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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007 - CD Annual Report 21 Division of Community Development and Services 2007 Annual Town Report Curt T. Bellavance, AICP Director Community Development Division is made up of five departments and administers several boards, commissions and committees. The five departments include the Building, Conservation, Public Health, Planning, and Zoning. The division director, besides managing the five departments, also works on promoting Economic Development, Affordable Housing and other aspects of land use and development. Two employees manage the division level, Bernadette Curran who is the Administrative Assistant/Office Manager and Curt Bellavance, who is the Director and oversees the division. The primary focus in the community development division is to manage the land use authorities, as well as provide technical support to a variety of groups, task force and committees. The division also handles a variety of projects including promoting economic development, and grant submissions and monitoring. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: As part of the community development division, it is our mission to promote economic development, fostering and monitoring business development, and improving the overall quality of development and business growth in North Andover. Expansion of the Town's Economic Target Area In September 2007, the Town of North Andover received approval for the expansion of the regional Economic Target Area (ETA) identified as census tract#2531. Census tract#2531 includes the Davis & Furber Mill complex and the downtown area. The benefits to expanding the ETA and incorporating more of North Andover include the following: Tax Increment Financing (TIF) or Special Tax Assessment (STA) at the discretion of Town Meeting; Manufacturing Tax Credits; Abandoned Building Tax Deduction; Brownfields Tax Credit and Incentives (state and federal) and Solar Energy credits/preferences (state and federal); all of which will help retain existing businesses and promote new business growth in town. Expedited Permitting Town Meeting adopted M.G.L. 43D last spring (Article #29). The adoption of 43D allows the Town to identify the portion of commercial property at Osgood Landing as a Priority Development Site (PDS). The approval allows the Town to seek funding to support commercial development at Osgood Landing. The goal of the PDS is to recognize property in town that is specifically identified for commercial development and has a distinct set of permitting regulations that allows potential developers to "fast-track" applications through the regulatory boards and commissions. 40R Smart Growth Overlay at 1600 Osgood Street The zoning at 1600 Osgood Street was successfully amended to incorporate the relatively new M.G.L. Chapter 40, Section R overlay zoning. The acceptance of this type of zoning will allow a mix of housing and commercial activities. The Town submitted an application to the Department of Housing & Community Development (DHCD) for site eligibility in January 2007. DHCD approved our application and the new 40R Smart Growth Zoning was adopted at the 2007 Annual Town Meeting and subsequently by the Attorney General's office. Osgood Landing at 1600 Osgood Street 1600 Osgood Street, LLC—the new North Andover-based Ozzy Properties, Inc. — purchased the site with the goal of attracting high-tech/high-end industrial tenants. Today, the property has an occupancy rate well over 50%. The owner has stated that the front portion of the building will house office space and has leased-up a majority of that space. This past year the facility was used as a movie set for the upcoming Cameron Diaz-James Marsden film "The Box". The facility was converted into a 1970's NASA lab for the filming of several different scenes. The movie is expected to be released later this year or early 2009. The facility has also served as a conference center and training resource for various groups and organizations, all of which brings hundred of people into North Andover regularly. The international company Ophir Optics, which designs and manufactures infrared lenses choose this site and is currently under construction. Over the past year more than a dozen new companies have chosen to locate at Osgood Landing, with an estimated occupancy of more than 100,000 square feet of new businesses. Seizing upon the need to reduce greenhouse emissions and save on energy costs, Ozzy Properties secured a $200,000 rebate from Bay State Gas Co. for installing high-efficiency natural gas boilers at its Osgood Landing. As part of the upgrade of the facility, Ozzy Properties chose to abandon the antiquated oil-burning boilers in favor of environmentally friendly natural gas-burning equipment. This will reduce the overall operating costs while significantly reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Ozzy Properties had the option of installing standard efficiency or high-efficiency natural gas equipment. The high-efficiency equipment offered additional energy savings above and beyond the conversion, though at a premium price. By selecting the more energy efficient, higher-priced equipment, Ozzy Properties earned the right to the financial incentive from the Bay State Gas Partners in Energy program. In a separate project, Ozzy Properties also installed solar panels on the roof of the office building as part of the 53-year-old building's revitalization and green transformation. The solar array will use Evergreen Solar modules made in Marlborough and a Solectria Renewables inverter made in Lawrence. Officials say this system will produce enough energy to power 18 average homes for an entire year. AFFORDABLE HOUSING: The Community Development Division is responsible for maintaining and supporting State sponsored programs and funding activities focused on promoting affordable housing in the Commonwealth and Merrimack Valley region. Planned Production Plan/Affordable Housing The Community Development office with assistance from the Housing Partnership Committee, submitted an affordable housing plan to the state. The division used funding provided by the Community Preservation Committee to hire a consultant to write and develop the housing plan. The Planned Production Plan is a report that encourages communities to plan proactively for affordable housing. It identifies the need for housing in the municipality and establishes strategies designed to make progress in meeting affordable housing goals, including