Paying particular attention to the former site of Haverhill Paperboard, City Councilors are considering changing residential zoning amid concerns about overdevelopment.
After Procopio Companies shared a proposal for the 100 S. Kimball St. property, Mayor Melinda E. Barrett said at last week’s meeting, “I think I told them to burn it. It was a little shocking.” She told WHAV the developer planned about 800 units.
A spokesperson for Procopio declined to comment.
With City Council approval, the current zoning for the 23.4-acre site allows 40 units per acre if the developer also builds a public walkway, public park and structure giving access to the river. Without those contributions to the city, a design could include 20 units per acre by right and would still require Council approval.
As only WHAV reported back in January, Peter Noyes, the owner, said he expanded the dock on the site in 2018 and that, according to conversations with city officials, the lot would probably end up including a riverfront trail. He received approval to build an earthen berm in January, a move which makes the area suitable for development.
At maximum, a complex at the waterfront property could have 936 units, a prospect Councilor Melissa J. Lewandowski said would cause a “traumatic impact on our city.” “Of particular urgency to me is the waterfront district, and of even more particular interest to me is the old Paperboard site,” she said. Noting zoning changes cannot apply retroactively, she urged a speedy process.
Procopio and Noyes declined to say at the time why the developer backed out, and the mayor told WHAV she does not know whether her skepticism was the reason. Council Vice President Timothy J. Jordan, who put the topic on the agenda with Lewandowski, counseled a forward-thinking approach.
“The reality is, I think, additional projects will be approved, but I do think it’s really important that we consider, what types of development do we want in our city,” he said.” I think it’s critical that we consider what the long-term impact will be of each project that we’re being asked to approve.”
At minimum, projects should be revenue neutral, Jordan said. With some back-of-the-napkin math, he argued the property taxes from a single-family home don’t balance out the cost of educating two children. According to him, because of the statewide housing crisis, the city permitted too much residential development without sufficient data to understand its impact.
“Last August, with the severe flooding we experienced, we were reminded of how old and tired our infrastructure is,” he said.
Councilor Shaun P. Toohey pointed out many of the city’s recently approved units are one-beds and studios. He added that new buildings grow the tax base, though he also noted the importance of “balance.”
He said, “Being in my line of work, I see and talk to a lot of contractors and a lot of developers and the opinion, at this particular juncture, is, ‘Haverhill is not open for business.’ And that’s a little bit of a concern.”
The MBTA Communities Act, which requires municipalities with train stations to create denser housing, faces pushback from a growing number of communities, including Milton, Marblehead and Holden. Haverhill already meets the law’s requirements and, Barrett said, has approved 1,700 more units.
“Haverhill is not going to solve the state’s housing crisis,” she said. “We have played our part. We have passed the MBTA Communities Act. We’re waiting for our approval, but we passed it long ago, so I don’t think we’re down on it. This is a time of assessment.”
Councilors referred the matter to its Planning and Development Committee.