Selectmen busy with drainage project, school building funds, fiscal guidelines
Published on November 23rd, 1999
STONEHAM, MA - It was a busy Tuesday night at the most recent selectmen's meeting as they discussed topics from Franklin Street to new schools and fiscal guidelines.
The Board voted in favor of holding a 75 percent design public hearing in January on the Franklin Street reconstruction project and to include into the design, on the recommendation of Stoneham High School, pedestrian lights in front of the high school and at Perkins Street. The estimated cost to the town for these lights is $20,000 according to Town Engineer Robert Grover.
Franklin Street resident John DeGeorge suggested that while a pedestrian light in front of the high school may be necessary, a trigger system should also be installed for traffic exiting the school. The system, he explained, would trigger a stop in traffic flow on Franklin Street when a specified number of cars stack up in the high school driveway awaiting exit onto the roadway.
This system would alleviate congestion on Franklin Street not only during opening and closing of school, but also during school functions.
Grover also reported on drainage issues. A meeting with Bear Hill golf course yielded agreement on a design to alleviate persistent flooding in the northeast section of town.
A wet pond for Bear Hill irrigation and aesthetics will be constructed, along with a dry pond with capacity to handle the effects of a ten-year rain storm.
The dry pond is essentially a concrete wall with an eight inch pipe. Water is expected to drain to the Sweetwater Brook through this pipe, the diameter of which is expected to make the flow slow and manageable.
The Maple Street culvert is also being designed for a 10-year storm and is expected to alleviate the persistent flooding problems on Montvale Avenue.
A 36-inch drainage pipe on Franklin Street is causing the town some headaches. The pipe pitches backwards and needs to be repaired to aid drainage in that area. However, it is located on private property and no formal easement for access has been obtained.
"Physically, it can be repaired," advised Town Administrator Jeffrey Nutting. "The question is, do we have the legal right to fix it."
The cost of the repair is estimated at $15,000 to $20,000.
DeGeorge questioned the sensibility of spending money on the pipe at this time.
"We've lived with this problem for...years. Flooding there will not be alleviated by fixing this pipe...Let's plan to do the work in conjunction with Franklin Street."
DeGeorge has requested help from the town on his own drainage problems for years but told the Independent he is willing to wait for the state funded Franklin Street reconstruction project to cover the costs of remediating the drainage problems there.
"They (the state) would fix the drainage problem. That came out in the public hearing...Why are we in a rush to do it now after all these years? I'm willing to wait. Let the state pick up the tab."
DeGeorge also reiterated to the board his request made at last month's Town Meeting for completion of the town-wide drainage study before the state commences work on Franklin Street.
"We don't want the state to say 'We're ready,' and the town is not ready with the study," he said. The initial portion of the study did not focus on Franklin Street and failure to complete the study could, he said, cause the town to miss out on state funds for remediation in that area.
In other news, members of the School Building Committee were on hand to update the board on the status of the South School and Central School rebuilding projects.
"Everything is running almost too smoothly," Committee Chairman Dan Hogan reported with regard to South School construction.
Hogan estimated that the building is 45 to 50 percent complete and is expected to be fully enclosed in one week. June 2000 is the scheduled date of completion, at which time teachers may be able to begin organizing their new classrooms for the September 2000 opening to students.
South School construction could run about $500,000 overbudget, he said. However, the committee has looked to a possible reduction in inflation costs to cover that overage. The state has indicated that funding will likely force earlier completion of the entire project and therefore lower than estimated inflation costs will be realized to offset the potential overage.
Hogan stated that the committee decided at the outset that it would not go back to the town to request more money. With regard to Central School design plans, the committee has until Dec. 1 to make changes.
A major concern, at this point, is traffic flow and safety at the Middle School during construction of the new Central School. A survey was recently completed that quantifies the number of students who walk, take the bus or are driven by car to school. With this information, the committee is concentrating on establishing a traffic pattern that will safely get students on and off school property without interfering with construction or significantly hampering street traffic.
Beacon Street resident Bob Weisbrod questioned whether or not the easement granted to the school by the neighboring property owner of the former Mann Chemical Company was tested for contaminants. Selectman Chairman Albert Conti agreed to investigate the outcome of earlier discussions on that easement.
Finance Board news:
Finance and Advisory Board Chairman Richard Gregorio presented a second draft of fiscal guidelines to the selectmen for review.
The guidelines are a result of about a year's worth of work by members of the Finance Board and are intended to formalize fiscal procedures, such as forecasting revenue and expenditures as well as determining fund levels, fee schedules and street acceptance policies.
"They serve to make the town stronger before bond rating agencies and to make the budget process simpler," explained Finance Board member John Warren to the Independent.
Use of such guidelines, Warren stated, "means that the town is well managed...The process is controlled."
The Board of Selectmen's next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 30.
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