North Shore Association of REALTORS® GA Blog

Downtown Peabody Road Work Will Continue Into Fall

Wed, 16 May 2012 12:00:00 EDT

The Salem News recently reported that downtown businesses are preparing for construction on the downtown Peabody road project that will span from spring to late fall, starting in May and finishing up in November.

The project is a complete redesign of the Main Street section cutting through downtown Peabody. The project will change the street from a four-lane road into a two-lane road, with emphasis on improving pedestrian safety and aesthetics.

Construction on the half-mile strip will be done in sections so that no one business is hurt more than others. Once one section is completed all of the equipment will be moved to the next area. The city has insured local residents that construction will not be in progress during rush hour, and is considering implementing a night construction schedule.

Read the entire Salem News article.

6 Single Family Homes Approved in Haverhill Development

Mon, 14 May 2012 12:00:00 EDT

A local developer’s proposal for a 15.5-acre, six-home project on Rosemont Street in Haverhill was recently accepted, reported the Eagle Tribune. The development will include an access road as well as a 3.5-acre lot sectioned off as undevelopable open space.

The city of Haverhill will be receiving $3,600 to post new safety signage and lights on Rosemont Street, as well as to maintain the open-space designated on the street. Public walking paths along the Little River will also be built by during the project.

The project was approved by city council under “cluster development” laws that will allow the developer to bypass zoning regulations that require homes to be spaced out more than the project calls for. In return the developer is designating 3.5 acres to be unbuildable land.

Some of the homes built are expected 5to be three-bedroom homes with a garage. There will be no affordable housing within the development.

Read the entire Eagle Tribune article.

Ipswich Land Sale Settlement Overturned by Citizen Appeal

Tue, 08 May 2012 12:00:00 EDT

The Salem News recently reported that a settlement between the Ipswich School Committee and the Feoffees -- the landlord group of the 36-acre Little Neck peninsula property -- to sell Little Neck was revoked by a citizen group appeal that was voted on at town meeting.

The settlement between the school committee and the Feoffees called for the Feoffees to sell the property to Little Neck residents for $32.5 million, and to use that money as a permanent endowment for the Ipswich Schools.

The citizen group appeal which overturned the settlement was proposed with a strong belief that the School Committee was getting “short changed” in the deal, and “cheats the schools out of the best value of the land.”

The appeal was passed with a 500-89 vote in favor of revoking the agreement.

Read the entire Salem Five article.

Peabody to Purchase Land from MBTA for $235K

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 12:00:00 EDT

The Salem News recently reported that the City of Peabody is looking to purchase a “key parcel” of land located on the corner of Wallis and Mill Streets. The land, which is currently owned by the MBTA and rented to the city for $1 per year, will be used as a staging area for a flood mitigation project that will route culverts under downtown Peabody.

The 28,300-square-foot lot currently sits vacant and is used as a parking area for downtown workers. The city believes that the site would not only benefit the city as a staging area during the flooding mitigation project, but may also be an ideal spot for a future parking garage in an attempt to “reinvigorate” the downtown area.

"It's a nice spot for a potential multilevel parking garage, or really anything. It gives us the ability to do a couple of different things," said Peabody Mayor ted Bettencourt. "The MBTA could and can at anytime reclaim that property, so I think it is important to take control of it," he added.

The land was appraised at $255,000 although the city expects to pay $235,000 for ownership.

Read the entire Salem News article.

Beverly Homeless Shelter Closes Emergency Housing During Restructure

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 12:00:00 EDT

The Beverly Citizen recently reported that Beverly’s River House, a mainstay for homeless adults, is in need of restructuring in order to remain effective in its mission.

The River House will be closing their emergency housing program on April 30th while the new board of directors works to alter and improve the River House business model. Efforts will be made to find housing alternatives for the current shelter residents.

Harborlight Community Partners will be stepping into the management position at the River House and they hope to reopen the emergency housing shelter before this winter, setting a goal of October 15.

The River House assists the homeless regain their independence by providing shelter, permanent single-room housing, and support services. The shelter takes in 36 homeless men per night and serves roughly 200 adults per year.

Read the entire Beverly Citizen article.

