Category Archives: Planning and Development

Planning and Development, Newburyport, MA, urban planning, the design, construction and organization of Newburyport’s urban spaces, architecture and activities.

Newburyport, Bike Racks Around the City

Bike Racks around the city of Newburyport, MA. What an incredibly good, sensible, obvious and downright fun proposal.

The Newburyport Parks Commission, the Seacoast Energy and Environmental Design Coalition (SEED) and Newburyport City Councilor Larry McCavitt together are working towards this goal. Good grief this really works for me.

This triumvirate hopes to cut down on pollution and help the environment in an effort to “encourage residents to bike rather than drive,” (Newburyport Daily News, January 8, 2006, by Stephen Tait) as well as help on the downtown parking dilemma.

According to the article in the Newburyport Daily News, SEED is seeking “donations from local businesses to support the effort and get more people downtown.” And the Newburyport Department of Public Works will help install the bike racks no less. This just gets better and better. And none of this is going to cost the City of Newburyport, MA a cent. How can we not love this.

And the “styles range from modern and streamlined to more historic-looking racks.” Sounds unbelievably well thought out.

Congratulations to City Councilor Larry McCavitt, SEED and of course the well love Newburyport Parks Commission.

It is a delight to see such a comprehensive and well thought out proposal that is such an incredibly “win-win” solution.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, Money for Updates on the Sewer Plant

“City gets $20M for sewer plant,” headline, the Newburyport Daily News, January 8, 2007.

Sounds like really, really good news to me.

A while back there was an excellent story in the Newburyport Current by Ulrika Gerth, December 22, 2006 on the unbelievably bad condition that the Newburyport Sewer Plant is currently in.

A former city councilor told me that the sewer plant was “held together with duck-tape.” I think that’s pretty close to an exact quote. Another words things are in really, really bad shape.

In that article in the Newburyport Current, hard working Public Services Director Brendan O’Regan “said he would apply to the state for a low-interest loan and lobby state and federal delegations for contributions.” And low and behold Brendan O’Regan was successful. Good go’n.

It sounds like from the article in the Newburyport Daily News that discussions with the mayor and the Newburyport City Council are “at the infancy of debate on this issue.”

Mr. O’Regan goes onto say, “The good news is, that if we do decide to go forward with some kind or repairs, it will be a lot cheaper than it would have been without the low-interest loans. We’re talking about millions of dollars in savings.”

Can we not go forward with repairs? Yikes. We’re talking the basics here, air (the Landfill) and water.

Not a terribly “yummy” subject, but one that is real important. And it sure sounds to me that the city’s sewer treatment plant is verging on archaic in the year 2007.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, the Mayor, the Council as well as “Over-Development”

A first rate editorial in the Newburyport Daily News today (January 8, 2007) by Taylor Armerding. In fact I thought it was so good I called Mr. Armerding up and told him that myself.

The editorial is “Mayor’s report card has unfinished business.”

One of the interesting things is that it references this quote in an article in the Newburyport Daily News, January 5, 2007, written by Stephen Tait:

“”There seems to be a desire in residential areas to keep growth at a minimum and I think that’s happened,” he (Moak) said, referring to a new ordinance the City Council enacted last year to curb so-called “in-fill” development – the building of new homes and additions in Newburyport’s already tightly packed old neighborhoods.”

In an article in the Newburyport Current, December 15, 2006, written by Ulrika Gerth, there is this quote in reference to the “Infill Ordinance”:

“Mayor John Moak, who has been critical of the amendment from the start, said he still has “a few problems, but not enough to veto it.” ”

That’s quite a switch in attitude towards residential over-development in let’s see, about 3 weeks.

It sounds like (and I hope this is really, really true) Mayor John Moak has come over to the “Bright Side” in regards to the residential over-development issue. Who knows why this might be. Could the new Newburyport Planning Director, Nancy Colbert (and believe me this is ALL conjecture on my part, no chats yet by moi with Ms Colbert) have had a conversation with the mayor on the subject??

The other interesting bit pointed out by Mr. Armerding is the acknowledgement that there has been a lack of communication so far by Mayor John Moak with the Newburyport City Council, an unbelievably important and key political skill.

