Breakheart officials left out in the cold as to status of land acquired in deal

SAUGUS – While construction on the Shops of Saugus is going great guns, another piece of property that was tied to the project lies dormant and full of questions for officials at Breakheart Reservation.Just prior to the sale of Caruso Diplomat, then-owner Angelo Marotta made a deal with the state that gave him 3.8 acres abutting his land from the Department of Conservation and Recreation in exchange for three acres he owned on the southbound side of Route 1 that abutted Breakheart.The plan was the property would be turned over to the park, but Friends of Breakheart Chairman Ed Murray said it’s been two years and the status of the land is still unclear.When asked if the park had the property in hand, Murray said he wasn’t sure. Murray said he’s also unsure if the funds that were tied to the land swap are coming Breakheart’s way.”I have questions like, ‘Where is the money going,'” he said. “Is it staying in Breakheart? Will any go toward Camp Nihan? Will we have any money to repair the land?”Murray said previously that the land gained in the swap was riddled with the equivalent of woodland potholes left from homes that were scattered across the three acres years ago. The structures have long since fallen away but the cellar holes, occasional foundations and wells can still be found. Murray said the land traps are a major hazard and would have to be dealt with in some fashion before the property could be open to the public.When the land deal was first made, Murray said his fear was that any price paid on the property would likely go to the state’s Urban Parks Trust Fund, which would not bode well for the park.Whatever the case, Murray said he is out to seek some answers and hopes to have the issue resolved soon.