Hamilton Residents Try to Stop Sale of Pond Public Access Point

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 12:00:00 EDT

The Hamilton-Wenham Chronicle recently reported that a city-owned public access point to a Hamilton, MA pond may be sold by the town after a 2006 ruling for the town to sell off “surplus” property.

The area known as Idlewood Park off of Lake Drive offers public access to Pleasant Pond and a running trail that leads around the pond and through downtown Wenham. The town recently put the lot-- which was originally paid for by town money-- up for sale, setting a minimum bid of $20,000.

The Lake Drive neighborhood and “Pleasant Pond devotees,” have since sent petitions of the sale with 70 signatures to the town. The plot of land is the only publically owned parcel on Lake Street and the only access point to the Pond, beach and trail in the area.

The Town selectmen that went to the site deemed that the area was not of great importance to most of the town’s residents because of the lack of parking, limited boat access and steepness of the land. In Town Meeting the Hamilton Selectmen decided to bring the matter to a vote in the May annual meeting.

Read the entire Hamilton-Wenham Chronicle article.

80 New Homes Could Come to Middleton in Next 2-5 Years

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 12:00:00 EDT

The Tri-Town Transcript recently reported that Middleton may be seeing as many as 80 new homes built over the next 2-5 years if two more proposed developments are approved. The three projects that will contain the 80 homes are all set to be built off of East Street, on the Ipswich River.

Olde Boxford Estates was approved in early March by all of the regulatory boards and is the only project of the three to receive approval so far.

The East Meadow Farm Project was most recently presented to the town and would include 21 lots on roughly 28 acres of land. Developers of the project are still looking to receive special waivers to accommodate the plans put forward to the town. The development will be located off of East Street in an area known as Gould Hill.

Read the entire Tri-Town Transcript article.

Massachusetts Housing Authorities Plan towards Smoke-Free Elderly Housing

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 12:00:00 EDT

According to the Marblehead Reporter, the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development and other local housing authorities are in the works of establishing a policy that would designate smoke-free units or entire buildings in elderly housing complexes.

The bill would affect any housing complex with over 100 units, designating 20 percent of the units as smoke free. Housing authorities are working off of two bills, one which is sponsored by Rep. Theodore Speliotis (D-Danvers) and would have one building in every complex be smoke free.

The second bill filed by Rep. Garrett Bradley (D-Hingham) proposes to create non-smoking buildings or floors in elderly housing.

The Department of Housing and Community Development has not taken a position on either bill, but is developing guidelines of their own to create smoke-free housing. “We want to encourage smoke-free housing. We want to implement best practices, and make sure policies that are developed are not punitive,” said Aaron Gornstein, undersecretary of DHCD.

Read the entire Marblehead Reporter article.

High-end Independent Living Proposed for Historic Wenham Building

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 12:00:00 EDT

The Salem News recently reported that the 50-acre estate and mansion known as Penguin Hill in Wenham, MA could be turned into an independent living development with over 230 condominium units for seniors. If approved, building could start as soon as July 2013.

"It is a way to preserve a magnificent property and leave it so the next 50 years will be as distinguished as the last 50," Penguin Hall owner James Mullen said.

In order for the project to become a reality a new special overlay zoning district will have to be approved by Wenham voters at Town Meeting in May. Currently there is no law in the zoning books that would cover this specific project.

The 87-year-old, 20,000-square-foot mansion would be used as the “centerpiece” of the 65+ community. The plan include roughly 150 condominium units that will be “fanning out like wings” from the central mansion. The main building will be used as the grand lobby and a common space including a movie theater, a café, restaurant and a library. Other emendates include an indoor greenhouse, putting green, spa and lap pool.

Units are expected to sell between $350,000 to over $1 million depending on size and location.

Read the entire Salem News article.

29 Single-family Homes Proposed in Haverhill

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 12:00:00 EDT

The Eagle Tribune recently reported that a 29 single-family home development has been proposed in Haverhill, MA by Sylvan Hill Development LLC. If approved the project would be the largest development in Haverhill over the past several years.

The same development company received approval in 2006 for an 88-unit affordable housing project on the same land, but the project was cancelled due to the declining economy. The current proposal would build higher-quality homes and leave roughly 11 acres of open space that can’t be developed in the future, therefore having a smaller impact on the environment.

