Saugus board favors road work funding

SAUGUS – The Saugus Finance Committee met for the final time this summer to recommend articles for Monday?s Special Town Meeting, including an $875,000 borrowing article to rebuild Lincoln Avenue.The committee recommended article 3, which seeks to borrow $875,000 to rebuild the roadway, sidewalks and curbing on Lincoln Avenue from Cliftondale Square to the area around Spud?s Restaurant.?It?s a full reclamation on that side of Spud?s on Lincoln Avenue with grinding and doing sidewalks and curbing,” said Town Manager Scott Crabtree. “We?ll probably schedule a meeting with selectmen to discuss some of the details and have a public hearing for residents.”Crabtree said by borrowing for the project, it will free up Ch. 90 highway money from the state to redo other roads in town and noted engineering firm CDM Smith is putting together a “street paving program” to be funded with Ch. 90 money, which should take about six months to compile.?By spending the money to do the full reclamation, it will have a lot longer life span and improve property values, but it will also allow us to spend Ch. 90 money on maintenance of roadways,” said Crabtree.Crabtree said the first portion of the Lincoln Avenue reconstruction project, from Cliftondale Square to Revere, could start in July with the other portion near Spud?s starting “shortly after.”Town Meeting voted to authorize borrowing up to $1.2 million for the Revere portion of the project in October.While some committee members had concerns about the town?s debt, Crabtree said updates to the town?s technology and accounting software will provide more data and forecasting.?That will allow us to have more data and more forecasting, and a comfortable feeling of where we?re at,” said Crabtree. “Overall I think we?re living within our means now and I?m comfortable that the debt for this is manageable in the budget.”The Finance Committee also voted to recommend articles 3 and 4, which transfers from free cash $10,000 to the Tree Committee and $10,000 to help build a park and historic site at Round Hill next to the public safety building.?These are things that improve our quality of life,” said Crabtree. “These are good use of monies from free cash to help fund the project they want to do that?s a historical site that?s a part of Saugus? history.”Stephen Carlson, chairman of the Historical Commission, said the money will go toward installing a fence around the area.?Having something tangible at the site will be the impetus for people to donate more to the site,” said Carlson. “There are a lot of people that like to donate but want to see that it?s going to something.”Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].