Category Archives: The Waterfront

The Waterfront, Newburyport, MA

Mr. Steven Karp and Downtown Newburyport

The corner of State Street and Middle Street in downtown Newburyport, MA.

I walked by the store that used to be the Candle and Mug shop. A much beloved place, accessible to all socio economic groups of folks.

This is one of the properties that is now owned by Newburyport’s new landlord, Mr. Steven Karp.

The first time I walked by, it was about to pour rain, so I didn’t go in. But I went back the next day.

The shop, that just opened, sells shoes (and a few clothes, but mostly shoes).

It has a very “up-scale” look.

(Note to readers: I probably am one of the few women in the USA who doesn’t love shoes. That’s just me. But I respect all those folks out there who do love shoes.)

I went into the shop and picked up a very nice looking pair of shoes, and went, “Ooops, not in my price range.”

Then I went and picked up another pair of shoes and went, “Oooo, really not in my price range.”

Then I saw a pair of boots and when I looked at the price, I said to myself, “Don’t even go there.”

And finally, I saw a pair of men’s shoes that I was impressed by, but when I saw the price, I went, “Say what?”

Let’s just say this is not a place that middle income families are going to be shopping at a lot. This store is definitely geared towards the more “well to do.”

And this is where Mr. Karp could be headed with Newburyport, MA.

This is not a chain store. This is a store out of Maine, that is beginning to expand (one day it might become a chain store, but it now has 6 stores, so it’s not chain store at the moment.)

This is a privately owned, family run business, not local, but out of New England (Maine). It’s been around since 1830. All very hard to argue with.

It is also aimed at a certain socio economic group. (It does not fit in with the goals of our Master Plan.)

Sigh.

So, enjoy places like Angies. Give the “buyLocal” stores in town that appeal to all socio economic groups of people, lots of patronage, because it would be my guess that they would need it.

If the new shop at the corner of Middle and State Street (as nice as it might be) is any indication of where Mr. Karp might be going, it could be a pretty good indicator of the direction that Newburyport might be taking in the next 10 years.

(For those who might not know, Mr. Karp owns a great deal of downtown Newburyport, and has bought up a great deal of waterfront property in Newburyport, MA.)

And I don’t know, my guess would be that if folks might not like it, that if this would be in fact Mr. Karp’s objective, that there would not be much that anyone could do about it. (To re-state the obvious, this is the danger of one person owning so much vital property in Newburyport, MA.)

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

(Editor’s Note: Mr. Karp has been on a many people’s minds the last few days. BuyLocal sponsored and co-sponsored two events this weekend. And Ed Cameron has recently blogged about Mr. Karp noting that the phrase “high-end consumer” appeared to be a phrase that is often used. And Tom Salemi on his blog is doing some major in-depth blogging on Mr. Steven Karp.)

Messy Municipal Process

I’ve read (I think) a number of times in the Newburyport Daily News and at least once on Bruce Menin’s Blog that the electorate is impatient with the Newburyport School Committee and would like them to hurry up and make decisions.

As I recall, I have read these words or similar words, from “Yes for Newburyport” members (pro-override group for the Newburyport Schools).

And a number of “Yes for Newburyport” folks are running for Newburyport School Committee.

Unfortunately, running a municipality is a slow and messy business.

John Moak hoped to come in as Mayor of Newburyport, MA and clear up the Central Waterfront and parking issues ASAP, and what he found was, nope, not so easy to do.

In fact Mr. Moak’s opponent in the November 6th election, Jim Stiles, is a pro-waterfront, less-parking on the waterfront candidate. So much for easy, no hassle solutions.

And if one, some or all of the “Yes” folks get elected to the Newburyport School Committee, I imagine they would find that, yes indeed, this is not a CEO, let’s make a decision now sort of thing.

Having the honor of serving as an elected official is about public process and public input, which is almost always muddled and chaotic.

And if that public input could be short-changed, look out. Whatever decision was made, almost always backfires.

In fact, I hate to say it, but it’s almost always best to have too much public input than not enough, especially on hot-button issues.

And the since the special spring election for the override for the Newburyport schools, unfortunately, (in part, in my opinion, due to a hurried decision–an example of a quick decision backfiring big time) the Newburyport Schools have become a very polarizing issue in this small New England city.

So whoever wins the election for Newburyport School Committee would, I imagine, need to ask for the “Wisdom of Solomon,” because that, and public process, is what it is going to take to start to resolve the conundrum that is facing our Newburyport city schools.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

(Editor’s note: The folks running for Newburyport School Committee for the election on November 6, 2007 are: Nicholas Dekanter, Scott Frisch, Tracey Hurst, Barbara McDonough, Bruce Menin, Stephanie Weaver.)

