Rail Trail Continuing to be Debated

The Tri-Town Transcript is reporting that the proposed rail trail, a 26-mile trail to run from Salisbury to Danvers, is continuing to be debated by committies and town selecteman.

28-mile Bike Trail to Run From Boxford Through Newburyport

According to the Georgetown Record, MassHighway is moving forward on a proposed 28-mile bike trail set to run through Georgetown, agreeing to perform and fund 25% design work on the Border to Boston Trail. The trail will run on top of the historic and abandoned Maine to Boston railway, running from Salisbury to the Danvers/Peabody border. The proposed trail is set to run through Boxford, Danvers, Georgetown, Newbury, Newburyport, Salisbury, Topsfield and Wenham.

The trail has been earmarked for $800,000 of federal safety funding to do the design work, secured by U.S. Rep. John Tierney in 2005. The final cost to complete the 25% design work is expended to exceed nearly $1 million, but MassHighway hopes to be able to provide the balance of funds needed for the project. MassHighway has begun the process of hiring a qualified consultant for the design, which is expected to be complete by the summer of 2009.

Read the entire Georgetown Record article.

Rail Trial Bike Path Discussions

The Tri-Town Transcript reports that Topsfield residents are discussing the construction of a bike path to run through Topsfield and possibly connect Salisbury to Danvers. Topsfield’s local access cable channel wants to feature a debate with representatives from the town’s rail trail committee and a grassroots neighborhood organization, formed in July, which has been critical of the plan. The town’s rail trail committee was formed to oversee the transformation of a 4-mile section of an historic railroad into a rail trail for bikers, walkers, or horseback riders.

Read the entire Tri-Town Transcript article

Merrimack River Dredging Project Survives Presidential Veto

The Eagle Tribune reported recently that the U.S House of Representatives overrode President Bush’s veto for the Water Resources Development Act of 2007, which would allow the Army Corps of Engineers to study the possibility of dredging the Merrimack River from Newburyport to Haverhill, a 16-mile stretch.

According to the article, “Newly elected U.S. Congresswoman Niki Tsongas, D-Lowell, was among the lawmakers to cast an override vote. Tsongas said the dredging is important to Haverhill's downtown renaissance − deeper waters would allow larger boats to dock in Haverhill, bringing in more visitors to shop and eat downtown.”

Read the entire Eagle Tribune article. Photo courtesy of Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce

Affordable Housing in North Essex County

According to the Newburyport Daily News, here is breakdown of affordable housing percentages in many of the Northern Essex County communities:

Amesbury 11.1%
Georgetown 13.9%
Groveland 3.5%
Merrimac 6.5%
Newbury 3.6%
Newburyport 8.4%
Rowley 4.4%
Salisbury 8.3%
West Newbury 1.8%

SOURCE: State Department of Housing and Community Development

Chapter 40B Under Attack

The Newburyport Daily News reported that in addition to Topsfield and Hamilton, Salisbury and several other Cape Ann cities and towns are joining in the fight against Chapter 40B, the state’s “anti-snob” zoning law that requires communities to have at least 10% of their housing stock at affordable prices, and allows developers to bypass local building restrictions if the project includes 20-25% affordable units in those communities that don’t meet the threshold.

According to the article, Salisbury Town Manager Neil Harrington, Selectman Jerry Klima and about 50 other officials from across the state attended a recent seminar organized by the Municipal Coalition for Affordable Housing, whose mission is to put towns and cities in control of how affordable housing is developed in their communities, instead of following the Commonwealth’s Chapter 40B housing law.

Also, separately there is a group called The Coalition for the Repeal of 40B, which is trying to collect about 66,000 signatures to get a repeal proposal on next year’s statewide ballot. Salisbury officials don’t want to go that far. The Coalition for the Repeal of 40B is reportedly about halfway to its goal.

Read the entire Newburyport Daily News article