Top Ten Reasons Powder Mill Square Project Should Not Be Built:
Problem #1
Developer (Northpoint Realty Trust) and or landowner (Wood Ayer Trust Partnership) withheld information about hazardous chemicals from the Town of Andover's Conservation Commission, Planning and Public Health departments during hearings even though they had the information as early as January 10, 2000. They were asked if the property had any hazardous chemicals and they answered "No" throughout hearings. They chose illegally not to report the levels of these chemicals to the Massachusetts DEP. Why? On October 16, 2000 developer and landowner representatives met with the Andover Board of Health. It took numerous requests for the "21E" reports before the bad news was given over to the department head.
Attached:Simmons Environmental Services, Inc. Report
The Powder Mill Square property has arsenic at one drilling above reportable levels and lesser
amounts of arsenic at many other drillings. Simmons also reports high level,
reportable 1, 1 DCE and 1, 1, 1 TCA and other hazardous chemical problems in a document dated June 2,
2000 showing test data dated January 10 and 19, 2000.
Don't forget the medical center parking garage is designed to flood and the flood water will be contaminated with these same chemicals. It is not possible from an engineering technology point of view to clean up the parking garage in 10 working days. The site is a landfill of chemical waste from the mills into the river, a fact more drilling will prove along with probable evidence of even more hazardous chemicals.
The property is in a flood plain and has flooded 17 times in 32 years: 1968, 1969 (twice), 1970, 1972,1973, 1976, 1978, 1979,1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1993, 1996, and 1998.
What will the health risk be on Andover's residents and visitors to this medical center parking area?
Many of the chemicals when mixed with water change to a hazardous gas which will rise into the two story garage and 72 units of residential apartments.
This all brings people into harm's way.
Problem #2
Abutter Marland Place at 15 Stevens Street is a registered hazardous waste site.
During floods, hazardous chemicals from 15 Stevens Street will go into the medical center garage and under the 72 units of housing.
A Massachusetts DEP audit report is overdue and there was a recent release of chlorinated solvents (TCE).
The Shawsheen River is polluted with raw sewage in normal times according to Merrimack River Watershed Council testing. That polluted water will be added to the hazardous chemicals at the parking garage during tlood events.
Again Andover residents and visitors would be brought into harm's way.
Problem #3
The present sewer line cannot handle the proposed increased load The sewer overflows during spring time into the Shawsheen River at this site. It has happened 14 times in the last 20 years.
The sewer line is not properly engineered for its current load.
The right angle at the river is too sharp for the diameter of the pipe. A permanent design change is needed.
Neighbors will continue to report problems to the Andover DPW, the Massachusetts DEP, and to
the newspapers until these problems are resolved.
Problem #4
Presently property is approximately 20% more pervious than North Point Realty Trust calculates
For some reason Northpoint ignores the old parking lot and an old building torn down some years ago, they do calculations from a map.
Any walk through shows trees, bushes, and grass growing over 20% of aging hot top paving building cellars. Remember these cellars are also holding water during heavy rain events.
Because of developer's miscalculations, it is not recognized that one foot or more of water will be increased and pushed onto abutters' property and into cellars of remaining Historic homes. This will destroy those remaining 4 Historic homes on or abutting the site.
Problem #5
The destruction of Andover's Historic sites, homes, and burial ground on dam #3:
1.Lovejoy and Phillips grist mill.
2.Phillips powder mill #1,in operation March 1776, supplied General Washington's
Continental Army that had been so disadvantaged by running out of gunpowder at Bunker Hill. The Historic mill race should be opened again. It was illegally stopped by land owner.
3.Is the corner house at Stevens and 188 North Main the 1777 William Bell house?
4.Burial ground for 3 workers of the powder mill is on the site. Where? The precise location should be found before any construction. It could be the corner house (188 North Main Street).
5.Phillips and Houghton paper mill (1788) on the site.
6.Historic Marland Mills textile mill buildings (1828 on).
7.Historic textile row houses on North Main Street (1830 on).
Problem #6
U.S. Postal Service patrons and employee parking at 5 Stevens Street.
In 1988 the Federal Government built a post office on land leased from the same landowner who owns 5 Stevens Street.
Over 12 years the Town of Andover has grown in population.
For 12 years and today on Saturdays and coming into holidays 35 or more cars are parked in front of 5 Stevens Street and also behind the former Suburban Health building.
No decision has been made where these patrons and employees will park. The Planning Department says "it is not our problem". We disagree. The Planning Board has to deal with the health and safety of pedestrian and automobile traffic.Where do these patrons and employees go to park and how do they get to the post office safely?
Problem #7
Density of buildings and people.
The Planning Board omitted the garage structure from calculations on building density.
The Planning Board did not subtract acres of land used for the medical center and its parking for apartment dwelling density calculations. Overstated land available means understated density.
Both understatements of density fail the test and only one structure could be built, not two.
Problem #8
With 72 units, it is estimated that 54 children will be living in the complex:
1.How do we get the children across North Main Street to McDonalds and the video store safely?
Putting all in harm's way.
2.No place has been set aside for children to play. They will end up playing on the river bank or in parking lots or in the garage.
Putting all in harm's way.
Problem #9
The present land owner started to purchase Historic houses on North Main Street in 1992. Then, the houses were affordable housing for Andover, and in fair to good condition.
Landowner chose to let these Historic houses run down and not keep up the yards. He did not maintain affordable housing for Andover.
The same landowner now calls the Historic homes "rundown" and no longer habitable.
Town officials have fallen into the landowner's trap to call the Historic houses an eye sore.
Rehab these Historic homes back into good condition providing affordable housing for Andover.
Problem #10
Increased traffic aggravating what is already a bottleneck today.
Increased traffic lights on North Main Street.
Increased building and no respect for open space.
Increased building on our polluted Shawsheen River.
Leaders of the Town of Andover are doing what the MAJORITY of residents DO NOT WANT:
"Changing Andover to a City".
LEADERS:
Please look at your mission statement and follow it.
Citizens against Powder Mill Square are opposed to this high density plan.