This one has always puzzled me. I watched for years as Mr. Moak as Newburyport City Clerk communicated beautifully with the Newburyport City Council. For this to have been a major stumbling block the first year has always been for me a “say what?” “excuse me?”

I think this particular Newburyport City Council has a great deal to offer and that means, to quote Mr. Armerding, that “showing respect and responding to the concerns of councilors” by the Mayor of Newburyport, MA is really important.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, George’s Talking Points

George Cushing, of Frog Pond at the Bartlet Mall, the political consultant for the Newburyport Political Blog, is trying to get my attention again.

What is it this time George?

horiz.george.4.jpg
George Cushing
trying to get my attention again.

George feels that it is questionable whether the “progressives” can get their “act together” so he would like to make some talking points on what he believes municipal policy could be.

Ok, I’ll bite George, but remember you are a FROG.

What in the world do you have in mind?

1) (We’re doing numbers here George? How very organized.) An aggressive planning agenda that addresses zoning changes to protect Newburyport’s neighborhood character and historic assets.

(Good start. But remember George’s last name is “Cushing” and he comes from a pretty swanky address, i.e. Frog Pond on Newburyport’s historic High Street.)

2) George likes these “Buy Local” folks. He would like two see two economic overlays, one for downtown and one for Waterfront West, sighting tons of ordinances that have been drafted across the country. He’d like to see Waterfront West have a square foot limitation for retail space. Apparently there is a correlation, according to the National Trust for Preservation, between retail space and historic preservation. Who knew? Smart Frog.

3) The Industrial Park, rezoned to include office space. George and Mayor John Moak like that one.

4) The capping of the Crow Lane Landfill completed. He thinks Mayor John Moak is doing all that any mayor could do.

5) The Senior Center, would like to see the Cushing Park (same name as George you notice) plan on the November ballot. (George thinks that if a Senior Center is built that there would be room for frogs??)

6) The Central Waterfront, would like to see the people’s wishes observed and have half park and half parking.

(Ok George, what about parking? From an aerial view, the train station has tons of unused parking? George, that’s from 5,000 feet, you really think anyone is going to go for that one? Hasn’t exactly been a popular solution all these years. And you want the City of Newburyport to include a Frog Pond? I don’t think so George, frogs are a zero constituency, no one is going ask the tax payers to pay for a Frog Pond. Come on.)

7) Schools. (Yes, I agree George, what a mess. Money, where are you going to get the money?) George would like the State and the Feds to get their act together and pony up some major bucks, because the tax burden on the average resident is already too high.

8) High Street (Oh, George, is this for me?) The Bike Lanes either finished or removed and the rest of the High Street Master Plan, which was passed by the Newburyport City Council, begin to be enacted — brick sidewalks, textured crosswalks, trees etc. (I like this.) (Apparently this was not for me. Had more to do with his feelings about Frog Pond. George wants the rest of High Street to be as nice as the restoration to the Bartlet Mall.)

9) And a discussion about the ineffectiveness of a 2 year mayoral term. Either a 4 year mayoral term or a city manager form of government. (My, “la de da,” aren’t we really out there on that one?)

Well, I’m impressed. That’s not a bad start considering he’s a FROG, except for the insistence that the tax payers pay for another frog pond and that frogs would get to hang around in a Senior Center. Good grief.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, November 2007 Elections Already?

George Cushing of Frog Pond at the Bartlet Mall, the political consultant for the Newburyport Political Blog is trying to get my attention.

horiz.george.2.jpg
George Cushing
trying to get my attention

Ok George what is it? (Some people have assistants or secretaries etc. etc. trying to get their attention, but no, I have a frog trying to get my attention. I realize that this is MY choice, however, at times I do wonder about my choice.)

George is concerned about the next election.

The next election George? It’s January for goodness sakes, get a grip.

George Cushing is concerned about setting city policy.

Now, George, in January?? (And city policy set by a FROG?)

George Cushing is concerned that the “progressives” in the city would not be able to form a cohesive and mutually respectful group, and thereby not attract an attractive and proactive candidate.

Oh.

George Cushing is sighting an editorial in one of the local publications by a leading progressive “voice” (whom he likes very much by the way, because George thinks, and where he gets this I don’t know, that he likes frogs… I’m rolling my eyes, here) blasting other very involved and thoughtful, hardworking progressives. And George is claiming that this is just one of many, many, many examples of progressives not coming together and working towards a common goal.