Newburyport, Mayoral Campaign 2005

An astute reader of the Newburyport Blog told me that the mayoral race is a “third rail, be careful.”

I just can’t seem to help myself. Maybe I have a third rail wish, I don’t know. But I thought it might be interesting to go back and take a look at how Mayor John Moak ran his campaign in 2005.

And John Moak ran an incredibly effective mayoral campaign in 2005.

The face of that campaign were Mr. Moak’s friends, family and neighbors, people not usually associated with politics, but who believed that he would be a good mayor. It was welcoming and it was the face of the community.

It helped that so many of us knew him to be incredibly affable and helpful when we went or called Newburyport City Hall for assistance.

And Mr. Moak had watched many, many mayors and many, many Newburyport city councils, and many folks figured, what a great education for a perspective mayor.

The very conservative folks, who also backed his candidacy, were not the “face” of his campaign. And what a very smart move that was.

Mr. Moak was not particularly articulate. And it is my own opinion that this worked in his favor. People were for routing him, hoping that he would do well.

And the electorate projected on this genial candidate, what they thought he would be for, they did not appear to be listening to what he actually did stand for.

I remember talking to people, and no matter what I said they did not believe me when I tried to convince them that Mr. Moak would be a conservative mayor. They thought I was nuts. They were shocked when it turned out that John Moak had conservative backers and conservative tendencies.

And when Mayor Moak wanted to turn the entire waterfront into a parking lot, people were outraged. But John Moak had campaigned on that very issue. Either most folks weren’t listening, or most folks didn’t believe it would be true. After all, as I remember, mayoral candidate Lisa Mead proposed a parking lot over Route 1 and that, to this day, has never materialized.

And I wonder if John Moak had run a very different kind of campaign whether he would have won or not. We will never know.

If some of the conservative folks had been the “face” of his effort, and he had been more strident and combative, what kind of effect would that have had? My guess is that it would at least have been a much closer race and that his opponent might well have won.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, Urban Renewal

Given what I call Newburyport’s often “historic amnesia” I am very grateful to the Newburyport Daily News for their series on Newburyport’s Urban Renewal, “A Port In Progress.”

The series can be found online. According to the Newburyport Daily News, the newspaper would like to “carry “A Port in Progress” over a long haul.”

My hope would be that the Newburyport Daily News would leave this series up permanently, because it is the only thing that I am able to find online about Newburyport’s Urban Renewal.

From an informal conversation, it sounds as if the Newburyport Daily News has been working on this for a long time, not only on the stories, but going through various archives for the photographs about Newburyport’s Urban Renewal as well.

And for me, having those photographs easily available to the public of what Newburyport was like, is priceless.

I moved here in 1981, just after downtown Newburyport had been restored. The rest of Newburyport, MA was beginning to follow. And it was far from the “upscale metropolis” that it is now in 2007.

One of my concerns as I’ve been blogging, is that the people who have moved here “recently” (and that can be defined in so many ways) have no idea of the kind of trauma and then growing pains this small New England seaport city has experienced in the last 4 decades, a very short amount of time.

One look at some of the photographs of the demolition and then agonizing restoration, puts so much of what Newburyport has been through in perspective, almost instantaneously.

So check out this series ” A Port In Progress ” by the Newburyport Daily News. It is a series to be learned from and it is a real service to our community.

A very big “thank you” to the Newburyport Daily News.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, The Garage, The Central Waterfront

My friend, Jim Roy, has been after me to write a post about “the garage.” (He says enough with the frogs.)

The garage, the garage, the garage. Deja vu all over again. Or like “Groundhog Day,” the movie where the same thing keeps happening over and over again.

Ok, Newburyport, MA has been promised 5 million towards a garage by the Commonwealth of MA. And if Mr. Karp would like to cough up the other whatever million, and if the garage would go on the “Lombardi” property, which is owned by someone other than Mr. Karp, so Mr. Karp would have to buy it, and if the garage would have a similar plan to what was designed, lo those many years ago (which I always thought was a great design), I’m all for it.

The voters, the last time around voted for Mr. Moak, in part, because they didn’t want to pay tax payer dollars for a garage. But there doesn’t appear to be any chit chat here for tax payers paying for any garage.

Now the Lagasses (Ann Lagasse, who I remember, was on that “garage committee,” and a darned good committee it was too) weren’t going to pony up money (no Mr. Karp at that time) to co-author a garage on that spot (which in my mind is the only good spot for a garage). So why in the world would Mr. Karp?

Hope he does, I’d like it. I’d like it a lot.

The other thing I hear floating around, is no more Open Waterfront, but historically sensitive building on that Newburyport Redevelopment Authority property. Oy veh. Yet another idea. Here we go yet one more time.

Yes, let’s postpone this whole Waterfront shebang another 50 maybe another 100 years. It can only add to the Waterfront Saga.

