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Haverhill council approves purchase and funding transfer for 16.5-acre Crystal Street water-supply parcel
Summary
The City Council voted unanimously to approve an order of taking, a settlement agreement, a 10-foot access easement and the transfer of $260,000 from water funds to buy roughly 16.5 acres of water-supply land on Crystal Street following a multi-year eminent-domain dispute.
The Haverhill City Council on Tuesday approved a package of measures to acquire a roughly 16.5-acre parcel on Crystal Street for city water-supply purposes and to pay the sellers $260,000.
The measures included an order authorizing the mayor to acquire the land, an order of taking specifically for water-supply purposes, a settlement agreement with the property owners and a transfer of $260,000 from water-fund accounts to a new capital fund to pay for the purchase. All four votes passed by roll call: 10 yeas, 0 nays, 1 absent.
Robert Ward, the city’s director of public works, told the council the acquisition resolves a dispute that dates to an eminent-domain taking in February 2022. Ward said the transaction is a “friendly taking,” and that “the seller has agreed to the taking to sell the property to the city for the price of $260,000.” He described the land as water-supply property running from Crystal Street to the west shore of Crystal Lake and said it has roughly “1,100 or 1,300 feet of frontage on the lake.”
Ward said the purchase includes a small access easement the sellers requested so they retain access from their property to the city’s public trail system. He also said payment to the sellers must be made within 30 days after the transfer paperwork is completed.
The council’s transfer order specified the funding breakdown: $248,481.03 from water transmission mains accounts (listed as water 20 and 36) and $11,518.17 from water capital outlay, for a combined $260,000 moved into a new capital fund to complete the purchase.
Attorney Matt Connolly of Nutter (identified by Ward as counsel who worked on the matter) and City Solicitor Joseph Rotolo were available in case legal questions arose. Ward said staff would record the deeds and filings at the registry of deeds and coordinate issuance of the seller payment after council approval.
The council made the four votes in sequence: the authorization to acquire and grant the easement; the order of taking for water-supply purposes; approval of the settlement agreement with James E. Young Jr. and Victoria Angers; and the transfer of $260,000 from the specified water-fund accounts. Each vote was approved by a 10–0 roll call with one member absent.
The acquisition follows multi-year litigation and negotiation tied to an earlier eminent-domain action; the documents approved tonight include the order of taking, the settlement agreement, and an access-easement agreement requested by the sellers.
The council did not direct additional staff action beyond the standard closing and recording steps Ward described. Ward said he would work with the city solicitor’s office to ensure signatures and recordings are completed on schedule.
Ending: The council’s votes complete the city’s authorization to buy the Crystal Street parcel and to move the $260,000 from existing water accounts into a capital fund for final payment and recording. Ward indicated the city will proceed immediately with closing steps and the registry filings.
