.

     Welcome to the on-line version of the 2009 Open Space and Recreation Plan.  Printed copies are available at the Town Hall and Library.  CDs of this publication can also be made available.  Email the West Newbury Open Space Committee for details.  

Table of Contents

»Read about the Painting and Artist

Additional Documents

 List of Maps

Section 1

Plan Summary

»Return to Table of Contents

     The 2009 Open Space and Recreation Plan focused the energies of the Open Space Committee and, with the cooperation of the citizens and other Town boards and other groups, the following were accomplished in the preceding five years, many of which were identified in the 2003 Five Year Action Plan:

Autumn in West Newbury

•        By initiating a collaborative effort with the Moseley Trust, Essex County Greenbelt Association, and the Town, the Open Space Committee helped create what is now known as the Indian Hill Farm Reservation.  Our advocacy helped preserve part of the historically significant Indian Hill Farm property for public passive recreation and public enjoyment of hilltop views of the surrounding country side and reservoir from Indian Hill.

•      The Open Space Committee advocated for and helped define the conservation restriction placed on a portion of the Berkenbush family’s Chestnut Hill Farm property.  This restriction allows public passage across fields and woodland to views of the Merrimac River and eagle habitat not otherwise accessible to the public

•      Major strides were made in the mapping, management and maintenance of trails, culminating in the publication of maps of some of our trails on the Open Space Website and delivering handouts of the maps at Annual Town Meeting 2008.  The work is ongoing and we have been joined by individual volunteers, the West Newbury Driving and Riding Club, the Department of Public Works, Merrimac Valley Planning Commission and the Essex County Trail Association in our efforts.  GPS mapping and maintenance of trails is ongoing.

•      The Open Space Committee, Finance Director, and members of many other committees finalized a management plan for Riverbend in 2008.  The Committee worked with the Mill Pond Committee and other stakeholders on a revision of the Management Plan for Pipestave Hill.

•      In 2004 the Open Space Committee supported the inclusion of the Town in the Essex County Trails Association. 

•      he Open Space Committee worked closely with the Planning Board to identify opportunities to preserve and expand trails throughout the Town wherever possible by creating or maintaining linkages.  A standard trail easement was drafted for use by the Planning Board and interested landowners. The Committee is committed to preserving, acquiring, and protecting a permanent Town-wide trail system.

•      The Open Space Committee created interest in passage of the Community Preservation Act and rallied support for it through public forum and discussions with the Finance Director, Finance Committee, and Board of Selectmen. The Committee then worked to get it passed at Special Town Meeting Fall 2005.

•      In 2004, with the help of talented members and volunteers, the Open Space Committee introduced the West Newbury Open Space Web site. The site has developed since that time and is now a professional looking site and a resource of high quality, linked to the Town website. The site will continue to evolve.

•      The Open Space Committee revised the protocol for expenditures for the Land Preservation and Growth Management Bond fund (now depleted).

•      The Open Space Committee advocated, along with the Workforce Housing Trust and the Community Housing Committee, for a cooperative alliance between the Open Space Committee and Affordable Housing stakeholders to provide diverse housing in West Newbury with a commitment to developments that preserve open space and trails.

•      The 1996 Open Space and Recreation Plan recommended that West Newbury develop active, youth-oriented recreation facilities. Between that time and 2002, the Town committed $600,000 to the development of additional fields on Pipestave Hill and behind the Page School to meet active recreation needs. These fields are now complete and in use.

•      In 2007, a group of parent volunteers working with independent contractors spent eight months refurbishing the Action Cove playground and bringing it up to code. Also in 2008, the Park and Recreation Department ran a five-week summer day camp for Town youth from kindergarten to sixth grade. The camp served 125 Town youth – an average of 70 in the camp daily – and charged a nominal fee ($125 for two weeks) since it was subsidized by a Moseley Foundation grant. The camp will be offered again in the summer of 2009 year at an increased weekly fee.

•      Since 1998, the town has expended $1,027,400 for the purchase of   305.88 acres open space land or conservation restrictions; Riverbend, Pipestave Hill CR, Cherry Hill Viewshed, Berkenbush CR, and Indian Hill CR.  During the same span of time, the town has expended $6,125,000 to purchase 241.47 acres of land for municipal uses such as water, housing or other undeclared future municipal purposes; Craven, Mullen,  Dunn,  Cherry Hill – well site, Andreas property.  For more details, see Appendix D for List of Town Expenditures for Land.  

The 2009 Open Space and Recreation Plan builds upon the previous two plans completed in 1996 and 2003. While its goals reiterate and expand on the goals identified in these previous two plans, the goals have also been developed from input from a Town-wide Survey conducted in June 2008, from deliberations of the Committee during regular monthly meetings,  public forums, and input from other Town boards.  Looking ahead to the next five years, the major goals of the Open Space and Recreation Plan are:

1.    Preserve the Town’s rural character, charm, and sense of community by protecting the agricultural heritage of West Newbury, its scenic vistas, architectural gems, and housing diversity.

2.    Protect and manage key natural resources, including water protection, and wildlife corridors.

3.    Provide passive and active recreational activities for all townspeople, by developing and managing trail systems and other public amenities.

Section Nine of the Plan, the Five Year Action Plan, identifies specific actions that the Open Space Committee recommends be undertaken in order to accomplish these goals.  There is much more to do!

Section 2

Introduction

»Return to Table of Contents

Chestnut Hill Farm

In Memoriam: Richard Berkenbush, Beatrice Downey Edward and Winifred Moseley

A. Statement of Purpose

West Newbury is a beautiful small town with an overriding characteristic of rural charm. In order to preserve this rural charm there has been much participation and support of private citizens, town government and non-profit organizations.  Through their efforts we have a significant amount of 1,874 acres of protected open space and a fairly extensive trail system.  The mandate of the 2009 OSRP is to continue to preserve what remains of the rural character of the Town by continuing to identify and preserve priority parcels, having a management plan in place to maintain the existing preserved parcels and to meet the challenges of further development pressures. The Plan seeks to continue to be a useful tool for the community towards achieving the goals identified through the 2009 OSRP planning process. 

.B. Planning Process and Public Participation

West Newbury’s Open Space and Recreation Plan (OS&RP) was developed and written by members of the West Newbury Open Space Committee throughout 2008 and early 2009.

Appointed by the West Newbury Board of Selectmen, the Open Space and Recreation Committee has nine members: seven voting members, and two associate members.  During most of the preparation of the 2009 OS&RP, several of the current members had served on the Committee since March 1996, when the original Open Space and Recreation Committee was appointed.

These original members were active participants in the creation of the Town’s 1996 Open Space and Recreation Plan and have brought continuity and an historical perspective to the revised Plan. Three new members, one previous member along with other members of the community, have brought fresh energy, new perspectives, and hard work to the current Plan revision.

Meetings

In order to update this plan the OSC met at least monthly during most of the spring of 2007 through 2008 and into 2009. All of our meetings were posted public meetings with public participation encouraged.

Open Space and Recreation Survey

In order to update the previous plan we again needed the input from the entire West Newbury community. We devised a new survey partially based on the previous Open Space and Recreation Plan Community Survey with input from the Parks and Recreation liason. Upon approval from the full OSC the survey was mailed June 10, 2008 to all 1650 households and P O Boxes. Both the West Newbury News and the Newburyport Daily News ran an article notifying the residents to the fact that they would be receiving the survey and the importance of participating in it.