And I’m excited about the designs coming in for an open Central Waterfront. Although, I recall, this has already been done before.

It was after Mr. Foster was finally defeated that I remember a design for those dirt parking lots in the front hall of Newburyport City Hall. Deja vu all over again.

Why are we so passionate about this last piece of Newburyport Redevelopment land? It’s as if we can’t let go of that last little bit.

So, I’m not putting any bets anywhere on this one. And I still don’t think that the Waterfront Opus is going to be resolved in my lifetime. Although, of course, I’d like it a lot if it actually was.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, MA, New England Development

From reading the Newburyport Daily News last week it sounded like a nifty New England Development, Karpian “love-fest.” Chuck Lagasse, Ann Lagasse, George Hilton, the mayor. It sounded like everybody’s just “yummy.” Everyone frolicking around except for the one person Newburyport, MA would very much like to see up close and personal, Mr. Stephen Karp.

I got to say that since Stephen Karp has never made a public appearance in Newburyport, MA (Newburyport Daily News, February 16, 2007), that no matter what Mr. Karp might say at this point, it is my opinion that the populace of Newburyport, MA might be skeptical, to say the least. (Is this an vast understatement? Yes.)

I do not believe that the issue is, that the residents of Newburyport, MA might lack “patience” in regards to a huge waterfront development by Mr. Karp, that could or could not radically and permanently damage Newburyport, MA. I think that the issue is a matter of trust, or to clarify, unearned trust by Mr. Stephen Karp himself.

After the series of articles in the Newburyport Daily News, I wanted to call up our mayor or Mr. Hilton (who just sold his Marina to Mr. Karp for lots and lots of money) and say, “is this really a love-fest??”

I’ve been told many times that I should call people like our mayor and George Hilton for comments. But I gotta tell you, I would feel a little silly (not in the good sense “silly,” but in the silly sense “silly”) calling up and saying, “hi, this is Mary Baker Eaton from the Newburyport Political Blog, would you be willing to make a comment? Is this really a love-fest or what?”

However, having made the acquaintance of both Sarah White (Newburyport Preservation Trust) and Allyson Lawless (Buy Local), I did get in touch with both of these young ladies who were quoted in the Newburyport Daily News article, February 16, 2007, and asked, “is this really a love-fest or what? Is everybody as “yummy” as everyone sounds?”

And to give both young ladies mucho credit, neither one of them thought I was totally “whacked.” (They both like frogs. ) (And hey, I am getting the “you are totally whacked” thing because of the frogs, and maybe other stuff as well, I don’t know.)

And in the article in the Newburyport Daily News, February 16, 2007, it was pointed out by Ms Lawless that all we have to go on is what Mr. Karp has done for his other projects and developments. And yes, both young ladies are “concerned,” not “hysterical,” not “fearful” but “concerned.”

And whether or not what New England Development does is “tasteful” or not, did not appear to be the issue. Whether or not what New England Development does or does not do is “appropriate” or “inappropriate” for our New England seacoast city, is very much the issue indeed.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, The Waterfront

Is anyone who has been following the riveting Central Waterfront ongoing saga now surprised that Mayor John Moak did not reappoint Janet Marcus, the current chair of the Newburyport Redevelopment Authority?

Well, I gotta tell you, I’m not.

No big surprise here. Mayor John Moak has been upfront and center about his wish to have LOTS of parking on Newburyport’s Central Waterfront, and there was some disagreement on this one on Ms Marcus’s part. (Is this an understatement? Yes.)

And should Patricia Dorfman, the former Executive Director of the Customs House Maritime Museum as an appointee be a huge surprise? I don’t think so.

Ms Dorfman has stated her understanding for parking in regards to the Customs House Maritime Museum, and perhaps Mr. Moak is hoping for a receptive ear.

My experience is that Ms Dorfman is a very bright young lady. And it is also my experience with very bright young ladies is that they are not always as predictable as one might expect. Don’t put any money down on this one yet, folks. I’m not.

And my experience is that Ms Dorfman is very personable and easy to get along with. This seems to be a prerequisite when it comes to Moakian appointments. Is this a terrible, terrible character flaw? In my book there are a whole lot worse, let me tell you.

Ok, so let’s say that this the worse case scenario happens. All Mayor Moak’s appointments turn out to share and vote for his very focused goal of having LOTS of parking on the Central Waterfront and NOT paying any attention to the people’s wishes in 2 surveys of having half park and half parking.

What Mayor John Moak does not appear to grasp yet, is if the “all-parking” thing actually got voted on, it would be litigated in the courts for years.

Legally the Commonwealth of Massachusetts will not allow it. And forget about the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, war chests in Newburyport, MA are most probably already being stocked for this very possible conclusion.