George Cushing of Frog Pond at the Bartlet Mall thinks that unless this happens a mayor in the front office with a progressive agenda is an impossibility.

What can I say. Maybe George Cushing may be correct. Who knew frogs could possibly be that insightful or thoughtful. Good grief.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport’s Commercial Progress and Heritage

Certainly the “Buy Local” folks are bringing to the forefront the discussion of an economic plan for downtown Newburyport. We have a Newburyport Master Plan, but I’m not sure that we have a recent municipal Newburyport Economic Master Plan for downtown Newburyport, MA. (I haven’t heard of one, but that doesn’t mean one doesn’t exist somewhere.)

You see, this is where I get in trouble. I am an artist (and now I guess a blogger.) I am not a “business” person in the traditional sense and I do not have a degree in economics, nor do I have an MBA.

In this area, I am a “neophyte.”

And I am now learning more about chain store stuff than I ever imagined.

It seems as if on this subject, Newburyport, MA could be at a crossroads.

How does one define “commercial progress” for Newburyport, MA in the year 2007?

Is it possible that we could sustain ourselves economically with individual locally owned entrepreneurial businesses? Of course I hearken back to the days when I first moved here and almost every business was locally owned, and I loved it. Could I be naïve in wanting to go back to that economic formula in the year 2007? That amazing sense of “community.”

Many people that I’ve talked to think it is very possible for Newburyport, MA to have a viable mix of chain stores and locally owned businesses. And that the chain stores could bring business to other locally run shops.

But of course there is the great fear that landlords would find “tried and true” chain stores so much more appealing than less “tried and true” local entrepreneur business human beings. Especially if those landlords don’t live in Newburyport, MA.

And of course there is the fear that Newburyport, MA would lose it’s “flavor,” and become yet one more bland, homogenous place to live, work, shop and play.

BuyLocal.jpg
“Buy Local” decal
(Image used with permission)

I am very glad that the “Buy Local” folks have initiated this discussion. It is one that we in Newburyport, MA badly need to have outside of the business community itself, because what happens commercially downtown would affect all our lives in Newburyport, Massachusetts.

And what the “Buy Local” folks are suggesting, which never occurred to me, is that as residents, we have a choice, if we decide to use that choice, about how downtown Newburyport, MA would look like economically. We could choose what would or would not go into downtown Newburyport, MA the way Nantucket, MA, Bristol, R.I. and Ogunquit, Maine have done.

This is a radical and fascinating idea, and one that had never occurred to me.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, Community

BuyLocal.jpg
(Image used with permission)

I think one of the things that I like so much about www.supportNBPT.org is the emphasis on “community.”

I was also astounded at the figures that local business “pour more than 50 percent of the revenue back into the local economy compared to 14 percent for national chains.” (Newburyport Current, December 21, 2006)

The detailed reports can be found on the www.supportNBPT.org website. These folks have done their homework.

And to quote Gene Volovich from the same Newburyport Current article, “A city like Newburyport, where most of downtown is in the hands of one owner, is particularly vulnerable to ‘manipulation’…”

Yes, that is most definitely the concern.

That locally owned businesses would have the City’s best interest at heart over “large corporations” and “national chains” and that it would be better to promote “community welfare” over “corporate welfare.” (Source www.supportNBPT.org website.)

Works for me.

And I certainly would want our local entrepreneurs to be supported and to flourish.

(Now I’m wondering out loud here, which has gotten me into trouble before, so if there’s any “Mary could be sued” stuff, please let me know, ASAP.)

This is what I wonder. Would the corporate folks at large corporations use our local banks, our local lawyers, our local insurance people?

If a very large landlord (of course I’m thinking of Mr. Karp here) has the choice between a “tried and true” establishment, that is guaranteed to pay the rent and possibly pay more, would the landlord take the “tried and true” business over a lesser-tried local entrepreneur?

If let’s say (and this is absolutely guaranteed hypothetical) a national chain store like a Barnes and Noble went in the yet to be developed Stephen Karp property, would our local (much loved, at least by me) book stores suffer? I would think the answer would be “yes,” but possibly I’ve been watching way too many movies.

