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Town of Andover Newsletter
May 24, 2023 | No. 009
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Elm Square Traffic Study
Town Invites Residents to Community Forum on Elm Square Traffic Study
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The Town of Andover invites members of the community to attend a public forum on the recently initiated traffic study of the Elm Square intersection on Thursday, June 8 from 7:00-9:00 PM at WWI Memorial Auditorium at Doherty Middle School. The event will provide an opportunity for participants to learn about what the traffic study entails, its timeline, and factors that will be examined in the process. Attendees will have an opportunity to share their concerns related to the current state of the intersection and ideas for potential improvements.
Town personnel representing the Police Department, Facilities Department, Public Works, and Town Manager’s Office, representatives from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), and engineers from TEC, the firm hired by the Town to conduct the traffic study, will be on hand during the event to provide information and answer questions.
Funding for the Elm Square traffic study was approved during Annual Town Meeting on May 1, 2023. While funding approved at Town Meeting would typically not be available until July 1, Town Manager Andrew Flanagan authorized the traffic study to be initiated immediately in response to the tragic accident that resulted in the fatality of a child in Elm Square on May 9.
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Shawsheen River Community Paddling Event
Town Teams Up With Andover Trails to Introduce Residents to the Shawsheen River
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The Shawsheen River is among Andover’s most important geographic features. A meandering tributary of the Merrimack River that flows more than seven miles through the heart of Andover, the Shawsheen defined settlement patterns throughout the Town’s early history and helped power its industrial rise in the 19th century. Though no longer the lifeblood of Andover’s economy, the Shawsheen remains a valuable recreational and educational asset to town residents.
The Shawsheen’s striking natural landscapes, tranquil waters, and unique wildlife are familiar to the dedicated coalition of paddlers who take to it by boat each spring and those who hike along its banks. Because the river is secluded at many points however, the limitless recreational opportunities offered by the river remain unknown to many Andover residents.
On May 13, Andover Trails and the Town of Andover teamed up to host a community paddling event aimed at introducing more residents to the remarkable recreational benefits that the Shawsheen River has to offer. An estimated 60 residents, including many families and first-time paddlers, converged on Shawsheen Pines for the opportunity to experience the river by boat.
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Select Board Brief
Select Board Votes to Proceed with Fourth of July Fireworks, Receives Update on Pedestrian Safety Improvements at Elm Square, and Considers Town MassWorks Grant Application for Essex Street Corridor
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The Town’s efforts to review pedestrian safety in the Elm Square intersection, planning around the 2023 Fourth of July Fireworks show, and a proposal to seek funding through the MassWorks Infrastructure Grant program were among the topics discussed as the Select Board gaveled-in on Monday, May 15 at the Robb Center’s Lifelong Learning Room. The meeting marked the Board’s first since Annual Town Meeting, and the first that Melissa Danisch presided over as Chair following the Board’s reorganization last month.
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Participatory Capital Budgeting
Town Announces Selection of Projects for Second Year of Participatory Capital Budgeting Program
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The Town of Andover has announced the selection of eleven projects that will be funded through the FY2023 Participatory Capital Budgeting program. The program, currently in its second year, allows residents to weigh in on how a designated portion of the Town’s capital funds should be spent by submitting proposals for projects or programs in the community.
Residents were invited to submit capital project suggestions for the second year of the program from October 2022 through January 2023. The Town conducted extensive public outreach to generate proposals during the application period. A total of 41 project applications were submitted through this process. To be eligible for funding, projects were required to be one-time expenses, and to be on Town property or have a municipal purpose.
The eleven projects selected range in estimated cost from $500 to about $10,000, and include signage and traffic calming infrastructure to improve pedestrian safety in key areas, new amenities in public parks throughout Town, and even a pollinator garden. The projects represent a total estimated investment of $53,000, funded through a combination of general funds appropriated by Town Meeting as part of the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.
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2023 Public Water System Awards
Andover Public Works Earns State Recognition for Effort to Investigate, Replace Lead Service Lines
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In 2022, Andover Public Works undertook a monumental effort to inventory and remove lead service lines across Town, inspecting 1,003 services lines within a one-year span and replacing 38 identified lead lines. In recognition of this achievement, the Department was honored as a recipient of a 2023 Public Water System Award presented by the Massachusetts Department of Environment Protection (MassDEP) at a ceremony held at the State House on May 11.
Public Water System Awards are presented by MassDEP annually during National Drinking Water Week, and recognize departments that have demonstrated exceptional compliance records, leading conservation efforts, and a commitment to water quality. Andover was selected among all water systems in the Northeast Region for Regional Recognition.
“Andover went well above and beyond the investigation requirements for their LSL inventory by investigating 1003 services during 2022,” wrote Mass DEP Drinking Water Program Director Yvette Depeiza in a letter notifying Andover Public Works of its award. “This enormous effort to investigate services lines and remove LSLs is a monumental accomplishment in the interest of public health.”
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MBTA Communities Conversation
Town Invites Residents to Participate in MBTA Communities Zoning Conversation
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The Town of Andover invites residents to attend a community visioning session on the new MBTA Communities zoning law on Wednesday, June 7 at 6:30 PM at Memorial Hall Library. The event will include an overview of the multifamily zoning requirements established by the law, and potential strategies for its implementation in Andover presented by Town Planning staff. Attendees will be encouraged to share their thoughts on what priorities should be considered as the Town develops a multifamily zoning district that complies with the law.
The event marks the continuation of a community-driven process to evaluate implementation of the MBTA Communities zoning law launched by the Town’s division of Planning & Land Use earlier this year. The first community conversation on the topic was held on March 1, 2023. Later in March, the Town announced the creation of an MBTA Community Working Group that will be responsible for conducting outreach to the community and identifying ways to achieve compliance with state regulations. Members of the Working Group will be introduced during the June 7 forum.
The MBTA Communities zoning law, enacted as part of a 2021 economic development package, requires communities that host MBTA service, or that are adjacent to communities hosting MBTA service, create at least one district in which multi-family housing is permitted as of right, meaning that development within the district may take place without the need for a special permit or other discretionary approval.
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Andover Art Walk
Local Artists Display Work at 30 Businesses Across Andover During First Annual Art Walk
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The first Andover Art Walk is officially underway. Through June 9, artwork by local artists will be on display at 30 businesses across Andover. Head to the link below for a map of participating businesses, and go out on a self-guided tour of Andover to check out all 30 locations.
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Andover Observes Memorial Day
Ceremonies and Events Scheduled for Monday, May 29 in Honor of Memorial Day
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Andover Veterans Services and the Patriotic Holiday Committee is hosting several ceremonies in honor of Memorial Day on Monday, May 29.
Observances and Flag Placements will take place on Monday morning at the following times and locations:
- West Parish Cemetery - 7:00 AM
- St. Augustine Cemetery - 7:30 AM
- Spring Grove Cemetery - 8:00 AM
The Annual Memorial Day Parade will begin at 10:00 AM at the intersection of Elm Street and Florence Street. The parade can be observed from portions of Elm Street, Main Street, Punchard Ave., and Bartlet Street.
A brief ceremony will be held in The Park adjacent to Town Offices immediately following the parade.
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