William “Bud” Hart, manager of the Ward Hill Park Association.
Members of the Ward Hill Park Association expressed a wide range of concerns from roads and traffic to Internet access during a meeting Thursday morning with a representative of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative.
Dale Rogers, of Rogers Associates, said many of the park’s problems could be traced to the movement away from manufacturing.
“The trouble with these trucks and everything; it’s become an industrial park that is no longer an industrial park. It’s a mixed use park. It was developed for an industrial park and now it is an amusement park,” Rogers said. He explained the kind of truck traffic normally associated with an industrial park now conflicts with consumer traffic associated with a hospital, school and skating rink.
“It’s like farming. The farm is here first. Then, they move in and complain about the stink.”
William “Bud” Hart, association manager, said the business park receives few services from the city in exchange for taxes. While the city does respond when called, Hart said, he wishes the city were more proactive. He and other business representatives present said they have seen many studies before, but no concrete action coming from them. Hart is also the owner of Hart Group coaching and consulting.
The collaborative’s Brian J. Groth said planning ahead is the aim of his work.
“Everbody involved is really focused on doing things; not just writing things,” said Groth, who is on loan to the Greater Haverhill Foundation. He said one finding is the Ward Hill Business Park delivers one-quarter of the city’s commercial tax revenues.
The Greater Haverhill Foundation, created during the 1960s to create the then-Ward Hill Industrial Park, is also one of the developers of Harbor Place, downtown.
Wow, some folks are just figuring out now that this park pays so much in taxes ? Light dawns on marblehead ! The city, for those who remember, was screwing these folks when the fire call system didn’t work for so long yet these businesses were paying for it. Was there a rebate ? Proactive ??? Seriously you are suggesting the city be proactive ? There is no such word in their vocabulary, especially with this mayor. Everything is reactionary and has been for decades. See: Hale Hospital debacle or Hunking school debacle or landfill debacle or police station debacle or wastewater ( soon to be a debacle), need I go on ? There are many more we can talk about. Barney Fiefdom rules !