Support The Pink House
April 2, 2024Support The Pink House Inc
Contact: Jeff Ackley
Support The Pink House: 978-255-2524
PRESS RELEASE
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April 1, 2024
Support The Pink House Still Working Round the Clock to Save the Iconic Pink House
Support The Pink House will hold a public meeting on Thursday, April 4, 2024, at 7 PM at PITA
Hall, 8 Plum Island Turnpike, Newbury. The nonprofit’s board will talk about their efforts to continue
working with owners, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), to achieve the intended win for all.
Thursday’s meeting comes at a critical juncture, following FWS’s recent announcement that despite 78%
of the respondents to their 30-day comment period expressly asking that The Pink House stay standing,
FWS plans to proceed with its demolition. Support The Pink House (STPH) will detail how trading the
house is in the best interest of FWS’s mission, the alternative options to save the house, new ways they
have reached out to FWS decision makers, and the 5 new land options they are submitting, with more
in the works.
The Pink House is a $500K asset to FWS, obtained by taxpayer money. Due public pressure FWS re-
opened to land trade. But without the participation and expertise of the FWS Realty Division — who said
they would provide the swap land when entering into partnership with STPH in late 2020 –it had far less
chance of succeeding. The Realty has not responded affirmatively to repeated requests to join the
community in a search. STPH consistently put their criteria out and sought land locally, working with
Refuge Managers, Land Trusts and surrounding town governments, turning in several parcels, some
adjacent to Refuges. All have been rejected, some for unclear reasons.
Today, STPH is submitting 5 new land options found in Newbury/Rowley alone, proof that all options
have not been exhausted, as FWS claimed.
Land swap is not the only way to succeed. Senators Markey and Warren and Congressman Moulton
have the power to free the house/acre through other means, and when asked, have not communicated
what has been done to pursue those. They remain unresponsive to this large outcry from not just their
constituents, but from area leaders and organizations such as the Tourist Bureau, The Essex National
Heritage, the Greater Newburyport Chamber, Senator Bruce Tarr, Mayor Reardon, Rep. Kristin Kassner,
and the governing bodies of Newbury, Newburyport and Salisbury, among others.
“There are still alternative options to make this work for Fish and Wildlife, the people and the elected
officials,” says Jeff Ackley, a Support The Pink House Board member. “We will not stop working on
solutions and appealing to Senators Markey and Warren and Congressman Moulton to help their
constituents and Fish and Wildlife succeed with this highly visible community project. It’s an opportunity
for them to be champions of what should be a very positive outcome.”
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BACKGROUND:
September 2020 – FWS Realty Chiefs invited STPH to partner on a land exchange, citing the
benefits for FWS to trade the already surplus Pink House and its unwanted, though valuable
$425K acre.
FWS required STPH to fund and complete steps to prepare the house for trade: A Yellow Book
appraisal, surveying, wetland flagging, creating a new parcel, getting a variance, and approving
architectural plans and restoration methods through the Conservation Commission.
In return FWS would gain between $4-500K of land far more beneficial to their mission for the
one acre (more than the $375K they paid in 2011 for 9+ acres+ the Pink House), keep the
remaining 8+ acres, save upwards of $90,000 to demolish the house and be heroes in the
region.
August 2022 – FWS lost their swap land in the month set to close. They did not procure another.
March 2023 – FWS indefinitely paused their search and began plans to demolish the house,
without notifying STPH or the public until their announcement on November 1, 2023.
Letters imploring FWS to work with STPH until a solution is found have been submitted by the
likes of the North of Boston Tourist Bureau, the Greater Newburyport Chamber of Commerce,
Mayor Reardon, The Essex National Heritage, The Newburyport Preservation Trust. A
unanimous emergency resolution was passed by the City of Newburyport, joined by the
Newbury and Salisbury Selectmen, Rep Kristin Kassner, among many other area organizations
and VIP’s, including State Senator Minority Leader Bruce Tarr.
A local Restoration Partner stands ready to refurb The Pink House on his own dime, according
to the perpetual preservation restriction STPH secured through Mass Historical Commission.
The Pink House has an order of conditions and a DEP#. All is in place for restoration to begin.
The “Pink House” at 60 Plum Island Turnpike, Newbury MA, is included in the Inventory of
Historic and Archaeological Assets of the Commonwealth. The building is significant for its
architecture, associations, and/or archaeology, and qualifies for the protections of perpetual
preservation restrictions under M.G.L. Chapter 184, sections 31, 32 and 33.
Support The Pink House is a non-profit, formed to work on behalf of the thousands of people and businesses in
New England that want to see the beloved landmark restored, in perpetuity, in time for its 100th birthday in 2025.
For FAQs and more information about all the work to date visit www.SupportThePinkHouse.com News and Stop
the Demo pages, and follow our mission on Instagram, Facebook and
