The following letter to the editor was submitted by Andover residents Doug and Deborah Cummings. The views expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Andover News. You can learn more about our policy on opinion and commentary on our Mission and Policies page.
We have attended most of the MBTA forums, MBTA Committee working meetings, MBTA zoning meetings, and the related Planning Board and Select Board meetings. We wish to correct some of the comments made in the April 23rd Opinion piece about the upcoming MBTA Warrant Article.
- A new Multifamily Overlay District is required by state law to allow the opportunity of multifamily housing. This zoning by-law is not a mandate to build. Unfortunately the existing Historic Mill District (HMOD) does not meet the requirements of the new state law, so is not an option.
- The existing HMOD cannot support 3,000 units due to setbacks, state exclusions, parking spaces, roadways, sidewalks, green spaces, etcetera. Since approval 9 years ago, the HMOD has not had any development.
- The new zoning will allow up to 2123 dwelling units, not 4000 as stated in the opinion piece. The state requirement for Andover is 2031 but recommends closer to 2200 in the event some areas are excluded. This is a difference of 92 units.
- The proposed zoning puts 1,236 units in the downtown area, 119 units in Ballardvale, and 768 on River Road. Housing units are dispersed across the town, so that no one area is overwhelmed. According to town records in 1990 there were 10,892 dwelling units in town and 5,180 students. In 2020 there were 13,766 dwelling units and 5526 students. An increase of 2,784 dwelling units brought an additional 326 student. If all possible 2123 units were built with the proposed MBTA zoning that would be an increase of 249 students.
- Creating new multifamily zones with strategic multiuse buildings will allow for the creation of new neighborhoods within town. Both Ballardvale and River Road are already connected to town and Avis trails. MVRTA bus service exists now at the River Road site. This zoning creates the opportunity for new housing to be connected by sidewalks, and become walkable to new playgrounds, playing fields, and parks.
- Strategically utilizing unused industrial land in the I-93 corridor for housing can increase the opportunity for employees of companies in that corridor to live closer to work and potentially reduce traffic in that area. The MBTA zoning maps show that the housing would be on the periphery of the industrial areas so as not to set up antagonistic relations between industry and residents.
People need to make their decisions based upon the facts. We urge you to research this before voting.
The link to the proposed MBTA Zoning Bylaw is: https://andoverma.gov/1069/Multifamily-Overlay-District
Doug and Deborah Cummings
High Street
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