June 27, 2008 was the deadline for the completion of the survey. 333 surveys were returned by mail to the Open Space Committee or delivered to collection boxes at the GAR Library, 1910 Office Building or to the West Newbury Food Mart.

Survey results were tabulated by Mike Mokrzyeki. Narrative responses were categorized by Mike Mokrzyeki and received by members of the committee. A summary of the survey was compiled by Jean Lambert and Jennifer Germain and handed out at the fall Town Meeting, October 20, 2008. The results were also published in a press release in both the West Newbury News and The Newburyport Daily News. (See Appendix B for survey and survey summary document.)

Updating Sections 3, 4 and 5

Starting in 2008, the Committee was also reviewing, researching and updating the extensive background material found in sections 3,4, and 5 of the Plan. This phase was allocated to various committee members. It involved a lot of hard work and consultation with many Town Departments including among others, the Conservation Commission, Planning Board, Board of Water Commissioners and the Finance Department. As the information was updated it was discussed at each meeting. It was also posted in the minutes for all who were interested to see.

Planned Development Working Meetings

Taking our lead from the survey and with all the updated input the Open Space Committee worked hard to revise the Plan. Throughout the almost two years, many of the meetings’ discussions were about how to go forward with the Town’s current open space and recreation priorities. Any data that needed to be revised including maps and statistics was completed. The Merrimack Valley Planning Commission was consulted and most helpful in redesigning the various maps.

Section 3

Community Setting

»Return to Table of Contents

Autumn on Middle Street

A. Regional Context

Location

West Newbury is located approximately 35 miles north of Boston in the Merrimack Valley region.  Encompassing an area of roughly 14 square miles, it is bordered on the north and west by the Merrimack River, on the east by Newburyport, and on the south by Newbury and Groveland.  The Town falls primarily within the Merrimack River watershed, but the southeastern portion of Town lies within the Parker River watershed.  The Town is just inland of the coastal zone, and is characterized by a rolling landscape of hills, open fields, and woods interlaced by freshwater wetlands.

Map found on page 13 of the 2009 OS&R Plan

Community Character

West Newbury is, for the most part, a semi-rural residential community that once boasted many working farms.  Today, as old agricultural fields are sold to developers, the Town is becoming increasingly suburbanized.  Since the early 1990s, West Newbury lost a great deal of open space -- particularly along the Merrimack River and off of Route113 (Main Street) -- to new housing developments. In fact the northwestern quadrant of the town was classified as “urban” as a result of the 2000 census. (MVPC Transport Map).

Commerce

There are no industries in West Newbury, and there are relatively few commercial establishments.  Aside from individuals who farm their own lands, work at small local businesses, or telecommute, most residents commute to work in other nearby towns, or to more distant jobs via nearby freeways (Routes I-95 and I-495), commuter rail lines, and bus lines.  These commuter options provide easy access to Boston and the Route 128 and Route 495 corridors, making West Newbury an attractive location for commuters.

Growth

Like West Newbury, several of its smaller neighboring communities (Newbury, Groveland, and Merrimac) have experienced unprecedented growth, which has had a major impact on schools and Town services.  The communities are grappling with this issue in a variety of ways, including current Open Space Planning efforts, Master Plan efforts, and growth management bylaws.

Shared Resources

The Pentucket School System:  West Newbury joined with the nearby Towns of Groveland and Merrimac to form the Pentucket Regional Middle and High Schools in the late 1950's.  In the mid 1990's, the Towns expanded this partnership to include the elementary school system as well.  The Pentucket Regional School System is a generally successful partnership between the three communities.  The school system's total student enrollment has decreased from a high of almost 3,400 in 2001 to 3,224 in 2007 and is projected to decrease by a further 17% over the next ten years.

Note:  Page Elementary School ranks as one of the top schools in the state.  The school’s 6^th grade ranked number 1 in Reading out of 565 schools and 4th out of 565 schools in 6^th grade Math, 10^th in 5^th grade science out of 912 schools and 22^nd out of 1002 schools in 3^rd grade Reading.  Source: Pentucket Business Office.

Water Supply:  In 1936 West Newbury established a municipal drinking water supply upon which about two thirds of the Town depends.  Currently, West Newbury has only a shallow well field that supplies insufficient water year-round.  Therefore the water supply is supplemented by purchasing water from the City of Newburyport at retail rates. Ironically, Newburyport’s water supply is primarily sourced from two reservoirs that were built along the Artichoke River watershed in West Newbury.  The adjoining communities of Groveland and the Byfield area of Newbury rely on municipal well-fields. West Newbury supplies water to the Pentucket High School and Groveland supplies water to the Pentucket Middle School.

Merrimack River:  The Merrimack River, which defines a seven-mile boundary on the north side of West Newbury, is the region's preeminent river.  West Newbury shares the river not only with adjacent Towns, but also with communities upriver (Haverhill, Lowell, Lawrence, etc.) and downriver (Amesbury, Newburyport, Salisbury). In the past, upstream industries and sewage treatment plants badly polluted the Merrimack, but within the last thirty years major efforts from communities along the river have led to dramatic improvements in its water quality. West Newbury Harbor Commission contributes to these efforts by providing a pump-out service to local boaters.

An outstanding scenic resource, the Merrimack is now clean enough for fishing, and provides opportunities for boating of all types; with canoeing, kayaking and sculling becoming more popular. Motorized pleasure craft do contribute to bank erosion, despite speed limits in many places.  Wildlife is now abundant and, after many decades, bald eagles returned to nest along the Merrimack in West Newbury in 2007.  In 2008 the State appointed a new design team for renovations to the Rocks Village Bridge. This spans the Merrimack River and is shared by West Newbury, Haverhill, and Merrimac.  The bridge upgrade is expected to include the addition of a pedestrian walkway and is not likely to be closed during construction.

Crane Pond Wildlife Management Area:  West Newbury shares the state-owned Crane Pond Wildlife Management Area (WMA) with neighboring Newbury, Groveland and Georgetown.  Approximately 350 acres of the WMA lie within West Newbury.  This land is comprised of wooded uplands, wetlands, and grasslands and provides an excellent mix of wildlife habitats. The Wildlife Management Area is used by hunters during the fall hunting season and by hikers, wildlife observers, horseback riders, mountain bikers, cross country skiers, and snowmobilers at other times of the year.  In recent years, extensive beaver activity has created large areas of wetlands and has interrupted trail access in this area except in deep winter when it is still passable. 

Curzon's Mill Bridge:  The Commonwealth, with the cooperation of West Newbury and Newburyport, restored the old Curzon's Mill Bridge over the Artichoke River for the use of foot, bike, and horse traffic.  This project connects the two communities along the Merrimack River.

B. History of the Community

Early Colonial History and  Establishment of West Newbury

West Newbury shares its early history with the neighboring communities of  Newbury, Newburyport, Byfield and Plum Island, all of which  were originally part of the Town of Newbury.

In 1635 about 100 Puritan emigrants from Wiltshire, England, led by Reverend Thomas Parker, settled on the north bank of the river subsequently named for their leader. Their first church or meeting house and homes were clustered in the area of today’s Lower Green. Agricultural lots of 4, 50 or 200 acres were allocated according to each settler’s financial contribution to the community.

The development of West Newbury began when the Newbury "Upper Commons" was allotted to freeholders for pasture and woodlots in 1642 . Twenty years later a highway was laid out between the Artichoke River and the Bradford line after which the remainder of the Upper Commons was divided  into 111 parcels, and assigned by lottery. These were laid out on either side of this road (now Main Street), with 64 on the north side and 46 on the south side. Each was approximately 27 acres in size and property owners were required to fence their boundaries. Many of the resulting stone walls are still evident throughout the town.

