Council votes 8-3 on Coffin Street private way

Select Board · Meeting of August 24, 2026

Newburyport's City Council voted 8-3 to declare a disputed stretch of Coffin Street a private way, closing a legal fight that has run for decades. Council President Shan and Ward 4 Councilor Track sponsored Order 850, which grew out of three Public Works and Safety Committee meetings chaired by Councilor Kahn and drew comment from 14 residents at an August 13 hearing. Attorney Macarius told the council none of Massachusetts's three paths to establishing a public way, dedication, formal layout or 20 years of prescriptive use, had been proven for the unpaved segment linking Coffin and Jefferson streets.

Councilor Zied called the order "definitionally a bad outcome," and an amendment he offered to reserve a future pedestrian easement failed roughly 3-7. Councilors Hall, Nikitich and Zied voted no on final passage. Separately, the council unanimously advanced first-reading zoning changes lowering height limits to 25 and 27.5 feet in two new R2 sub-districts, and approved, 8-3 after a reconsideration vote, releasing a public easement over a private playground at Bradshaw Farm.

In the full story:

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Source: the Select Board meeting of August 24, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.