Saugus files criminal complaint against property owner

SAUGUS – The town of Saugus has filed a criminal complaint against Pamela Avedisian, the owner of the burned-out former Atlantic Lobster building on Route 107.Records from Lynn District Court show Building Inspector Fred Varone filed the complaint on May 13 citing three offenses: unsafe structure, failure to remove structure and neglect of owner to secure building.Avedisian purchased the property nearly four years ago with the intent of opening a function hall and restaurant. However, several fires and environmental issues put those plans on hold.Selectmen revoked her liquor license in the fall of 2011 due to non-use and ownership issues.That same year, Attorney General Martha Coakley fined Avedisian and business partner Gary DeCicco $100,000 for tidelands and wetlands violations.The lawsuit alleged that developers scraped around one acre of wetlands and then used it to fill a tidal lagoon on the property. The area is a part of Rumney Marsh, which is designated as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern.A press release from the Attorney General from 2011 stated the work done violated the Wetlands Protection Act, the Clean Waters Act and the Waterways Act, which “prohibit work in wetlands and tidelands without permits granted by state or local authorities.”In a May 10 letter from Varone to Selectmen Chairman Michael Serino, Varone said he has been trying to “remedy the situation without court action.” However, he noted that he was told by the Department of Environmental Protection that no work could be done at the site until the areas that were filled improperly were “cleaned to their satisfaction.”Currently the property is fenced off as the burned out remnants of the building lay in ruins. The front portion of the building is still charred black while toward the back, a portion of one of the walls is collapsed in a pile of cinder blocks. There?s also graffiti on parts of the building, and piles of rubble and trash scattered around the property.To the left, three moving trucks sat in a fenced off lot.Jamy Buchanan Medja, an attorney representing Avedisian, said in a May 8 email that many areas of the site “were improved and restored from a natural resource perspective during last year?s growing season” in accordance with regulatory orders.?Further restoration is anticipated, again pursuant to commonwealth order,” said Medja.However, Medja states in the letter that new building activity, including demolition, remains “in abeyance” until the issuance of a state permit to reconstruct the building.?Further, the commonwealth has required no site work other than the environmental restoration they have ordered be conducted until the restoration is complete ?” said Medja.Selectmen Chairman Steve Castinetti said he wants the site cleaned up, calling it a “disaster” and a “disgrace.”?We talk about all these gateways to Saugus, well that?s a shame that that?s the first thing you see coming from Revere,” he said. “That is certainly not the impression I think our town needs. I?d love to see them take it down.”Saugus Fire Chief Donald McQuaid said there haven?t been any fires there recently and recommended that the town tear it down because the building is “not structurally sound.”?Hopefully at some point they?ll tear it down,” said McQuaid. “Over the last five years we?ve responded 10 times. I don?t think they were all necessarily for fires, but people should definitely not be going in that building.?Firefighters know at this point there?s not a heck of a lot left to burn in there. But if something fell on somebody or something like that, that?s our concern. You?d hate to see somebody get hurt in there.”Selectmen Chairman Michael Serino also said he?d like to see it torn down, noting he hears comments about the building all the time from residents.?They restored some land down there to the right, but my understanding is they have a little bit more work to do,” said Serino. “Whatever they?re going to do over there is fine as long as they p