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LETTERS
Meehan should pay for election Editor, Townsman: I just wrote a note again to Marty Meehan - never an answer. He has not been, is not now and probably will never be one of my favorites. Despite that, I did suggest to him a "class act" gesture he could make for his X constituents in the district towns he was elected to represent. After his term limits pledge (that went disregarded), followed by having been re-elected (only to run to a larger pay check), he owes the towns that supported him something in exchange. I suggested to him, and now to you, that he should dig into his "war chest" and pay the towns for the unexpected expense of the special elections. His early desertion of duty will require them; they represent significant expenses that will otherwise come from the funds destined to be used for town and school support. There are no towns in the Merrimack Valley prepared for this and he has more than sufficient funds to help out. He may want to reserve some for a future run when Ted Kennedy or John Kerry decides to step down, but he has the time to replenish the funds over the next couple of years. Just a thought: if enough folks feel the same and write enough letters to him, maybe something could come of it. It could put him in a better light as any rate! Calvin G. Perry 25 Timothy Drive
Override would further push out longtime residents Editor, Townsman: We feel Brian Major's position on a Proposition 21/2 tax override is unfair to senior citizens. I have lived in the Ballardvale section of Andover my entire life. The home my husband and I live in was originally owned by my great-grandparents and left to my mother by my great aunt. Our house from the outside has not changed much over the years as two different pictures in the Townsman can attest. We would like to finish our lives here in the town and shopping areas we call home. We are familiar with the streets, the library and our church. I made use of the Ballardvale playground as a child, canoed and swam in the Shawsheen River and attended every town sponsored Canobie Lake outing. Our eight sons went to Andover Schools and delivered papers for the Tribune for many years, at one point to nearly all of the Vale. Andover residents are now beginning to fully appreciate the uniqueness of the Vale and its residents. We feel we are being slowly and quietly pushed out. Major's suggestion of raising property taxes through an override is extremely unfair. Those of us who wish to stay should be able to continue to bloom or die where we were planted. Jane D. St. Amand 11 Oak St.
Andover must tackle tough speakers-policy questions Editor, Townsman: Andover High School science teachers Burch and Sousa have raised many questions (in a March 8 Townsman letter, and in School Committee meetings) about how a school policy on controversial issues/speakers could or should be implemented. Some of them are very good questions, and they demonstrate why a good policy is so badly needed in this area - to answer those questions, and to guide the decisions of teachers and administrators when dealing with potentially controversial topics. But there appears to be an attitude among some in the Andover school system that if a policy like this is difficult to frame, or doesn't please all parties equally - if it requires serious thought and good judgment and responsibility by those involved - then, whoa, let's choose to do nothing instead. This is the kind of attitude that allows great institutions to crumble. It has many parents in Andover wondering, "What has happened to our excellent school system?" We need to set limits on the methods of teaching controversial material in our public schools - what methods are acceptable or unacceptable to the community. (The Wheels of Justice visit in January shows how nonsensical things can get if we don't.) Due to the diverse society in which we live today, the decisions made by a few teachers can easily stray from what the majority of the community considers appropriate. But our public schools exist for the benefit of the students and the community - not to further teachers' political interests, and not to serve as platforms for unrestrained free speech. The School Committee has the legal right, and the responsibility, to set limits on how controversial subjects are taught in our schools. (The US Supreme Court has upheld that right.) A good policy doesn't need to list specific topics that are controversial, since those change over time. Teachers like Burch and Sousa already know what might be considered controversial by parts of the Andover community today, and I commend them for that insight. If some teachers don't know, then they should certainly take the effort to listen and learn, out of respect for the diverse public they serve. A good policy should define appropriate methods and guidelines to be employed when a topic or speaker is recognized as controversial - including balanced presentations, documentation, safety/privacy concerns, etc. This is partly curriculum development and partly teaching, and sound policy should guide both. A good policy will force teachers and administrators to be more aware and responsible in how they deal with controversial issues and speakers, and should provide a "best practices" model of how to approach such charged topics, for the benefit of all involved. I hope that the School Committee will deliver on its responsibility to draft a good and fair policy regarding controversial issues/speakers, as other Massachusetts school districts have done. Jonathan Harder 23 Abbot Bridge Drive
