An active population of endangered Blanding’s turtles has prompted Haverhill city officials to largely abandon plans to develop the old Dutton Airport off Route 110 into a business park.
William Pillsbury Jr. said the city received a preliminary report earlier this year prepared by biologists at the state’s Natural Heritage and Endangered Species program which describes an active breeding habitat for the turtles in the marshy land on the abandoned private airfield.
Pillsbury said the city hoped to develop some 800,000 square feet of commercial and industrial space on the property with the help of the Greater Haverhill Foundation, but the state’s environmental analysis suggests less than half that area would be available for building. Pillsbury told Haverhill city councilors Tuesday that while the owners of the property could still pursue development, the city no longer believes a business park is a viable option.
“We really were very serious when we came to you and said we are going to take the environmental aspects of this seriously and we did and we put them all on the table. We still have turtles out there running around with radio transmitters on and transmitting their activities. It is all part of an environmental analysis that we did and are doing to make sure we did the right thing,” Pillsbury said.
Blanding’s turtles grow to an average of 10 inches and have a bright yellow chin and throat. Native to Eastern United States and Canada, they can live well into their 70s and beyond.
As WHAV has reported since 2020, the idea of turning the old airfield into a business park first surfaced as part of Haverhill’s Vison 2035 Master Plan. The city was interested in the parcel near Northern Essex Community College because two other business parks in the city were developed.
However, given the lack of vacant land in Haverhill, Pillsbury said the city has made changes to its zoning regulations to allow for increased density at two other business parks. That includes allowing larger buildings, two-story buildings and fewer parking spots.
The airport dates to at least 1929. In the 1940s, it was known as Walker-Dutton Airport. It closed less than 10 years after its owner, barnstormer Howard Dutton, crashed and died there during an aerobatic display in 1977. For years, Dutton was part of what was known as the “Dutton Sky Devils,” appearing at air shows across the country. Besides the runway, the site included a hangar, charter, flight instruction and plane rental areas.
A 1977 United States Geological Survey aerial photograph shows the longer runway then in use and a shorter runway to the left that was already abandoned.