Newbury’s Pink House, a North Shore icon, slated to be removed: ‘Attractive nuisance’

The feds are moving forward on a plan to remove an abandoned house next to a salt marsh that has long been viewed as a North Shore icon in Newbury, a development that advocates are calling a “devastating” blow as they fought to save it.

The Pink House, as it’s called by locals and tourists, served as a popular subject in photography and paintings, especially at sunset, but its end is in sight, according to a plan issued by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service on Thursday.

“The property has become an attractive nuisance, requiring frequent law enforcement patrols and repairs due to vandalism. Maintenance staff time and funds are increasingly required to maintain structural stability and safety,” the agency said in its decision.

“The house has a permanently flooded basement, is within an active flood zone, and flooding has become more severe in recent months and years,” it added. “Removing the house is therefore in the best interest of public safety, taxpayer money, and the environmental health of the area.”

Though there’s strong community interest in preserving the structure that has fallen decrepit over the decades, doing so is a challenge. The nearly century-old home is owned by the federal government and is located in the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, essentially locking the property from being sold.

Fish & Wildlife had teamed up with a nonprofit solely dedicated to the home, Support the Pink House Inc., to explore a land swap agreement since 2015, but efforts have failed to materialize. The agency’s intention to remove the house could be the final blow in a years-long fight, but advocates have vowed to continue their push to save the beloved landmark.

“In the past few months, we have brought them as many as 17 options that seemed to fit their criteria, several of which were seriously considered, but all ended up being rejected,” Support the Pink House said about its efforts in a statement on its website Thursday afternoon.

“As long as the Pink House is still standing, we’re still standing strong!,” the group added.

In its release highlighting its decision, Fish & Wildlife stated, “Despite an exhaustive search — including extensive outreach and media coverage since release of the draft EA nearly five months ago, and an additional 2-month extension — no viable exchange parcels were located.”

The development comes after the Daily News of Newburyport reported Wednesday that an official from Fish & Wildlife said he was reviewing a land swap proposal from Support the Pink House for an undisclosed property in Massachusetts and no decision had been made.

“I’m personally extremely disappointed, heartbroken, and I feel misled because in less than 24 hours, once again, the situation has changed,” nonprofit board member Sandy Tilton told the Herald Thursday evening. “We intend to continue to work toward a positive outcome because we represent the community, we represent the people.”

Removing the house, close to Plum Island, could help restore wildlife habitat and open a portion of the property to the public, Fish & Wildlife said in its release.

Federal officials also said the house is filled with “materials harmful to human health,” including asbestos, and the property is prone to routine flooding, already twice this year, a frequency that they anticipate to only grow further.

An assessment found that it’d take at least $50,000 to $90,000 to “abate contaminants, remove the structure, fill the foundation, and restore the habitat,” according to Fish & Wildlife.

Going forward, Fish & Wildlife is set to list the house at public auction for relocation or salvage, with the goal for the community to “continue drawing inspiration from it at another site or in another form.”

The feds are also looking to install benches and educational panels for public use at the restored site.

“I want to thank our community partners who worked so hard as we exhausted every option to find a solution to this complex issue,” Refuge Manager Matt Hillman said in a statement. “While we regret not reaching an outcome that satisfies all, we’re confident the decision aligns with our mission to protect and restore high-quality wildlife habitat and provide meaningful educational opportunities.”