The project, which will be called Sylvan Hill Crossing, will need special permits from the city in order to build the proposed “cluster-style” development where homes will be placed on smaller lots than usual. On average, lots will be between one quarter and one half of an acre.

"The project being proposed is about one-third the size of what was originally planned, will comply with city zoning and will be individual homes that will ultimately offer better quality housing," said Michael Migliori, the attorney representing Sylvan Hill Development LLC.

Read the entire Eagle Tribune article.

Ipswich Planning Board Looking to Place Limitations on Neighborhood

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 12:00:00 EDT

The Ipswich Chronicle recently reported that the Ipswich Planning Board is interested in placing limitations on the Little Neck neighborhood in order to keep tenants from converting the cottages into year-round residences. The board recently sent a proposal to the Town Counsel for their review.

The land that the Little Neck cottages are settled on is currently owned by the Feoffees of the Grammar School. In December the Ipswich School Committee decided to sell the land for $29.1 million to the Little Neck tenants in order to settle a lawsuit.

The Ipswich Planning Board is concerned that there are not enough limitations in place to keep tenants from becoming year-round residents and enrolling their children in the Ipswich school system. The main concerns of the board include increased classroom numbers, as well as “an adverse effect on that neighborhood,” as stated by Ipswich Planning Director Glenn Gibbs.

There are concerns about whether implementing the limitations on the neighborhood would violate the constitutional rights of the property owners, Gibbs said spot zoning — writing regulations for one specific area — could be a possibility.

Read the entire Ipswich Chronicle article.

Trail System May Connect Newburyport Parks

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 12:00:00 EST

The Newburyport Current recently reported that the city is looking to connect their near 50 parks or open space areas together to make a better “network” of parks. Connecting the parks is part of the goal in the city’s 2012 Open Space and Recreation Plan, which will lay out plans for park and open space areas over the next several years.

“We don’t want [the city] to be so isolated with individual parks. We want to have connections for biking and have more trail connections. That’s a significant area of improvement for us in the coming year,” Said Andrew Port, director of the city’s Office of Planning and Development

Bike trails will already be seeing improvement with the Whittier Bridge project that will allow bikers to cross over the Merrimac River in their own lane alongside Route 95.

The Open Space and Recreation plan is still in the public input stage and will focus on the large amount of open space throughout the city (roughly 50 percent of the cities total land) and also spend some time on the upkeep and maintenance of streetscapes.

Read the entire Newburyport Current article.

Newburyport Flood Maps to be Updated: Costs Will Rise

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 12:00:00 EST

The Daily News recently reported that new Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood maps will likely make developing along the waterfront more expensive in the near future, as well as increase costs to some homeowners.

The flood maps, which are expected to take effect in July, will change flood zones in Newburyport and force developers to raise structures along the waterfront by an estimated three feet. "This will not stop development, but it could make things more expensive,” said Newburyport Planning Director Andy Port.”

An initial FEMA report showed flood plains along the riverfront rising as much as 8 to 10 feet above water level. The report was appealed by the city and new findings estimated that building would need to be built three feet off the ground.

This is the first time the FEMA flood maps will be updated since 1985 and many homeowners along the river in Newburyport and on Plum Island will see changes to their property flood insurance needs. Some property owners that were never required to have flood insurance will now find themselves needing coverage from their lenders. Others will find that their flood zones have changed, requiring them to pay more for flood insurance.

Homeowners in the affected areas are encouraged to talk to their insurance carriers to find out what flood insurance coverage is best for them.

Read the entire Daily News article.

Salem Power Plant Eyed by New Jersey Power Company

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 12:00:00 EST

The Salem Gazette recently reported that New Jersey power company Footprint Power has made a bid on the Salem Harbor Station, a coal and oil-fueled power plant owned by Dominion that is scheduled to close in 2014.

Footprint Power has applied for a permit to run the facility as a “combined-cycle natural gas plant.” If permitted, the facility could be produce large amounts of electric power as soon as 2016.

“We’re in the final stages of due diligence,” said Carole Brennan, spokesman for Footprint. “Footprint is really interested in this plant.”

