Swampscott private property owners seek town services

SWAMPSCOTT – Residents of One Salem Street are asking the town to provide services to the subdivision.Jerome Somers, who is president of the One Salem Street Association, explained the group is asking the town to make Davenport Drive a public way so residents could receive town services, including plowing, water distribution system maintenance, hydrant flushing and other services from the town.Somers said there are 46 property owners who are taxpayers who would be affected by the change.One Salem Street was built as a subdivision and it got under way in 1980s.Kenneth Shutzer, who owns a home at One Salem Street with his wife Carole, said the property owners are only asking for services other homeowners already receive.”It’s been a long time coming,” Shutzer said. “These are private homes on private lots and there is no difference between these homes and other homes in town except we have an association.”Homeowners Joel and Mary Abramson, who purchased their home in 1985, were one of the first residents in the new development.”I always thought when we moved in that we should receive the same services as any other resident,” Joel said. “We pay taxes and we never understood why we didn’t get services. The area is maintained impeccably by residents so it would probably be easier for the town to maintain than some cul-de-sac.”The issue of town services to the residents of the development was a hot topic in town back in 2002 when some property owners attended Board of Selectmen meetings to request services.Department of Public Works Director Gino Cresta said his department has been working with the One Salem Street Association for more than a year and the group has provided the town with everything it asked for.”They have been great to work with,” Cresta said. “We needed to know where the underground utilities are. We have records for the other areas of town but because this was a private development we had no documentation of where water shut-offs, water main, sewer pipes and other utilities are located.”Town Administrator Andrew Maylor said he believes the residents of One Salem Street are entitled to receive the same services as other taxpayers in town. State statute requires a vote of Town Meeting to accept a private way as a public way. The selectmen are recommending placing an article on the annual Town Meeting warrant to adopt it as public way.