Town Manager Releases FY 2024 Budget Recommendation
On Wednesday, February 1, Town Manager Andrew Flanagan released a recommendation for the Town of Andover's Fiscal Year 2024 operating and capital budgets. The proposal totals $234,752,077, representing a $8,169,340, or 3.6 percent, increase over the current fiscal year budget.
In recognition of increased demands on public safety departments driven by population growth and development over the past two decades, the budget recommendation includes funding to add personnel to the Town's Police and Fire Rescue Departments.
Select Board Brief
Select Board Approves Schedule for Andover High School Project, Receives Update on MBTA Communities Zoning Law
The Andover Select Board met on Monday, February 13 at the Ballardvale Fire Station. The Board addressed a wide range of issues, including the timeline for the Andover High School building project, and the Town’s implementation of the new MBTA Communities zoning law
The meeting also marked the beginning of the Select Board’s review of articles that will appear on the 2023 Annual Town Meeting warrant, as the Board took positions on seven articles pertaining to solar installations at school facilities and recommendations from the Town Governance Study Committee.
2023 Town Election
Town Clerk Looks Ahead to March Election
Andover’s Annual Town Election will be held on Tuesday, March 28. With a month and a half to go until Election Day, the Town Clerk’s Office encourages voters to review the latest information about voting in Andover to ensure that they are prepared to cast their vote.
“With the new option to vote by mail, participating in Andover’s Town Election is more convenient than ever,” said Town Clerk/Assistant Town Manager Austin Simko. “Along with this new method of voting comes additional deadlines that voters need to be aware of, so it is important to think ahead and begin making a plan to vote in March.”
The Clerk’s Office is currently accepting vote by mail applications, which must be submitted by March 21 for any residents wishing to vote by mail in the Town Election.
Coffee With A Planner
Community Development & Planning Resumes Monthly Community Engagement Event
From suggestions to make Downtown more walkable, to proposals to create diverse housing options, there was no shortage of ideas circulating at Old Town Hall as the Department of Community Development & Planning welcomed residents to Coffee With A Planner, held on January 25.
The well-attended January gathering marked the reintroduction of an initiative started by Community Development and Planning before the COVID-19 crisis that the Department intends to hold monthly going forward.
Coffee With A Planner offers an informal opportunity for residents to learn about ongoing projects throughout Andover, and to share their perspectives on a host of topics including supporting small businesses, transportation, zoning, and housing.
The View From Above
Structural Steel Rises at West Elementary & Shawsheen Preschool Project Site
Construction is progressing quickly at the site of the new West Elementary & Shawsheen Preschool. This January, concrete foundations for the new school were completed. In recent weeks, structural steel has arrived and is being installed to form the framework of the facility. Construction began in the spring of 2022, and is expected to last approximately two years. Visit the building project webpage for the latest news and information on construction activity at the site.
2023 Andover Master Plan
Primary Spatial Proposals Outlined in Master Plan Public Meeting
Andover’s Master Plan represents a foundational document that is often at the center of decision making on development and land use. The Town’s most recent Master Plan was adopted by the Planning Board in 2012, and has served as a guide for the Planning Board on special permit decisions and recommendations on Town Meeting warrant articles for the past decade.
An effort to craft an updated Andover Master Plan has been underway since 2021. As the process nears its final stages, members of the Andover community were invited to weigh in on three significant spatial proposals outlined that the master plan intends to recommend at a virtual public meeting on February 1.
Winter Fest 2023
Andover Winter Fest Set to Return to Pomps Pond on Saturday, February 19
Despite unseasonably warm weather conditions experienced this winter and forecasted for the days ahead, the Andover Conservation Commission will welcome Andover families for a day filled with winter activities as Winter Fest returns to Pomps Pond on Sunday, February 19.
While the event generally takes place atop a frozen Pomps Pond, this year’s festivities will take place from the shoreline while still incorporating many of the family-favorite activities from years past. The action will get underway at 10:00 AM, and is scheduled to last until approximately 2:00 PM.
