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Home My WebLink About2021-03-16 Abutter Comment 1/20/2021 Town of North Andover Mall-4191435 Andover Street �rrsr�, No ovR i Mo OW i Jean Enright<jen rig ht@northandoverma.gov> i 419/ 435 Andover Street Seith Bedard<seithmbedard @g mail.com> Tue, Jan 19, 2021 at 7:22 PM To:jenright@nodhandoverma.gov Ms. Right, My name is Seith Bedard and I live at 14 Highland Terrace. My family and I have great concerns regarding the proposed building at 4191435 Andover street. As is, it is extremely dangerous and at times, impossible to exit Highland Terrace onto Rt 125. We would like to see a clear marker in the street which would allow traffic to allow cars exiting Highland Terrace easier and safety access to Rt 125. 1 will gladly elaborate if the board would allow. Thank you for your time. Seith Bedard 14 Highland Terrace https:llmail.googio.comhmail/uf0?ik=7c2eff6265&view--pt&search=all&pe rmmsg€domsg-f%3A1689362466136540454&slmpl=msg-f%3A168936246613... Ill 1129/2021 Town of North Andover Mail-11411126 MR Jean Enright<jenrlght@northandoverma.gov> 114/125 Seith Bedard <seithmbedard@gmail.com> Fri, Jan 29, 2021 at 10:02 AM I To: Jean Enright<jenright@northandoverma.gov> Ms. Enright, Please include this leltin in your next planning board meeting. My neighbors and I have been trying to contact MASSDOT for insight and seem to be getting stonewalled. This letter is endorsed by each resident of Highland Terrace. Please feel free to reach out to me at 978-979-8843 for further information. -Seith i Dear, Jean My name is Seith Bedard. My family and I live at 14 Highland Terrace. As I stated in my last email to the board, my family and neighbors are extremely concerned with the proposed drive through coffee shop and plaza planned for RT 114/125. Currently, we find exiting Highland Terrace onto RT 125 to be extremely dangerous. Vehicles traveling down RT 114 and turning right onto RT 125 at the intersection, do so at high rates of speed at all hours of the day. It is not uncommon to see North Andover Police officers parked on our street as a speed trap. The sight of ambulances and fire responding to car accidents is also not uncommon. have learned that MASSDOT is sighting "eminent domain"to seize property, without compensation, in order to expand the road and create an additional lane to turn into what will be a new Starbucks drive-thru. Our neighbor at 424 Andover St. has stakes indicating that a significant portion of his front lawn and driveway, along with his neighbors on Rt 125, will be taken during the expansion project. Although we like the idea of having a sidewalk so that my children and the many others in our neighborhood can safely walk to the Franklin school, we believe that this could make a dangerous road, even more dangerous. We believe that this use of eminent domain will establish a bad practice for others living on main roads in our town. We welcome development in the town of North Andover and understand it is necessary. However, in order to make this situation less dangerous, we ask that the committee consider the following actions. 1.) Reconsider eminent domain. My neighbors are losing a substantial portion of their property with the sole purpose of allowing another person/business to gain financially. This is a bad precedent and I urge the town to reconsider this action. Eminent domain should not be used, property owners should be reimbursed for the loss of property for the left turn lane that will be built to benefit the businesses in the proposed plaza and not the public as a whole. 2.) Remove the yield sign on the sharp corner at RT 114/125 and make it a blinking red light or right on red after stop. This will prohibit vehicles from rounding the corner and entering rt 125 at high rates of speed. 3.) Paint a clear" Do Not Block"where Highland Terrace exits onto RT. 125 similar to the one Andover installed at the Andover St./Main St. intersection. This would allow cars from Highland Terrace to enter Rt 125 more safely. This should also be done where Rock Rd. residents enter 125. It may be safer to not even have an entrance into the new plaza from 125. hltps:llrnall.google.com/mail/ulG?i k=7c2eff6265&view=pl&sea rch=all&permmsgid=msg-€%3A1690233138465501644&simpl=msg-f%3A169023313846... 112 112912021 Town of North Andover(Nail-114/125 4.) Consider not allowing the coffee shop to have a drive through. The congestion in this intersection is bad enough, allowing a drive through could lead to even more of a traffic nightmare in our neighborhood. Also, at the entrance and exit onto 125 for this plaza the road significantly inclines. This puts drivers at disadvantage when trying to enter and exit. Again, a reason to not have an entrance/exit on the RT 125 side. In closing, we thank the board for taking the time to hear our concerns and answer questions. With the proposed plaza at 114/125 and the proposed building plan for Royal Crest, we fear that this intersection will become an even greater safety risk than it already is Regards, Seith&Rachel Bedard, 14 Highland Terrace Tom & Nicole Lizotle 17 Highland Terrace Richard &Susan Meservey 424 Andover Street Jon & Collette Hanna 246 Turnpike Street https:llma lf.gaogle.com/mail/u/07ik=7c2eff6265&view=pt&search=all&permmsg id=msg-f%3A1690233138465501644&simpl=msg-f%3A169023313846... 2/2 March 15, 2021 Subject: North Andover— Route 114 Corridor Project—PF No. 608095 Dear Mr. Bedard, Thank you for reaching out to our Design Team at MassDOT. I am unsure why your request for information did not reach MassDOT. 1 assure you we take all community concerns very seriously. I would like to offer a point-by-point response to your concerns and these are listed below: 1.) Reconsider eminent domain. My neighbors are losing a substantial portion of their property with the sole purpose of allowing another person/business to gain financially. This is a bad precedent and I urge the town to reconsider this action. Eminent domain should not be used, property owners should be reimbursed for the loss of property for the left turn lane that will be built to benefit the businesses in the proposed plaza and not the public as a whole. Response: We understand your concern with the impacts to your neighbor's property. Please know that the adjacent private development is a separate/independent project from the Route 114 Corridor project. The MassDOT project is proposing to make safety and capacity improvements at this location regardless of any redevelopment at the parcel in question (as shown in the attached plans from July 2020 25% Submission). We are aware of the recently proposed development at the Bertucci's/Ethan Allen parcels, and are trying to understand their proposed changes to access. If/when the redevelopment project gains local approval, then MassDOT will more seriously consider the project. If changes are necessary to the MassDOT project to accommodate this redevelopment, the developer would be responsible for the added construction costs associated. Please note that MassD0T can only acquire property that addresses the stated purpose and need of the Route 114 project. We are proposing to acquire a portion of property along Andover Street within the project limits. This will allow us to provide the necessary sidewalk, bicycle lane and storage for the southbound left turn lanes. From a MassD0T ROW acquisition standpoint, there is a very structured procedure for acquiring ROW. An independent appraisal is performed to ensure that you receive fair market value offer, and there are negotiations with a MassDOT ROW agent before an acquisition takes place. The Ethan Allen parcel developer will be responsible to address safe access onto their property; however, they cannot use eminent domain to address these issues. Changes to access on a MassDOT road requires review and approval from MassDOT as part of the permitting process. 2.) Remove the yield sign on the sharp corner at RT 114/125 and make it a blinking red light or right on red after stop. This will prohibit vehicles from rounding the corner and entering rt 125 at high rates of speed. Response: The Route 114 project proposes to make significant geometric modifications to slow vehicles making the right turn from Turnpike St(Rt 1141125) westbound to Andover St(Rt 125) northbound. The right turn movement will be under traffic signal control and will have a flashing yellow right arrow displayed while the westbound approach has the right-of-way. Also, the right turn movement in question will be displayed with a solid red right arrow when it does not have the right-of-way and right turns on the solid red right arrow will be allowed after stopping. 3.) Paint a clear" Do Not Block"where Highland Terrace exits onto RT. 125 similar to the one Andover installed at the Andover St./Main St. intersection. This would allow cars from Highland Terrace to enter Rt 125 more safely. This should also be done where Rock Rd, residents enter 125. It may be safer to not even have an entrance into the new plaza from 125, Response: The "Do Not Block"intersection markings will be considered although there is a significant concern with motorists complying with the markings and would be heavily dependent on police enforcement in order to be effective. Rock Road is outside the MassDOT project limits. 4.) Consider not allowing the coffee shop to have a drive through. The congestion in this intersection is bad enough, allowing a drive through could lead to even more of a traffic nightmare in our neighborhood. Also, at the entrance and exit onto 125 for this plaza the road significantly inclines. This puts drivers at disadvantage when trying to enter and exit. Again, a reason to not have an entrance/exit on the RT 125 side. Response: The developer should provide adequate vehicle storage on the site to ensure the drive through vehicle queue does not spill off the site onto Andover St(Rt 125). As far as the grading of the driveways, this aspect is the jurisdiction of the Town and should be reviewed as part of the local site plan approval. Thank you for your comments, MassDOT Design Team