Newburyport became an important seaport and separated from agrarian Newbury in 1762.  West Newbury was not incorporated as a separate town until 1819.  It was at first named Parsons then renamed as West Newbury one year later.

The first church was built on Pipestave Hill in 1710. This hill was so named for the staves made from the hill’s oak trees - used to build large barrels or “pipes” for shipping goods to England. A pipe could hold over 200 gallons of rum, molasses or smoked salmon and sturgeon that was once plentiful in the Merrimac River.

In 1731 another church was built on Meeting House Hill. Neither of these structures survived but a third one built in 1759 still sits on the corner of Main Street and Way to the River although this has been converted to a residence within the last few years.

Nineteenth Century Growth

This was a period of burgeoning prosperity and significant growth for West Newbury.  A variety of manufacturing enterprises were established, including the horn comb industry started by Enoch Noyes in 1759. This became a major employer with 30 comb shops operating during the 1800s   The last Noyes comb was made in 1904 when horn was superseded by other materials and newer technology put the plant out of business

By 1875 there were seven factories making shoes including the Ruddock Shoe Factory employing 250 workers. Quality of the shoes was well known and prize winning shoes from West Newbury were exhibited at Chicago’s World Fair in 1893.

Carriage building, leather tanning, and brick making were also important industries. Enoch Bailey (of Bailey’s Lane) was known to have employed some 20 people in his carriage building shop close to the Training Field which was also established in this period.

During the Nineteenth Century the town developed a new character. Early improvements to services and infrastructure included a covered bridge at Rocks Village and a mail stage coach service between Haverhill and Newburyport. The Town Hall and a large new Congregational Church were built close to Main Street.  The second half of the century saw the beginning of a municipal water supply with two public wells dug at the Town Square and at the Training Field. In 1883 both the first firehouse and a sizeable wharf at the bottom of Whetstone Street were completed; the first ship to load its cargo there was a 150’ long, three-masted schooner with 100 tons of freight – horn scraps destined for Philadelphia. Another major project was the construction of rail line for horse cars from Haverhill to Newburyport that opened in 1886.  This was subsequently replaced by an electric trolley line in 1897 that ran until the 1930’s.

After the Civil War and by the 1870s the population grew to over 2000 residents and the composition of the townspeople became more diverse. The Irish Potato Famine of the 1840s created an influx of Irish immigrants who were employed in both agriculture and manufacturing. Many West Newbury residents still have Irish family names. The Irish brought with them a Catholic culture and St. Ann’s Catholic Church was built in 1879 to preclude their need to cross the river to Merrimac for church services.

Changes in the 20^th Century

The first half of this century saw a decline in population. In 1925 there were only 1337 residents in West Newbury. Loss of most of the manufacturing industries, a nation-wide economic depression and two world wars made their impact. Appropriately for the time, a home for orphans and homeless boys, the House of the Angel Guardian, was built on Pipestave Hill in 1927. (This later became the Cardinal Cushing Academy, a Catholic preparatory school, which in 1973 was purchased by the Town for use as an elementary school.)

Agriculture once again became the mainstay of the town’s economy. In 1919 there were 40 dairy herds in town (by 1969 there were only 4 and in 2009 there are none). Other significant agrarian businesses were Long Hill Orchard and Cherry Hill Nurseries. First planted with 3000 trees in 1915, Long Hill Orchard was expanded to some 170 acres by the 1930s. To deal with the large crop, seasonal pickers from Canada and later Jamaica were accommodated in a dormitory built on the farm. Under the Ladd’s the orchard produced a record crop of 45,000 bushels of apples in 1982 and was one of the ten largest producers in the state, shipping apples to Florida, Canada and England. The orchard has since been less well-maintained, with some subdivided for residential use.

Cherry Hill was first established as a nursery for fruit trees by George Thurlow in 1832. His son later expanded to propagating and growing ornamental plants and shade trees. By the early 1900s peonies became an important part of the Thurlow family’s business which exported them to Canada, Europe and China. Over 150 acres, much of it rented from other land owners, was still under cultivation in 1990.  However the nursery is now closed and, like much of West Newbury, the farm has been developed for residential purposes.

Additions to civic infrastructure during the first part of the century included All Saints Episcopal Church, the GAR library and in 1910 the Central School (now the Town Offices) built to replace the nine District Schools scattered through the town. The Regional Pentucket schools were built between 1958 and 1967.

The failed industrial enterprises, begun in the mid 1800's, left the Town's citizens to rely on the land for their livelihoods.  West Newbury remained primarily a farming community until after World War II.  The Town's agrarian tradition can be seen today in its dwindling hay fields, apple orchards, cultivated lands, Christmas tree farms, and greenhouses. However the most telling impact of the Twentieth Century was the massive increase in suburban homes built for commuters to other centers of employment once the motor car became the ubiquitous and primary means of transport. . The population more than doubled during the second half of this century to over 4000 residents in 2000 bringing a new diversity to the town.

Settlement Patterns

Settlement patterns dating from the 1600's and 1700's have defined West Newbury's present-day layout.  The following map of the "West Parish" (Figure 3-1) dates from 1729 and shows striking similarities to today's West Newbury.   With the exception of modern subdivisions, the town’s present road system was well established by the early 1700's.  As the map indicates, homes, businesses and community buildings were concentrated along Bradford Road (now Main Street/Route 113). By 1887 it was reported that one half the population lived on Main Street and the other half lived within a five minute walk.

While there has never been a single distinct town center, Elwell Square at the Maple Street intersection and the Training Field at the Bailey’s Lane intersection have long been the two focus points of commercial and civic activity.

C. Population Characteristics

Population Growth 

The population of West Newbury grew by 260% from 1950 to 2000 (2000 Census), with consistent population increases averaging around 20% for each decade during this period.  This rate of increase was about twice that of the average for the Merrimack Valley region over the same period of time and much faster than that of Massachusetts (135%) or the United States as a whole (186%) for the half century.

The population of the Town was 3,421 in 1990, and grew to 4,149 by the 2000 census.  It is anticipated (by Merrimack Valley Planning Commission projections) that the Town will continue to grow at a rate of about 20% per decade. In June 2008 town population was 4,528.

Children

West Newbury has many young families.  There were just over 1,000 children of school age according to the 2000 census. At that time the average household size (3.05 persons) was higher than that for the region as a whole (2.88 persons). Within the fifteen Merrimack Valley region communities, West Newbury had the second highest percentage of children under eighteen.

Seniors

In 2000 West Newbury had the lowest percentage of people aged 65 and over in the Merrimack Valley Region.  However, the 2004 Community Development Plan cites “significant growth in the 45-65 year age group and in the older ages over 65 and especially for residents over 75 years old”. With one development of 56 unites for over 55 residents in process, the future proportion of seniors in the population will increase.

Racial Diversity

West Newbury is not an ethnically diverse community.  In 2000, over 98% of the population was Caucasian. 

Income

West Newbury's median household income ($99,050 according to 2000 data) is the second highest in the Merrimack Valley region, and far exceeds the state average of $61,664.  Over 80% of households were dual-income families and 93% of homes are owner-occupied. As of 1999, 79% of West Newbury workers were classified as "white collar;" again, the second highest percentage for the region.

Environmental justice populations

As describe above, West Newbury does not have a diverse population in terms of race, income, immigrant populations or foreign languages spoken.  As a result, this Plan does not include the map related to environmental justice.

