SWAMPSCOTT— Finance Committee members raised questions on Thursday about the timeline and planning details for a proposed $15 million Department of Public Works yard project as they gave an initial review to the town’s five-year capital plan.
The project, currently slated for fiscal year 2029, has been in the plans for several years. But during the committee’s review, members questioned whether enough work had been done to justify keeping the project on that timeline.
The $15 million placeholder centers on the town’s existing facility on Paradise Road, a site DPW Director Gino Cresta said no longer meets the department’s needs. Swampscott has already appropriated approximately $200,000 for preliminary design and feasibility work to evaluate options on the aging site, which dates back to the 1950s and is outdated and constrained for space.
Town staff has said a comprehensive overhaul, whether that means renovation, expansion, or complete replacement, is still in the early stages. Any major work would require further design decisions and budget approval at Town Meeting before construction could begin.
“I’m not sure we’ve even made the decision that it’s going to be in that space,” Committee Chair Eric Hartmann said during the discussion. “To me, this is just a major placeholder because we know we have to do something.”
Committee members noted that large municipal projects typically require significant design and feasibility work years before construction begins. For a multi-million dollar project of this scale, that likely means appropriating money for planning beyond the town’s initial $200,000 investment, does not appear to be clearly separated in the current plan.
“If it’s going to happen in 2029, it seems like things should start moving,” Vice Chair Erik Schneider said. “Otherwise, it should happen in 2030.”
Committee members suggested it may be more appropriate to break the project into phases, adding explicit design funding in earlier fiscal years before committing to a large construction authorization.
“Any project that big in that space, it’s going to be substantial planning,” committee member Naomi Dreeben said.
The committee also turned to timing and how the DPW yard project fits into the town’s broader capital outlook. The current plan includes a placeholder for a major middle school renovation project estimated at roughly $100 million, also targeted for 2029.
“It’s part of a bigger discussion, right?” Committee member Tara Myslinski asked. “Do we want two major things at one time? We have to look at the whole big picture.”
Committee members emphasized that keeping the capital plan accurate and realistic is important for planning purposes and financial forecasting. The five-year plan helps guide debt projections, borrowing timelines, and bond options. To keep the town’s budget on track, funds need to be appropriated as realistically as possible. If large projects are listed without a clear plan or updated and accurate cost estimates, it can make it harder for both officials and residents to understand the town’s long-term financial commitments.
It was clarified that the year listed in the capital plan reflects when the project would likely be authorized or financed, not necessarily when all the funds would be spent. Still, members said that without a clearer roadmap outlining site decisions, design phases, and sequencing, it is difficult to assess whether the timeline is realistic.
Schneider suggested it would be helpful to see a step-by-step outline of what must occur between now and 2029, including site decisions, design, phasing, and funding, before advancing the project further.
Finance committee members did not vote on the DPW yard item on Thursday night. Still, they indicated that they would seek additional information from town officials before taking a final vote on the project and the capital plan as a whole before Town Meeting in May.