Anyway, this new group, founded by Allyson Lawless and Gene Volovich, has created a decal for local business to put in their windows.

BuyLocal.jpg
“Buy Local” decal
(Image used with permission)

And the decals are beginning to pop up all over downtown Newburyport, MA. Obviously there are local business out there in our downtown that would like to remind folks to “Buy Local.”

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, supportNBPT.org, Buy Local

I can’t tell you how pleased I was to read the most excellent article by Ulrika Gerth in the Newburyport Current, December 22, 2006 on “Buy Local, supportNBPT.org.”

And I was a little puzzled by Mayor John Moak’s comments in this Sunday’s Globe North, ‘”Locally owned businesses are the backbone of our community,” Moak said. “But I also believe that larger corporations can be an intricate part of the city as long as they understand the limitations of the city.”‘ (Boston Globe, December 31, 2006 — Kay Lazar.)

Ah, and let me quote from the beautiful website of www.supportNBPT.org (it is also on their most excellent brochure.)

“Community

‘It grows out of people stopping by the bar for a beer, getting advice from the grocer and giving advice to the newsstand man, comparing opinions with other customers at the bakery and nodding hello to the two boys drinking pop on the stoop . . . hearing about a job from the hardware man and borrowing a dollar from the druggist . . .

‘Most of it is ostensibly utterly trivial, but the sum is not trivial at all. The sum of such casual, public contact at the local level. . . most of it fortuitous, most of it associated with errands . . . is a feeling for the public identity of people, a web of public respect and trust, and a resource in time of personal or neighborhood need. The absence of this trust is a disaster to a city street.’

‘The Death and Life of Great American Cities,’ by Jane Jacobs”

What I would beg to differ with Mayor John Moak is that it has been my experience that “large corporations” are an anathema to “community.” And community, I think, is one of the things that so many of us love about Newburyport, MA. Could I possibly be right about this one?

And of course, the elephant in the room here, that I haven’t mentioned so far, is of course Mr. Karp. Our new huge downtown landlord, developer Stephen Karp.

I would imagine that this blogger will be blogging a little bit more about “Buy Local”.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, The Importance of the “Ridge”

Why is the “Ridge” important to Newburyport, MA? The Newburyport Daily News has been asking this question, and an excellent question it appears to be.

The “Ridge” is the area on High Street, in the “South End” of the city that runs roughly from State Street to a little beyond Lime Street, down towards the Newbury line, that is on the upper side of the roadway. That’s the geography.

High Street itself has been called, “one of the most scenic streets in all of New England,” by the “Michelin Guide to New England.”

And to quote the High Street website, “The wholly intact nature of the setting allows the High Street of today to impart the same sense of spaciousness, beauty and dignity that it did 100 years ago.”

The Ridge has beautiful and stately mansions (not McMansions but real to goodness, the real thing, mansions.) And what adds to their beauty, their sense of mystery, their stateliness is LAND. In some cases many, many acres of land.

And this of course was true of the Wheelwright House, the back of which Mr. Todd Fremont-Smith is proposing a suburban subdivision. (See all kinds of previous posts. Just put in Wheelwright into the “search” box at the top of the main page of the Newburyport Political Blog, and you will find gobs of stuff.)

Now not to get too grandiose here, but to get grandiose here, think of “Versailles.” Yes, I’m talking about the Versailles in France, a la King Louis XIV. Yes, I realize this is a bit of hyperbole, and that any mansion on High Street, Newburyport, MA is not quite the same thing, but bear with me here, Ok?

Now, no matter how stunning, how beautiful, how tasteful, would anyone want a subdivision built at the back of Versailles? No.

No, because it would be tacky and lack class, and just plain not a good idea.

The same principle applies to any land in back of the High Street mansions on the Ridge in Newburyport, MA.

To build a subdivision of any kind back there would be tacky and lack class.

Now, my one gander at Mr. Todd Fremont-Smith at the last Public Hearing concerning his project to build a subdivision in the back of the Wheelwright property, the young man in question did not strike me as “lacking class” or being “tacky.” Nor did he strike me as lacking a conscience. (This bloggett obviously finds Mr. Fremont-Smith’s proposal completely unconscionable.)

And if Mr. Fremont-Smith goes ahead with his proposed subdivision — “tacky and without class,” what a lousy legacy to be left with. My.

