In 17 years on the Planning Board, Chairman Paul Salafia has seen Andover grow by leaps and bounds. This month marks the end of his tenure, as he is resigning to focus more on his work.
"Seventeen years ago, the population was probably half of what it is today. We are near build-out. When I first came on the board, we were approving 20-lot subdivisions, two and three a month. Now, we get (applications for) two- and three-lot subdivisions. There's not a lot of good, buildable land in Andover left," Salafia said.
The South Main Street resident produces television commercials for a living, and the work's demanding travel schedule made it hard to juggle the time commitment of long hours as board chairman, he said. Salafia gave Town Manager Buzz Stapczynski a letter of resignation last month, and made his intention public at the July 13 Planning Board meeting.
"After 17 years, it's time to get fresh blood in there," Salafia said. "I don't play golf and I don't collect stamps. That (being on the Planning Board) was my hobby. I really enjoyed doing something that was so different from my profession ... It's been really a wonderful 17 years; I've loved it. I know I'm going to miss it. I will probably get involved with other projects in town some way."
Building projects that come before the Planning Board often have abutters or residents in opposition, and meetings can get tense. Town Manager Buzz Stapczynski praised Salafia for his "great poise" in leading the board.
"His tenure on the Planning Board was one of progress and growth for the town. He was involved with a number of commercial, industrial and residential projects, all of which were highly controversial, and he navigated them as a chairman of great poise and dispatch. He led the Planning Board through some of these tough times, and the decisions, although controversial, were always reached in the best interest of the town," Stapczynski said. "His love for Andover is written into the legacy that he leaves for all of us. I hope this won't be the last public service venture for our good friend Paul Salafia."
During his tenure, Salafia and town planners have put countless hours into plans to move the town yard out of downtown and bring another interchange off Interstate 93 into southern Andover.
"We're all proud of the industrial base Andover has, and how the downtown has improved. I feel we are poised to have a flourishing downtown again," he said. "I drive downtown and I'm very proud I've been part of this the past 17 years."
Salafia's first interaction with the Planning Board came because he owned a significant amount of downtown rental property, and had applied to put on an addition to one of his buildings.
"Downtown parking is always difficult, and before coming before the board, I had pooled a couple of neighbors downtown to share parking. (Then-chairman) Hooks Johnson loved the idea, and asked me to be on the board. The rest is history," Salafia said.
