Town implements policy to regulate movie productions

Selectmen in North Andover, the location for several Hollywood movies in recent years, have created a policy designed to make such productions less disruptive for residents and neighboring businesses.

The policy requires any production company filming on public property to seek selectmen’s approval beforehand. Area residents must be notified of possible disruptions, such as the closing of streets or public parks. The fire chief must approve the use of any hazardous special effects, and the production company must demonstrate that it is insured.

Board of Selectman Chair Tracy Watson said the policy was created at the request of residents who were inconvenienced by past productions. She said residents complained that production crews “started when they wanted, they ended when they wanted, they blocked the road when they wanted, and they told people to go around.”

Watson said the production companies should also benefit from the policy, since they will know exactly what is expected of them.

“As with any policy, once it’s implemented, if we find it has flaws, we will adjust it accordingly,” she said.

In the past few years, North Andover has been a setting for “The Box,” a horror film staring Cameron Diaz; “The Surrogates,” a thriller featuring Bruce Willis; and “The Invention of Lying,” a romantic comedy whose cast includes Jennifer Garner, Rob Lowe and Tina Fey.

North Andover’s many well-maintained homes and other attributes fit Hollywood’s idea of a picturesque New England town, Watson said.