Merrimack College development Editor, Townsman: There has been much debate over the last couple of weeks about the potential impact of rezoning a 26-acre parcel of land at 175 Haverhill St., currently owned by Merrimack College. One of the supposed benefits of rezoning from residential to Mixed Use is the higher tax rate associated with commercial property. But it seems that with all the development (commercial as well as residential) that has taken place in town over the years, we still go to Town Meeting each year with budget shortfalls and insufficient funds to maintain status quo for the various town services. Where are all these increased tax revenues going? Does development really result in increased net revenues or does it result in increased spending on infrastructure to support the effects of development? While the Planning Board has been working behind the scenes with Merrimack for the last several months on this proposal, they have only recently entered discussions with the abutters; those most affected by the change. Why haven't the abutters been involved from the beginning? It seems that residents don't find out what is going on until the plans are ready to be put forth before a public meeting. This only gives them a short period of time to learn what is being proposed, how it will affect them, and develop the necessary counter arguments to support their side of the issues. It simply isn't fair. One very important issue that seems to have been lost, is that the residents of Napier, Elysian and Twin Brook bought their homes with the understanding that the adjacent 26-acre parcel was zoned for Single Residence B, not Mixed Use or Commercial. How would you feel if land next to your home was threatened by a zoning change from residential to commercial? How can this not have a negative impact on people's properties? The Planning Board is pushing for rezoning and wants to bring the article before Town Meeting for a vote. The fact that it sponsors this article, lends more credibility than if the article were proposed by the college alone. But why does the board insist on moving forward when local residents object? Voters at Town Meeting will be put in the difficult situation of voting on an article on which they will only hear a short discussion. This isn't adequate time to make an informed decision. Furthermore, how can you vote on a zoning change without knowing what will be built on the property? Members of the Planning Board and selectmen should put themselves in the shoes of the abutters and consider the consequences of rezoning property next to their houses. Maybe then they would understand the views of residents and withdraw this article from Town Meeting. If they really believe this is the best approach for the town, then I suggest they line up a developer interested in the land, come to Town Meeting with a definitive development plan that takes into consideration the interests of abutters, and vote on a zoning change at that time. Kevin Porter 8 Westwind Road
LETTERS on REZONING MERRIMACK LAND
Pro: As a good neighbor, college has worked with town on this Editor, Townsman: Clearly, it is time for Merrimack College to defend its integrity regarding the rezoning of its land at 175 Haverhill St. in Andover. Once the college determined it wanted to put that asset to productive use, it was the town of Andover that asked the college to consider rezoning the property to Mixed Use. The town's planners felt that would be the best use of the land. They recognize that those 26 acres of land will not remain in their present state and therefore propose to use it in the way they deem would best benefit the entire town. We agreed to work with the town to do that. Yes, we do want to make the most of that asset for the benefit of the college's future. Anyone with an asset, large or small, would want to do the same. Andover planning and other officials are not proposing this zoning change to help the college make more money. Despite what some may believe, this project is not and has never been a conspiracy between the college and the town. This project has not been conducted in a mean-spirited way to hurt anyone. We do not want to do anything that would hurt our neighbors, and we do not believe we are doing so. To imply such is wrong. In fact, the college has agreed to pay for yet another engineering study to further explore the drainage and flooding concerns that our neighbors have. We, like