GA Blog: Haverhill

5.11.10 Brandy Brow Road Development in Haverhill

The Eagle Tribune reported that a proposed housing project on Brandy Brow Road in Haverhill is coming to a head.  City planners are frustrated by the 2 years of delays by the developers, local contractor Richard Early Jr. and his partner John Serratore.  Neighbors are worried that their quiet, rural corner of the city (near the Merrimac town line) will be altered by more houses and traffic.  And Environmentalists are concerned about the effect new homes and added roads will have on nearby wetlands which feed Haverhill's drinking water supply.

Brandy Brow Road connects Route 110 to Route 108, but the road is blocked by two metal gates. The city erected the gates 13 years ago to prevent illegal dumping and people from partying in woods off Brandy Brow Road.  If the housing development is approved, Brandy Brow Road would be improved and the gates opened to traffic, city officials said.

Read the entire Eagle Tribune article.

3.28.10 Crystal Springs Gold Course in Haverhill Sold – New Development

According to the Eagle Tribune, local contractor Michael Maroney has purchased the 137-acre Crystal Springs Golf Course in Haverhill for $3.75 million. 

Maroney, who has operated Maroney Construction Co. Inc. in Haverhill for 33 years, said he plans to enhance the public 18-hole course (which will be ready for golf by April 1st), erect a new clubhouse and build 50 homes on 13 acres, while maintaining the bulk of the property as open space.

The development also calls for Maroney to make several improvements to the North Broadway area.  Current plans are to build 12 homes in 2010.

Read the entire Eagle Tribune article.

12.2.09 Smart Growth Affordable Housing with Retail in Downtown Haverhill

The Eagle Tribune reported that construction has begun for redeveloping the Charles Hayes Building on Granite Street in downtown Haverhill, near the train station.  The Boston Archdiocese's nonprofit Planning Office for Urban Affairs is converting the old factory to include 57 one- and two-bedroom homes — 33 apartments that will be reserved for low- and middle-income renters, and 24 that will initially be rentals and then converted to condominiums within 5 years. 19 of the condos will be sold to middle-income buyers and 5 will be market-rate units.

This is the third major factory-to-housing conversion in downtown Haverhill; the first that will feature retail space on the ground floor. The developer's agreement with the city calls for 3 retail businesses on Granite Street, which faces the Washington Street train station and is across from the Railroad Square property, where the city is building a $10 million parking garage this summer.

The property at 14-44 Granite St. is actually two historic mill buildings — a six-story building that was constructed in 1894, and a seven-story addition built in 1911. Various manufacturers set up shop in the buildings over the years, including an electrical equipment maker, photo finisher, and millwork producer.

According to the article, Haverhill Mayor James Fiorentini said the city's adoption Chapter 40R – smart growth - played a major role in the agency choosing Haverhill for the housing project.

The city used the law to create a 53-acre zone downtown where building housing is faster, easier and potentially less costly than outside the zone. Proposals in the district are no longer subject to reviews by multiple city boards and they cannot be stopped by the City Council. Under the old zoning rules, proposals to convert large factories to housing required a special permit from the council. Now, a housing proposal in the zone only needs to meet pre-approved design standards and undergo a review by the council.

The Granite Street project is the 2nd large housing development since the council approved the 40R district. The other is the $75 million, 305-unit Hamel Mills Lofts by Forest City Enterprises of Cleveland. The $39 million, 146-unit Cordovan complex on Locust Street was the 1st of the large factory-to-housing conversions.

Read the entire Eagle Tribune article.

9.30.09 Haverhill Parking Garage

The Salem News has reported that with final approval of $1.7 million from the state, Haverhill plans on beginning construction on a $10 million parking garage that is expected to include at least 3 levels and between 350- 450 spaces.  Haverhill has secured about $500,000 in private financing and the federal government has committed $7.8 million for the development.

The parking garage, which is being built at 57 Granite Street, just off Railroad Square, is to be operated by the Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority.  According to Mayor James Fiorentini, construction is expected to begin in May or June 2010 and take about 18 months – estimated opening in late 2011.

 Read the entire Salem News article.

5.18.09 Copper Pipe Theft in Haverhill as Copper Prices Rise Again

Copper pipe theft from vacant properties became a serious problem in 2008.  This story from the Eagle Tribune reports that copper pipe thefts are increasing, as a dip in copper prices over the winter has ended and prices for copper are on the rise.  The Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® addressed this problem by meeting with Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley last fall to seek legislative solutions to prevent copper pipe theft.  This Eagle Tribune article reports examples of the problem; and here is a summary of the Attorney General’s legislation, which is strongly supported by REALTORS®.

Abandoned Property Registry/Copper Pipe Theft Prevention: H.2218 - The Community Leadership, Neighborhood-Revitalization and Urban-Violence Protection Act of 2009

Vacant houses are an increasing concern in many communities of the Commonwealth. Many fall into disrepair, attract crime, and create safety issues in neighborhoods down with them. Further, metal piping and other fixtures are stolen from the structure, thus making its title unmarketable for mortgage loan qualification purposes. And the problem is becoming widespread, hurting home values in neighborhoods in which thefts occur. 

H.2218 seeks to halt and reverse this problem with a 2-prong approach:

1.  State Abandoned Housing Registry. The primary difficulty in ensuring that vacant properties are kept in decent condition lies in the difficulty in locating their owners, who are responsible for keeping their property up to Code and preventing it from becoming a public nuisance. In response to the growing foreclosure/vacancy problem, some cities have enacted local ordinances requiring the registration of vacant properties. However, there is no state law with a single, unified Registry.

H.2218 creates a 2-year pilot program establishing a state-wide vacant and foreclosed property registry housed within the Attorney General’s Office that will require all property owners, including lenders, trustees and service companies, to register and properly maintain vacant and foreclosed properties.

2.  Licensing Scrap/Junk Dealers. Vacant houses are easy prey for copper thieves. When the piping - including gas lines - is ripped out of a house, it loses significant value, and banks are unable to grant conventional mortgage loans for such a property. What makes the copper theft problem difficult to cure is the fact that the thieves rapidly liquidate their booty through scrap/junk dealers who, under the current statutory framework, are not required to keep such records as would help law enforcement to shut down this criminal enterprise. H.2218 seeks to create a state-wide “Second Hand Metal Registry.” This registry will assist in revitalizing our neighborhoods by providing law enforcement with sufficiently detailed transaction information to keep scrap metal thieves out of business and out of houses, helping to ensure that vacant properties will be sold and re-occupied sooner than later.

Status of Bill: Before the Joint Committee on Public Safety & Homeland Security.
Action Needed: Strongly urge your legislators to vote “YES” if this bill comes up for a vote.

4.2.09 Haverhill Zoning Protects Waterfront

The Eagle Tribune has reported that the Haverhill City Council has approved a temporary zoning law that bans projects that block views and public access to the Merrimack River waterfront.  The temporary zoning change.  The plan is in place through October 2009 while Haverhill’s planning officials draw up permanent zoning for waterfront land.

For decades, Haverhill has been contually cleaning up the Merrimack River waterway, where apartment and condominium developments have arisen and business has grown along the northern waterfront. Hundreds of boats are docked along the channel in the summer.

The city hopes to eventually dredge the river channel so large tour boats can reach downtown, allowing passengers to visit businesses there. Construction of a public, 300-foot boardwalk along the river at the west end of downtown is scheduled to begin this month, with the project completed in late summer.

The riverfront zoning requires that for the next six months, any developer of riverfront property in the zone go before the City Council that will decide on the project, based on river visibility, public access and other factors.

Read the entire Eagle Tribune article.