Employers

Many West Newbury residents work in the greater Boston area; others commute to Newburyport, Haverhill, Lawrence and Lowell.  The largest employers within the community are the Pentucket Regional School System, the Town of West Newbury, and the Children's Castle (a day-care facility).  There are no manufacturers in the Town, but there are a variety of small service-oriented businesses, some home-based businesses and an assortment of agriculturally based businesses.  Under current zoning regulations, it is unlikely that West Newbury will support a major manufacturing or commercial employer in the foreseeable future.  There are a variety of small service-oriented businesses and an assortment of agriculturally based businesses. 
 

D. Growth and Development Patterns

Patterns and Trends

Concentration of homes along Main Street and the Merrimack River:

Main Street has always been most densely built and most of the large tracts of land along this road have now been developed.  During the last twenty years many new homes were built along the Merrimack River. Once considered the "undesirable" part of Town when the river was badly polluted, the riverside is now a highly sought-after place to live.   

New construction on Main Street and along the river has been permitted   with new lots created under the Form A statute and subdivision regulations, (Lots must meet minimum frontage requirements along existing roads), or as Definitive Subdivision plans.

Expansion to Outlying Areas:  Residential construction is now spread more widely throughout the Town. Recent developments have been small and built with either Form A plan endorsement or Definitive Subdivision approval.  Those built since the last plan include Indian Hill (4 lots 2003), Dole Place (5 lots 2006), Stewart St (4 lots 2006.)  Typically these new homes have been in excess of 3,000 square feet and in 2007 the estimated value of the average new home in West Newbury was $495,000.

Speed of Residential Development:  The graph that follows shows new house building has slowed since the peak in 1993 when Twig Rush, the Town's largest (40-home) subdivision was being built. The slow down since may reflect increased land costs, fewer easy to develop parcels, ongoing preservation efforts and the recent downturn in the economy. In 2008 the first approved over 55 development countered this trend. Of the thirteen building permits issued, twelve were for condominiums.

Source: Town of West Newbury, Annual Town Reports 2008

Current Projects:  In 2009 there is one major residential project under construction in West Newbury.  This is a condominium development of 56 town houses for over 55 residents at Ocean Meadow, 823 Main Street.  A subdivision of three lots  at Bailey’s Lane (Long Hill) is currently under construction.  

Map found on page 23 of the 2009 OS&R Plan

Infrastructure: Transportation System

Roads: West Newbury's location provides it with easy access to several major transportation routes including Interstates 95 and 495, US. Route 1, State Routes 1A, 97, 110, 113 and 133.  Route 113 (Main Street) bisects the community, and other major routes are within a short distance of the Town.  Interstate 95 runs north-south through the eastern end of Town and is accessible via Main Street (Route 113) and South Street.  Routes 1 (Newburyport Turnpike) and 1A parallel I-95 to the east, and run south past Route 128 to Boston, and north to New Hampshire.  Routes 110 (through Merrimac), 113 (through West Newbury) and 133 (through Georgetown) run east-west, providing easy access to Merrimac, Amesbury, Georgetown, Groveland, Haverhill, Newburyport, and other north shore communities.

The Bachelor Street/Indian Hill route has become a major commuter link to Newburyport and I-95 and has been upgraded to carry the increased traffic flow.  Ash Street, currently unpaved in one section, is used, when passable, by commuters to Route  I95 at the Byfield intersection. Bridge and Church Streets to the Rocks Village Bridge and Route I-495 are also heavily traveled link routes.

Aside from these routes the roads are typically winding, scenic country roads suited for hiking, biking, jogging and nature observation although increased traffic is beginning to compromise their recreational value.  Necessary road improvements have changed the narrow, camel-backed nature of West Newbury’s country lanes to roads that can be traveled at greater speeds. These improvements caused a great deal of discussion and controversy within the Town, which ultimately led to the passage of the Scenic Roads By-Law in 2002.  The Existing Infrastructure Map shows the Town's roads and water supply system.

Public Transportation:  No railroad enters West Newbury, but two MBTA rail lines are nearby.  One of the two lines passes through Haverhill en route to Portland, Maine from Boston; the other runs from Boston to Newburyport.  Both the Haverhill and Newburyport lines offer daily service to Boston and points in between.  Amtrak’s Downeaster express trains run between Boston and Portland, Maine with a stop at Haverhill. 

Express bus services operated by C&J Trailways and the Coach Company are available from Newburyport to several destinations in Boston, including Logan Airport.  Service is also available to Portsmouth and Durham, New Hampshire.  The Newburyport Park & Ride (which supports both C&J and Coach Company service) contains about 400 parking spaces and will be expanded by 150 spaces by the end of 2009.  There is other commuter service from Haverhill and Groveland. 

The Merrimac Valley Regional Transit Authority offers an on-call van service called ‘Ring and Ride’  for riders of all ages within West Newbury and nearby towns. 

Other Transportation:  Air travel to all parts of the world is available to West Newbury residents from Logan Airport in Boston, and from Manchester Airport in Manchester, NH.  In addition, nearby Lawrence has a municipal airport approved for commercial flights.  There is a commercial seaplane base at Methuen as well as a Coast Guard seaplane base at Salem, NH.  There are also a number of private fields in the county, including the historical Plum Island Airport in Newbury.

There are eleven coastal harbors in Essex County.  The harbor at Newburyport is used primarily by pleasure boats and small commercial craft.  The Merrimack River affords additional opportunities for pleasure boating.

Transportation services for elderly Town residents are available from the West Newbury Council on Aging.  The Council on Aging does not provide regularly scheduled transportation service to its members, but it does provide transportation for special group outings.  It also provides individual transportation by prior arrangement.

Infrastructure: Water Supply System

Background:  West Newbury purchased water from the Town of Groveland until 1979.  In October of that year, two of Groveland's wells were found to be contaminated with trichloroethene (TCE), and West Newbury began to purchase water from the City of Newburyport.  In December of 1990 West Newbury brought its own well field on line.

Source: West Newbury Water Department 2008

The Town Wellfield:  The West Newbury wellfield is located on the Town line with Newburyport, near the Artichoke Reservoir.  The Town's wellfield consists of nine shallow wells that are permitted to pump 200,000 gallons of water per day.  Under conditions that limit aquifer recharge, yield can go down to half that amount.  During periods of peak water usage, especially the summer, and while recharging the aquifer, the Town purchases water from Newburyport to augment its own supply.  Daily peak-season water purchases from Newburyport average 300,000 gallons.  Future supplements to West Newbury's water supply by Newburyport may be at risk as the city has started supplying water to Plum Island residents.  The Town commissioned a water master plan, which was completed in 2001 and also completed a separate hydraulic study in October of 2003 in order to evaluate more specifically the condition of the system and identify needed improvements.  The Study was updated in May 2008.

Water Service and Usage:  Roughly 63% of the Towns’ dwellings (912 homes) are served by Town water, the remainder by private wells.  The present Town water system covers the western section of the Town and also runs the length of Main Street (see Figure 3-3).  All new developments built within 1,000 feet of the water main must be connected to the water system. Between 1990 and 2008 daily water usage in West Newbury increased from an average of 174,490 gallons per day to 240,000 gallons per day.  During the summer months residents use approximately 100,000 gallons per day to irrigate their lawns. That is one third of the daily water supply. In 1999 the Town adopted a bylaw requiring rain sensors on irrigation systems to prevent unnecessary watering.  In 2003 the Town adopted the In-Ground Irrigation Bylaw.  As of August 29, 2003, irrigation systems cannot be connected to the municipal water system.  Systems installed before that date have been grandfathered.