production of housing units in accordance with the plan. The professional assistance was needed in order to meet the requirements of Chapter 40B Section 31.07 (i). The plan was approved by the State in late 2007. The State mandates that each municipality maintain at least 10% of their housing stock as affordable. North Andover maintains approximately 6% of the housing stock as affordable under State definitions. North Shore HOME Consortium Funds The North Shore HOME Consortium (HOME) is a regional organization that receives federal funding for supporting affordable housing projects. The Town of North Andover is entitled to funding each year to spend on affordable housing opportunities that meet the Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) guidelines. Two of the projects that North Andover supported in the past year utilizing additional HOME funds include funding to support the non- profit organization, American Training, which rehabilitated a North Andover home that is now used for adults with learning disabilities. The second project allowed the community development division to fund the Housing Partnership Committee's Homebuyer Assistance Program, which allowed recipients to receive a zero-interest, deferred-payment loan. The maximum amount of the loan is 10% of the purchase price, up to a maximum of$20,000. The loans were financed using funds from the North Shore HOME consortium. The program helped to assist ten (10) new applicants with the purchase of their new homes. GRANTS: The division examines readily identifiable regional, state and federal resources that the Town can seek to utilize. Most grants include funding through various state agencies. Additional sources of funding may include regional or federal grant funds. When warranted, a written application is submitted on behalf of the Town. 43D Grant A $100,000 43D Technical Assistance Grant was awarded to the Town to help provide North Andover with additional tools to continue the momentum in a positive direction and build onto the economic development strategies the Town has put into place during the past several years. The awarded funds we will assist the Town in reviewing and modifying existing bylaws and regulations to promote development on the Priority Development Site, will purchase new technology to enhance the submission, review, and approval process for commercial applications, and will assist in hiring the regional planning authority to examine what other properties in Town could benefit from becoming a Priority Development Site. Smart Growth Technical Assistance Grant In early 2007, the Town hired VHB Inc. to assist with reviewing the downtown zoning. The community development division was successful in obtaining a $28,400 Smart Growth Technical Assistance Grant from the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs to review the zoning and land-use patterns of the downtown area. The funds were used to hire VHB to review and identify zoning language that will assist the Town in creating a new downtown district that reflects smart growth and the redevelopment of the downtown area as reflected by previous North Andover planning studies. A public information meeting was conducted and the consultant met with various town officials and land use boards. VHB will continue to assist the Town with this project by holding an additional informational meeting with downtown businesses and groups in order to discuss their draft Downtown Design Guidelines and draft zoning changes. Machine Shop Village Enhancement Grant In late 2007, the Town submitted an application for Transportation Enhancement Program (TEA- 21) funding for the Machine Shop Village Streetscape Improvements Project. The proposed transportation enhancement contained in this document are the product of the Machine Shop Village Improvements Master Plan, which was developed by the town staff and its consultants with significant input from town residents. The grant request proposes enhancements to the two major streetscapes within the Machine Shop Village, Main Street and Water Street. These improvements seek to rehabilitate the historic character of these streets, while greatly improving the functional and aesthetic experience for the users of the district—the pedestrians, bicyclists, motorist and bus riders. This project involves improvements for a regional, multi-modal transportation corridor with a significant landscape and preservation objective. The grant request is for approximately $2.5 million dollars. A decision should be made in late 2008. MORE Jobs Capital Program Our office submitted a MORE Jobs grant request for$3.9 million dollars. This grant was unsuccessful but was intended to assist in the cost for placing sewer infrastructure within the Osgood corridor. Urban Rivers Grant The Town submitted this grant application for hiring a professional landscape architect and planning firm to conduct a site planning charrette in town. The Town would identify an important piece of property that would provide a great opportunity for redevelopment. The grant request was unsuccessful. Staff Support The Community Development Director and Administrative Assistant provide professional and technical staff support, in varying degrees, to the following groups in the Town of North Andover: Board of Selectmen (when necessary) Community Preservation Committee Disabilities Commission Demolition Delay Committee Historic Commission Housing Partnership Committee Lawrence Municipal Airport Commission Machine Shop Village Committee North Andover Planning Board North Andover Zoning Board of Appeals North Andover Conservation Commission North Andover Board of Health Police Station Property Re-use Task Force Technical Review Committee Wireless Bylaw Review Committee Zoning Task Force Committee Regional and State Designees: Merrimack Valley Economic Development Council MBTA Advisory Board MVRTA Advisory Board 1-495 Corridor Advisory Committee Merrimack Valley Brownfield's Committee Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce Merrimack Valley Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Committee The above groups are made up of mostly volunteer residents, who typically volunteer two to three nights a month at various meetings, work shops and/or seminars. Many of the volunteers also use free time to review and work on different projects and development applications so that they are prepared to discuss development activities in a public forum. The division comprises of 17 employees, most of who support and administer the above groups.