GA Blog: Newburyport

1.4.12 Route 95 Bridge Being Replaced – Effect on Bike Trail

The Newburyport Current recently reported that the John Greenleaf Whittier Bridge on Route 95, spanning the Merrimack River from Amesbury and Newburyport, is set to be replaced in a state project aimed to stat in the spring of 2013.  The project is one of the state highway department of transportation’s largest under the $3 billion Accelerated Bride Program.

The 60-year old bridge will be replaced with a four-lane highway with a shared-use path for bikers and walkers called the Whittier Trail. The four-lane bridge should speed up traffic on the sometimes congested I-95 area, as well as promote alternative modes of transportation with the Whittier Trail.

Local members of the Coastal Trails Coalition have raised concern that the new trail over the span will poorly affect the current trail system that runs through Amesbury, Newburyport, Newbury and Salisbury. Although the state is placing a trail system over the new bridge, it fails to continue the bike paths in the other areas it plans to widen the highway.

The trail coalition will likely discuss the trail issues at a state design public hearing set for the spring of 2012.

Read the Newburyport Current article.

12.23.11 Newburyport Waterfront Development Plans

The Newburyport Daily News recently reported that plans to further develop the Newburyport waterfront are picking up speed with the Newburyport Water Trust meeting with other waterfront-impacting agencies to smooth over communication about development of the waterfront area.

The Newburyport Redevelopment Authority, which owns a 4.2 –acre lot located between the firehouse and the waterfront, recently partnered with MassDevelopment  to generate some commercial developments on the land. The Newburyport Redevelopment Authority has managed the property for over 20 years and the board is now aggressively seeking commercial development with their new partnership. MassDevelpoment is advancing $50,000 for planning studies on the land so it seems thy are determined to find a project.

The Newburyport Redevelopment Authority is one five agencies and/or associations that have some authority on waterfront land in the area, including, the Custom House Maritime Museum, the Firehouse Center for the Performing Arts, the Harbor Commission, the NRA and the  trust.

Read the entire Newburyport Daily News article.

11.2.11 Newburyport Seek Help for Repairing Jetties

The Amesbury News reports that according to state and local officials the two jetties in Salisbury and Newburyport are rapidly worsening and becoming compromised, reported the Newburyport Current. Officials say the jetties must be repaired in the near future.

Newburyport Mayor Donna Holaday and a group of officials recently went to Washington D.C. to convince the Army Corps of Engineers to take on the job. The last time the jetties were repaired was in 1970, when a $1.5 million federal job poured 70,000 tons of stone onto the jetties.

The two jetties span roughly 5,500 feet at the mouth of the Merrimack River and protect against beach erosion, make the river more navigable, and provide public safety.

Plum Island has felt the worst of the compromised jetties affects, with its beaches eroding at the rate of 13 feet per year from 2000 to 2007, rather than at the typical pace of 1-2 feet per year.

Read the entire Amesbury News article.

9.20.11 Newburyport Waters Affected by Overflow in the Merrimack River Upstream

The Eagle Tribune recently reported that Newburyport beaches opened back up after have being closed for nearly two weeks due to upstream sewer runoffs into the Merrimack River that were caused by overworked sewer systems. 

Water quality had been an issue since late August when the tail end of Irene hit the region and caused flooding and overwhelmed sewer systems. Water collection systems take in storm water and sewage and when the system is overloaded, a pipe that leads into the river funnels the excess out of the system.  With this happening all along the Merrimack, Newburyport waters have seen increasing levels of bacteria.

Although the recent overflow has caused issues in Newburyport, Eric Worrall, deputy regional director of the northeast region of the DEP, says that the systems have improved and are working towards addition improvements.

"Improvements have been made, and the number of times that overflows have occurred has gone down. Collectively between $100 million and $150 million have been spent (by communities upstream), on improvements. It's just that this is a big problem, a complex problem."

Read the entire Eagle Tribune article.

8.31.11 Preservation Funds find Projects to Support in Newburypot

The Newburyport Daily News recently reported that three projects are in line to receive partial funding through community preservation funds, which come from a 2 percent surcharge levy on real estate taxes and are dispersed by city officials each year.

This year the money will mostly go towards housing projects, but is also allowed to fund projects of historic preservation, open space, and recreation. City Councilor Barry Connell expressed concerns that too much money is going towards housing. "This isn't the first time I've said this," Connell said. "But when this Community Preservation Act was passed (in 2002), the driving force was recreation."

The YMCA will be receiving $50,000 for a project that includes the construction of five units at its Market Street location.  The Newburyport Housing rehabilitation Program will receive $75,000 that will aid 10 housing projects, and the Department of Public Services, Water Division, is looking to receive money for re-panting the Rawson Hill water storage tank.

Read the entire Newburyport Daily News article.

8.24.11 23-Home Subdivision Planned for Newburyport

The Newburyport Daily News recently reported that a North Hampton developer will be building a 23-home subdivision in Newburyport, the largest building project since the beginning of the real estate slump.

Green & Company, the project developers, will construct on 43 acres of land off of Russell Terrance Extension which was recently purchased for $1.3 million. "Houses will be in the $475,000 range," said Michael Green, a co-owner of the company. "There will be nine or 10 different styles of houses and a significant amount of conservation land."

Construction is expected to begin soon after Labor Day, with homes expected to go on the market for roughly $475,000. The land being developed is one of the city’s largest privately owned parcels of land.

Read the entire Newburyport Daily News article.