City of Methuen Master Plan

Methuen Master Plan 2007
recreational restrictions limiting development on them. The southern part of the neighborhood is more
developed than the north, having some industry and multi-family homes. The northern part of the area
is essentially exurban while the southern part is suburban.
The West End
The West End is bounded by New Hampshire, Dracut, the Merrimack River and the Center. It has
some industrial land and moderate density residential areas just west of I-93. It also has extensive
wetlands that limit development. Along the Dracut Town Line are areas of low density higher-end
homes. This area is forested also. Forest Lake, an important recreational resource, is located in the
northwest part of the West End, abutting the Town Forest. Most of the development in the West End
is fairly recent. One area of older development is along the Merrimack River bordering Lowell
Boulevard and Lowell Street. This is an area of smaller older homes mixed with roadside businesses and
industry. The western half of the West End is exurban in character while the eastern half is suburban.
Apart from Forest Lake, which is somewhat inaccessible, and the Hickory Hills golf course, the West
End lacks recreational facilities. There is a private boat ramp on the Merrimack River, but no public
parks. There are soccer fields belonging to the Methuen Soccer Association off Hampshire Road but
access to them is limited by the association. There is also an unused small ski area in the northwest
corner of the West End bordering Pelham and Salem, New Hampshire, with access from Hampshire
Road. The property is owned by the City.
The southern part of the West End along North Lowell Street and Wheeler
FUTURE
Street will be subject to pressures for higher density residential development if
PLANS/NEEDS: the proposed sewer service hookup with the Town of Dracut is completed.
Dracut and Methuen have agreed in principle to implement this project and it is currently in negotiation.
One impact of the project will be to allow higher density residential development because septic systems
would no longer be needed. Currently the land in the area is zoned Agriculture-Conservation which
allows residential uses and requires a minimum lot size of 80,000 sq. ft. Sewer service will accommodate
smaller lots. Rezoning would have to occur to permit denser residential development. The market for
housing would likely support smaller homes on smaller lots than now exist in the area. The area is a
very desirable neighborhood because of the high quality of homes and open exurban character of the
land. Preserving this character while allowing higher density homes would be a challenge that could be
met through use of open space residential zoning and selective conservation of key open space parcels
in the area. There are about 60 developed and vacant parcels of land in the area which includes 5 large
parcels that could be subdivided into multiple lots. Many of the smaller parcels could also be subdivided
but only into one or two additional lots. Once negotiations are completed the sewer connector to
Dracut on North Lowell Street could be operating within 1 or 2 years. This project could therefore
impact the area in the short term.
The actively used Hickory Hills golf course is located in the area which, as noted, is currently zoned for
industry. It is served by an existing sewer line in Lowell Boulevard. That line, if extended, could serve
industry if it were developed on the golf course. In order to preserve the character of the area any
industry would have to be carefully screened and buffered from surrounding land uses. Open campusstyle
carefully landscaped and adequately buffered industrial development could be compatible with the
existing character of the area.
REGULATORY ANALYSIS
One of the primary questions for a Master Planning effort is how the community’s goals, articulated in
the public workshops and resulting vision statement, can be achieved through the City’s public policy.
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