Andover Considers Leasing Town Hall

According to the Andover Townsman, the Andover Old Town Hall is in need of roof and other repairs and crews have been conducting repairs, taking up parking spaces in the downtown shopping district. The recent repairs come at a time when Andover officials have said they'll consider leasing Old Town Hall to generate new revenue in light of the town's budget problems.

"I don't think we utilize the building well," said Selectman Mary Lyman. "I think we should examine it as an option. We're certainly not using it to full capacity." The proposal to lease Old Town Hall, also known as the Town House, was one of several cost-saving measures included in Town Manager Buzz Stapczynski's Feb. 4 budget presentation to selectmen, school and finance officials.

Read the entire Andover Townsman article.

Andover Town Manager Requests $7.4 million to recap Landfill

According to the Andover Townsman, the Andover Town Manager recommended that residents approve $7.4 million to re-cap 25.8 acres of the former Ledge Road landfill. The money also will be used to acquire land around the site that might also need to be closed off. According to the article, the $7.4 million in general fund borrowing is by far the largest request in the town's capital improvement plan for fiscal year 2009. At $1.5 million, a request for school building roof replacement is the only other project over $1 million.

Read the entire Andover Townsman article.

Andover to Decide on Lowell Junction Development of I-93

According to the Andover Townsman, Andover residents will likely have an opportunity at a Town Meeting sometime in 2008 to choose to make the Lowell Junction Development of I-93 a "priority development" for expedited permitting under Chapter 43D.

Such a designation would help attract interest among developers and ensure that local permitting decisions are made within 180 days, according to Planning Director Paul Materazzo. Such a designation could also open the door to technical assistance grants from the state, he said.

Read the entire Andover Townsman article discussing other Town Meeting topics including Anti-flooding plans and a bylaw update affecting the types of businesses that people can run out of their homes

Andover Residents Oppose 88-unit Affordable Housing Development

According to the Andover Townsman, Andover residents are contesting an 88-unit affordable-housing development proposal. The proposed development, known as Northfield Commons, would include 22 affordable units priced between $142,300 and $157,500, according to a Zoning Board of Appeals application filed by the Groton-based, 69 North St. LLC. It would be built in the northwest part of town, near the intersections of North and Webster streets.

With a little more than 345 feet of frontage on North and Webster streets, the Northfield Commons proposal would consist of a mix of single-family, duplex, triplex and garden-style units along with a village green area, open space and walking trails spread out over 14.2 acres, according to the zoning board application. Because Andover’s affordable housing stock is currently under 10% of the state guidelines − at 8.9% with 1,027 units − this proposal could be considered under Chapter 40B, which allows developers to circumvent local zoning rules to encourage development of affordable housing. Market-rate units at Northfield Commons would range from $325,000 to $600,000, according to the zoning board application.

The application for Northfield Commons will go before the town zoning board for the 3rd time on Dec. 6, 2007.

Read the entire Andover Townsman article

Mix of Uses Proposed for Development off I-93 in Andover

The Andover Townsman reports that landowners are creating plans to develop 52 acres in Lowell Junction, off I-93 in Andover on the Tewksbury line. Proposed plans include a mixed-use building with retail and office space, residential development, and the potential for a 370-room hotel. An MBTA commuter rail abuts the property.

According to the article, “Planning Board Chairman Paul Salafia told [developer] RJ Kelly Co. representatives that protecting the downtown and its businesses would be a priority as the plans to build a new I-93 interchange between Dascomb Road and Route 125 develop. The land would be opened to development by the proposed new ramps off I-93.”

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Restriction in Andover Could Preserve 50 Acres of Open Space Forever

The Andover Townsman reported that a breathtaking 50 acres of open space between Routes 133 and 28, owned by family of William Wood, the mastermind behind Shawsheen Village, could be preserved in perpetuity.

There is a legally binding proposal between the Wood family and The Trustees of Reservations, a Massachusetts charitable corporation, which must be approved by Andover’s Conservation Commission, Board of Selectmen and the state’s Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. According to the article, the conservation restriction is expected to help preserve the historic character of Shawsheen Square while also preventing an increase in flooding from the Shawsheen River.

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Andover Town Yard Search Site Narrows

The Andover Townsman reported that an Andover 6-member Town Yard Task Force is close to completing its search for a new public Town Yard, currently on Lewis Street.

The 3 sites are: Town of Andover-owned land adjacent to West Fire Station; a state-operated parcel on Prospect Road near Route 125; and a town-owned property formerly operated by the Reichhold Chemical Co. in southern Andover.

Read the Andover Townsman article