And I would imagine that if he ever thought that the project would gander so much negative publicity, that he might never have taken the project on at all. And I’m afraid for Mr. Fremont-Smith, that things, bad publicity-wise, are just beginning to really rev up. Vroooom, vroooom.

So one and all, this bloggett does not wish the Ridge a tacky and without class legacy. And I know many (vast understatement) out there in Web Land do not wish this for Newburyport, MA either.

Happy New Year…

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, Wheelwright Land, Wills Lane Proposed Subdivision

Wow, did I ever come away mighty depressed after going to the Public Hearing at the Newburyport Planning Board for the subdivision proposal by Mr. Todd-Fremont Smith, Wills Lane LLC, regarding the back of the Wheelwright property.

I had this vague chirpy notion that after the last hostile greeting that Mr. Fremont-Smith received at the last Newburyport Planning Board Public Hearing, that Mr. Fremont-Smith would have made some revisions to his plans for the property adjacent to the historic and sacred Oak Hill Cemetery.

But no.

And as I listen to the presentation, and Mr. Fremont-Smith’s refusal to at least remove one of the dwellings to make the whole thing a tiny bit more palatable, my mood grew fowler and fowler.

WillsLaneInvest.jpg
Map of the proposed subdivision

This image is courtesy of the Newburyport Preservation Trust. If you click on the image on the Newburyport Preservation Trust page you will get a map of the complete plot plan.

In an earlier time, given the mood of the crowd, this young man would have been tarred and feathered for his audacity to build on the legacy of Newburyport, MA.

That was then, this is now.

But Mr. Fremont-Smith apparently just doesn’t get it. And short of legal action to find some sort loophole that will stop his plans (the Conservation Law Foundation gives out advice about this sort of thing for free) or wilting under a high profile public relations assault, that was promised by one of the more talented members of our community, there appears to be no hope.

Alas and alack.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, the Wheelwright Property Subdivision

The proposed Wheelwright property subdivision is back on the docket of the Newburyport Planning Board, this Wednesday, December 20, 2006.

This photo (a much larger version) was sent around by Nathan Felde. Thank you Mr Felde.

oakhill.jpg

Aerial view of property that
Todd-Freemont Smith hopes to
develop into a subdivision.

I find the whole thing depressing.

It seems pretty obvious that local developer Todd Fremont-Smith has no intention of backing down on moving on with this project, despite what I gather was a fairly hostile reception at the last Newburyport Planning Board Public Hearing.

The land in question in the photograph is marked in orange, with a big question mark pointing to it. That’s one big piece of property.

If you want some idea of how it’s going to look, take a look at “Robert’s Lane” off High Street at the top of Marlboro Street.

That used to a be beautiful wooded piece of property.

The “lane” in question is a huge gash through the upper part of High Street, and now everyone has a lovely view of the Water Tower. Sigh.

And the houses Mr. Fremont-Smith would like to build (4 of them) would not be dainty, 3,500 to 4,000 square feet (Newburyport Daily News, December 7, 2006.) Yes, those would qualify as McMansions in my book.

Sigh.

What a happy holiday gift for the city of Newburyport, MA.

So again, the meeting:

Newburyport Planning Board
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
City Hall, Council Chamber
7PM

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, Zoning Amendment Relief

I am so relieved that the Zoning Amendment to Section 9 or the “Infill Ordinance” passed at the Newburyport City Council Monday night, and by such a huge margin — 10 to 1.

And I am so proud of the Newburyport Planning Board, that they did not give up after the “Infill Ordinance” failed to pass last year, but instead calmly and very professionally went back to the “drawing board” and took another look. I admire their perseverance.

They set a great example for other boards and committees in the city — when something doesn’t work, don’t give up, but go back and take another gander.

And a very big “thank you” to Jim McCarthy, a member of the Newburyport Planning Board, for his diligence, thoughtfulness and all his incredible hard work. And this is a volunteer board folks. No one’s getting paid for all this time and hard work.

The passing of the “Infill Ordinance” feels like a huge collective weight off many collective shoulders.

One of the things that I learned is that our Zoning Ordinance is a “living document.”

The Newburyport Planning Board will see how this new “Infill Ordinance” works out. And if it needs “tweaking,” they will tweak away.