A large cleanup of the site would first have to be carried out, costing the buyer an estimated $5 million to $20 million. The Salem Harbor Station was named one of the most polluted power plants in New England in a 2000 study by the Harvard School of Public Health.

Read the entire Salem Gazette article.

Athletic Field Location Disputed in Ipswich

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 12:00:00 EST

According to the Ipswich Chronicle, Ipswich may be constructing a new lacrosse or soccer field behind the Doyon School. The location of the field is causing some concern to Doyon principal, employees and parents, and will be discussed this month in school committee meetings.

The space behind the school is currently used by teachers for scientific “field study” with their students. The land is also next to a wetland conservation area. The Athletic Field Study Committee in support of the field believes that building in the location would not be interfering with the wetlands and would not be difficult.

If the plan gets approved the next step is to find funding to build the field. The plan could go to an open town meeting to attempt to receive public funding, or it could be funded privately.

Read the entire Ipswich Chronicle article.

Newburyport Open Space and Recreation Plan to Include Public Suggestions

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 12:00:00 EST

The Salem Gazette recently reported that Newburyport ’s Office of Planning and Development, Parks Commission, and Open Space Committee are looking for input from residents for the 2012 Open Space and Recreation Plan. The plan will map out the next seven years in terms of open space projects, park and playground upgrades, and staffing and management of recreational areas.

Last years the Office of Planning and Development received funds from the Community Preservation Act to help with the 2012 plan. With the money, the city hired Brown Walker Planners, Inc. to help with the plan. The group held a town forum this week to receive suggestions from the public.

You can also give you opinions on the online survey linked here: www.surveymonkey.com/s/NewburyportOSRP2012

Read the entire Salem Gazette article.

Historic Beverly Home to be Demolished

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 12:00:00 EST

The Beverly Citizen recently reported that even after much opposition from locals and Beverly board members, a home that was built in the early 1700’s will be knocked down by the owner and replaced with a Walgreens pharmacy.

The property, located at 48 Dodge Street, is commonly referred to as the Wood-Greenwood House and is considered historically significant by many city board members and the Beverly Historical Society.

“One by one these [historical] houses are being torn down, and it’s taking away the historical value of Beverly. The house is significant and it should be preserved.” said Dan Lohnes, president of the Beverly Historical Society.

Owners of the home, Westward Apple Orchards Limited Partnership, has stated that the space is “functionally obsolete”, and that the property, which is already has commercial zoning, must be redeveloped.

Read the entire Beverly Citizen article.

Haverhill Looks to Develop Forgotten End of Downtown

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:00:00 EST

The Eagle Tribune recently reported that the Haverhill Mayor and city leaders are looking towards developing the Merrimack Street side of downtown Haverhill in 2012. City officials are working to develop new rules that would make it faster and easier to develop in existing buildings on the Merrimack Street side of downtown.

The western end of the downtown on Washington Street has been one of Haverhill’s larger successes over the past five years, with several restaurants, shops and apartments sprouting up recently. Now the city hopes to turn the same attention towards the somewhat forgotten end of the downtown as well as an area across the river in Bradford.

The city’s zoning task force is working on making it easier for developers to create mix-use projects with both office space and housing. Current rules allow such projects, but it is difficult and uncertain to obtain the permit required by the city council to move forward.

"The more developers know what they can do up front, the more likely they are to invest in Merrimack Street and the riverfront," said Mayor James Fiorentini. "We could allow mixed use as a matter of right."

Some changes the mayor is considering include easing parking regulations and allowing developers to build more housing on less land.

Read the entire Eagle Tribune article.

Hamilton Resident Gives Property to Town as Gift

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 12:00:00 EST

The Hamilton-Wenham Chronicle recently reported that Hamilton has been offered a 27.22-acre parcel of land as a gift from resident Joanne Patton. The town is in the works of figuring out what to do with the land if they should accept the parcel at 650 Ashbury Street.

The property is valued at $1.9 million, which includes a historic house and most of the surrounding land with a river access point, and would most likely be used as public playing fields and recreational space.

The historic house on location may be used as a museum by Gordon College, with Lombardo scheduled to meet with the college to discuss long term rental options. The town is considering conducting a traffic study to see the impact of public use of the land.