the neighbors and the town, would like to have definitive answers about that issue as well. As an educational institution, the college is not required to pay taxes. But that does not mean that Andover, indeed the entire Merrimack Valley, does not benefit from having Merrimack College in its backyard: o Ninety-four students from Andover currently attend Merrimack College; 400 attend from the Valley. o The college provided nearly $500,000 in financial aid to Andover residents; more than $3.8 million to Merrimack Valley students; and nearly $15 million in financial aid to its student body in 2005-06. o Seventy-one Andover residents are employed by Merrimack College. o Merrimack provides a $50,000 annual gift to be used specifically for the hiring of a new teacher in the Andover public school system. o Andover schools benefit from the placement of Merrimack student teachers in their classrooms every year. o The college used 24 Andover businesses in 2005-2006. o Seventy-nine businesses in Andover used Merrimack students to fill co-op and internships positions, and recruited our students in 2005-06. o Merrimack students provided 242 hours of community service last year to the Andover senior center, police department, and other important groups in need. o Our civil engineering students are currently engaged in a project to help the town devise a plan for better parking and traffic flow behind the Old Town Hall. They also played a role in the traffic study of the proposed Route 93 interchange at Route 125 in Lowell Junction area of Andover . o Senior citizens can and do take courses for free at Merrimack. o Merrimack helps to generate economic activity by attracting hundreds and hundreds of visitors to Andover every year through admissions activities, conferences, athletic events, alumni and class reunion events, and more. These visitors eat in local restaurants, stay in local hotels, purchase gas, etc. Merrimack has worked diligently to be a contributing and good-standing member of the Andover community and Greater Lawrence in general. We have always appreciated the good working relationship we have with the town of Andover. We regret the implication that this relationship is anything but an above-board collaboration. Richard J. Santagati President of Merrimack College
Con: Rezoning would destroy area character Editor, Townsman: Andover voters should reject Warrant Article 45 at Town Meeting. Passage would allow the town to rezone property owned by Merrimack College at 175 Haverhill St. from Single Family Residence B to Mixed Use/Smart Growth. 175 Haverhill St. consists of 26 acres of undeveloped woodland, along with three streams and sizable wetlands. Paul Materazzo, Andover planning director, has given reasons for his support. Materazzo says Mixed Use/Smart Growth zoning allows for efficient use of the land and will create a buffer zone between the increasing commercialism of the Route 114 area and some of Andover's residential neighborhoods. There are compelling reasons to defeat Article 45. First of all, 175 Haverhill St. is almost entirely surrounded by residential neighborhoods zoned Single Residence B. SRB means single family homes with 30,000 sq. ft. lots. In contrast, Massachusetts General Law Chapter 40R states Mixed Use/Smart Growth zoning permits industrial buildings, institutions, commercial buildings, and high density housing with as many as 20 units per acre. How is this compatible with SRB? Ironically, Chapter 40R also states that a goal of Mixed Use/Smart Growth zoning is to preserve and protect existing communities. Andover's Master Plan states that neighborhoods should be preserved and protected. Yet the zoning change has the potential to destroy the quiet character and lower the property values of every adjacent neighborhood. Second, Mixed Use/Smart Growth zoning will strain the town's infrastructure. For example. how much more traffic can Haverhill and Elm streets handle? Surely, everyone has noticed the long lines of cars waiting on Haverhill and Elm for the lights to change where these streets meet Route 114. What about schools? Andover's public schools are already experiencing budget problems, requesting more than $59 million for fiscal 2008, which the town cannot afford. Finally, there is the problem of the wetlands. If the property is over-developed, every downstream neighborhood between 175 Haverhill St. and North Main Street will be at risk for new or increased flooding. Andover will receive bonus payments from the state for housing construction in a Mixed Use/Smart Growth zoning area, and a one-time density bonus of $3,000 for each unit of new construction. But the money will never suffice for all that is lost, nor all the apparent and hidden costs of this zoning change. When you think things over, the only positive certainty is that Merrimack College, with the passage of Article 45, can seriously raise the asking price for its Haverhill Street property. Elizabeth Greenwood 13 Elysian Drive
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