The public has opportunities to shape policy this week as various Haverhill boards meet. In the interest of transparency in government, WHAV provides a list of upcoming meetings every week on-air and online.
Click image for Haverhill City Council agenda.
The Haverhill City Council will hold a public hearing on an application for a special permit to construct a building with four condominiums at 9-11 Nichols St. when it meets Tuesday night.
Attorney Paul A. Magliocchetti, who is representing builder Astro Enterprises, noted in a letter to the City Council the neighborhood is “densely populated” with other multifamily dwellings. He argued the four units would provide the city with additional homeownership opportunities and additional tax revenues. He said the anticipated three-story building would improve the property values of nearby parcels because the vacant lot in question is currently being used as a parking lot. The lot is zoned residential urban density.
Astro Enterprises is a limited liability company managed by Juan Argely Valerio of 351 Main St., Boxford.
Magliocchetti noted the Council recently approved the conversion of a 12-unit apartment building to 16 units at nearby 71 Portland St. The Haverhill Zoning Board of Appeals last fall. approved the variances for lot area and front and side setbacks required for the project to move forward. Magliochetti said the property has ample parking spaces.
The Council will also consider a request from the city’s Commission on Disability Issues to reduce its number of members from the current nine to five, seven or nine because as currently constituted, the board is having difficulties holding meetings for lack of a required quorum.
Mayor Melinda E. Barrett has also submitted an announcement that the annual Vietnam War Veterans Day Ceremony will be Friday, March 28, at 10 a.m. at Mill Brook Park. The park is located at the corner of Mill Street and Saunders Road.
The Haverhill City Council meets Tuesday night at 7, remotely and in-person at the Theodore A. Pelosi Jr. Council Chambers, room 202, Haverhill City Hall, 4 Summer St. As a public service, 97.9 WHAV plans to carry the meeting live.
Other Public Meetings
The redevelopment of the former Friends Landing nightclub parcel at 85 Water St. is on the agenda for the Haverhill Conservation Commission when it meets Thursday, March 27, at 7:15 p.m. at City Hall in Room 301. This will be the first session of a formal Notice of Intent hearing, according to Robert E. Moore, the city’s environmental health technician.
Louis P. Minicucci Jr., through his 85 Water Street Redevelopment, is proposing to construct a 113-unit multifamily complex (rendering below) next to the Merrimack River and expand and enhance the adjacent park, according to information provided to the Council. As WHAV reported, the Haverhill City Council approved the project in 2023.
Moore said he anticipates the major topic of conservation will be how the development company plans to deal with storm water in the case of a serious “100-year” flood event. As designed, the lower level of the parking lot for the complex will be open the river and flood water would be contained at that level to protect the building and other personal property, Moore said.
Drawing of planned riverfront building at 85 Water St., Haverhill.