02/05/2026
From the Daily News of Newburyport
https://www.newburyportnews.com/news/local_news/clarks-road-developer-weighs-in-on-planning-board-approval/article_129d638a-f146-4e4e-b942-c187638f1624.html
Clarks Road developer weighs in on Planning Board approval
• By Caitlin Dee | [email protected]
AMESBURY — The developer behind a proposed 152-unit Clarks Road project years in the making is weighing in after the Planning Board approved the development late last week.
MINCO Development Corp. purchased the land at 27.5 and 29 Clarks Road under the name Eagles Crossing LLC six years ago and has been working with the city ever since.
The proposed development would include studios and one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom units.
The units would be divided into three buildings, with 146 units in one building and three units each in two smaller buildings.
Fifteen years earlier, there had been an unsuccessful attempt by Roger LeBlanc to develop the property. He filed a project proposal involving 48 residential units that would have fallen under 40B regulations, allowing the developer to skirt some of the local permitting process by promising a portion of the housing units would be considered affordable by state standards.
MINCO purchased the property in 2020 with the intention to preserve most of the land as conserved open space and build a more compact development on the front four acres of the land, said Alex Loth, project manager for MINCO.
Nipun Jain, Amesbury’s director of planning, said MINCO’s willingness to create a more compact development contributed to the idea of creating a smart growth district in the area.
The city then conducted a long-range planning effort, resulting in the East End smart growth overlay district that was approved in 2023.
Jain said MINCO officials discussed their vision with residents and were flexible in a process that ultimately allowed the smart growth overlay district to be approved.
“MINCO has been patiently working with the city, hearing about the concerns of the neighborhood during those neighborhood meetings, during those outreach meetings, and explaining what their project is,” he said.
Last fall, the development was finally able to go before the Planning Board and received approval late last week.
Loth said it felt “fantastic” to receive Planning Board approval.
“We’re really glad to be there and we’re really excited about this project. I think it’s going to be great, happy with how it came out and looking forward to building it,” he said.
Loth also praised the city and said the goal of the development is to retain current residents and draw in new ones.
“We just think Amesbury is fantastic. I love the city, we’re excited to build there,” he said. “And, I think these will be really nice new homes for people and hopefully allow people who want to stay in Amesbury to be able to stay in Amesbury, whether they’re old or young or in between. And, then attract new folks to enjoy what Amesbury has to offer as well. The idea is hopefully at the end of the day we create homes people like living in.” he said.
Now that the project has been approved by the Planning Board, the developer will work toward filing for construction and building permits.
“The next steps for us are to put the team back together and start working on the actual construction documents so that we can get this to a level where it’s ready for construction and we can go for a building permit,” Loth said.
MINCO, headquartered in North Andover, is the company behind the proposed Newburyport Crossings project where Haley’s Ice Cream once stood and the completed Boston Way housing project adjacent to the city’s commuter rail sign.
AMESBURY — The developer behind a proposed 152-unit Clarks Road project years in the making is weighing in after the Planning Board approved the development late last week.
