Select Board Completes Review of Town Meeting Articles, Signs Town Meeting Warrant, and Elects Alex Vispoli to Serve as Chair

ANDOVER, MA – The Andover Select Board met on Monday, March 31 in the Select Board Room at Town Offices. The Board took a series of significant actions during the meeting, signing the warrant for the 2025 Annual Town Meeting, and conducting its annual reorganization process through which Alex Vispoli was selected to serve as Chair. 

Prior to signing the warrant, the Select Board completed its annual review of Town Meeting warrant articles, reviewing three Town-sponsored articles and a resident petitioned article. The Board voted to recommend Town Meeting’s approval of all Town-sponsored articles considered on Monday, which included a bylaw amendment that would adopt a Specialized Energy Code, and another amendment pertaining to water use restrictions. Review of Town Meeting warrant articles has been a significant area of focus of the Select Board since February. Recommendations made by the Board will be published in the Finance Committee Report.

The Select Board also received an update on the Route 133 Corridor Project, a significant roadway improvement project programmed to receive federal transportation funding and anticipated to commence in 2029. 

Route 133 Corridor Project
The Select Board received an update on the Route 133 Corridor Project. This project seeks to make targeted improvements to a roughly 1.25 mile stretch of Route 133 from Shawsheen Square to the intersection of Route 133, Shawsheen Road, and Beacon Street. Goals of the project include easing traffic congestion, expanding pedestrian accessibility, and improving bicycle accommodations, all while preserving the character and aesthetic of the area.

In 2023, the Route 133 Corridor Improvement project was programmed to receive in FY2028 $15.4 million in federal transportation funding through the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) approved by the Merrimack Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization (MVMPO). 

A “25% design” public hearing was held in September 2024 to provide members of the community with an update on the status of the project. More than 30 residents attended the meeting, which was also televised and made available for streaming by AndoverTV.

Specific components of the project include the creation of a shared-use path along the northern side of Route 133, the addition of pedestrian and bicycle accommodations, modernized roadway infrastructure, and full reconstruction of the Shawsheen Square intersection (Route 133/Route 28) and the intersection of Route 133, Shawsheen Road, and Beacon Street.

According to the presentation made during Monday’s meeting, a “75% design” public hearing will be held this spring or summer, and a working group will be formed to guide the design of amenities included in the project. A 75% design submission is expected to be made to MassDOT in the fall or winter of 2025. Following environmental review, right of way acquisition, permitting, and finalizing of the design, construction of the project is expected to begin in Spring 2029. 

Additional information about this project is available on the Town website. 

Town Meeting Articles
The Select Board continued the process of reviewing and voting on recommendations on articles that appear on the Annual Town Meeting warrant. The Board began this process during its February 10 meeting, and has continued reviewing a series of articles during each subsequent meeting. The recommendations issued by the Select Board will be published in the Finance Committee Report, which is mailed to every household prior to Town Meeting.

Repeal of Ballardvale Historic District
The Board considered a resident-petitioned article seeking to eliminate the Ballardvale Historic District. The District was created by an act of Town Meeting in 1995, and is intended to preserve the distinct architectural and historic character of the neighborhood. The District is overseen by the Ballardvale Historic District Commission, which reviews and approves changes to certain exterior architectural features of homes and other buildings. The petitioners of this article argue that the requirements of the Historic District Commission are overly burdensome to homeowners when attempting to make improvements to their homes.

The Select Board voted to recommend disapproval of this article.

Opt-In Specialized Energy Code
Director of Sustainability Joyce Losick-Yang presented on an article that amends the Town Bylaws to adopt a Specialized Energy Code. 

The Specialized Energy Code was developed by the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) in 2023 to ensure that new residential and commercial constructions will be consistent with Massachusetts' greenhouse gas emissions limits in future years. It applies specifically to new buildings that are larger than 1,000 square feet, while large additions, major renovations, historic buildings, and specialized buildings like labs and warehouses will continue to be regulated by the existing Stretch Code. Importantly, the code does not ban natural gas.

Building energy codes ensure that homes and other buildings are constructed to be energy efficient, focusing on performance, comprehensiveness, and upgradability. The Specialized Energy Code includes standards such as the Home Energy Rating System (HERS) and Passive House (PH) certification, which significantly reduce energy demand.

The Town of Andover has seen already seen successful examples of Specialized Code-compliant buildings, including the recently completed and all-electric West Elementary School. Currently, 48 communities across Massachusetts have adopted the Specialized Code.

The Select Board voted to recommend that Town Meeting approve this article. 

Water Restrictions
Director of Public Works Carlos Jaquez presented an article to the Board that seeks to amend Andover’s Bylaw pertaining to water use restrictions to comply with the Massachusetts Water Management Act. The proposed bylaw is based on a model bylaw provided by the state to ensure municipal compliance with the Act. Under the amended bylaw, water supply conservation measures would be triggered by drought declarations made by the Secretary of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. The article also updates definitions and clarifies allowable water use at various levels of restriction.

By a 3-2 vote, the Select Board voted to recommend approval of this article.

School Department Special Education Appropriation
Andover Public Schools Superintendent Magda Parvey and Assistant Superintendent for Administration and Finance Keith Taverna presented an article seeking a one-time appropriation of $450,000 to pay costs related to the School Department’s special education programs. Andover Public Schools has experienced significant increases to special education expenses due to increased tuition obligations for out-of-district placements. These expenses are anticipated to increase by approximately $3.2 million in FY2026, resulting in a total tuition cost of approximately $9.9 million.

The one-time appropriation sought through this article would offset a portion of the increased costs anticipated by Andover Public Schools for out-of-district special education tuition in FY2026. The Board voted to recommend approval of this article. 

Town Meeting Warrant
The Select Board voted to sign the warrant for the 2025 Annual Town Meeting, finalizing the sequence of articles that will be considered by Andover’s legislative body when it convenes at the Collins Center for the Performing Arts on Tuesday, April 29 at 7:00 PM.

The full warrant can be viewed online at: andoverma.gov/townmeeting.

All registered voters in the Town of Andover are eligible to attend and vote at Town Meeting. The deadline for Andover residents to register to vote at Town Meeting is Saturday, April 19. Voters who are already registered to vote are not required to take additional action.

Reorganization of the Board  
The Select Board conducted its annual reorganization, electing new officers following the March 25 Town Election which saw Melissa Danisch and Alex Vispoli reelected to the Board. Alex Vispoli was elected to serve as Chair of the Select Board and will assume the position following Annual Town Meeting. Vispoli is beginning his eighth term on the Select Board, and has served several previous stints as Chair during his 21 years of services, including most recently from 2022-2023. He will replace Laura Gregory, who is concluding a one-year term in the role. 
 
The Board elected Ellen Townson as Vice Chair, and Melissa Danisch to serve as Clerk. Their one-year terms in these positions will also begin following Annual Town Meeting.

 Other Actions 

• During the Town Manager Report, Andrew Flanagan announced that Lieutenant Edward Guy of the Andover Police Department has been appointed Police Chief in the Town of Hamilton, Massachusetts. Guy has served the Andover Police Department since 2004 and as Executive Officer since 2018, and has been a well-respected leader within the Department and across the region.
• The Select Board voted to appoint Keith Saxon to a three-year term as a member of the Board of Registrars of Voters.
• The Board issued two citations to members of the Andover community for reaching significant milestones. Esther Pelletier was recognized in honor of her upcoming 100^th birthday on April 6. Eagle Scout James Poirier of Troop 79 was recognized for earning all 139 Boy Scout Merit Badges available.

The full meeting can be viewed online through AndoverTV. The Board is scheduled to meet next on Monday, April 14.