Source: West Newbury Water Department 2008

Search for a New Well: The West Newbury Water Department is currently looking for and testing new well sites.  The Andreas well site off Indian Hill Street was purchased in January 2004 and the Dunn property off Chase Street was purchased in 2002.  Both are deep bedrock wells and were purchased for future well development.  In 2008 the Water Department drilled test wells on the town-owned Mullen property off Church Street, but the site proved unsuitable for a well field.

Infrastructure:  Sewer Service

Current sewer service:  West Newbury has no municipal sewerage system and has no plans to construct one.  All sewage is disposed of via on-site systems.  Septage (the material pumped from septic tanks) is transported by local haulers to the Greater Lawrence Sanitary District in North Andover.  Each residential or commercial building must have its own on-site subsurface sewage disposal system constructed in accordance with the Department of Environmental Protection's Title 5 Regulations and local regulations.  This requirement currently limits development to those areas where such sewage disposal systems may be located.

New allowable systems:  While that will continue to be true, the nature of allowable systems has changed.  One sort of change is the advent of “shared systems.” Known variously as “community systems” or “package plants”, they use existing, approved technology to provide a single waste treatment system to service multiple dwellings. In West Newbury, the Housing Authority already uses such a system, as does the condominium development at Ocean Meadow.

In 1995, the Title 5 regulations were revised to allow new alternative/innovative wastewater treatment and disposal technologies in Massachusetts. As of June 2001, DEP had approved nearly 50 different Innovative/Alternative technologies for use in Massachusetts, and DEP and local boards of health had approved more than 1,350 individual installations across the state. 

http://www.state.ma.us/dep/brp/wwm/files/septfact.pdf

Impact on Town:  One effect of the greater use of shared systems and the adoption of Innovative Technology by DEP will be to allow the development for housing of parcels that have been previously thought un-developable.

Other Towns in the state have been forced to construct municipal sewerage systems to address water quality problems from failing septic systems.  The Town has no known problems with septic systems polluting ground or surface waters, and should remain diligent in preventing this from happening. 

Infrastructure:  Recreation

Recreation facilities:

Recreation participation:  In 2008, the number of children who participated in the town sports was

• Baseball (t-ball, Little league, Babe Ruth), 225 players

• Lacrosse, 175 players

• Soccer, 300 players

In addition to these organized youth programs other members of the community use the tennis courts at Pentucket and some casual adult soccer teams play at Pipestave.   West Newbury Riding & Driving Club maintains and uses the two horse rings and cross-country jump course at Pipestave and run regular events there each year. 

While most of the outdoor sports mentioned above are well served, the Parks and Recreation Committee recognize the need for town-owned tennis courts and basketball courts for which there is a special demand in the summer months.   The Park and Recreation Commission is exploring the need for a community recreation facility, to include areas for basketball and fitness programs,  for  use by youth, adults and seniors. 

Long Term Development Patterns: Planning Measures

Zoning Bylaws:  West Newbury's Zoning Bylaw, first adopted in 1954, created five zoning districts; three of which are residential.  The Bylaw was most recently revised in 2009.

Map found on page 29 of the 2009 OS&R Plan

Open Space Preservation Development:  In 2001 the Town voted to replace the former Cluster Zoning bylaw with a new Open Space Preservation Development Special Permit (OSPD ) zoning bylaw, Section 6.B. (or “Green Neighborhood” zoning).  The bylaw requires that at least 60% of the parcel(s) are preserved as open space.  The homes in an Open Space Preservation Development are sited together in areas that offer views of and access to the preserved open space.  By implementing such a regulation, the Town seeks to preserve open space for all residents without limiting the property rights of the individual landowner.  As examples, Kimball Road Extension, Ocean Meadow, and Nichols/Dole Place (now expired), have been approved with an OSPD Special Permit

Community Development Plan 2004:  This plan informs the Planning Board’s work and includes recommendations to:

• Encourage more service and retail businesses.
• Improve the Town Center, create more parking and improve traffic control.
• Decrease the consumption of land for housing units by increasing housing density (multi-family units and mixed use construction) especially in the business zone along Rte 113.
• Meet housing needs for specific populations, over 55, seniors and lower income residents.

Inclusionary Housing Requirements:  In 2006 the town adopted an Inclusionary Housing Requirements Zoning Bylaw, Section 5.F.,   The bylaw requires that 10% of new housing of three or more dwelling units created in a project must be “affordable” under the specified criteria, which conform to the requirements of M.G.L. Chapter 40B.

Community Housing Initiative:  A Community Housing Committee was established to research and recommend options for increasing affordable, senior, and starter housing.  This committee brought a proposal for an intergenerational village, including 20 units of senior rental housing, for 35 acres of town owned land on Main Street (Mullen property)  to Town Meeting in April 2009.  The proposal was defeated. 

Funding for Community Preservation:  In 2007 the town voted to adopt the provisions of the Community Preservation Act. This levies a 3% real estate tax surcharge, matched by state funding to provide for open space, recreation facilities,  historic preservation, and affordable housing.  

3. Development Patterns: Impacts of Growth

Current challenges:  As the Town’s 2000 Comprehensive Plan points out, the Town’s nature “is ‘semi-rural,’ or a country village with telltale signs of an emerging suburban form” and the transition to suburban is well underway. The effects of development include:

• The Town's wellfield is insufficient to meet peak water demands, necessitating the purchase of supplemental water from Newburyport and a   need to identify new water supplies in the town.

• Traffic continues to increase.

• Town administrative, public safety, education, and other municipal expenditures continue to rise.

Build-Out:   As described more fully in the Comprehensive Plan, under fully built-out conditions, West Newbury will look very different than it does today.  There are many large parcels of private, unprotected, or temporarily protected land remaining within the community that could (and will, if left unprotected) eventually be converted to residential use. 

In the absence of efforts to preserve open land, the Town's 1999 Comprehensive Plan projected a nearly 100% increase in residential dwellings over the next 20 years.  Development of this scale will transition the town from "semi-rural" to suburban, and will put huge pressures on already stressed infrastructures such as schools and the water supply.

Growth management:  To manage growth, the Town has:

• Completed a Community Development Plan 2004

• Conducted a build-out analysis

• Implemented new zoning regulations. 

• Funded and spent the $5 mil. Land Preservation and Growth Management Bond

• Completed a Water Master Plan with computer hydraulic model

• Adopted provisions of the Community Preservation Act

Summary: 

• Continued efforts to match the growth of residential development with the limits of our ability to fund needed services for such growth will test the ability and creativity of our Town's planners and Town leaders. By taking land out of the building equation, open space preservation will continue to be an important strategy to maintain this balance.

• Left to market forces alone, current development tends toward large expensive homes, which are not affordable to many of those who work in the community. 

• The challenge to the Town and to its residents is to encourage development that retains those characteristics that have brought people to our quiet, semi-rural community.  A related challenge, given the high value of land, is to encourage the development of a variety of housing options for a diverse population.

Map found on page 32 of the 2009 OS&R Plan

Section 4

Environmental Inventory and Analysis

»Return to Table of Contents

Eagle Nest on the River

A. Geology, Soils and Topography

Topography

The West Newbury terrain is gently rolling.  The landscape consists of a series of elongated drumlin hills, upland terraces, and broad valleys formed by a succession of glacial ice advances and retreats.  Elevation ranges from less than 50 feet above mean sea level (msl) along the Merrimack River to 260 feet above msl on Brake Hill.  Surface drainage is to the Merrimack River (along the Town's northern boundary) and, to a lesser extent, the Parker River basin (from the Town's southern corner).