My money is on Ms Dorfman being fair and balanced. But whether she would be fair and balanced or not, one thing seems to be almost guaranteed, no matter what happens, the Central Waterfront Saga may “delight” and “entertain” us for years and possibly yet many more duplicate decades to come. This is only the 85th act of goodness knows how many acts of the Central Waterfront performance to follow.

And yet one more thing. I hear “newbies” (good grief, I a “newbie never a native” who has been here for “only” 26 years, am now calling 5-10 year transplants “newbies”) speculating on all kinds of things that might be possible on the Central Waterfront property.

To these “5-10” year “newbies,” whatever you have thought of, has not only been thought of before, but has been vigorously fought over before. But, hey, if everyone wants to fight about those things all over again, go right ahead. Just “enhances” the Central Waterfront drama that much more.

Who’s to say there should be any time limit on this saga. A half a century, a full century, maybe even 2 full centuries. Why not go for the Guinness Book of Records for the longest and “most delightful” civic brawl?

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, a Hotel, the Waterfront

Mayor John Moak would very much like Mr. Stephen Karp to build a hotel on Mr. Karp’s waterfront property.

The only thing that would appear more cursed than resolving the Central Waterfront parking conundrum, would be a hotel on Newburyport’s waterfront.

Hmm… let’s see, Roger Foster had an awful lot of problems with a proposed hotel on the waterfront way back when. Didn’t do much for his pocket book, as I recall, a lot of litigation.

And, hmm… let’s see, my recollection is that the Lagasses, who bought a lot of property from Mr. Foster, also proposed a hotel on the waterfront. And that was way back whenever. That proposal is still being litigated, yo these many, many years later. (Newburyport Current, February 2, 2007)

The Newburyport hotel waterfront curse. Be a real selling point for anyone wanting to leap in yet again. And from what I can make out from the article by Ulrika Gerth in the Newburyport Current, February 2, 2007, there is a little bit of hesitation. No one appears to be running gleefully towards the notion with wide and inviting open arms.

Judging from past contentious history, the notion of a hotel might be approached with caution. But no, Mayor John Moak apparently would like to dive into this one.

“Mayor John Moak said attracting a hotel is a prime focus of his administration… “I know this administration, me and the Planning Department, would be much more interested in trying to tweak things if it means more overnight accommodations,” he said. “We’re committed to that and we know we have to make some compromises to make it work.” ” (Newburyport Current, February 2, 2007)

What has people puzzled to downright alarmed is the reference in the above quote by Mayor John Moak to “tweaking things” and “making some compromises to make it work,” much less having a hotel be his “prime focus” (big news to a lot of folks). A hotel at all costs? Tweaking? Compromising? If history is any indication it is possible that not all of Newburyport’s populace would necessarily agree.

And maybe one of the most discouraging things in the article in the Newburyport Current is not about Mayor John Moak, who is desperately trying to find money somewhere to pay for all the civic things that Newburyport doesn’t have money for (like our schools among other things). But the fact that Stephen Karp, who controls Newburyport’s destiny, has only bothered to have one conversation with the gentleman in the corner office.

And I find this very dispiriting indeed.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, Much to do About a Flagpole?

Having blogged the Newburyport Political Blog now for a while, I have great sympathy for the regular media.

If there is nothing particular to write about I can always pull out the “frogs” for goodness sakes (plus I really do like them, all 4 of them) or I could blog about all those gorgeous historic photographs, no problem.

But last week (obviously a “slow” week) one of the major stories in the local newspapers was the “flagpole story.” Sometimes I think, only in Newburyport, MA.

The long and the short of it is that there is a flagpole on Newburyport’s Central Waterfront, that the city of Gloucester would like back because it was originally the “boom” on the famous fishing schooner the “Thebaud.”

Newburyport on the other hand wants to keep it because the Newburyport Fire Department discovered and paid for it in 1938. We legally own it. And it’s on the “hot spot” of all Newburyport “hot spots,” yes, the ever controversial Newburyport Central Waterfront.

Can a scandal be made out of the fact that Mayor John Moak didn’t respond to the letters sent in October about the flagpole because it was not on the top of his priority list??

Let’s see…

The Crow Lane Landfill or the flagpole? Hmm… the Landfill.

Our school situation or the flagpole? Hmm… the schools.

The fact that there is little money in the budget for not only things that needed to be done yesterday, but things that needed to be done 10 years ago or the flagpole? Hmm… the money thing.

If I was Mayor John Moak, let’s see, the flagpole would be about #994 on my priority list. But not anymore. It’s most likely to have shot up there to the top ten most important items facing Newburyport, MA in the year 2007.

