Council approves planning budget as Haverhill pushes for Ward Hill densification and business recruitment
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Summary
Economic development and planning Director Bill briefed the council on efforts to retain and recruit manufacturing and high-tech employers, pursue densification in Ward Hill and respond to cuts to community development block grants; council approved the departments level-funded budget.
Bill, director of economic development and planning, told the Haverhill City Council his office is pursuing business-retention and recruitment work while encouraging development to "go up and not out" in Ward Hill.
"Our mission in both economic development and planning is to implement the city's master plan and to take that to the next level," Bill said, describing work with existing companies and interest from a company that might "probably triple the space" at an existing site by building up rather than out.
Bill said there are currently two projects under construction in the city and reiterated that the city is watching the absorption of previously approved housing units while performing fiscal-impact analyses on new proposals. He noted a roughly 2.5% overall increase in his departments budget but described the proposal as "level funded" service with minor adjustments, including moving some positions and offsets from Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) support to the city budget because CDBG funding has been cut and federal proposals could zero out the line.
Councilors asked about the types of companies showing interest; Bill said several are in the food-manufacturing category and at least two are advanced-manufacturing food firms, and others are in high-tech. He said available commercial land and market-rate housing are selling points for recruitment, and that the city is coordinating with state economic development officials and the Greater Haverhill Foundation to use new state tools to incentivize development and motivate landowners to free up sites.
A council motion to move the economic development and planning budget passed on a roll call. Councilor Mitchelson moved the motion with Vice President Jordan seconding; the roll call recorded unanimous "yes" votes from members present.
Why it matters: The departments strategy to encourage densification in Ward Hill, retain industrial employers and use new state incentives aims to boost the commercial tax base without large new city-funded projects, while the reliance on fragile federal CDBG funding shifts more cost and risk to the municipal general fund.