Geology

Much of the Town is underlain by Merrimack Quartzite bedrock, a resistant formation of fine-grained slatey phyllite that extends in a wide belt along the Merrimack River from the western boundary of Essex County eastward to Newburyport and Salisbury.  Much of this bedrock resisted glacial scour, and now serves as the core of a plateau that stands somewhat above the terrain to the east and south.  Topping this plateau is a series of elongated drumlin hills (examples are Archelaus Hill and Long Hill) composed of thick deposits of very clayey, slowly-permeable till.  Away from the drumlins, in the lowland areas along stream courses and wetlands, the till is irregular and thin (in places less than several inches thick).  Outcroppings of bedrock are found only in the far-southern part of Town, and expansive deposits of sand and gravel are essentially absent.  The Clinton-Newbury fault line runs from northeast to southwest across the southeastern corner of West Newbury.

Soils

The soils of West Newbury vary widely, often changing types within small areas.  They range from small, excessively-drained deposits of sand and loam on hill sides to extensive deposits of very poorly drained organic materials and till in wetland areas and on ridge tops.  The many soil types present in the Town have been grouped into 5 general soil associations that are identified in Table 4-1.  Descriptive information on the five general soil associations follows Table 4-1, and includes the land use constraints of each.  The soil types grouped by development limitations are mapped by the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service and are illustrated in Figure 4-1.

Impact on development

The Town continues to be divided into three residential districts with increased density (Zone C, 20,000 sf) being located near Main Street, which is serviced by Town water service.  The areas that require wells remain in two acre zoning (Zone A).   Thus, the “outlying” areas of Town are zoned as two acres minimum lots, whereas lots along Main Street and towards the Merrimac River are zoned at one-half and one-acre minimums.

Because the entire Town is reliant on private septic systems, lot sizes are also designed around the land’s ability to host them.  In general, the soils and topography south and east of the Main Street corridor are less capable of supporting higher density residential development than other sections of Town.  These “outlying” areas have steeper slopes, less permeable soils, and areas of ledge (in the southeastern corner of Town).

vwd = very well drained, wd = well drained, mwd = moderately well drained, pd = poorly drained, vpd = very poorly drained

Map found on page 36 of the 2009 OS&R Plan

B. Landscape Character 

West Newbury's unique rural character has attracted many newcomers.  Yet despite unprecedented growth in recent years, its long and rich agricultural history is still evident throughout the Town, with some remaining farms, orchards, and nurseries dotting the landscape.

Geologically speaking, West Newbury is blessed with a landscape of rolling hills, valleys, and abundant wetlands.  This rich diversity of land types supports all manner of wildlife and plant species.

Wending along Main Street (Route 113) and down its less traveled side streets, quiet country lanes, and riverside roads, West Newbury's landscape rises and dips to reveal large open fields still used for haying, expanses of woods, and scenic hilltop vistas.  As the Town grows, the expanses of open space, especially along the river and Main Street, have been greatly diminished.  But West Newbury has not yet lost completely it's "old New England" flavor.

So much of West Newbury's charm and character depends on the lively activities that occur in the Town's numerous "centers of activity," which stretch out along and just off of Main Street.  The Townspeople conduct their daily business and attend church services in Elwell Square, the small "commercial center" of Town.  They congregate at Cammett Park, to cheer on Little Leaguers and soccer players in the "sports center" of Town.  They come together to enjoy seasonal celebrations at the Training Field, where the Town's Historic District, its well-used library, and Old Town Hall form West Newbury's "historic civic center."

Further east down Main Street, just across from the elementary school, the community gathers each year for a Winter Carnival at Mill Pond Recreational Area, the Town's "passive recreation center."  In addition to these community activities, hikers, bicycle riders, cross-country skiers, horseback riders, birders, and others make frequent use of its trails and open fields all year long.

Just above Mill Pond on Pipestave Hill, the "equestrian center" of Town fields frequent horse shows and the start of the annual Myopia Hunt.

The equestrians share the hilltop with the West Newbury Youth League’s regulation-sized soccer field and baseball diamond — forming another “sports center” for older soccer players and Babe Ruth ball players.  In an effort to accommodate a growing number of young baseball, soccer, and lacrosse players, the Youth League sought and received funds in 2001 to add three new athletic fields at Pipestave Hill, along with two new softball fields behind the Page School.

A conservation restriction, proposed and approved in conjunction with the athletic field expansion, protects in perpetuity close to 200 acres of the remaining Mill Pond/Pipestave acreage from further municipal development of any kind.  This conservation restriction is held by Essex County Greenbelt Association.  The Management Plan that accompanies this conservation restriction was recently updated in early 2008. 

These recent changes on Pipestave Hill – the construction of new playing fields in conjunction with a conservation restriction – represent a year-long effort by the Pipestave Hill Land-Use Study Committee.   Setting aside old grievances and special interests, representatives of the Youth League, the Parks & Recreation Commission, the Open Space Committee, the Mill Pond Committee, the Conservation Commission, the Riding & Driving Club, the Highway Department, and other, at-large members of the community formed a unique collaboration to forge a land-use compromise for Pipestave Hill.  This compromise will serve the needs of all West Newbury residents for generations to come.

As West Newbury grows, all of its residents can appreciate the Town's foresight in acquiring this Conservation Restriction, as well as in purchasing Agricultural Preservation Restrictions on Orcland Farm, Merrill Farm, and Long Hill Orchard; in obtaining the Cardinal Cushing Academy lands for conversion into Page School and the Mill Pond Recreation Area; and in acquiring the 60+ acre Mingo Property for the Riverbend Conservation Area, the 100-acre Brake Hill property, and the Cherry Hill view shed.  In recent years, the town also purchased the 70 acre Dunn farm on Chase Street, which also is adjacent to  Pipestave Hill. This is targeted for future mixed municipal use for possible well sites, school site, housing site, and open space. More recently, the town also purchased the Mullen property across Main Street from the 1910 Building. This site is being evaluated for mixed use, affordable housing and open space.   A proposal for an intergenerational village including 20 units of senior rental housing on the 35 acre Mullen property failed at the spring town meeting in April of 2009. 

In December 2007 and January of 2008, the town finalized a cooperative project with Essex County Greenbelt to preserve 41 acres of the Indian Hill Farm.  Twenty one acres of the hill proper are owned by Greenbelt  with a conservation restriction held by the town.  Greenbelt will manage this property as the Indian Hill Farm Reservation.  Another adjacent 12 acres of meadow are privately held with a new conservation restriction held by Greenbelt.  Lastly, an 11 acre woodlot was given by the family trust to Greenbelt in fee.  This project was assisted by the state’s award of a Self Help grant of $285,000 for the project.  

Residents also benefit from the generous acts of individual landowners who have preserved their land through conservation restrictions, or by donating undeveloped parcels to the Town and to private conservation trusts.

Map found on page 39 of the 2009 OS&R Plan

C. Water Resources

The water resources of West Newbury include both surface water and groundwater.  Surface water resources consist of a diverse array of interconnected reservoirs, streams, ponds and wetland areas that serve important ecological functions, as well as provide drinking water and a variety of opportunities for recreation.  Groundwater resources supply the Town’s drinking water needs through a public water supply system and private drinking water wells.  Figure 4-2  shows the Town's surface waters, major wetlands, flood hazard areas, Town well field and proposed drinking water well locations, and the watershed for the Artichoke Reservoir system (Newburyport's water supply).

