Thursday, May 4, 2000 Older Editions

Article 81: Ballardvale gets $40K to master traffic

Town Meeting gave the go-ahead, and $40,000 to a group that wants to study development to make sure the character of Ballardvale is maintained.

The $40,000 will be used to create a Ballardvale Master Plan.

"Such a plan would be of great value to the Ballardvale Traffic Task Force as the board continues to wrestle with the traffic problems," Selectman Mary French told Town Meeting.

Ballardvale residents believe that they are particularly affected by the traffic that comes with having big business in town.

"There has been a tendency of people to underestimate the negative impacts of industrial development," said Richard Bowen, of Bannister Road. "Some areas of the town have been impacted negatively. Some more than others.

"All of us as taxpayers of Andover have benefited from this development," he said. "They are, in some respects, cash cows. We have a pasture of these cash cows in Ballardvale."

Bowen called on the town to help mitigate the negative influence of industry.

Article 81 was easily approved with a hand vote.

-- Neil Fater