Wamesit Indian Park To Get A Facelift

Planning Board gives positive feedback to preliminary design ideas.

The majestic Wamesit Indian statue, crafted in bronze by sculptor Mico Kaufman, serves as something of a 'gatekeeper,'' welcoming visitors as they enter Tewksbury, along Route 38 from the north. Unfortunately, aside from the statue itself, the Wamesit Indian Park isn't much to look at. Located along Main Street, near Vic's Waffle House, the park is no more than a few hundred square feet of dirt and dead or dying grass. But all that may change next spring. Steve Sadwick, Director of Community Development, has hired landscape architect Lorayne Black to re-design the park, the first step in re-creating the park as a true showpiece for Tewksbury. Black presented conceptual sketches to the Planning Board at it meeting Monday night and received …

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You Ask ... Patch Answers

What's The Status Of The Ginsburg/Martel East Street Development?

Readers are looking to find out what has happened since Town Meeting rezoned a parcel adjacent to Industrial Avenue.

Question: What's going on with the piece of land we rezoned at Town Meeting a while back? It doesn't seem like anything is being built there. Is the project dead? Answer: The project is very much alive. We actually got two questions relating to this project. The other wondered why there was a big pile of rocks sort of across from the Market Basket headquarters. The land in question is 25 acres at 842 East St. It's being developed by Marc Ginsburg and Arnie Martel. According to an article published recently in the Boston Globe, the Planning Board opened a public hearing on June 18 regarding Ginsburg and Martel's plan for 117 condominium units, blending single unit townhouses with duplexes. The hearing was continued to July 16 and was …

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Patch Facts

5 Things You Need to Know Today: Monday, June 18

Bits of knowledge to help you be the smartest person working the checkout aisle at the supermarket.

Here are five pieces of information designed to start your week on the right foot (or the left foot, you know, if you're left-footed) and to help make you the smartest person at your breakfast table. 1. Your Local 3-Day Weather Forecast: According to the NWS, today we'll be seeing some patchy fog between 7am and 8am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 72. Calm wind becoming southeast between 4 and 7 mph. Monday Night: Patchy fog after 4am. Otherwise, increasing clouds, with a low around 55. Southeast wind around 6 mph becoming calm. Tuesday: Patchy fog before 7am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 80. Southwest wind between 3 and 9 mph. Tuesday Night: Patchy fog…

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Public Invited To Participate In Master Plan Visioning Session

Event the first of three opportunities for residents to share their views and visions on the future of Tewksbury.

The Tewksbury Planning Board is in the first stages of putting together a new Master Plan for the community and the public is invited to participate. On Wednesday, May 23, the public is invited to attend and participate in a "Visioning Session" at 7 p.m. at the Tewksbury Senior Center on Chandler Street. As part of the program, Beverly Woods, executive director of the Northern Middlesex Council of Governments will be going over the Master Plan Process. Jay Donovan, assistant director for NMCOG will make a presentation on Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats analysis. Discussions will focus on three primary topics -- land use/zoning, economic development and housing. Tewksbury's most recent Master Plan was completed in 2004 and is …

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Patch Facts

5 Things You Need to Know Today: Monday, May 14

Bits of knowledge to help make you the smartest person wishing it were still the weekend.

Here are five pieces of information designed to get your week off to a flying start and to help make you the smartest person counting down the days left in the school year. 1. Your Local 3-day Weather Forecast: According to the NWS, showers are likely, mainly after 8am. Patchy fog between 7am and 8am. Otherwise, cloudy, with a high near 69. Calm wind becoming east between 4 and 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Monday Night: Showers likely, mainly after 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 54. South wind between 5 and 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Tuesday: A chance of showers. Cloudy, with a high near…

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2012 Tewksbury Municipal Election

Election Day Scenes: Finegold Greets Voters and Campaigners

Election day has the town buzzing; State Senator Barry Finegold visited polling places.

