SAUGUS — Fellsway Plaza at 655 Broadway was a topic of discussion at Wednesday night’s Conservation Commission as it looks to put up a second sign on the Lynn Fells Parkway side close to Bennetts Brook.
Craig Marchionda of Marchionda and Associates was there to speak with the Commission. It wasn’t the first time the project had been discussed. The Commission raised several issues with it at the meeting.
Before Chair Paul Petkewich spoke on the new issues, Marchionda mentioned the items they already addressed from the meeting back in November.
“The Commission asked for a few things. One being having the locations of the corners of each footing, stake out the field, which we did back in the beginning of December. We were also asked to show a proposed route for the electric trench on the plan, which we added as well,” Marchionda noted.
He continued that all trenching would be within the existing parking lot and that the electrical engineer tested the power and found it adequate.
“With the electric trench being shown, we also increased the length of our erosion control to protect that area,” he said.
Marchionda stated that they were limited in where they could put the sign and that they wanted it as close to the Fellsway as possible to be visible to those traveling east and west.
“This is a very quick project. Just putting the sign in and there’s no long-term potential impacts,” he said.
Petkewich then raised his first concern: the sign was to be placed in an area marked as a fire lane.
“I can’t speak for the fire department, but I’m almost certain this isn’t a real fire lane,” Marchionda said. “(I think) someone put the signs there so no parks there. There’s fire lanes along the entire frontage of the whole building.”
Commission member Jennifer D’Eon asked that someone verify this information to ensure it was not a fire lane, and Petkewich agreed.
“My other main concern is that it’s right on top of Bennetts Brook. So, a windstorm, a plow truck, anything that hits that, it’s going right into the brook. I really can’t see it happening at that location,” Petkewich said.
Marchionda said the sign was designed by a structural engineer and that it has footings and support.
Petkewich also mentioned that there is a sign limitation in town stating that only one sign is allowed per strip mall.
Abutter Jackie Kiddy was there to oppose the project, stating that she agreed with the law that there should only be one sign per strip mall; however, she also raised environmental issues that could be caused.
“In your mission statement (it says) preserving land and preserving the values and aesthetics. And one of the things I mentioned in my letter of opposition was the pollution,” she said.
Kiddy brought up the light pollution that would be caused by the sign, noting that it would be shining right across the street from where she lives.
“I think it is intrusive. It’s a negative impact upon the value of the property of the people that live there,” Kiddy said.
Abutter Karl Voelker said his main concern was flooding, and Kiddy agreed.
“The town has done substantial work over the past couple of years to help us, and it’s worked. And I’d hate to see anything go against that,” Voelker said.
He stated that he meant no disrespect toward the engineering firm, but that he hasn’t heard anything from them about what they are doing, and that it seems, with the fire lane not being taken into consideration among other things, that the firm didn’t have concern for the residents.
“The sign holds no public value. It’s not for public safety; it’s not bringing anything to the neighborhood… It could have an impact on our water drainage system. We’ve flooded our basement. We’ve lost our basement… I just really want that to be taken into consideration,” he said.
Marchionda disagreed with the possibility of flooding, stating that the area would lose a small amount of volume for storing water.
“We’re talking about less than 900 gallons, approximately, due to the volume of these footings,” he said.
The discussion will continue at the March meeting, with Marchionda stating that he will check with the fire department about the fire lanes.
