Saugus will borrow $875G for street project

SAUGUS – Town Meeting unanimously approved borrowing $875,000 for the second portion of the Lincoln Avenue reconstruction project Monday night.The project will see “full depth reclamation,” new granite curbing, new concrete sidewalks and new handicap ramps from Ballard Street to Spud?s Restaurant.?We?ll be getting input and having a meeting with the Board of Selectmen and CDM Smith to get input for the project,” said Town Manager Scott Crabtree. “The design is just about completed and that meeting will probably take place next month.”In October, Town Meeting voted to authorize borrowing up to $1.2 million for the Revere portion of the project, which goes from Cliftondale Square to Revere. Monday?s vote brings the total cost for the project to a little over $2 million.Town Meeting also approved articles 3 and 4, which transfer 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.Finance Committee Vice Chairman Kenneth DePatto said borrowing for the Lincoln Avenue project will free up Ch. 90 State highway money for other projects in town.At last week?s Finance Committee meeting, Crabtree said the first portion of the project, from Cliftondale Square to Revere, could start in July with the other portion near Spud?s starting after that.In other business, Town Meeting also transferred $12,000 from the sewer station maintenance account to sewer station overtime and overtime for Hurricane Sandy, and approved article 14, a bylaw that requires door-to-door salespeople, pawn sealers, secondhand sealers, hackney drivers and people seeking ice cream permits to be fingerprinted and registered with the police department.Police Chief Domenic DiMella said the bylaw was recommended by the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, but when asked if it would affect religious groups going door-to-door, DiMella said he could not answer that.?This is a fairly new bylaw ?” he said. “As far as I know, it has not been challenged as far as religious entities.”Town Meeting also voted to accept the following roads: Applewood Lane, Birch Pond Drive, Carr Road, Hanson Road, Maraia Lane, Pamela Road, Stockade Road and Zamora Street.Town Meeting concluded with a round of applause for Town Clerk Joanne Rappa.Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].