LYNN – The City Council will hold an emergency meeting Tuesday night to vote on whether to ratify Mayor Edward J. Clancy Jr.’s signature last week to a contract between the Economic Development and Industrial Corp. (EDIC) and National Grid to relocate the Lynnway power lines for the proposed harborfront development site.
Council President Timothy Phelan said the vote will be preceded by a meeting of the Power Lines Sub-committee. Several key local officials have been invited to the meeting at City Hall, including EDIC Executive Director James Cowdell, Office of Economic and Community Development Director James Marsh, assistant city solicitor James Lamanna, mayoral chief-of-staff Michael Conlon, city Inspectional Services Department Director Michael Donovan, Lynn Housing and Neighborhood Development Executive Director Charles Gaeta, and attorney Paul Keating.At the request of the electrical utility company, Clancy signed the contract, as did representatives from National Grid and the EDIC. National Grid had asked for assurance that the city will use its bond money ? up to $4 million ? toward the relocation project.According to Phelan, the meeting of the full council is to take a vote to ratify the mayor’s signature, while the subcommittee meeting is designed to bring together the many departments and agencies involved.The overall plan would open up 100 contiguous acres along the southernmost reaches of the city’s harborfront. Several landlords currently own individual parcels of land on the site. Eminent domain proceedings are under way to take the properties and create attractive development opportunities for hotel, condominium, office and retail construction. The electrical transmission lines will be moved to the opposite side of the Lynnway and strung on new steel towers. Once that part of the project is completed, the old towers will be dismantled. The project cost is estimated at $5 million-7 million. The city will receive a $2.5-million state grant. A bond assumed by the city will pay for the balance.
