CORRECTION: Due to a reporter’s error, an earlier version of this article misstated that Lynn City Councilor Richard Starbard was the lone vote against the Northern Strand On Road Extension project. City Councilor Rich Colucci also voted against the project. The Item regrets the error.
LYNN — The City Council voted 7-3 to table a decision on an order of taking that would advance the development of a Massachusetts Department of Transportation traffic-improvement project on Broadway.
The decision would allow the city to use the property of residents and business in the area of Broadway through temporary and permanent easements for the project.
According to City Council President Jay Walsh, the council’s decision to table the vote on Tuesday came after it received approval from the state to take more time to work with community members to address questions and concerns related to the project.
“I think there are some unanswered questions on some things,” Walsh said. “This gives us more time to answer everyone’s questions and concerns going forward… We want to get it right.”
Walsh said while the matter is tabled it will be able to be voted on at any time between now and when the new council is seated in January.
Councilors-at-Large Brian Field, Brian LaPierre, and Hong Net voted against the tabling of the vote, while Ward Three Councilor Coco Alinsug did not attend the meeting.
LaPierre explained his vote was motivated by concerns he heard from constituents abutting the project who objected to the assessment process of their properties, which he said was mishandled.
“I think out of the ‘no’ camp, (the issue) was around process, protocol, neighborhood impact, neighborhood voice, lack of communication, and lack of professionalism from the contractors,” LaPierre said. “Those all add up and they do mean something at the end of the day.”
According to LaPierre, a path forward could be found if the city repairs the trust with the effected community members. He said they were told long after they should have been that the project would affect their properties, with many being notified in just the past few months, despite years of planning.
“This is a five-year project… It didn’t happen overnight,” LaPierre said.
LaPierre said he would support a project that does not include any permanent eminent domain.
“If they could convince me that is a possibility, then I would be in favor of this project going forward,” he said.
Mayor Jared Nicholson, who wrote in support of the project in The Item Tuesday, was in the City Council chambers for the vote and said that he welcomed the opportunity for the city to continue the discussion with the community.
“We continue to think that the Broadway project is going to make really important public-safety improvements,” Nicholson said. “We know there’s a lot of questions so we’re really happy to have the opportunity to have some more conversations and answer people’s questions about this critical project.”
Nicholson said it is important for the city and MassDOT to be available to community members to answer questions and hear concerns about the $6 million project.
The proposed project would replace outdated and non-compliant traffic-signal equipment; reconstruct sidewalks, crosswalks, and handicap ramps; add bicycle facilities; and make improvements to transit stops, such as Transit Signal Priority and roadway rehabilitation.
“We won’t get to the point where everybody is in agreement on every part of it,” Nicholson said. “It’s going to be a challenge, but we’re really committed to working together to make the most of it.”
The order of taking for the Northern Strand On Road Extension project was approved by the council. It would create 1.9 miles of bike lane from Western Avenue to the Lynn/Nahant shore.
Walsh and Nicholson both said they were happy to see the Northern Stand project move forward, something Nicholson said was a long time coming.
“We’re thrilled about the approval for the Northern Stand Community Trail,” Nicholson said. “I think it’s going to be an exciting step forward for the whole community.”
The Broadway project has been a contentious issue for months, highlighted by concerns from Salvy Migliaccio, a former City Council president and owner of Salvy the Florist & Steve’s Greenhouse.
Migliaccio objected to a proposed permanent easement for his property at 181 Broadway, which is located on the corner of Broadway and Jenness Street and contains a distinct water fountain visible from the street. Migliaccio said that under the original plan, the fountain would have to be removed to pave a parking lot. Nicholson said that no plans on the city’s end involved the removal of the fountain.
In a revised plan based on Migliaccio’s concerns, a proposed permanent easement outlined in late June entailed using 17 square feet on the corner of his property in order to round out the sidewalk to make it compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act regulations, according to Nicholson.