Surface waters

The Merrimack River: The Merrimack is the region's pre-eminent freshwater resource.  This river forms the Town's northern border and offers outstanding opportunities for boating, canoeing, fishing, wildlife observation, hunting, and scenic enjoyment.  The Town owns a public boat access near the Rocks Village Bridge, commonly used  for fishing by local residents.  The boat ramp has a lot of kayak use as well as fishing boats.

The Artichoke Reservoir System: The Artichoke Reservoir watershed covers about one third of the Town, and is shown in Figure 4-2. The Upper and Lower Artichoke system lies on the Town's eastern border with Newburyport.  This system is linked to the Indian Hill Reservoir, and serves as the public water supply for the City of Newburyport.  As West Newbury currently purchases a large portion of its drinking water from the City of Newburyport, this reservoir system also provides drinking water to residents of West Newbury on the public water system.

Mill Pond: Mill Pond is a scenic, 16 acre impoundment of the Indian River (a partially tidal river which connects Mill Pond to the Merrimack River).  Mill Pond lies just south and east of Main Street and is part of the Town-owned Mill Pond Recreation Area.  A cherished recreational resource, Mill Pond was drained in 2001, and 54 thousand cubic yards of sediment was dredged to maintain depth and prevent natural succession to wetland.

Little Crane Pond: This small open water body is created by a broadening of Beaver Brook near the Town's southern border.  Little Crane Pond is connected to Ash Swamp, a 600 acre wetland system of wooded, vegetated and open areas.  

Streams:  The Town's major perennial streams are the Indian River, Beaver Brook and the Artichoke River.  These three streams and others have  been afforded additional protection by the 1996 Rivers Protection Act (http://www.state.ma.us/dep/brp/ww/files/riveract.htm). The protections of the Rivers Act are now incorporated into the Wetlands Protection Act regulations  ( atr 310 CMR 10.58). There are numerous tributary streams and wetlands scattered throughout the Town.  Together these waters form a rich network of fish and wildlife habitat and afford numerous opportunities for water-based outdoor recreation. 

Flood Hazard Areas

Figure 4-2 shows the 100 year flood areas (from the 1979 Flood Insurance Rate Map) for the Town.  The flood zone along the Merrimack River is based on high waters from the flood of 1938.  

Wetlands

West Newbury's non-surface water wetlands can be divided into five major types, which are shown in Table 4-2.

The Town has performed rough mapping of its wetlands.  Orthophoto maps, acquired from the Wetlands Conservancy Program in the late 1990s, provide additional general wetlands information, but do not constitute delineation of wetland resource areas and are no substitute for an on-site delineation.  The Conservation Commission would like to update the information from the Wetlands Conservancy Program every few years.

Aquifer Recharge Areas

Types of aquifers in West Newbury:  There are two types of aquifers which supply drinking water in West Newbury.  These are unconsolidated sand and gravel aquifers and consolidated bedrock aquifers.  The unconsolidated materials lie on top of the bedrock in varying depths and have the ability to transmit groundwater.  The Town has sought out  both types of aquifers to provide drinking water for the public water supply system.

Unconsolidated sand and gravel aquifers:  Drinking water for the public water supply system is currently obtained from a shallow unconsolidated aquifer located adjacent to the Artichoke Reservoir on the eastern border of the Town.  This wellfield system consists of seven small tubular wells which may soon be replaced by three gravel packed wells. The  well field is capable  of producing an average of 200,000 gallons per day.  Numerous investigations in the past have been unsuccessful in identifying additional unconsolidated wells with adequate production rates for public drinking water supply.  This has led to investigations into the ability of the bedrock aquifers to provide drinking water sources. 

Bedrock aquifers:  In order to meet the projected demand for drinking water over the next 20 years, exploration of deep bedrock well locations has been a priority.  Numerous geologic studies and groundwater investigations have been completed in order to identify locations that would be capable of producing adequate volumes of drinking water.   After preliminary pumping tests and consideration of land purchase issues and site constraints, the Town has identified two sites for development as bedrock drinking water wells.  These are the Andreas site and the Dunn site.

The Andreas well site is located off Indian Hill Street between Garden and Middle Streets.  Extended pumping tests have been completed on the single 6-inch diameter well on site and indicate a safe yield of 145,000 gallons per day.  In December 2002, the DEP awarded a New Source Approval, but MA Water Management will not issue their permit until the Water Department intends to put this well site into production – therefore the project is currently on hold. 

The Dunn well site is located at the intersection of Chase and Middle Streets. A single 6-inch well exists and preliminary pump testing indicates a safe yield of 187,000 gallons per day.  Installation of an 8-inch well at this site is predicted to yield closer to 200,000+ gallons per day, though permitted safe yield may be lowered because of drawdown effects on surrounding wetlands.    Voters at Spring 2002 Town Meeting voted to purchase the entire 71-acre Dunn Property.  Contiguous to Pipestave Hill, the Dunn land will be used for combined water, recreation, agriculture, and future municipal use.

Current status of projects:   As of early 2008, the Water Department has postponed development of either the Dunn or Andreas sites because of the high projected costs to link these sites to the existing distribution system and to bring three-phase electrical power to the sites.  However, the Department has identified several sites along the Merrimack River that were previously unavailable and appear to contain promising unconsolidated aquifer well sites.  The Department will attempt to test and develop these sites before considering development of the bedrock sites.

Private wells in Town:  In addition to these public water supply wells, one third of the Town’s residents have private drinking water wells.  These are installed in both the consolidated and unconsolidated aquifers, depending on site-specific conditions.

Water Resource Protection

Protection of the Town’s water resources is afforded through Federal, State and Local regulations.  The permits, which are required for activities affecting water resources, trigger the  review by Town committees and boards, which are familiar with these regulations. 

Reservoir Protections:  For the reservoir system, land use restrictions are mandated by the State Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and are organized into three zones, which are dependent on the distance from the reservoir.  They are designed to prevent contamination of the drinking water supply directly by discharge to the reservoir and indirectly by runoff or leaching from contaminated land.  While recreational use on the water is restricted, most recreational use around the reservoirs – such as hiking and horseback riding – is not.   The City of Newburyport has enacted a Surface Water Protection Bylaw, which further restricts land uses around the reservoir system.  Although not required by State regulations, West Newbury is considering the adoption of a Surface Water Protection Bylaw to help protect the reservoir system as a drinking water source.

Groundwater Protections:  Groundwater drinking water wells in West Newbury are also protected by State DEP regulations, as well Zoning Bylaw Section 10.0, Groundwater Protection Overlay District Bylaw.  The Water Department must control a land area with a 400 ft radius around each bedrock public drinking water well, and a 250 foot radius around a shallow well.   Land uses are restricted to those that will not impact the quality of the groundwater as specified by the regulations.  Passive recreational uses such as hiking, cross country skiing, bicycling and horseback riding are allowed within the protected area.

Inground Irrigation Bylaw:  The town passed an Inground Irrigation Bylaw in April of 2003.  This bylaw restricts the water source for inground irrigation systems for lawns to private wells. 

Artichoke Reservoir watershed:  The Artichoke Reservoir watershed covers about one third of the Town.

D. Vegetation

West Newbury contains a diverse mixture of vegetation types, ranging from dense stands of hardwoods in the upland areas and on hill slopes to scattered assemblages of grasses and reeds in the low-lying areas and along stream courses.  In between is an assortment of mixed hardwood and softwood forests, abandoned farms, and active farms.  The active farms include open land for hay, pasture, apple orchards, nursery plants, and vegetables.