I don’t know what’s been done, but if I was Mayor John Moak I would most definitely shuttle this one off to the Newburyport City Council, and have the whole thing thrashed out in a multitude of Newburyport City Council subcommittees. And you know what, the really sad thing is, I bet the Newburyport City Council has gotten a number of phone calls on this “hot” issue. Just a guess on my part, nothing more (but I think it’s a pretty good guess).

And I love the quote in the Newburyport Current, February 2, 2007,

” “I didn’t think there could be a lot of resistance about a flagpole,” he (Geoffrey Richon ) said, amused. “A flagpole controversy, I’ll be darned. Imagine starting such a thing.” ”

Well, honey, this is Newburyport, MA, where it took us, apparently, 50 years to put (George) Washington’s name under his very own statue (see earlier posts). And to boot, this is Newburyport’s Central Waterfront. We fight over everything that has anything to do with Newburyport’s Central Waterfront. And you think you want your flagpole back?

No offense or anything, but lots of luck on that one.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, The Waterfront Opus

The Mayor’s Task Force on the Waterfront also meets tonight (Police Station Conference Room, 6:00 PM) So many civic things going on ( yes, don’t forget the Public Hearing on the “Infill Ordinance” 7:30 PM, City Hall, City Council Chambers.) Let’s all run around in circles and try and figure out how to go to all these meetings plus get something to eat for dinner.

What will happen this time a la Waterfront Task Force — the latest episode in Newburyport’s enduring, multi-decade Waterfront saga.

This is the latest installment, of what may be one of the longest running ongoing “happening” (my, that dates me; you’ll just have to get out your dictionary or even revert to Googling if you have no idea what a “happening” was or maybe still is) in Newburyport’s (three, maybe four decades, one begins to lose track) civic drama.

This chapter stars Mayor John Moak, a former mayor and a surprise guest appearance by a long time, much loved (I gather) preservationist (you’ve noticed I’m leaving out names now, hoping that upset emails and phone calls will diminish??) The plot centers around the desire to pave over the Central Waterfront by apparently, it seems to me, clouding the issue with legal mumbo-jumbo. (Is this too catty of moi?)

The tension in this particular drama comes from a colorful brigade who are fighting for at least some semblance of a park on this gorgeous piece of priceless property along the scenic Merrimac River.

And then there’s the chorus, those in Newburyport who have seen the latest version of the new Waterfront possible plan and are saying “Say what? The green part is where?”

Can’t you just feel the conflict? Could this possibly be made into a PBS Special?

My prediction, is it won’t be picked up by PBS, alas, or even Bravo (frankly “Project Runway” was just so much more compelling.) And this act, like so many, many before it, (I hope) will end in a heap and a jumble. And when we have the next administration, we will have the enormous treat of having a whole new “plot” and the Waterfront saga may “entertain” us all by a never ending bevy of complete confusion.

The chorus of course will remain somewhat the same. It once said, “You want a parking garage where?” What will it say next? One thing that does seem for sure, three-part harmony (or any harmony at all for that matter) seems unlikely. Dissonance does appear to be the one unifying “note” on this ongoing, going on way more than a quarter of a century, emotionally charged, stunningly hapless Waterfront magnum opus.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

George

One of the other reason’s I’m pissed about all these complications I’ve discovered (like being sued) if I keep on blogging on the Newburyport Political Blog is that George could no longer make an appearance on the World Wide Web.

I love George. We are talking about George Cushing of Frog Pond at the Bartlett Mall, in Newburyport, MA, who has graciously offered to be the political consultant for the Newburyport Political Blog, for goodness sakes.

And George has a big fan club. And when he gets upset about something all the frogs in Frog Pond at the Bartlett Mall get upset too. So upset sometimes that they even make guest appearances in an effort to comfort and abet (as in support) whoever they seem to feel needs comforting and abetting.

You know any other political blog that has a frog for a political consultant? I don’t.

george8.jpg
George mulling over multiple dilemmas

George is mulling over how I could keep on blogging. He’s thinking of “safe” stuff that maybe I couldn’t be sued over. Like the mayor’s current plan for Newburyport’s Central Waterfront.

The map of the latest version of the new Waterfront possible plan has already made an appearance in both the Newburyport Current and the Newburyport Daily News (you’d think I’d be covered on the “being sued stuff” on this one.)

George and I both looked at the latest version of the new Waterfront possible plan, and said to ourselves, “Say what? The green part is where?”

And one of the things he and I are both confused about is a delightful gentleman, an ardent preservationist, seems to be plugging for this less than green wonder of a proposition.

(One of the things I’ve learned is that people don’t like to see their names in anything that could possibly be inferred as a “bad light.” That’s one of the ways I get these nasty phone calls. So, that’s one of the reasons I’m not saying who this well loved, ardent preservationist is, in this post at least. You’re just going to have to read the Newburyport Current’s past issues, they are on line.)

