Saugus paying for neighborhood traffic squabbles

SAUGUS – The ongoing traffic issues on Adams Avenue and squabbles between neighbors over parking signs is beginning to cost the town money.Last spring the Selectmen agreed to post no parking signs on Adams Avenue in front of house numbers 120-124 and 117-125 in the hopes it would alleviate some traffic issues that have long plagued the area. Last week, however, they agreed to remove four of them.During the same meeting the board also agreed to revisit parking signs it had erected on Glen Park Avenue after residents there complained that the location of one sign made it appear the homeowners couldn’t park in their own driveway.While it seems the board is working with the neighborhoods in an attempt to find peace and address some traffic issues, its good intentions are beginning to cost the town money.Public Works Superintendent Joseph Attubato said the no parking signs cost roughly $100 each, including the pole, the hardware and the actual sign. That cost doesn’t include labor. Attubato said the signs have cost the town nearly $1,000 between the two neighborhoods.”I’m kind of surprised to hear this,” Attubato said regarding the sign removal. “This is costing us money. If you factor in labor, it’s even more.”Attubato said he’s all for trying to help out residents but the back and forth is driving him crazy.Jean and Michael Barker of 122 Adams Ave. have been before the board a number of times requesting signs or some type of help to prevent speeders and driveway blockers from plaguing their street.In May, the board agreed to put up the signs but by June two residents were back opposing them. After giving the signs a fair trial period, neighbors were back again last month to request they be removed.Last month the board conducted a site visit to try to get a handle on the issue for themselves.Tuesday, residents were on hand to once again ask that the signs come down.Sandra Lyons who lives at 120 Adams Ave. told selectmen last May and again Tuesday that she opposed the signs, as did her neighbor at 124 Adams, Richard Lyons, no relation.The Barkers said they would agree to the sign removal if the board would leave the one in front of their home and if it would consider some other type of aid.”I just feel like there is no protection for us,” Jean Barker said. “It’s been four years of us coming here and everything was just swept under the rug because a couple of people disagree.”Selectman Michael Kelleher took just a little offense at Barker’s statement.”I don’t think anyone has spent more time in a neighborhood trying to resolve an issue but we’re still willing to work on making the area safer,” he said.While the Barkers and nearby neighbor Ken Doherty of 16 Elmwood asked about revisiting an idea to put up a four-way stop sign, Kelleher stopped them.”Lt. (Stephen) Sweezey is doing a traffic study,” he said. “Why don’t we wait until he’s finished with that.”In the meantime, Attubato said he would like town officials to think twice before asking to have signs put up.”I’m going to have to talk to the manager if this keeps up,” he said. “This is really costing us some money.”