Well, it finally happened. The wooded area behind High Street and adjacent to the Oak Hill Cemetery has been leveled. Construction began last week, as the above photo from the Daily News clearly illustrates. If you read the article that went along with the photo you would know that the 4 homes destined to be constructed on the sight are going to sell for $1 million dollars or so. So not only has the physical character of the city been destroyed, so will the personal character, as more yuppies flock to a promise of a brand new Mcmansion in our town. My biggest problem with the situation is that the owner of the land , Todd Freemont-Smith, said he wanted to develop the land so that he could build a new home for he and his family, since they aren’t happy with their historical home on High Street. I think the public would have been able to swallow Smith build a new home for himself on the Ridge, but the fact that he’s building 4 means his desire for a new home of his own is a bit disingenuous at best. The real kicker is that while he and his family may live there for decades, they will more than likely, as many who move to Newburyport these days, live there a couple years until they move on to their next business or financial opportunity , leaving us with their legacy, and leaving perhaps the city’s greatest resident, William Wheelwright, spinning in his grave. But at least he’ll have a nice view of those new homes…
