The minutes for the Newburyport Zoning Board of Appeals for August 22, 2006 are not up yet on the City’s website because they have to be approved at the next meeting.

But, Albert Decie of Citizens for Environmental Balance (CEB) attended the meeting and passed this on in an email:

“Woodman Farm AKA the Seaport Village 40B project… The lawyer, I believe his name to be Healy, has set up a meeting for 8/30 with the mayor to ask the city to drop the land court case, which might otherwise continue for a year or more. The specifics of the developer’s request to the mayor were not divulged…”

Mr. Decie is concerned. So am I.

So, this Wednesday, August 30, 2006 the developer will ask the Mayor John Moak to drop the land court case. Please see the post “Newuryport, Massachusetts, Woodman Property and Mayor Moak” for more information on the project. You can also put “Woodman Property” in the search box at the right side of the blog and all blog posts concerning this issue will come up.

I wasn’t sure who has the authority to take the Woodman property out of Land Court. I’ve asked around and I believe that the Mayor as “Chief Executive Officer of the City” has that authority (please see the Newburyport Political Blog’s guidelines for disclaimer.) It is my understanding that Mayor Moak could instruct the City Solicitor to settle or drop the case.

Cynic that I am, I assume that this was always the “game plan.” That for reasons I still do not understand, Mayor John Moak would not mind seeing a huge 40B project in that spot.

So if this is an issue that you care about, I would give the Mayor a call or an email and contact your Newburyport City Councilor.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport