HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/02/2023 - MEVA Letter - - Kassandra Gove,Chair
Myra Ortiz,Vice Chair
Kathleen Colwell,Secretary
Jarnes Ryan,Treasurer
Noah S.Berger,Administrator
IPVI,er rim a ck'Valleyl vv n s o>U
October ,2, 2023
VIA EMAIL
Eitan, Goldberg, Chair
North Andover Planning Board
c/o Jean, Enright, Planning Director
Planning Department
Town of'North Andover
12,10 Main Street
North Andover, MA 0,1845
R E to Request for Insubstantial Changle, HIP Transaction Services/Osgolod Rte-125 Pro),e�cti LLC
Property: 1450 Osgood Street (Assessors Map 314, Lot 15)
Dear Membeirs of the, Board:
We write to you today,with regards to ongoing conversations with Amazon, the property
owner', and the applicant,with, regards to our public, bus service to ,1600 Osgood Street. These
conversations occurred as, required of the applicant and owner per section 100.c of the Special
Permit Issued on May 20, 2020.
MeVa Transit (formerly known as the IVIVRTA) has a long history of serving Osgood Landing with
the#14 bus route running from the Haverhill Transit, center to the Ward Hill. Industrial Park and
then out along Route 125 to Osgood Landing. Prior to construction, our buses traveled south,
down Route 125, entered the property and dropped' ff passengers at Osgood Landing before
turning around and heading north on, Route 125, returning to downtown Haverhill. At Amazon's,
request", service to Osgood Landing was temporarily suspended during construction, always
with the plan of returning the, routeto its or I i I ginal configuration once we were cleared to
resume service.
T'h ro,u gh, our cliscussions, we have always remained firm that the #14 will resume its,s' lervice to
Osgood' Lin in com
'ng once construction is plieted. In May,2022, we, received a conceptual plan
developed by Amazon to locate space for MeVa buses on the property to turn around, lay over,
and pick up, and discharge passengers in an area that i's safe and welcoming and hais. reasonable
protected pedestrian access to both 1,600 Osgood Street, and 14510 Osgood Street. The plan also
identified using two of MeVa�'s signature 12-foot shelters. While we supported the concept
plan in principle,we asked for but had not yet received a more detailed pilani. The plan we
reviliewed almost a year and a half ago is largely the same as the one being presented to the
Planning Board at this time.
85 Railroad Avenue Haverhill, MA 01835 P (978)469-6878 1 r"I" 1 U C
We agree that flue proposed configuration best serves amazon employees, who will now be
afforded easier access to the Amazon facility than they would have at our original pick-up and
drop-off location which was closer to Route 125 and without safe pedestrian passage. We will
work with Amazon as we do with all local businesses to locate our stops in a, safe, convenlent,,
pedestrian-friendly location, that can adequately accommodate our buses. As,we did back in
May 2022, we,offer our qualified support, so long as MeVa will have t'h,e o p portu n ity to co nf i rm
euv manerability for our buses grad
tt there will ble safe pedestrian access from the bus
shelters to both the 1600 Osgood Street and 1,4,50 Osgood Street properties,
Ultimately,, it its our professional opinion that to adequately meet the, needs of the 1,5001
Amazon employees and the Town, bus service will need to extend south along Route 125 to the
McGovern Transportation Center in Lawrence via Sutton Street in North Andover. MeVa has
had ongoing,conversations with Amazon about sharing in the operating costs for the proposed
service. While Amazon has been receptive, to date there, has not been a commitment of
funding, which, would be needed to launch the service. We have identified, a $15 million
discretionary grant program available to all Regional Transit Authorities include in the,
Commonwealth's FY20124 budget for innovative transit improvements to help fund
implementation of the expanded service. The initiative would utilize a, local match of not more
than 20%from Amalon and other local businesses. We have been advised that theidentified
public-private partnership will be in a strong position to prevail, in securing funding, as the
expandedservice will enhance the mobility, equity,,, and economic development ofthe region.
We are confident,that,Amazon will be supportive of future service expansions and continue to
be a valued artnrt Va in this effort,
Should you have any questions,or require any additional information, please do not hesitate to
contact me at aNPB±elllr I z,eril(,@v,,ivMiieV'a;'Tran site om/9'78-420-1,317.
Respectfully submitted,
M pV-a Tra n it
Noaih S. Berger
Administrator