SWAMPSCOTT — Several local boards and committees are urging town officials to preserve the former Hawthorne-by-the-Sea property primarily as open space, arguing that large-scale redevelopment on the waterfront parcel would diminish one of Swampscott’s most visible coastal areas.

In a joint letter sent to Select Board Chair Katie Phelan and Town Administrator Nick Connors, representatives from the Open Space & Recreation Plan Committee, Conservation Commission, Tree Committee, Climate Action & Resilience Committee, and the non-profit Swampscott Conservancy called for any long-term reuse plan for the property to be “primarily open space.”

The letter comes as town officials prepare for the next phase of discussions surrounding the future of the Hawthorne property, which the town purchased for $7 million after voters approved the acquisition at a 2022 Special Town Meeting.

The Select Board recently signed a temporary lease agreement for the property with the Swampscott Center for the Performing Arts group through June 2028, allowing the town to generate some revenue from the site while officials continue weighing its long-term future. In recent months, Select Board members have also publicly discussed beginning the request-for-proposals process for the property’s eventual redevelopment.

However, the board has not formally determined what that RFP process will look like, what restrictions may be included, or what type of redevelopment proposal the town will ultimately pursue.

Much of the recent discussion surrounding the property has centered around recommendations issued last year by the Hawthorne Re-Use Advisory Committee, which spent months studying potential redevelopment options before ultimately endorsing a mixed-use redevelopment concept for the site.

That recommendation proposed demolishing the existing restaurant building and replacing it with a combination of public open space, commercial development, and a public waterfront walkway.

The committee recommended that between 40-60% of the property be dedicated to open space, while the remainder would be used for commercial development, parking, and potentially housing units.

The advisory committee argued that a blend of uses would best balance environmental concerns with the town’s economic interests and estimated that commercial development on the site could generate between $270,000 and $407,000 annually in revenue.

The Hawthorne Re-Use Advisory Committee approved its final recommendation in a 9-1 vote, with Toni Bandrowicz casting the lone dissenting vote. In a memo to the committee, Bandrowicz said she appreciated the work of fellow members but opposed the final plan because she believed it laid the groundwork for a property with less than 40% open space. Bandrowicz is also chair of the Swampscott Conservation Commission, president of the Swampscott Conservancy, and one of the signatories of the new letter sent to the Select Board.

That letter argues that the town should move in a very different direction.

“We submit this joint letter advocating that any long-term plan for the town-owned Hawthorne Restaurant property — the highly visible ‘gateway’ to Swampscott — be primarily open park land without any sizeable structures,” the groups wrote.

The letter repeatedly pushes back against the prospect of large-scale redevelopment on the site, particularly residential construction or multistory commercial buildings.

“We believe that the majority of the property should be open space providing clear views largely unimpeded by buildings or other structures,” the letter states.

The groups argued that constructing large buildings on the waterfront property would obstruct ocean views from Humphrey Street and fundamentally change the character of the area.

“Tall buildings will only add to the already canyon-like feel of the street resulting from the existing buildings along the route, especially the Concordia,” the letter states.

The coalition also expressed opposition to selling any portion of the property to a private developer for residential use.

“We strongly oppose selling a portion of the property to a private developer for retail or residential development — especially for the purpose of creating private residential units,” the letter states.

The Hawthorne Re-Use Advisory Committee similarly expressed skepticism toward residential development, though it stopped short of completely ruling it out. Its report stated that commercial and retail uses, particularly restaurants, should be prioritized and that residential uses should be avoided “if at all possible.”

The groups also tied their position to broader planning goals already outlined in town documents, including Swampscott’s 2027-2028 Open Space and Recreation Plan update, which describes the coastline as one of the town’s greatest natural resources.

The letter additionally references the town’s 2035 Master Plan, which identified concern over “insufficient open space protection” and called for anti-development sentiment to be eased through the creation of more publicly accessible open spaces.

“We believe that developing the Hawthorne property … as primarily open space is in line with the position of a large number of the Town’s residents,” the letter reads.

The letter closes by warning that redevelopment of the site could represent a once-in-a-generation missed opportunity if the town prioritizes buildings over open space.

“How unfortunate it would be if in the future, residents look back with regret at the decisions Town representatives made — or failed to make — regarding this once in a generation opportunity for waterfront open space,” the groups wrote.

Select Board Chair Katie Phelan and Town Administrator Nick Connors could not be reached for comment.