A group of 13 Andover residents made good on their threat to sue the Town in an effort to block the paving of the Haggetts Pond Trail.
“The Property is a valuable natural resource protected by” Massachusetts state law, the plaintiffs said in a complaint filed in Essex Superior Court Thursday. “It is imperative that this natural resource be preserved from development which would significantly degrade or destroy its value in protecting the public water supply.”
The lawsuit was filed on the same day Andover released a request for proposals to contractors who want to complete the first phase of the paving project. The Town maintains paving the mile-long stretch of trail will make the trail more accessible without causing significant environmental damage.
By policy, the Town of Andover does not comment on active litigation.
The plaintiffs have staged a grassroots effort for more than a year to block the project. In addition to issuing a temporary order blocking the project from commencing while the lawsuit is pending, they want the court to rule the land is protected under state law and reimbursement for legal costs.
If the court rules in their favor, the Town would need to get approval from the state legislature changing the use of the land before it could move forward with the project.