SAUGUS — Town Meeting on Monday unanimously approved a proposal to rename the site of the Ballard School “Ballard Gardens” and, in doing so, supported the idea of demolishing the old school building and converting it into a passive green space like Breakheart Reservation or the Saugus Iron Works.
The proposal was brought forward by Precinct 10 Town Meeting member Peter Manoogian, a member of the Ballard School Study Committee, which conducted a public process surveying neighbors about what they would like to see happen to the site. Ballard shut its doors in 2017, when the Saugus Public Schools relocated the early childhood center that had been housed in the building. The committee’s final report identified public reuse as the solution preferred by neighbors.
Manoogian sought to clarify the misnomer that “people are going to go down there and plant tomatoes,” instead explaining the garden would be a “place of nature… growth, and renewal.”
“We certainly don’t have vegetable plots at Laurel Gardens, so please don’t confuse Ballard Gardens with some sort of victory garden,” he said. “It is clearly obvious that the Ballard School property, being less than 3,000 square feet, is really not suitable for any type of residential [use].”
The Ballard School is one of several shuttered school buildings in town, along with the Waybright, Oaklandvale, Lynnhurst, and Roby schools. Manoogian said Ballard’s fate should not be necessarily linked to the rest of those properties. Town Manager Scott Crabtree backed Manoogian on that idea, saying it was “not realistic” to “do all the buildings at once.”
“It’s better for me when I have clear direction,” Crabtree said.
Manoogian brushed off a concern raised that residents neighboring the other vacant buildings would want to see gardens constructed on those plots, by saying sarcastically “that would be a real tragedy.”
“This is an opportunity to bring together people from all over the community,” he added.
Town Meeting heard from several of Manoogian’s fellow Town Meeting members from Precinct 10, with Peter Delios saying “it’s time to demolish the Ballard School” and Martin Costello adding “the building is not salvageable.”
Laura Eisener, a member of the town’s Garden Club and Historical Society, said she envisioned the Ballard Gardens proposal as akin to the Winchester Town Common, which is itself analogous to the Boston Public Garden.
She said the garden would be unlike anything else in Saugus, in part because of Breakheart Reservation’s inaccessibility.
Ballard Gardens would be a “place that people could sit down and enjoy for a few hours,” Eisener said.
A number of residents who live near the school on Richard Street spoke in favor of the Ballard Gardens proposal, including Saugus Tree Committee Chair Nancy Prag, who cited the National Recreation and Parks Association while listing the benefits of a public green space.
“Parks can serve their primary goals, offer aesthetic amenities, while also maintaining spaces that mitigate stormwater or improve air quality,” she said.
Michael Serino, a member of the Board of Selectmen, also spoke in favor of the proposal, saying the relatively small size of the school building and surrounding property make it difficult to redevelop. He said the town should look into addressing some of its needs with the larger school properties rather than Ballard.
The article does not contain a financial allocation, and Crabtree would likely have to come back to Town Meeting for a vote on authorizing funding for demolition and construction.
“Support tonight [sends] strong support to the neighborhood,” Manoogian said. “This is something we [can] all be proud of.”