It is my understanding that the Newburyport Planning Board would like to take a look at the 3 different residential areas in the city, R1, R2 and R3 which all have very different standards, and see if they need “tweaking” too.

So, many thanks again — a great first step.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, Zoning Amendment Passes

Well whew!

Tonight, December 11, 2006, The Newburyport City Council passed the Zoning Amendment to Section 9 or the “Infill Ordinance.”

I believe the vote was 10 for and 1 against.

A very big thank you to the Newburyport Planning Board, the Newburyport City Council and all the various committees and boards as well as the multitude of Newburyport residents that helped passed this much needed zoning amendment.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, Design Review

The zoning amendment for Section 9 or the “Infill Ordinance” comes up for its second reading, I believe, at the Newburyport City Council tonight. I hope against hope, of course, that it passes.

At the Public Hearing for the zoning amendment to Section 9, an architect, who I’ve know ever since I moved here and like very, very much, spoke up.

His concern was that the amendment would not effect the “design” of whatever was proposed. I believe I also heard him say that this amendment was much less “daunting” than he first expected.

The issues the zoning amendment addresses are trying to make sure that whatever is being built fits in with the neighborhood in relationship to size, scale, massing and volume. It says nothing about “design.” And everything that I know that this architect has been responsible for would fit in with the revisions to section 9 just fine.

This architect also said something to the effect that although he understood that really good modern architecture was very difficult, it could often be a challenge for more contemporary architecture to be accepted in Newburyport, MA.

It’s true.

And I not only love the old buildings that give our small seacoast city the “patina” that I love so much, but having an art education in the 60’s and 70’s, I really, really love good modern architecture.

And I probably have a much more “live and let live” approach to what is built or amended than what most people would expect. I am by no means a purest, although I enjoy what purest preservationist offer a lot.

And probably one of my favorite modern buildings in Newburyport, MA, are the very modern condominiums at the top of Johnson Street. I love them.

And as far as I’m concerned, they may be contemporary, but they fit in with the neighborhood in respect to scale, mass and volume just fine.

(Oh, gasp, preservationists.)

So I hope the Amendment to Section IX passes tonight. As far as our zoning issues go, I think it is a very good first step.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, Previous Possible Planning Appointee

Ok, I’ll bite.

I have an anonymous tipster, who in the past has given me anonymous tips all of which have panned out.

Yes, and I got another anonymous tip. Fortunately, this anonymous tipster sends public documentation, which means the stuff is true, and it also mean (I hope) that the suing stuff doesn’t apply here.

The anonymous tipster answered the question I hadn’t actually asked myself, “Whatever happened to Christopher Ryan?”

Now, Christopher Ryan was Mayor John Moak’s initial pick for Newburyport Planning Director (mucho controversy) who decided to withdraw his name during the interview process.

And we ended up with Nancy Colbert, an “all’s well that ends well” scenario (I hope.) Ms Colbert was Newburyport’s Planning Director before Nick Cracknell and has also had a whole lot of zoning experience to boot working with Taintor and Associates.

My anonymous tipster sent me an article from the Lowell Sun, December 6, 2006. Apparently, “The Board of Selectmen and Planning Board (for the town of Ayer) voted unanimously to hire Concord planning educator Christopher Ryan for the newly created director of planning and development post.”

So it looks like “alls well that ends well” (we hope) for Christopher Ryan and the town of Ayer, MA (which is off Route 2, slightly beyond Route 495 down along Fitchburg.)

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, Character not Shabby

Although the Mayor and members of the Newburyport City Council appear to be having misgivings about a special election for the Newburyport elementary school $30 million dollar, diamond necklace spending extravaganza (whew), apparently, according to the Newburyport Daily News, December 4, 2006, members of the Newburyport School Committee do not.

I really like and admire the members of the Newburyport School Committee. I cannot think of a more difficult committee to be on in Newburyport, MA. The problems they try to solve are swamp-like and seemingly endless. To me the fact that anyone would volunteer to be on the Newburyport School Committee is amazing.

However, if the Newburyport School Committee persists in pushing this version of the Newburyport Elementary Building School Needs plan, this is what I expect. Cynic that I am.