The gift proposal was recently presented to the town in a commitment letter. Hamilton Town Manager Michael Lombardo had worked with Patton for “several months” to put the proposal together. To accept the gift, Hamilton would need to receive selectmen approval on a gift agreement and also a positive Town Meeting vote.

Read the entire Hamilton-Wenham Chronicle article.

Route 95 Bridge Being Replaced – Effect on Bike Trail

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 12:00:00 EST

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.

Haverhill Paperboard Site Purchased by Developer

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 12:00:00 EST

The Eagle Tribune recently reported that the Haverhill Paperboard Site, 23 acres located along the Merrimack River on the Bradford side, has been purchased by the Barrow Development Group which plans to change the sites name to Pentucket Park.

The lot located on South Kimball Street was home to Haverhill Paperboard, a factory that manufactured paperboard from recycled paper for over 100 years at the location. The factory closed in 2008 and nearly 200 workers lost their jobs.

The developer has not yet decided what to do with the property which could be used to commercial, residential or recreational space. City Mayor James Fiorentini believe that the developer will work well with the city and hopes that Haverhill residents will have access to the river through the site.

In a statement to the Eagle Tribune, Brian Wilson, who heads the development group, stated that the project “will focus on repositioning the existing, functionally obsolete site to achieve the highest and best use for the property,” and that the group is “committed to transforming the project into a performing asset that contributes to the already-thriving downtown district of Haverhill."

Read the entire Eagle Tribune article.

Peabody Recieves Brownfield Grant to Develop New Park

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 12:00:00 EST

The Salem News recently reported that the city of Peabody received $497,000 from MassDevelopment to convert a polluted site in the downtown area into a park. The funds will be used to clean up the area by removing contaminated soil and capping the site with clean fill.

To fund the $1.5 million project, Peabody has received $549,000 from the state, $240,000 from the Environmental Protection Agency, and has put forward $265,000 from the city’s community preservation fund. The city first bought the land, that was one a leather tannery, in 2009 for $115,000.

City officials expect that roughly $800,000 will go towards design, permitting and construction, while the rest will be used for the cleanup. The park project is part of a bigger plan in which the city is attempting to “reimagine” the entire downtown and make it a more sought-after area. The city is already going forward with an $18 million project that will redirect flood waters away from downtown as well as a $1.5 million redesign of Main Street.

Read the entire Salem News article.

Boxford Library Deemed Incompatible with the Area

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 12:00:00 EST

The Tri-town Transcript recently reported that the Boxford Historic Districts Commission turned down, in a 3-2 vote, the certificate of appropriateness for the new library project propped for the historic Boxford area.

The board members that turned the plan down stated that the 18,000 square foot building was too large for the area, and that the design of the building was “incompatible” with the surrounding historic neighborhood.

Read the entire Tri-town Transcript article.

New Salem Downtown Renewal Plan Put in Place

Mon, 26 Dec 2011 12:00:00 EST

The Salem Gazette recently reported that the Salem City Council voted for a new Downtown Renewal Plan, replacing the Downtown Heritage East and West Urban Renewal Plans that had been in place previously.

The new plan will guide downtown development for the next 30 years. Guidelines in the plan include standards for construction, storefronts, signage, parking, and anything else area business would be concerned about when moving to the city. The prior plan, which had been in place for over 40 years, was said to be out of date with its building guidelines and regulations. The new plan also incorporated some new land that the past plan did not.

“The plan is one that will take the city from the twentieth century into the twenty-first,” said ward 2 councilor Michael Sowsnoski, the representative of the largest area of the downtown.

The Cecil Group was hired by the city for $50,000 to codify the plans and to make sure that new design standards are in place.

“The firm is well versed in the laws both local and state that can be used to set the guidelines the members of the Salem Redevelopment authority use to help maintain the historic character of Salem, while at the same time encouraging growth and investment in the downtown,” said Sosnowski.

Read the entire Salem News article.

Newburyport Waterfront Development Plans

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 12:00:00 EST

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.

Ipswich Wind Turbine II Plans Moving Along

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 12:00:00 EST

The Ipswich Chronicle recently reported that plans for the area’s second wind turbine, Wind Turbine II, are getting close to becoming finalized. There are four major steps before the turbine can be built.

