The Haverhill City Council is poised to increase the number of outdoor food vendors next summer, but reject a suggested location.
While councilors took no votes Tuesday night, they heard Ward 4 City Councilor Melissa J. Lewandowski’s summary of where members of the Council’s Natural Resources and Public Property Committee are leaning in response to Ward 3 Councilor Devan M. Ferreira’s June proposal to more than double the number of vendor licenses from six to 14 and add three new locations. Lewandowski recounted objections raised by her subcommittee.
“Some of the concerns that we had as a Council included pedestrian traffic, impacts on downtown businesses and trash and debris,” she said.
Under Ferreira’s plan, the number of vendors allowed in Riverside Park would go from one to four and GAR Park, Swasey Field Park and Nettleton Avenue would each go from one to two vendors. There was also interest in a hot dog stand in Washington Square.
Lewandowski reported while there was talk of having no vendor locations at Plug Pond, the subcommittee passed a motion by Ward 1 Councilor Ralph T. Basiliere to recommend the full City Council reject GAR Park as an additional location, but add one spot each at Riverside Park and Swasey Field. Lewandowski reported City Solicitor Lisa L. Mead has also suggested that any new ordinance include the option for a vendor to request a location the Council had not considered.
After Tuesday’ meeting, Basiliere told WHAV GAR Park is inappropriate due to the low number of available parking spots on Bailey Boulevard and a general lack of foot traffic.
In other business, councilors gave Mayor Melinda E. Barrett permission to file a loan application to the state to pay the estimated $26 million cost of replacing and upgrading sewer lines. Public Works Director Robert E. Ward said, if approved, he anticipates the state would charge 2% interest and offer some forgiveness of the principal at the end of the term of the loan. He also added the city may qualify for an additional discount.
“There may be a half a percent interest rate reduction from the 2% that relates to the city of Haverhill being a housing choice community,” Ward said.
As WHAV reported first last month, the city will replace a force main that failed in June with two new 36-inch parallel lines between the South Mill Street Pump Station and the Wastewater Treatment Plant on S. Porter Street and replacing aging interior pump station piping. The failure of a 1970s-era 42-inch line sent millions of gallons of untreated sewage into the Merrimack River for several days while temporary bypasses were laid.
The Council also placed on file for 10 days a proposed new ordinance which would bring greater consistency to overnight winter parking rules.