Passage of bill opens door for Saugus River walk

SAUGUS – The construction of a 400-foot Saugus River walk on Hamilton Street is now a realistic possibility after Gov. Deval Patrick signed an environmental bond bill into law on Aug. 13.However, the $1.75 million project still has a long way to go as it is part of a larger bond bill. Therefore, it may or may not actually happen.”All it means is that the project is authorized, it doesn’t mean it’s funded,” said Paul Rupp, principal of Community Reinvestment Associates in Swampscott.He explained that the next step is for the town to request funding from the Seaport Advisory Council. He said that request could be made within the next two months. Should funding be approved, the project’s design plans could start being drafted over the winter.”We’re hoping to produce a concept plan that has several phases,” said Rupp.Richard Serino, state legislative aide for Rep. RoseLee Vincent, D-Revere, agreed, explaining that it is too soon to tell whether or not the project will go forward.”This project is still in its infant stages,” he said.He added that Vincent and state Sen. Thomas McGee, D-Lynn, filed amendments to “secure language” to ensure that the first phase of the river walk project would be included in the bill.”They believed it would help to lay the groundwork for the town of Saugus’ goal of seeing this project come to fruition,” said Serino.In a State House press release, Vincent stated that she was pleased that the project was ultimately included in the bond bill.”I am proud that Sen. McGee and I were able to work with our colleagues in the legislature to secure funding for this important project, which will bring businesses and people to the shores of the Saugus River,” she said.Joan LeBlanc, executive director of the Saugus River Watershed Council, explained that Lynn, Saugus and Revere have all taken measures over the past several years to reduce the amount of contaminants going into the river.Therefore, she said the next step is to increase public access and adding a river walk would be “a real boost to both the economy and to the river.””Public access is a great way to promote environmental stewardship,” she said.