This very well respected preservationist has been described to me as “going over to the dark side” (George is wondering if “going over to the dark side” is suable. I hope not, I think it’s just someone’s opinion. I hope.)

“Going over to the dark side” (this is someone else’s phrase, not my phrase, I’m just repeating it here) is a little over the top, but it does indicate how impassioned (is that an understatement or what?) people are over this darn waterfront thing. People are equating the Newburyport Central Waterfront saga to “Star Wars!”

George (who is green) recommends that the mayor put in lots more green (i.e. park) in this particular parking plan. That might mean there could be some sort of resolution in my lifetime (how utterly optimistic of moi) to this ongoing, going on way more than a quarter of a century, emotionally charged, stunningly baffling Waterfront opus.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, The Waterfront

As I type away, massive opposition against Mayor John Moak’s stand to pave over Newburyport’s Waterfront is beginning to intensify.

Are we surprised? No.

This is my guess, if Mayor John Moak came out and said, yup, let’s do some combination of park and parking, the majority of opposition that is mounting feverishly would stop and a great sigh of relief could be heard across our small seaport New England city.

The “word on the street” is that Mayor John Moak is entrenched in his position of all parking on the Central Waterfront, and has absolutely no intention of backing down period. One would hope that the “word on the street” is wrong, but it is the opinion of this local political blogger, that the “word on the street” might well be true.

So, I would very much like Mayor John Moak to wake up, politically so to speak, “drop the waterfront rope” and do a little political compromising here.

The truth is there are no easy answers to the parking solution, answers maybe, but not easy ones. To face that reality, and get on with wrapping this whole waterfront thing up, would be a wonder. Plus, Mayor John Moak would go down in the history books as finally helping the whole thing to come to a resolution. Not a bad legacy. Believe me, that would work for me.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, MA, Planning Director

Well, no offense to whoever wrote today’s editorial in the Newburyport Daily News, but as far as I’m concerned Doug Locy, the chair of the Newburyport Planning Board and City Councilor James Shanely, who is on the City Council’s Planning and Development Committee know an awful lot about planning and development. And not to repeat myself, but they are two outstanding and honorable men and I would trust them to do right by the City of Newburyport, thank you very much. (Does whoever wrote this editorial even know these two gentlemen?)

I know that there are folks who didn’t like him, but for many of us Nick Cracknell set a very high bar for what a Planning Director can be. And Doug Locy and James Shanely not only worked closely with Mr. Cracknell, but my guess is that he taught them a great deal, and we are lucky to have two men who, along with many, many others, were more than willing to learn.

So, I’m not real big on the bashing Doug Locy and James Shanely thing, in what they felt was taking an honorable stand. This doesn’t work for me.

And yes, I know that it is Mayor John Moak’s choice who the new Newburyport Planning Director will be (as long as it gets the Newburyport City Council’s approval), but I’ll come right out and say it, darn it, I just don’t trust Mayor John Moak when it comes to picking a Planning Director for Newburyport, Massachusetts (I really would like to have a different opinion on this one.) And I think a lot of people feel the same way.

Our Mayor has let the position languish for 3 months, claiming it would be too expensive to fill it right away. This has never worked for me.

Yes, the survey came in for the Waterfront, and guess what, people do not want it to be a parking lot (that however is a whole other post), but we have this weird “task force on the waterfront” thing going on by Mayor John Moak, the goal of which seems to be to “get around” the survey. Good grief.

And then there’s the whole business of the 40B housing project being resurrected on Low Street, when there was an excellent compromise (see earlier posts) at hand.

If I trusted the Mayor on this appointment, I wouldn’t be blogging my little heart out about it.

And again, no offense to whoever wrote that editorial. “Reasonable people can disagree,” however, I think the Newburyport Daily News is really, really wrong on this one. And I think an awful lot of people following this whole process would agree.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Stephen Karp and Downtown Newburyport

I don’t like surprises. And even though the outgoing Chamber of Commerce president advised me not to pre-stress over Stephen Karp’s plans (in particular chain stores) and to take a wait-and-see stance, I just couldn’t be so patient. So I did a little more research and this is what I found out.

The style of development Mr. Karp champions is called “lifestyle centers.” In an article published in the Boston Business Journal titled “Karp talks retail development, little about Fan Pier.” (October 29, 2004) I learned that retail development, as we’ve known it, is no longer a massive complex on a large track of land accessible only by car. The new design is aimed at developing retail “hot spots,” that look like urban open-air cityscapes and they’re popping up all over the place. The article lists several Karp projects and which market the “hot spots” are geared to.

“…Places such as Plymouth, where Karp is nearing completion on the first phase of a 500,000-square-foot center, and Leominster, where he has proposed a 475,000-square-foot retail center, are being transformed into retail ‘hot spots.’

