Miss Moosachusetts, the 400-pound, 8-foot-tall yellow cow in the gathering space behind Old Town Hall, spends her winters in shelter and comes back outdoors in early spring, according to the Andover Collection, the downtown shop that sells postcards and decals of her.
The space she leaves for the winter is on the town's agenda. On October 26, the Select Board looked at how to keep people at the picnic tables safe from vehicles. The answer depends less on how much granite Andover is willing to buy and more on how a trash truck backs into an alley. Whatever gets installed by spring has to work around that path.
A Plaza and a Cow From the Same Year
The cow and the plaza arrived at about the same time. The lots behind Old Town Hall, 20 Main St., were last rebuilt in 1986. A municipal parking project finished in 2024 redesigned two downtown lots and the streets around them, the Andover Townsman reported. The project added crosswalks, bicycle infrastructure, seating and lighting, plus a new space for outdoor dining, community programs and live performances.
Miss Moosachusetts was first installed there in May 2024. She started out in CowParade, a statewide public art event in which locally painted cow sculptures were displayed and then sold to benefit nonprofits. Artist Carol Leonesio painted her, and the CowParade artist page lists her as sold. Her yellow hide shows nine scenes from around Andover, lettering for the state's 14 counties, and the names of all 351 Massachusetts cities and towns stenciled across her body.
Assistant to the Town Manager Amy Heidebrecht explained how Andover kept her in an interview with the Mass Cultural Council. "The cow was so popular with the town that after CowParade was over we purchased our cow, found the original artist to paint 'Welcome to Andover' on one side and made sure she stayed right where she belonged."
Two years later, the plaza has a different problem.
Why Popularity Put the Plaza on the Agenda
Select Board member Alex Vispoli described the space as a success, with families taking pictures with the yellow cow and people eating lunch at the picnic tables any day of the week, according to the Townsman. He also told the board about a driver who tried to turn against the one-way traffic pattern and hit planters while turning around. Nobody was sitting there at the time, Andover News reported.
"I'd just like to see us get this done as soon as possible, because people go out there all the time," Vispoli said, according to the same Andover News report.
Resident and street safety advocate Eric Olson told the board the space had become a destination with a lot of young children around. He also pointed to delivery drivers and 18-wheel trucks on Barnard Street heading to loading zones, the Townsman reported. Andover News reported that he asked officials to protect the plaza from vehicles coming from several directions, and to move parking away from a nearby crosswalk so drivers and pedestrians can see each other. Both outlets carried the line that framed the meeting:
"People make mistakes. And so we have to create an environment where if someone makes a mistake, it's not fatal."
The Trash Truck That Shapes the Plaza
This explains why the plaza can't just be walled off. The engineers, public safety officials and public works staff who designed it considered bollards from the start, according to the town's October 26 presentation. They chose to keep the alley open for two reasons: Fire Department access and trash pickup for the tenants. That alley runs behind the Main Street building that houses Starbucks and Casablanca. Several companies collect trash there, each with its own trucks and schedules.
The town ran field tests to see how a truck actually gets in. The presentation lists three results:
- Test 1. The turn was too tight, with a risk of hitting the building.
- Test 2. Inconclusive, because a parked SUV blocked the setup.
- Test 3. Backing in behind Old Town Hall worked.
A truck's body hangs an estimated 5 to 6 feet past its wheels, so a block placed in that space blocks the turn. The presentation marks the area trucks drive over as off-limits to fixed granite blocks. A separate zone could take furnishings, subject to review.
What the Town Is Considering
The options include curved granite blocks, round granite planters and spherical granite bollards, the Townsman reported. Andover News also listed staggered bollards. The presentation recommends granite seating only outside verified vehicle clearances. That could require something other than an off-the-shelf product, and the layout would be confirmed with haulers and the Fire Department before anything goes in. The presentation also says granite seating may not be crash-rated.
Town Manager Andrew Flanagan said he would bring a timeline update on November 9 and that fixed installations would probably wait until spring. "Anything that would be a fix, we are talking spring," he told the board, according to the Townsman.
Before any granite is placed, officials plan to coordinate with the businesses that use the alley and test a proposed layout with fire apparatus and trash trucks. Public Works Director Carlos Jaquez said that work includes finding out which trash trucks use the area, so the design fits them.
Lunch at the Picnic Tables in the Meantime
The picnic tables stay outside all winter, and the blocks around them have plenty of food to carry over on a mild day. These spots are within a short walk:
| Spot | Address | What to get |
|---|---|---|
| Casa Blanca | 10 Main St. | Mexican, with online pickup |
| Nan's Rustic Kitchen + Market | 10 Main St. | Prepared food, coffee and fried chicken in the former Pazzo Pizza space |
| La Fina | 27 Main St. | Restaurant |
| LaRosa's Italian Cafe & Bar | 7 Barnard St. | Italian carryout and dinner |
| The Autograph American Tavern | 89 Main St. | Wings, burgers and pizza to go |
| Davina Rose Gelato | 89 Main St. | Gelato |
| Ultimate Perk Coffee Co. | 96 Main St. | Espresso, cold brew, bagels, breakfast sandwiches |
Nan's opened in early summer 2025, and Andover News later named its arrival one of the dining changes of that year. La Fina, LaRosa's and the Autograph all passed September 2026 health inspections with no compliance issues listed, according to the Andover News inspection roundup.
December Downtown, a Few Blocks Away
December events in downtown Andover mostly happen a short walk from the plaza. The town calendar lists:
- Andover Holiday Market, Saturday, December 5, noon to 6 p.m., at South Church, 41 Central St. This is the fourth annual market, with indoor and outdoor vendors, food, a beer-and-wine garden, music, children's activities and visits with Santa. Last year's market raised money for the Andover Farmers Market and the Village Food Hub, according to a 2025 Patch listing.
- "Bach to Bach" by the New England Classic Singers, Sunday, December 6, at 3 p.m., at Christ Church, 33 Central St., with Bach and seasonal carols.
- Holiday Shop & Dine, Thursday, December 10, 5 to 8 p.m., downtown. The Andover Chamber of Commerce sponsors it, with special offers and refreshments at participating businesses.
- Flashlight Candy Cane Hunt, Wednesday, December 16, 5 to 6 p.m., at The Park, 36 Bartlet St.
Last December's version of the Chamber's evening, the Small Business Holiday Stroll, had shoppers bring receipts from participating businesses to Old Town Hall for a gift-card drawing. This year, people heading to Central Street for the market or the concert can cut through the plaza on the way.
Downtown changes like the Old Town Hall plaza affect what it's like to live on the streets around Main, and they come up when people buy and sell nearby. If you'd like to talk through what's happening near your home, Debbie Caniff is glad to help. Request a complimentary market consultation.