Polling places were buzzing with activity Saturday. Voters, campaigners, and even office holders were out in full force. State Sen. Barry Finegold, D-Andover, took some time to discuss issues with campaigners outside the Senior Center and Tewksbury Public Library on the sun-splashed Saturday morning. "I'm not running today, I'm just out here saying hello to people," Finegold said. "There are a lot of great candidates out on the ballot today," he continued. Finegold had a bold prediction regarding the election results. "I'm pretty sure Jamey [Cutelis] is going to win as long as he voted for himself," Finegold said. "I assume he did," Finegold added, laughing. Cutelis and incumbent Dennis Francis got free passes for three-year terms on the …

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2012 Tewksbury Municipal Election

Election Day in Tewksbury

Voters to decide on several races and a hotly contested ballot question.

It's Election Day in Tewksbury and the polls are open until 8 p.m. With outstanding weather forecast and several contested races on the ballot, turnout is expected to be higher than normal for a municipal election. Contested races include: Board of Selectmen: Incumbents David Gay and Scott Wilson and challengers Ken Miano and Bob Marcin vying for two seats. Shawsheen Tech School Committeee: Incumbent Peter Downing and challenger Mike Kelley vying for one seat. Planning Board: Incumbent Nancy Reed and challenger Ed Sullivan vying for one seat. Board of Health: Incumbents Mary Ellen Furnald and Ed Sheehan and challenger Kathleen Brothers vying for two seats. There is also one Ballot Question. Voters will be asked to approve a $1.93 million …

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2012 Tewksbury Municipal Election

Planning Board Candidates Q&A: Flaws In The Zoning Bylaws

The final part of our Q and A series with the Planning Board candidates deals with any flaws in the zoning bylaws that need to be addressed.

(Editor's note: This is the last of a three-part series of questions and answers with the candidates for Planning Board.) Question: Are there presently any flaws in the Tewksbury zoning bylaws that you would like to see addressed in the next few years? Nancy Reed As a member of the Planning Board and Zoning Bylaw Subcommittee, there are several items that need to be addressed, and are on our to-do list, such as:  some dimensional requirements, directional signage, and automotive uses. The Woburn Street area is on our list, as well. Any change that would lead to a more streamlined permitting process is always a plus. Our bylaws also work well for Green Energy developments.  Upon a recent review by NMCOG, our process was found to be fine.  I…

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2012 Tewksbury Municipal Election

Planning Board Candidates Q&A: What Area Should Be Re-Zoned?

Part 2 of our three-part Q&A series with the Planning board candidates deals with re-zoning.

(Editor's note: This is Part 2 of a three part series of questions and answers with Planning Board incumbent Nancy Reed and challenger Ed Sullivan.) If you had the chance to re-zone one section of Tewksbury, what would it be and why? Ed Sullivan There is a small section of residential land on the corner of North Street and Rt. 133 (Andover Street). This is a section of land on the north side being connected to all heavy industry and abutting a hotel, Fairfield Inn, an auto repair shop and a construction company.  The auto repair shop has been in business for 96 years yet is still non-conforming. After talking to the owner, he stated he has tried to rezone, spent 10's of thousands to make it conforming but to no avail.  This land is 11 …

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Hanson Webb

4:35 pm on Saturday, April 7, 2012

Hi Karyn, I respect your point of view, I was expressing my own experience with the Planning board, it was not a fictitious statement. I am extremely disappointed with the planning board and I am sure that there are others that share my sentiments. Our country has voted recently for change in election of Brown and Obama, the fresh blood I guess is not that bad after all! Happy Easter   more ›

2012 Tewksbury Municipal Election

Planning Board Candidates Q&A: Economic Growth in Tewksbury

Nancy Reed and Ed Sullivan share their views on planning and development in Tewksbury.

(Editor's note: This is the first in a three-part series of questions and answers with incumbent Planning Board member Nancy Reed and Challenger Ed Sullivan. Parts 2 and 3 will run Wednesday and Thursday.) What is, or should, the planning board be doing to help stimulate economic growth in the community? Ed Sullivan After walking the length of Route 38 from Home Depot to the Wilmington line and talking to every business owner or manager and posing the question “what can the Town of Tewksbury do for you?” I have come up with solutions to solve the common themes of the businesses along Main Street.  Their concerns were the amount of vacancies in other commercial buildings and if they attempt to improve their buildings, whether the façade or …

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