GA Blog

9.10.10 Ipswich Subdivision Proposed on Mill Road

According to the Ipswich Chronicle, there was a recent Planning Board meeting in Ipswich to to hear a subdivision proposal for 14 Mill Road.  Robert LeBlanc, a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals, bought the 2.7-acre lot when the town auctioned it off last year.  Le Blanc received a permit from the ZBA to make the lot’s existing house a guesthouse and then he built another house on the property.

According to the initial plans presented last Thursday, LeBlanc wants to split an acre off the lot to build another house. According to subdivision rules, LeBlanc would have to build an 18-foot road, not a driveway to the new house.  Assistant Planner Cathy Connor said the Board would schedule a site visit to the property. The next public hearing on the proposal is scheduled for Sept. 9th.

Read the entire Ipswich Chronicle article.

9.8.10 Boxford Building Inspector Cracking Down on Permits

The Tri-Town Transcript reports that the new Boxford building inspector, Robert Comacho, has been cracking down on incomplete and non-existing building permits, trying to correct situations such as swimming pools without proper fences or protections and projects “where work was done, but completed outside the parameters of the building permit.”

According to Comacho, “We try to make it as easy as possible for the homeowner. . .  we are looking over the  last 12 months of permits, going through the files and see status of project, what was done legally and illegally,” he explained.  Before making final payments to a contractor, homeowners should be aware that final inspections must be done.

“We’re not out there to hurt, only to help and protect property,” added Comacho, who urges residents to come into his office if they are not sure about the need for a permit. “People can come in and walk out with permit on the same day.”  If a contractor is doing a job, he should be the one to pull the permit, clarified Comacho.

“We screen to make sure he has a license, insurance and a contract. The fee is to help protect the homeowner,” he said. “We check with the state to see if the contractor’s license is current. And this puts contractors on notice that we’re paying attention.  Ultimately, the contractor is responsible. And when people sell property, they like to brag about improvements they made. Real estate agents come in looking for work done, and in many cases, there is no proof at all,” he added.

Read the entire Tri-Town Transcript article.

9.6.10 Newburyport Open Space and Community Preservation

The Newburyport Current reports the city of Newbuyport recently approved $820,982 in community preservation funding for 19 projects around the city.  Included in that amount is $20,000 which will be taken from the $50,000 granted to the open space reserve fund, which will be used to complete a comprehensive update of the city’s Open Space and Recreation Plan, in accordance with state regulations and to fund local matching for a possible grant from the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

The grant funds can be used to revise master plans and city codes to promote sustainable development, with a particular focus on affordable housing, mixed-used development and redevelopment of old buildings. The Newburyport Affordable Housing Trust has already voted to allocate $40,000 towards the 20% match of $60,000. The balance in the Open Space Reserve Fund is $606,000.

Read the entire Newburyport Current article.

9.3.10 Affordable Housing Lottery in Wenham

According to the Hamilton-Wenham Chronicle, the town of Wenham is having its first affordable housing lottery, engineered by the Wenham’s Affordable Housing Trust (WAHT).  There are two properties available:

• 105 Pleasant Street - 3-bedroom single-family dwelling on an 8,200 sf lot with 1,260 sf of living space.
• 11 Friend Court #2 - 2-bedroom condominium unit with 1,080 sf of living space on the second floor.

The application process opened on June 16th and closes on Thursday, Sept. 16th at 3:30pm.  Eligibility is determined by income, family size and assets. Only first-time homebuyers are eligible and they must meet the eligibility requirements by providing documentation on income, bank accounts, taxes and mortgage pre-approval; they should also be able to make a down payment and have their financial matters in order.

WHAT chairwoman Molly Martins said that Wenham got into the affordable housing arena to reach the state-mandated percentage of 10% affordable homes to prevent Chapter 40B [affordable housing] developments.  Wenham is at 8.9% affordable housing and requires approximately 13 more units to reach 10%.

The two homes come with perpetual deed restrictions that keep the units affordable. As with most municipal housing programs, Wenham gives preference for first-time home buyers with local ties: current Wenham residents; families with children in the school system; and employees of the town, school district, Housing Authority, and local businesses.

The lottery for Wenham is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 18.  People with questions should contact Wenham’s Housing Consultant Jennifer Goldson at 617-990-4971 or jennifer@jmgoldson.com.

Read the entire Hamilton-Wenham Chronicle.

9.2.10 Wetlands, Woodland Park on Ipswich River in Middleton

The Tri-Town Transcript reported that a new woodland park with a nature trail is being finished within the floodplain of the Ipswich River in Middleton.  The Middleton Stream Team named the land "Window on Wetlands", which looks out on acres of standing tree corpses and a developing beaver meadow of shorter-softer plants.

Read the entire Tri-Town Transcript article.

8.30.10 Salem Homeless Shelter Sale Falls Through

The Salem News reports that a Salem homeless shelter’s plans to purchase St. Mary’s church and convert it into 20 studio apartments have fallen through due to in unavailability in state funding.  This was welcome news to a group of Salem residents looking to buy the 1925 Margin Street building and create a Salem Community Arts Center for arts and performance, which would also provide event space for meetings, lectures and functions.

In the meantime, the 1925 church building on Margin Street will remain for sale, and shelter officials will work on a broader plan for where to develop housing on its campus in the future.  St. Mary’s church is on the market for $575,000.  In 2004, the Salem Mission paid $2 million for the St. Mary's property, which had been closed by the Archdiocese of Boston. The purchase included the church, the youth center and two small apartment buildings. At the time, the church was estimated to represent about $550,000 of that deal.  One possibility for housing is to put an addition above the Margin Street shelter, the former St. Mary's Youth Center.

Read the entire Salem News article.