Education

Following City Council, Haverhill School Com Wary of Further Residential Growth

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Joining Haverhill city councilors, who recently signaled a more careful approach to residential growth, some School Committee members last week called for the city to slow the pace of development, saying the district cannot handle more students. Member Gail M. Sullivan said she “repeatedly” called attention to enrollment increases with different councilors. “Every seat is taken. The schools are crowded and you’re allowing hundreds more people to come in with no plan. It’s not that we’re against any kind of additional housing, but where’s the plan?

Education

Haverhill High Principal Downs to Brief School Committee on New Policy Limiting Phone Use

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Introducing a formal policy limiting phone use, Haverhill High School Principal Michael J. Downs is set to speak Thursday night before the School Committee. Though schools never allowed phones in classrooms, Downs told WHAV putting the approach in writing will help students understand expectations and staff lay down the law. He said he hopes, with the rule made clear on the first day of school, enforcement will go smoothly this coming year. Haverhill School Committee Policy Subcommittee Chair Richard J. Rosa, who looked over Downs’ proposed policy with other members last week, endorsed the idea. “Personally, I’m very happy about this because I don’t know how anyone thinks that a student could learn in the classroom if they’re spending time looking at their phone and not focusing on what their teacher is teaching them.”

Downs said he adopted much of the language from the phone-use policy at Lowell High School.

Haverhill

With New Approach to Reign in Overdevelopment, Haverhill Council to Discuss Affordable Housing Next

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An update on Haverhill’s affordable housing situation is on the horizon for the City Council, which may begin asking more of developers before approving large projects. Officials said little on the subject during a consequential meeting on residential development last week, prompting Councilor John A. Michitson last night to call for a briefing from the Community Development Division. “It was clear from some of the feedback that night that we weren’t really spending a whole lot of time that night on affordable housing and discussing that, in particular, and that we needed a separate meeting for [it],” he said. As WHAV previously reported, discussion centered on concerns about city infrastructure not being able to handle the rapid pace of development, with 1,700 units currently in the pipeline. Councilors on the Planning and Development committee called for training on asking would-be developers to pay for public amenities—whether a new water main or a new police officer.

Haverhill

Hoping to Save Haverhill’s Urban Trees, Volunteer Set to Speak at Tuesday Council

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Michael Schroth says it’s time to save the trees in the Acre and Mount Washington. He just needs a little help from Haverhill’s government to get started. Pointing to green spaces left unwatered, and “filthy” areas across the city, Schroth last week implored city councilors, “We can do much better, and it doesn’t take an army to do this. We’re not caring for what we’ve got.”

As only WHAV reported, he spoke during a City Council subcommittee meeting on residential development, which some say has gotten out of hand. He’s set to appear before the full Council Tuesday night.

Haverhill

Haverhill City Council May Use Broad Powers to Ask More of Housing Developers, Limit Growth

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With an eye on keeping residential growth manageable, Haverhill city councilors may begin asking a lot more of developers before approving proposals for large projects. “In light of citizen concern about the rapid growth of new residential units in Haverhill, the purpose of this meeting is to address potential changes to our zoning ordinances that may place limits on future residential growth,” said City Councilor John A. Michitson at the start of Tuesday night’s Planning and Development Committee meeting. He is the chair. According to City Solicitor Lisa L. Mead, the Council already has great legal authority to have would-be developers assess and address potential negative impacts. Zoning ordinances say councilors can reject a proposal for broadly defined reasons including, “community needs served by the proposal; traffic and pedestrian flow and safety, including parking and loading; adequacy of utilities and other public services; neighborhood character and social structures; impacts on the natural environment; and potential fiscal impact, including impact on city services, tax base and employment.”

Mead said, “You can require an applicant to show you how they meet that criteria, and that it’s positive for the city, in order to grant the special permit.” Before going before the Council, developers can be asked to study likely impacts, even paying for an independent consultant to verify the results.”

For example, she explained, if a water main feeding a proposed development needs to be replaced, councilors could include the upgrade as a condition of approval.

Haverhill

‘Rapid Growth of Residential Units’ in Haverhill Up for Zoning Discussion Tonight

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As concerns about overdevelopment swirl, Haverhill officials tonight will discuss potential changes to the city’s zoning ordinances—laws that determine where different types of structures can be built.

Of interest is the impact of “recent rapid growth of residential units” on “the number of pupils in schools and … the city’s infrastructure,” according to the announcement for the Haverhill City Council’s Planning and Development Committee meeting. City Councilors at a May 21 meeting raised concerns about the current rate of development and where new residences might go. In particular, Councilor Melissa J. Lewandowski suggested revisiting the zoning for the former site of Haverhill Paperboard. As WHAV reported then, Mayor Melinda E. Barrett said she told Procopio Companies to “burn” plans to place roughly 800 units on the riverfront property at 100 S. Kimball St. A spokesperson for Procopio declined to comment.

Haverhill

Three Years Later, Haverhill Task Force Continues Careful Progress Toward Honoring Indigenous History

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(Additional photograph below.)

Amid calls to remove the 1874 Hannah Duston statue in GAR Park, the Haverhill City Council in 2021 decided on a compromise. In addition to removing the hatchet from her hand and removing the word “savages” from the inscription, the proposal sent to the mayor’s office included, “That the statue remain where it is in GAR Park and also that the city provide the Abenaki an opportunity to erect their own memorial, with the city to provide land and site work in GAR Park,” Councilor Thomas J. Sullivan, who is now council president, said at the time. Three years later, no changes to the statue or the area around it have been made. Still, chair of the Native American Commemorative Task Force Daniel Speers told WHAV “we have confidence we are on a positive track.”

Former Mayor James J. Fiorentini created the group in 2021, as WHAV reported. Failing to mention the raging controversy around the GAR Park statue, he said, “I am establishing the Native American Commemoration Commission to plan and design the proper method of honoring and commemorating those indigenous peoples who inhabited this land.”

In Speers’ view, the group was tasked with addressing complex questions people have strong feelings about—a process he said should not be rushed.

Election Central

All Haverhill Legislators Unopposed for Re-Election, Talk Holy Family Hospital Crisis, Cost of Living

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All Democrats and all running unopposed, Haverhill’s incumbent state legislators say they have advocated for the city as Steward Health Care faces bankruptcy proceedings, and the fate of Holy Family Haverhill hangs in the balance. With the approach of the primaries Sept. 3 and general election Nov. 5, WHAV asked each of the four about their priorities for their next term, particularly as related to the Steward crisis, which could lead to the closure of the city’s only hospital, a possibility residents have rallied against. If reelected, Rep. Andy X. Vargas, Sen. Pavel M. Payano and Rep. Ryan M. Hamilton all said they would highly rank reducing the cost of living as Massachusetts becomes less and less affordable.