I fully expect to start reading in all the local (maybe national, who knows) publications how dismal and awful the elementary schools are, with pictures if possible, of how depressing it must be to be a child in these horrible surroundings.

And then a statement about how all the other towns or cities have beautiful new sparkly elementary schools, and it is the poor unfortunate Newburyport elementary school children who are utterly deprived and probably psychologically harmed because of this ghastly state of affairs.

And then an adorable, or most probably a series of adorable, pictures of our absolutely adorable elementary school children. And they are adorable.

How horrible of the taxpayers not to want to cough up $30 million for this particular plan of a new diamond necklace elementary school extravaganza for these adorable children.

This was basically the tactic used to persuade the tax payer that repairs to the Newburyport High School were not nearly as wonderful as the “gut and redo.”

The problem I have with shiny and new, is the building (or buildings) in question has/have no character.

It takes a while to develop character. The thing I like about our elementary schools (and I don’t care if folks start to wail about how all worn out they are) is that they have character. One gets a sense that there were many folks, of all sorts of folks, that were in these buildings, long before the present students started their journey.

And instead of feeling that because of that, these buildings are now all worn down and useless (that’s our superficial culture, aren’t we supposed to be teaching our kids better stuff than that?) I think they have character, a sense of history, personality if you will. Not shallow Paris Hilton superficial culture building kind of stuff.

And I think this is a GOOD thing, maybe even a great thing.

So I’m not buying what I think may be coming next in the “reaching out to the community” thing, in persuading the taxpayers that our school children are in utter misery because of their ghastly, outdated, shabby surroundings.

No, should this come our way, I’m not buying this at all. In fact I’ll be really pissed if folks try to pull that one off.

I keep saying to myself, “it’s time to shut up now Mary, about all this elementary school building stuff.” But it appears that I’ve really gotten my “knickers in a knot.”

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, Maybe Some Sanity Settling In

People have said that they are surprised that I am against the elementary school, $30 million dollar, diamond necklace, spending extravaganza.

I guess people figure me for a “tax and spend” liberal democrat.

Not “tax and spend” to the tune of $30 million dollars. Come on. Not when there are LOTS of other alternatives. Think of me as a “practical” liberal democrat.

I was relieved to read in the Newburyport Daily News, December 4, 2006, that at least Mayor John Moak and members of the Newburyport City Council have concerns about the wisdom of a special election for this Spring.

Whew.

However, I would love for Mayor Moak and members of the Newburyport City Council to urge the School Committee to abandon this “ridiculous” plan altogether and come up with something that makes some “practical,” fiscal, common sense. From the article in the Newburyport Daily News, that didn’t sound like that was going to happen (yet.)

$30 million dollars makes $5 million for a Senior Center (Newburyport Daily News, December 4, 2006) look like a proverbial “walk in the park,” a “real deal,” a “downright bargain” if you will. Good grief.

Ok, I know I’m beginning to beat a horse, I don’t know if it’s a “dead horse” yet. But I really, really seem to be worked up about this one.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, Elementary School Building Needs Assignment

I remember when the “Elementary School Building Needs” Committee was first assembled and got to rock and rolling. A large, very committed group (many of whom I greatly admire.)

Yes, they were given an assignment: Come up with the most desirable scenario for the building needs of our elementary school children. The needs apparently included a “gym” which immediately eliminated the Kelly School from the equation, which I always thought was part of the unspoken assignment. Made it very difficult for pro-Kelly School folks on that committee, let me tell you.

And if you read the final recommendations of 2002, which are on the Newburyport School website (and it’s not exactly snappy stuff, good reading if you want to fall asleep quickly at night,) the conclusions almost sound as if they are there to make sure that the Kelly School stays out of the picture.

And I always thought the recommendations were so convoluted that no one in their right mind would actually take this much agonized over document seriously, hence its being stuffed in a “convenient” drawer for all these years.

Ah, but apparently, I was wrong.

The assignment for these hard working folks was not: Come up with a long term elementary school plan that benefits our children and would also fit in with the goals of the larger community.

If that had been the assignment, the convoluted, agonized over document would not be what it is now. We would have had something much more reasonable and thoughtful, because the people who worked on it were reasonable and thoughtful folks.

The root of the problem, as far as I’m concerned — lousy (politically motivated) assignment for hard working committee members.

