Nov. 5 I-93 meeting huge for future of Andover
Editor, Townsman:
Dear Fellow Residents:
Having attended last week's public meeting concerning the I-93/Lowell Junction Development project, I was perplexed by the low turnout by residents for a public meeting on such a significant project. This is a highly visible project and could be a tremendous opportunity for Andover. I understand that, for many residents, this is an out of the way corner of Andover, but what I would like to stress is that it has the potential to affect the whole town either positively or negatively.
To give you a sense of the magnitude of the potential development, downtown Andover could fit in this area three times over. The Lowell Junction Development area is on par with the all the development between River Road and the Merrimack River by (and including) the Chili's restaurant. This area is larger than the development on Commerce Way in Woburn, including the Anderson RTC. It is not just a few more businesses or the expansion of P&G.
Certainly, with development of this magnitude, everyone wants to make sure there is no negative impact on the town. For example, if care is not taken with the Shawsheen River watershed, it could have ramifications throughout town. Our town planners, by holding this and future public meetings, are asking us to go beyond eliminating negatives and think about how this development could make a positive impact on the town. We could have development driven by basic economics like the Commerce Way area of Woburn or we could have thoughtful development aimed at creating a community like Research Triangle Park in North Carolina. Get on the Internet, compare these two areas, review their aerial photographs, and decide which of these types of development would be better for our town.
Don't take for granted that someone else will be there to represent your values. I was surprised to learn that 60 percent of the participants in last week's public input session did not live in any of the towns affected by this development. While developers, businesses and land owners should be a part of this process, their interests and values do not always align with those of the residents. This is why we need residents to participate.
Our public officials are sincere in their interest in our opinions. They are giving us an opportunity to be heard, and to address some of our community values such as concern for our natural resources via sustainable development or maintaining open space for recreation. Please, take the time to learn about this project and come to the Andover I-93/Lowell Junction Task Force meeting on Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. in the second floor conference room of Town Offices.
A few hours of your time could positively impact this development that will affect Andover for decades.
Kerry O'Kelly
Andover I-93/Lowell Junction Task Force
2 Sparta Way
