A decades long hope to create a public access point along the Merrimack River in Andover may be coming to fruition.
Last month, the Andover Conservation Commission approved a plan to create a boat ramp, seasonal docks and parking on the river on a town-owned parcel off of River Road. Under the plan, the land would be connected to River Road by widening a footpath to an 18-foot-wide gravel road. There will also be a turnaround ramp for launching boats from trailers.
Andover Fire Rescue’s water division, which currently launches from Lawrence, could also establish a launch on the property to reduce response times, the Town said in a news release.
“There were a few very determined individuals, including some people on the Conservation Commission who just doggedly pursued this for decades,” commission Chair Donald Cooper said in a statement. “Four or five years ago, the current Town administration really stepped up and took control of it, and has included us at every stage.”
Photo: Town of Andover