While lifestyle centers won’t replace regional malls — the developments are an alternative, said Karp — there are few new malls being built these days for lack of available land.

Enclosed malls have high operating costs and need to be built big enough to accommodate two department stores to cover costs.

Lifestyle centers, which Karp said are easier to build, offer the same amenities as malls but are geared toward people with high incomes.”

After reading the article I began to think how naive all of us are. Our downtown is, for all intent and purposes, owned by one retail developer whose primary objective is to create a “lifestyle center” that serves the affluent. The parking issue on the Waterfront?- it is my belief that it is not going to end in anything that will serve the current residents of Newburyport. The likelihood of a senior center being built anywhere downtown? It is my belief that it is not going to happen.

Look what’s happening in Nantucket. There are numerous articles written by the “Nantucket Independent” that document the painful demise of a community and the building of a commercial empire. Take this for example from an article dated January 4, 2006.

“Yesterday, the Fee family announced that it will not reopen its downtown business following 37 years on Steamboat Wharf. In another blow, the Nantucket Cookie Company, owned by Andrew and Donna Fee and run from the Henry’s kitchen, is now for sale for lack of a new location.”

Another short article dated February 1, 2006 reports the closing of a thirty-one year old art gallery. The closing scenario went like this:

The Spectrum leased the building for 31 years. After Karp purchased multiple Nantucket commercial locations last year, Spectrum co-owner Bud Heidebur was approached by Wyner (Henry Wyner, leasing agent for Karp’s Nantucket Island Resorts company) who explained that another party was interested in paying a significantly higher rent than the Spectrum was being charged.

Heidebur and his partners decided they could not afford to spend that much and closed the local store after its lease ended at the first of the year.

How many scenarios like these are being played out right now in Newburyport? My guess would be many.

So now I know – no surprises. It looks like there could be parking on the Waterfront -ramrodded down our throats by the Mayor and the people who will benefit the most from more commercial space. It looks like there could be larger upscale and chain stores where there are modest sole proprietor shops. And it looks like there could be a pseudo downtown that’s more like a outdoor mall than a community center that serves its city residents.

Allyson Lawless
Newburyport

Newburyport, A Report on the Meeting of the Waterfront Task Force

Dear Citizens,

I am placing in bullet points some highlights of Mayor Moak’s meeting on July 12, 2006 (at the Newburyport police station conference room) regarding the Newburyport NRA central waterfront issue.

* The mayor’s hand out during the meeting is titled, “Central Waterfront Task Committee”; list the various individuals and groups as listed in the Daily news story of July 13, 2006.

* CEB Note: General Law Chapter 39, section 23A list committee or subcommittee however otherwise constituted, deliberating on public business, as a government body and guided by Chapter 39, section 23A of the Open Meeting Law. This is being referred for consideration.

* Susan St. Pierre was invited by the mayor to present a Chapter 91 overview to the Mayor’s central waterfront task committee.

* CEB Note: Susan St. Pierre worked for Roger Forster (directly or indirectly) during the time a hotel was being proposed for the NRA/Public lands.

* CEB Note: The NRA holds the deed for these two lots on the waterfront. The original intent for this creating of an entity to hold the waterfront deed was to keep local politics out of the decision process.

* It was noted several times that all data collected from the mayor’s task force committee was for a presentation to the NRA in the form of a position paper.

* Janet Marcus Chairperson of the Newburyport Redevelopment Authority noted the most recent public waterfront survey would be tabulated shortly.

* CEB Note: A rumor is floating that the current citizens’ survey on the use of the NRA/Public waterfront is indicating the public’s desire as the last survey and referendum before that; some parking (100-150) and mostly park.

* Mayor Moak stated that all he wants is what this group (Mayor’s central waterfront committee) determines as use/needs for the waterfront.

* The Mayor also noted he hoped that the people’s wishes to be in this plan. The mayor remarked about the process, would hate to see it stymie the imagination.

* As of this e-mail, the next Mayor’s central waterfront committee meeting is Aug. 9, 2006, 6 PM at the police station.

The public’s wishes have been expressed loud and clearly by majority votes and voices in referendums, surveys, and in the courts. If wisdom applied, it maybe wise to wait and listen to the most recent citizens’ survey STILL being tabulated. This would be wise if city government is interested in the voice of the people. I refer to the term city government; all officials elected by the people are responsible to maintain that trust of the ballot box.

It would be a grievous sin to allow the two Newburyport Redevelopment Authority lots; the most beautiful waterfront locations on the North Shore; to become an over flow parking lot for Mr. Karp’s Waterfront West project. This would also be a grievous sin towards the Citizens of our community and our Democratic Freedoms.

Albert G. Decie
Citizens for Environmental Balance (CEB)
Newburyport, MA

(Editor’s note: This is an edited version of a much longer email I received from Albert Decie. The longer email is a memo that is being sent to the District Attorney’s office enquiring whether or not the Open Meeting Law has been followed by Mayor John Moak. For the complete memo please contact Mr. Decie.)

