Newburyport councilors debate if 57 Low St. is worth buying | Local News | newburyportnews.com

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Partly cloudy. Low 16F. Wind NNE at a speed of 5 to 10 mph.

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Newburyport (NewBURYPORT)-City councillors discussed the feasibility of buying the property at 57 Low Street on Thursday, and if so, what its use might be.

At the joint meeting of the Budget and Finance Committee, the Planning and Development Committee, and the Vulnerability Committee, Ward 1 MP Sharif Zeid, Chairman of the Budget and Finance Department, raised three questions to guide the discussion: Is the land worth buying? If so, do members need to make plans for their intended use? If they need a plan, what is it?

The city must close the property by March 1st using $220,000 in its free cash account.

A few years ago, Mayor Donna Holaday initially tried to purchase the property, seeking to find permanent housing at Newburyport Youth Services. Since then, she has worked with the National Guard (National Guard) to make the sale possible. The National Guard owns the surplus maintenance building on the site and has cooperated with it on behalf of the state capital asset management department. 

Newburyport Youth Services moved to the former Brown School at 42 Milk Street in 2014 after the sale of the former Kelley School at 149 High Street.

The Parks Department and Newburyport Public Schools have also floated, and possible departments can find houses at 57 Low Street when the city is closed.

Ward 5 councillor James McCauley said that people think 57 Low Street is "the solution to the multidimensional problems we have here."

He realized that the former Brown School location did not apply to the Youth Services Department. He said that other departments are also looking for more space, but if the city bought 57 Low Street with no specific purpose, then it now has two properties with no specific purpose.

Macaulay recommends studying these issues more extensively. He said that New York City could convert the site of the original Brown School into an annex of the City Hall, and build municipal offices there, while retaining the stadium and parking lot.

He said that the annex can be expanded to a space, such as an artist's loft and affordable housing, perhaps just not up to the scale people initially imagined.

If the school department uses this attachment instead, the Youth Services Department may take over the position of the Knock Middle School school department.

He said: "For other municipal departments, we can temporarily build and repair the Brown School in a modular way,"

The city has reached an informal, rent-free, and rent-free arrangement with the National Guard, allowing the use of auxiliary buildings and surrounding venues. Macaulay said that he doesn't think it is necessary anymore. 

Many lawmakers admitted that the Youth Services Department did not want to enter the original Brown School, and some suggested that they look for other options than just moving to Low Low. 57 or stay in the current position.

A member of the large Afroz Khan expressed support for the establishment of another site selection committee to find a home in Youth Services. He said that barrier-free environments, especially for students at Nock Middle School and Molin Elementary School, are crucial.

She said: “We have the opportunity to provide our children with fair and just opportunities to achieve everything they can get.” She added that although she fell in love with the former Brown School, it does not mean that Youth Services must Stay there. 

Ward 4 member Christine Wallace and Ward 6 member Byron Lane (Byron Lane) once expressed concerns about soil contamination at the Low Street site, but still believed that they could do nothing before buying. 

In public comments, Prince Prince’s former state senator Catherine O’Connor Ives said that although she supports the search for permanent accommodation for the Newburyport Youth Service Center, she believes that low street properties are not suitable for children Or any municipal use because of the pollutants and their distance from the former Crow Lane landfill. 

Jane Snow of Coffin Street supports McCauley's suggestion that the city should look at its needs more broadly and understand the pros and cons of other possibilities for youth services. 

She said: "I agree that $220,000 can be used for many other things. Personally, I am really worried about the fire station." She said that two fire stations are needed. 

Ashley Shwom, president of the Friends of New York City, reminded lawmakers that the Youth Services Department cannot wait another five years to find a house. A petition requesting the city to purchase youth services at 57 Low Street, with more than 1,000 signatures. 

The full record of the meeting will be available at:

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