The builder, D&C Construction must first get special permits from the Planning Board and the Board of Selectmen, make an agreement on the price of the electricity generated by the turbine, reach a lease agreement with the Selectmen for the town-owned property at 180 Town Farm Road, and finally purchase a turbine by Jan 1st in order to get a government grant.

The Board of Selectmen seems to be moving the process along quickly and completing the four steps before the January 1st deadline appears very doable. D&C Construction has proposed an electricity sale price of 9.3 cents per kilowatt-hour, which is less than the 10.3 cents charged by Turbine 1.

Read the entire Ipswich Chronicle article.

Gloucester Company Investing in Waterfront; Receives Tax Break

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 12:00:00 EST

A Gloucester Times editorial discussed that the city of Gloucester will be extending an $18,672 tax increment financing agreement to local fish processor company, Gorton’s. Gorton is planning to make a $13 million investment in the Gloucester waterfront, and the Gloucester will be granting the company a tax break, which is compiled over five years starting in 2014.

Groton’s has been in Gloucester since 1849 and shows no signs of moving elsewhere after investing in a new expansion to their production line recently. The $13 million project is projected to bring roughly 30 new jobs to the area and the project will not take up any more of the waterfront that the building currently does. The Gloucester Zoning Board of Appeals already approved the 6-foot exemption to the height restrictions that the project needed to go forward on developing the I-4, C-2 site project.

Read the entire Gloucester Times editorial.

Haverhill Looks to Planning Professionals for Downtown Ideas

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 12:00:00 EST

The Eagle Tribune recently reported that a group of urban planners, including architects and engineers, walked the streets of downtown Haverhill looking for ways to improve the Merrimack Street end of downtown, as well some areas on the Bradford side of the Merrimack River.

The Urban Land Institute, a non-profit research and education organization, agreed to work with Haverhill in developing a plan for the downtown area. About 20 planning professionals met in Haverhill to view the areas of interest and attend an all day seminar for discussion. The group will be sending Haverhill a 25-30 page report giving design ideas, plans, and “alternative ideas.”

"Haverhill has a downtown with a lot of potential," said Barry Abramson, and expert in urban re-development and a member of the group. "In a lot of downtowns in New England, you have to build from scratch. Here, you already have so much vitality on the Washington Street side, there's real potential to extend that. And if you could access this river to a more meaningful way, you'd really have something here."

Read the entire Eagle Tribune article.

MA State Government Adds Tax Credits for Low-Income Housing

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 12:00:00 EST

The Gloucester Times recently reported that the state will be doubling its funding for low-income housing development next year through tax credits. The state will now be contributing more funds to that state than the federal government does.

The federal government contributes $14.2 million in tax credits to Massachusetts, opposed to $10 million that the state has provided. Starting next year the state is increasing their tax credits up to $20 million until June 30, 2014.

With the additional state tax credits it is expected that another 25 low-income projects, or roughly 1,200 units, will be developed that may not have been in the past. This translates into over 1,200 jobs in the Bay State.

Read the entire Gloucester Times article.

Haverhill Mayor Looks to Buy Land For Rail Trail Parking

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:00:00 EST

The Eagle Tribune recently reported that the Mayor of Haverhill, James Fiorentini, is interested in purchasing a 30,000-square foot parcel of land for the city to pave a parking lot and create a main entrance to the Bradford Rail Trail.

The Bradford Rail Trail follows the Merrimack River for roughly a half mile on the Bradford side of the river. The trail was built on land that was purchased from the Pan Am Railways by Haverhill in 2008 for $500,000. The land of interest is also owned by Pan Am Railways. Although the city of Haverhill does have some grant money to improve the rail trail, it is unclear if that money can go towards the purchasing of new land for the parking lot.

"The land would provide greater access and parking areas for users of the rail trail, which continues to grow in popularity," Fiorentini said of the new piece of land. "The neighbors of the rail trail, whose success is so critical to the project, have expressed a desire for the city to obtain additional off-street parking for the users of the trail."

The Mayor told the Haverhill city council that a decision should be made quickly, as it is believed that Pan Am Railways will look for other buyers in the near future. The price of the land is set at $65,000 and is said to be non-negotiable.

Read the entire Eagle Tribune article.