The Newburyport Political Blog has been picked up by Planetizen.com thanks to Ron Martino. Thank you Mr. Martino.

This is huge, really, really huge. As Ron Martino wrote me in an email (I don’t think Mr. Martino would mind if I quoted him, even though I haven’t checked it out with him,) “This means the NPB is a national player in the planning world, [albeit a junior one :-).]”

I knew eventually people around the country would start to read the Newburyport Political Blog, but I didn’t think it would be this soon. So, Wow!

We are in the section called “Under the Radar.” The entire website (each posting) is being picked up and re-posted on Planetizen.com. Planetizen is serious stuff folks.

Planetizen is a major Planning and Development website. The Newburyport Political Blog is floating around there (Yiddish and all) with major, I mean really major, national and even international organizations (architects, city planning organizations, major newspapers, major universities–go look.)

So what is being discussed on the Newburyport Political Blog is already being read by national and international players. What we as a community in Newburyport, Massachusetts do matters. The world is watching. This is not just about Newburyport anymore.

There are so many important planning and development issues that will continue to present themselves to our city. For example, two major properties on the “Ridge”, the area along High Street in the South End of Newburyport where the large mansions are built, have been sold (the Wheelwright House being one of them.) Developers can now build in front of those mansions, the zoning laws allow it.

One of the things that the Newburyport Planning Office has been thinking about is a “zoning overlay” just for the area in front of those mansions. This would be to prevent developers from building on the lower part of the “Ridge.” It is hard for me to believe that once most people understand that this is an issue, that they would not support this kind of “overlay district.”

Newburyport, Massachusetts has one of the best and brightest city planners in Nicholas Cracknell. Nick Cracknell understands the unbelievably complicated issues around planning and development in Newburyport, such as the need for an “zoning overlay” for the “Ridge.”

I would hope, if Ron Martino is right that the Newburyport Political Blog is now a national player in the planning world ( although a junior one), that we can continue to advocate for “smart grow.” I would hate, as major players are watching us, to make the mistake of letting Mr. Cracknell go.

Mary Eaton, Newburyport