[MassHistPres] historic dam removal

[Joanna]

Has anyone had experience with a privately owned dam in a historic
district?  The State is pushing hard for the removal of the 150-year-old
mill dam in Ballardvale, Andover.  The dam is owned 50/50 by the abutters
and, while one owner doesn't want the dam removed, neither owner wants to
cover the costs of upgrading or maintaining the dam.  The State is
requiring environmental impact reports, fish ladders and the like.

The dam creates a mill pond that is perhaps the most iconic landscape in
Andover.  I think many would feel it would be tragic if the mill pond were
to disappear.  Two other dams in Andover were removed years back with
plenty of fed/state funding.  One of those dams also had created a pretty
mill pond which is now left a marshy swamp filled with phragmites.

Looking for advice.

Joanna Reck
Chair
Ballardvale Historic District
Andover

https://www.boston.com/uncategorized/noprimarytagmatch/2012/09/13/shawsheen-river-dam-removal-plan-has-supporters-detractors-in-andover/
https://www.eagletribune.com/news/funding-okd-to-demolish-2-dams-on-shawsheen-river/article_615ab03d-a336-5982-bdbd-c2575636bf42.html
https://andoverma.gov/655/Shawsheen-River-Dam-Removals

[image: AndoverMA_BallardvaleMillPond.jpg]
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.cs.umb.edu/pipermail/masshistpres/attachments/20230222/8c4dd01d/attachment-0001.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: AndoverMA_BallardvaleMillPond.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 119728 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://mailman.cs.umb.edu/pipermail/masshistpres/attachments/20230222/8c4dd01d/attachment-0004.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: AndoverMA_BallardvaleMillPond.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 119728 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://mailman.cs.umb.edu/pipermail/masshistpres/attachments/20230222/8c4dd01d/attachment-0005.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: unnamed.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 12883 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://mailman.cs.umb.edu/pipermail/masshistpres/attachments/20230222/8c4dd01d/attachment-0006.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image_access_800.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 223068 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://mailman.cs.umb.edu/pipermail/masshistpres/attachments/20230222/8c4dd01d/attachment-0007.jpg>