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Haverhill Mayor James J. Fiorentini spoke on Friday to the
Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce and to the Greater Haverhill
Chamber of Commerce.
At each event, the Mayor stressed that removing regulatory
roadblocks was the key to improving Haverhill’s tax base. The
Mayor spoke of permitting roadblocks that have hindered downtown
development, and prevented older factory buildings from being
redeveloped. Fiorentini targeted what he said were outdated
parking and zoning rules.
The Mayor said that the key to preserving open space and the
beauty and character of the city was to push growth towards the
downtown. He said his goal for the upcoming year was to bring a
New Urbanism project to the city. New urbanism is a design concept
that allows residents and businesses to live in the same area.
“It is the old fashioned Main Street that we remember as kids,”
said Fiorentini, “with wide pedestrian friendly sidewalks, tree
lined streets, and people living above the stores.” The first new
urbanism project was in Seaside Florida, and there are now over
1,000 new urbanism developments throughout the country. “We know
our city is going to grow,” said Fiorentini. “We want it to grow
downtown and in the old factory areas, not in the outskirts.”
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