Newburyport, The Mayor’s Waterfront Task Force Meeting

According to someone who attended the Mayor’s Waterfront Task Force meeting, it was well attended. In fact the room at the police station apparently was full. And yes, there was a reporter from the Newburyport Daily News.

Evidently folks like Mary Lou Supple and Albert Decie joined the group. And half the group, as someone explained it to me were “interlopers.”

“Interlopers” work for me.

And yes the Mayor was there and introduced the person, Susan St Pierre (I believe Ms St Pierre is with Vine Associates, 253 Low Street, Newburyport, Massachusetts,) who was to explain why Newburyport’s waterfront could be paved over.

As one would expect there were intelligent challenges made to the fact that somehow the Waterfront could get around Chapter 91. (For an explanation on Chapter 91 see earlier post.)

The Mayor apparently assured everyone that he would make sure that the Waterfront Task Force was posted.

Apparently much has been made out of the fact that this most recent meeting was not posted. At least two people have contacted the District Attorney’a Office and the Ethics Commission. Not good PR for Mayor Moak.

As I understand it, the Mayor told the gathering that the Waterfront Survey, from the Newburyport Redevelopment Authority would be one piece of information and the Waterfront Task Force would be another piece of information that would help guide the fate of this important piece of land.

Of course, this baffles me somewhat. It seems an odd way to govern, if the process of democracy is what one is after.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, Tonight’s Meeting On the Waterfront Task Force Never Posted

Tonight’s meeting concerning paving the Waterfront and the “Waterfront Task Force” was never posted.

I don’t know much, well, I don’t know anything about the “open meeting laws,” but I do know this, it’s always good to have an open and transparent government—it doesn’t hurt to avoid the appearance of being secretive.

I was going to give the mayor the benefit of the doubt here. I thought surely there must have been a slip up somewhere, these things do happen.

However, I just received an email from Albert Decie saying that he in fact did check with the Mayor’s office, and apparently the Mayor’s office did not feel this meeting of the Task Force qualified as a meeting that needed to be posted.

And to quote Mr. Decie in a follow-up email “I just talked with the Police Department conference room scheduling person. The scheduling of the conference room at the police station for this evening at 6 PM is listed as scheduled by Mayor Moak.”

(The fact that anyone who attends this meeting gets to be considered part of the Waterfront Task Force gets odder and odder.)

The whole thing is very odd indeed.

I’m not going to be able to make it tonight. But I would think that the fact that this seemingly informative if not important meeting is taking place without being posted would ensure somewhat of a skeptical crowd.

I’ll be interested to find out.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, Meeting About Paving Over the Waterfront

Tonight’s meeting of the Mayor’s “Waterfront Task Force” (6 pm, Wednesday July 12, 2006, at the Newburyport Police Station) will feature a presentation by a representative of the mayor regarding the way(s) in which the Waterfront can be paved and still conform to chapter 91.

Chapter 91 is filled tidelands.

Roger Foster spent over $100,000 getting his chapter 91 license.

The property the Newburyport Redevelopment Authority owns is not only filled tidelands (which the Commonwealth say the public has a right to access the water through,) but also Commonwealth tidelands, which have even more demanding restrictions.

A parking lot is not considered an acceptable use under Chapter 91, only parking for access to the river, boats, etc. So the state might stretch to a 50/50 park/parking, but it is my understanding that the State would not approve 100% parking.

At tonight’s meeting, 6 pm, Newburyport Police Station, I would imagine that the presentation by the Mayor’s representative would be to the effect that that is not necessarily true.

And also it is my understanding that the cost of asphalt has doubled since the Mayor came up with the 3.5 million estimate. Apparently many people felt that the original estimate would be more like 4-5 million.

It is also my understanding that there is no money, whatsoever, to pave the Waterfront.

Again, tonight’s meeting is:

6 PM
Newburyport Police Station
Waterfront Task Force

And again (see earlier post) apparently anyone who attends would be considered part of the Waterfront Task Force.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, The Task Force and Paving Over the Waterfront

Yes, you guessed it — the issue of the Mayor’s Task Force and paving over the Waterfront.

Evidently at tomorrow night’s meeting of the “Waterfront Task Force” (6 pm, Wednesday July 12, 2006, at the Newburyport Police Station) will feature a presentation by a representative of the mayor regarding the way(s) in which the Waterfront can be paved and still conform to chapter 91.

And apparently anyone who shows up is considered part of the “Task Force.”

To say the least, both of these things appear to be just a little confusing.

Apparently feel free to show up at 6 pm, Wednesday, July 12th at the Police Station and add your 2 cents.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport