Saugus, environmental officials tour I-95 roadbed

SAUGUS – Town Meeting member Peter Manoogian said he?s encouraged after a site walk-through of the abandoned I-95 roadbed with officials from the Department of Environmental Protection Monday morning.Manoogian joined around 15 residents and representatives from the Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Environmental Protection Agency to tour the site after he and about 20 other residents filed an appeal of a proposal to remove sand from the roadbed to restore Winthrop Beach.?Phil DiPietro of the DEP took the time to listen to all parties ? The pleasant surprise was that Ed Reiner of the EPA came. Ed Reiner, he knows salt marsh restoration better than anyone I know. He knows this area like the back of his hand. It was really good that he was there and it seems like he has a really good relationship with the guy from DEP.”The roadbed was part of a proposed Interstate 95 extension that was to cut through the marsh area. However, after the project started in the early 1970s, it was abandoned, leaving a giant mound of sand in the middle of the marsh. In the decades since, countless trees, bushes and wildlife have made the roadbed their home as neighbors have grown to enjoy the sand pile for hiking and bird watching.The DCR approached the town about removing as much as 350,000 cubic yards of sand last summer. After months of meetings with the Conservation Commission, where dozens of residents turned out to oppose the project, the project was approved in April with about 230,000 cubic yards of sand to be removed. Manoogian and 18 other residents filed an appeal of that decision in May, which led to Monday?s site visit.Manoogian said it was an “open and free discussion” Monday between residents and officials. Town attorneys and engineers were also present, and Manoogian said while the issue of ownership of the land is still being looked into, if the town can?t stop the project, residents want to make sure they get the best project possible, which includes a restoration of the salt marsh.?They understood our concerns that there?s really no linkage to marsh restoration in the plan that?s presented,” said Manoogian. “Next week we should find out about ownership ? In the event ownership is not something to our benefit, then we?re looking to get the best we can for Saugus. The best project with the least impact. Right now that?s an open question.”Joe Ferson, spokesperson for the DEP, said the agency will look at information “gleaned from the site visit” and issue a decision “sometime in the near future.”Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].