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New Location for Tree Hearing
Chris Young, a member of Friends of Andover Community Trees (FACT), suggests that, in addition to attending the hearing, concerned citizens should send letters opposing the removal of Taylor Cove street trees to tree warden Randy Pickerskill and his boss, Joe Piantedosi, and to copy the town manager, Buzz Stapczynksi.
Email sent to cemetery@andoverma.gov and/or facilities@andoverma.gov should reach both Randy and Joe. Buzz can be reached at manager@andoverma.gov.
In the letter list your objections to the trees’ being removed (environmental, aesthetic, decreased property value, erosion–whatever you are concerned about) and possibly your geographic connection to the land, if you live near the trees. Send the letter in advance or bring it to the meeting.
Also, the meeting location has changed. The current details are:
7:00 PM
Plant & Facilities Dept – Forestry Division
Town Offices – Bartlet Street
1st Floor Conference Room (moved from 3rd floor conf room)
A citizen who works to promote sustainability and environmentally friendly practices in the town of Andover just shared a note she received from another resident environmentalist.
It seems that the developer’s plan to cut down many mature shade trees in order to build the Taylor Cove development has kicked in a state shade-tree article which states, in part, “…public shade trees shall not be cut, trimmed or removed, in whole or in part, by any person other than the tree warden or his deputy, even if he be the owner of the fee in the land on which such tree is situated.”
And also “Tree wardens shall not…grant a permit for the cutting down or removal of a public shade tree if, at or before a public hearing as provided in the preceding section, objection in writing is made by one or more persons, unless such cutting or removal or permit to cut or remove is approved by the selectmen or by the mayor.”
Following is an excerpt from the note that my friend received and shared, including information about the town hearing:
“…I’m also letting you know about the tree hearing next Wednesday night regarding the Todd Wacome 40B development on River St., Ballardvale. Don’t know much about it, but a lot of trees will give their life for a driveway, from what I hear. See below…
“TOWN OF ANDOVER NOTICE PUBLIC MEETING TREE HEARING
Under Chapter 87, Sections 3 and 4, of the General Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, a Public Hearing will be held to consider the removal of three 14 inch diameter White Oak trees and eleven 10-24 inch diameter Red Oak trees located directly across the street from 83 River St. (Proposed 40B subdivision). The public meeting will be held at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, Dec.16th in the Selectmen’s Conference Room, Third Floor, Andover Town Offices, 36 Bartlet Street.”
A coalition has come together to protect Chapter 40B, the state law that strips many cities and towns of the ability to regulate housing construction by developers that pledge to create a certain percentage of below-market-rate housing units, the The MetroWest Daily News reports.
To read the article, go to:
http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/x962894874/Chapter-40B-proponents-defend-housing-law
Please click on the following link to read.
ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
November 5, 2009, 8:00 PM
Selectmen’s Conference Room, 3rd Floor, 36 Bartlet St., Andover
[Several agenda items precede the 40B hearing, so zoning administrative secretary Barbara Burke suggests arriving at 8:00 PM.]
Continued 40B Public Hearing:
3803 – 0 + 86 River St, 15R Charlotte Dr – Taylor Cove
ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
October 1, 2009, 7:00 PM
Selectmen’s Conference Room, 3rd Floor, 36 Bartlet St., Andover
[Several agenda items precede the 40B hearing, so zoning administrative secretary Barbara Burke suggests arriving at 7:30 PM.]
Continued 40B Public Hearing:
3803 – 0 + 86 River St, 15R Charlotte Dr – Taylor Cove
The I-93 Tri-Town Task Force will be holding its next meeting on September 24 at 8:00 AM in the 2nd floor conference room in the School Administration Building at Whittier Court.
At this meeting the consulting team of VHB will present an overview of the upcoming 15 month planning process, which includes extensive community outreach and participation in interviews, design charrettes, and public meetings. The task force also plans to hear from representatives from of MassHighway pertaining to the interchange project.
For more information on the project, which has a huge potential impact on Ballardvale, go to http://andoverma.gov/planning/i93/
Here is a link to the latest Townsman article on Taylor Cove:
http://www.andovertownsman.com/local/local_story_252170843.html
Law firm Mintz Levin has published an article about the Massachusetts Housing Appeals Committee’s overturning of the Andover ZBA’s decision about Taylor Cove.
Here is a link to the article:
http://www.mondaq.com/article.asp?articleid=84928
Per Barbara Burke, Andover zoning administrative secretary, “The Andover ZBA will conduct a site view of the proposed Taylor Cove 40B project site on Wednesday, September 16, 2009 at 6 p.m. The site address is 86 River Street, Andover.”
ZBA Chairman Stephen Anderson has said that any interested party may attend the site visit.
Taylor Cove is also on the agenda for the next ZBA meeting, which will be held October 1, 2009, 7 PM, in the Selectmen’s Conference Room, 3rd Floor, Town Offices, 36 Bartlet St., Andover.
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