Forest Land

Characteristic native tree species include white pine, eastern-red cedar, Atlantic white-cedar, hemlock, white and red oaks, American beech, shagbark hickory, black locust, black cherry and sugar maple on the well-drained uplands; and red ("swamp") maple, various birches, cottonwood, alder and green ash in wetter or lowland areas.  American elm and American chestnut saplings are still found in scattered locations throughout the Town.  Introduced species (i.e., buckthorn and Norway maple) are naturalized, but are undesirable because they out-compete native species.

West Newbury has an abundance of mature shade trees along almost all the public roads and in our public spaces. These include grounds surrounding the Town Offices, the Public Safety Complex, Cammett Park and the Training Field in addition to the large tracts of protected land like those at Millpond, and Riverbend. 

Some families have enrolled their properties in Chapter 61A for managed forestry lands, requiring a planned program to improve the quantity and quality of a continuous forest crop. Currently there are 11 parcels with a total of 146 acres under this Chapter.  This includes many of the towns Christmas tree farms, but also other woodlots managed for firewood and habitat. 

The Town Forest is managed as a part of the Mill Pond Conservation Area and is included in the approved Management Plan for that Area.

As is common here in New England, the wooly adelgid has infested some of the town’s hemlock trees. Anthracnose  affects many of the flowering dogwoods.  Beech stands are threatened by the fungus Nectria coccinea, a blight which is carried by scale insects that weakens the thin bark of beeches and ultimately the structure of the tree itself.

West Newbury is a small town with a small budget.  At this juncture, we have no professionally trained forestry staff.    The Department of Public Works does attend to trees that are structurally unsound along the town roadways, and in public spaces.  Recently three ailing sugar maples were removed from the Training Field, and two new young Red Sunset Maples and one American Elm were planted on the historic green.  Ten Red Sunset Maples were also planted at Pipestave Hill to define a line between the equestrian area and the new Highway Barn.  Three pin oaks were planted between the equestrian area and the soccer/ baseball field at Pipestave during the recent expansion of playing fields in that area. The Department of Public Works has been instrumental in working with the Open Space Committee to remove large downed trees which are obstructing trails on public land, such as at the River Bend Conservation Area.   West Newbury does not currently have a Tree Committee or other such advocacy committee for trees. 

The Scenic Roads Bylaw was passed in 1999.  This bylaw denotes all roads in West Newbury other than State Route 113 as scenic roads.  In the course of road improvements, the removal of any tree greater than 10 inches in diameter at 1 foot off the ground requires written permission of the Planning Board after a required public hearing.

General Inventory

Common West Newbury plant communities include upland forests (pine and hardwood), wooded swamps, shrub swamps, fresh water marshes, tidal marshes, wet meadows and grasslands.  A list of common shrubs and herbaceous plants is provided in Table 4-4.

Rare, Threatened and Endangered Species

The Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife, Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program’s BIOMAP is based on verified natural community and rare species data that correspond to actual locations on the ground.  The BIOMAP of West Newbury identifies significant “core habitat” and supporting “natural landscape” acreage throughout the Town.  In the future, this BIOMAP will be posted on the Open Space website.

The Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program has identified several plant species occurring in the Town which are state or federally classified as rare, endangered or threatened.  These are shown below in Table 4-5.  These data are the most recently available from the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife Website, Section on Natural Heritage, and date from 2008.    

http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/nhesp/species_info/town_lists/town_w.htm#westnewbury

In addition, the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program has identified a special natural community within the Town, the "Gulf of Maine Freshwater Tidal Marsh," within which many of the species of concern occur.

3C = Federal Candidate Status +  E = Endangered, T = Threatened, SC = Special Concern

Non native plants

Non native, otherwise known as exotic or invasive, species of plants have moved into West Newbury and much of New England primarily from  horticultural trade and practices.  Native insects can not or prefer not to  eat alien species of plants. These plants do not support local insect and bird species, and compete vigorously  in the landscape with native species which do support the  wide variety of native wildlife. There is a  growing understanding of the importance of native plants to the local landscape and the habitat that is supportive of a rich variety of insects, birds and other animals. 

Much of the town which was previously in agricultural use, either as pasture or under tillage, was kept clear of brush and trees. When left fallow, these fields, or remnants of them, even in the open space associated with developments, quickly revert to woodland in the typical succession from brush to mature trees. This process can take as little as ten years. However, the success of the non-native bittersweet and other invasives  has disrupted this typical pattern throughout the town. Bittersweet has the ability to strangle even mature trees, changing the nature of succession, and to form a barrier impenetrable to humans.

Massachusetts Prohibited Plant List

The importation of the most of these plants listed below was banned as of January 2006.  By January 2009, propagation, sale, trade, purchase, distribution and related activities of all of these listed plants is banned.

An asterix (*) notes plants which are commonly found to be invasive most of New England, including West Newbury.   (From the New England Wildflower Society Website- Invasive Plant Atlas) 

Certain other plants, such as poison ivy, are native and provide good habitat and food for birds, but are nevertheless a nuisance to people who attempt to enjoy hiking in areas of infestation. Poison ivy is rampant in West Newbury, and is predicted to be even more so with climbing temperatures related to global warming.   

E. Fisheries and Wildlife

Inventory

West Newbury's abundant wildlife is a tribute to the size and diversity of open spaces remaining within the Town.  The birds, fish and mammals within the community are characteristic of those found throughout much of Essex County, and consist both of migrant and resident populations.  Some species are found in large numbers throughout much of the Town; others are rare and are confined to localized habitats. 

The Town’s beaver population has increased greatly since 1996, turning wetlands areas on Moulton Street, Bachelor Street, Kelly Brook Lane, and Crane Neck Street into large “beaver lakes,” where otter have been sighted.

The Town’s large deer population has contributed to an increase in Lyme Disease in recent years. Rabies, which had been on the decline, made a comeback in the raccoon population in 2001. West Nile Disease, which most commonly affects birds (especially crows and other raptors), but which can also be found in horses and humans, has been found in West Newbury.

Moose and black bears are occasional visitors to West Newbury.  Recently, there was a confirmed sighting of mountain lion in nearby Newburyport.

The state actively manages wildlife for hunting in the Crane Pond Wildlife Management area, which lies partially within the Town.  The following tables list fish, reptiles, amphibians, mammals and birds found in West Newbury.

Fish

M = found in the Merrimack River, S = found in streams, P = found in ponds

Atlantic salmon, striped bass, and shad are anadromous species, spawning and hatching in freshwater, then migrating to the sea to live out most of their adult life cycles.  The American eel is a catadromous species, and follows the reverse strategy by which the young hatch at sea and then migrate into freshwater.  A very small population of shortnosed sturgeon lives in the Merrimack River below the Rt. 125 bridge in Haverhill.

Reptiles and Amphibians

* - classified as "Species of Special Concern" due to rarity. 

The Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata) is found in select shallow freshwater and brackish wetlands.  The Blue-Spotted and Yellow-Spotted salamanders inhabit moist woods and wooded swamps and depend on vernal pools to complete their reproductive cycle, as does the Wood frog.  The Wood Turtle  ( Glyptemys insculpta),  last seen in 1965 is a species of “Special Concern” and the Blanding’s Turtle (Emydoidea blandingii), last seen in 2004, is threatened. 

Mammals

* abundance codes:            P = present, status unknown             A = absent             C = common          R = rare

 Birds