maintain the sustainability coordinator role and build on the foundation already created.

“There’s a lot of work to do here,” Casey said.

For Casey personally, the next step will take him deeper into transportation planning, where he will work on the MBTA’s next 25-year capital investment strategy.

Still, he said his time in Marblehead will remain meaningful.

“I’m grateful for my time here,” Casey said. “It was a great experience largely because of the people I got to work with.”