GA Blog: North Andover

2.2.10 Windrush Farm in Boxford & North Andover

The Tri-Town Transcript reported recently that Windrush Farm, a 195-acre mix of fields, forest, and a rare Atlantic White Cedar Bog located in North Andover and Boxford, will be protected land “forever.”

A partnership consisting of the Trust for Public Land (TPL) – a national non-profit conservation organization, the Windrush Farm Therapeutic Equitation, Inc. (WFTE), the Towns of North Andover and Boxford, and Essex County Greenbelt Association (Greenbelt) purchased the land for $3.5 million with a combination of Town and State funding, private foundations, and 468 individual donors.

The Windrush Farm Therapeutic Equitation was founded in 1964 and provides equine-assisted therapies to more than 300 children and adults with disabilities, including veterans of war.  The Tri-Town Transcipt reports that WFTE is the pioneer of more than 780 programs of its kind supported by the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association; WFTE plans to expand the number and variety of programs to include the general public, such as community gardens and summer camps.

Windrush Farm contains State-recognized critical wildlife habitat supporting rare and endangered species. Its protection creates a nearly 1800-acre contiguous block of conservation land and connects to an extensive trail network including the Bay Circuit Trail and trails in Boxford State Forest. Conserving Windrush Farm also protects the Ipswich River watershed-providing drinking water to more than 330,000 residents in 15 Massachusetts communities.

Read the entire Tri-Town Transcript.

7.20.08 North Andover Police Station Site

The North Andover Citizen reported that a second option may be available for the site of the new North Andover Police Station. The Merrimack Valley Federal Credit Union Building at 1475 Osgood St., which was now on the market for $1.8 million, is also being considered for the new Police Station. Allen M. Lieb, Architects, who are slated to take on the project planned for the old Bradstreet School at an estimated cost of $8.37 million will also evaluate the Credit Union Building. Voters have approved $930 million for a new police station. Objections to the Credit Union site for not being central in town are countered by references to the anticipated growth on Osborn Street particularly at the former Lucent Technology Plant where apartments, affordable housing, shops, movie theatres, etc. are planned.

Here is the site of the first option.

Read the entire North Andover Citizen article.

11.10.07 November 9, 2007 Legislative Breakfast

On Friday, November 9th, NSAR sponsored its 4th Legislative Breakfast in 2007, attended by State Senator Steven Baddour (D-1st Essex) and State Representative Harriett Stanley (D-2nd Essex).

The Breakfast was held at ABC Home Inspections, Inc. and ABC Real Estate Training Institute in Haverhill; NSAR would like to thank Affiliate Member Andy Consoli for allowing us to use his conference room and facilities (seen here).

MAR Associate Counsel, Margy Grant, presented the five legislative topics on the agenda and gave the legislators the Realtor® position on each issue. These issues included:

1. Transfer Taxes. Realtors® oppose real estate transfer taxes as bad tax policy for several reasons including: a community wide responsibility should be paid for by the entire community; a transfer tax is inequitable and discriminatory as it singles out a small segment of the population [specifically home buyers & sellers] to pay for a community wide need; a transfer tax is exclusionary because it would increase the cost of home ownership; a transfer tax would be an unstable source of revenue due to the instability of the real estate market; a transfer tax would subvert the Proposition 2 ½ override process; the state legislature has already given cities and towns many equitable tools to create affordable and workforce housing through passage of Community Preservation Act, Chapter 40B, and Chapter 40R and 40S.

2. An Act Protecting Children from Poisoning. Proposed legislation SB. 1230 would (a) require lead inspections on all sales of property, instead of at the buyer’s option; (b) require owners and sellers of property to abate lead in soil and tap water; and (c) require letters of compliance for rental units to be renewed every two years, regardless of whether children reside in the unit, or whenever there is a change in occupancy, if that is earlier.

3. An Act Providing Information to Real Estate Buyers. Proposed legislation H. 323, S. 201 is a little unclear but seems to suggest that a homeowner would be expected to review the databases of nearly a dozen different governmental agencies and then create some type of report or hire and pay someone to do it for them. It is not clear how many millions of dollars this could cost Massachusetts homeowners every year or that buyers and sellers could review this data and provide an accurate assessment of what implications, if any, information on one of these databases would have on a home.

4. An Act Relative to the Disclosure of Wetlands on Property. Proposed legislation H. 767 seeks to require that a real estate broker disclose to prospective buyers that a property to be sold may be in its entirety, or in part a wetland as defined in Chapter 131 of the General Laws of or any other regulation or local by-law of the municipality where the property is located. It is the Realtor® position that however well intentioned this proposal may be, it would create an impossible standard for real estate licensees to meet and generate confusion for consumers.

5. An Act Relative to Smart Growth Housing Trust Fund (S. 132) and An Act Relative to Financing the Smart Growth Housing Trust (H. 160). Realtors® support both these bills, as it would create a steady stream of revenue to support the continued success of 40R Smart Growth districts.

10.30.07 Boxford, North Andover Group Fight Booster Station

According to the Salem News, a group of Boxford and North Andover residents, Citizens Against Proposed Boxford Gas Compressor Station, will be fighting a proposed natural gas pipeline booster station on land bordering North Andover and Haverhill.

According the group’s website, “Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC is proposing a 15,000 HP Compressor Station addition to the current natural gas pipeline that would be located in Boxford adjacent to the Far Corner Golf Course. This proposed location is near the North Andover and Haverhill borders. The site is not far from dozens of homes as well as Brooks School. This project has immense potential to negatively impact our communities.”

Read the entire Salem News article

10.30.07 Next Legislative Breakfast: Friday, November 9, 2007, 8:30am

The next North Shore Association of Realtors® Legislative Breakfast will be held on Friday, November 9, 2007, from 8:30am to 10:00am. All NSAR members who live in Amesbury, Georgetown, Groveland, Haverhill, Merrimac, Newburyport, North Andover, and/or West Newbury are encouraged to attend.

Topics will likely include:

1. Transfer Taxes.
2. An Act Protecting Children from Poisoning (SB. 1230)
3. An Act Providing Information to Real Estate Buyers. (H. 323, S. 201)
4. An Act Relative to the Disclosure of Wetlands on Property. (H. 767)
5. An Act Relative to Smart Growth Housing Trust Fund (S. 132) and An Act Relative to Financing the Smart Growth Housing Trust (H. 160).

Sign up today using this form, by calling 978-232-9410, or by emailing Jeff@NorthShoreRealtors.com!

Please note: this Legislative Breakfast will be at ABC Real Estate Training Institute, 21 Wingate Street in Haverhill.

For directions, click here.