Time for a new assignment right away, one that requires a realistic view of the Newburyport Schools real estate assets, the needs of our elementary school children (with all those state mandates,) and the overall fiscal picture (which is bleak) of Newburyport, MA.

With that assignment, I think a completely different picture of what could be built (or fixed) for our elementary school children would emerge. And hopefully, it would not take a year or more to accomplish. And hopefully, that picture would be a much easier “sell” to the taxpayer and we would have one of those delightful “win-win” situations.

As it stands now, this is a “lose-lose” proposition. School Committee, go back to the drawing board real quick. Don’t waste our time trying to sell us this incredibly silly, convoluted $30 million diamond necklace elementary school building needs stuff. Please.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, Special Election — Just Say “No”

Oh, good grief! The Newburyport School Committee is proposing a special election for this Spring to start the ball rolling on the funding for the proposed $30 million dollar elementary school building extravaganza.

First of all the special election would cost the tax payers $17,000 (Newburyport Daily News, November 29, 2006). There is NO money for that. Please.

The push, or the panic button push, or the “our children will be destroyed forever” push, if you will is “overcrowding.”

But, what the School Committee is NOT talking about (or at least that I can find out) is that there is a short term solution to the overcrowding situation that would cost very little money compared to what they are proposing. (Preliminary estimate to new construction at the Bresnahan — $4.3 million, the beginning of the $30 million spending extravaganza.)

Not ideal, but as I understand it, an all full day kindergarten could be out of the Brown Elementary School, thereby freeing up much needed space at the Bresnahan Elementary School.

Money for busing, yes, but a lot less than the proposed $4.3 million. Come on.

The argument against this — not good for our children to have to switch back and forth between neighborhood schools. They could be permanently, irretrievably, emotionally harmed.

Oh, good grief, that is just ridiculous.

At kindergarten and early elementary school ages, one does not need a expensive consultant/researcher to know that this back and forth stuff would NOT cause irrefutable harm to our young Newburyport school children. Good grief again.

Free up the space at the Bresnahan Elementary School and then go back to the drawing board right away and come up with a sensible, realistic, fiscally responsible solution (there are four very valuable pieces of property here, see previous posts) that the taxpayers will support.

Do not waste everyone’s time and valuable money. I’m not even talking compromise here. I’m talking a good dose of downright Yankee commonsense, not pie in the sky, dreamy $30 million dollar building plan.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, Plundering the Wheelwright Property

A little clarification here on the proposed plundering of the back of the Wheelwright property by Wills Lane LLC. This proposal will be in front of the Newburyport Planning Board December 6, 2006.

This is a traced/drawing from the Newburyport GIS map showing part of the back of High Street, from State Street to Lime Street or what is know as the “Ridge” the land behind the stately High Street mansions.

ridge.3.jpg

The area in red was the original Wheelwright Property, the back of which Wills Lane LLC is proposing to develop a subdivision.

This is a photograph taken of the beautiful entrance to the Oak Hill Cemetery off State Street. The “lane” of the proposed subdivision by Willis Lane LLC would basically parallel this gorgeous, historic roadway.

wheelwright.1.jpg
Edward Gerrish Mair © 2006

And this is a close up of the subdivision Wills Lane LLC would be proposing in front of the Newburyport Planning Board. This is the “sensitive” community version, rather than the “by right” version (see pictures in earlier post.)

Wheel.C.close.jpg

What I did was take a picture of the public document at the Newburyport Planning Office. The “peach” colored area is the Oak Hill Cemetery. The beautiful entrance to the cemetery is also sort of in peach color. This was done by moi for clarification sake… I hope I can’t be sued for this. If I could, would somebody please let me know ASAP. (Actually if the developer, who lives in town, is proud of this plan, the nifty peach color could be an asset, setting off the planned subdivision in all its “glory.”)

If a picture is worth a 1000 words, then this is a pretty sorry state of affairs.

Again, for activists out there in local Web Land, the City cannot do all that much to stop this “ridiculous” plan (as Ester Macomber calls it in the Newburyport Current, October 27, 2006.) It is the owner, who lives in Newburyport, MA, who does not appear to be changing his mind one little bit.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

(Editor’s Note: For an even more detailed map please see The Newburyport Preservation Trust)