Page 17 - 2020 MVPC Annual Report

Carol McLeod, Finance Administrator

Merrimac

Coastal Metals, Inc. Brownfields Site, Merrimac

Merrimac was a center for carriage manufacturing in Also in 2020, MVPC assisted the town of Merrimac in
the 1800’s. At that time, the 1.3-acre site at 2 Littles continuing to modernize its operations by developing
Court was the home of a carriage manufacturing facto- a prototype electronic document management system
ry. It was later utilized as a brass foundry and most for town departments, updating parcel data in the GIS
recently as the location of Coastal Metals, a metal system for FY21, and integrating the MVPC GIS ecosys-
plating facility. tem with the town’s building permit application.

In 2002, Coastal Metals went out of business, leaving One of the most exciting developments of 2020 was
behind a site significantly contaminated by hazardous the creation and launch of the Merrimac Story Map, a
materials including chlorinated solvents, heavy metals, tool used in the planning process for the Municipal
and cyanide in the soil and groundwater. Vulnerability Program. The MVP program allows cities
and towns to access grant funding for projects that
Located off of busy Route 110 and close to Route 495,
the site has been a priority of the town for clean-up help build reliance to climate change.
and redevelopment. The Story Map allows the town to compile a variety of
The Merrimack Valley Planning Commission continues data, maps, graphics, and charts in one easy-to-
to be a resource for towns and communities seeking navigate resource.
financial and technical assistance for redevelopment MVPC transportation staff provided technical assis-

of properties with known or suspected sources of en- tance to the town to update their ADA Transition Plan
vironmental contamination. In 2020, MVPC executed a and participated in a meeting with MassDOT officials
$225,000 subgrant and loan of EPA Revolving Loan to discuss what actions are being considered to im-
funds to the Coastal Metals site. Once cleanup is com- prove pedestrian access along state-maintained road-
plete, North Shore Community Development Coalition ways.
plans to build 28 units of much-needed affordable Transportation staff also prepared and submitted the
rental housing at the location. Town’s grant application for a van for the Senior Cen-

ter.

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