Another Town Communications Problem?

A five-day notice about the shutdown of Cliff Road to begin a two-month water main project riles the residents

By Mark E. Vogler

After Town Hall closed for the weekend last Friday (June 30), representatives of Champlain Excavating delivered a three-page informational flier to all of the homes on Cliff Road announcing that their road would be closed effective 7 a.m. Wednesday (July 5) so work crews could begin a water main replacement project. The timing of the announcement – heading into the July 4 holiday and just five days before the scheduled road shutdown – riled residents of Cliff Road, many of them who were learning about it for the first time.

“People who live on Cliff Road aren’t too happy about how this whole thing was explained to us,” John C. Bambury told The Saugus Advocate in an interview Wednesday (July 5).

“We know this is important work that needs to be done. But we don’t like sneaky people who come by on Friday night, the last day of the month, and say ‘your road is going to be closed on the 5th of July.’ They give you just five days’ notice to think about it. That’s not right,” he said.

Bambury, 78, was born in Saugus, is a 1962 Saugus High School graduate and has lived most of his life in his hometown aside from his time in the U.S. Navy. He and his wife, Jeanne, his High School sweetheart, who also graduated from Saugus High in 1962, recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary and have lived on Cliff Road for about six decades.

“We had no idea they were going to put in a new water main. It would have been nice to be informed about this a little bit earlier,” Jeanne said as she stood on her front porch with her husband and some next-door neighbors.

“There’s a lot of elderly people who live on this street. And we all have health issues and need to get to medical appointments. So they need to tell us about this project so we can make plans,” she said.

Board of Selectmen Chair Anthony Cogliano said he’s not happy about the five-day notice either, after he learned about the situation. “I was disgusted with the way the residents were informed,” Cogliano said in an interview on Wednesday. “That’s not the proper way to do business, but communication is certainly not a strong suit at Town Hall,” he said.

Cogliano suggested that the proper way for the Town of Saugus to give notice about the project would have been to have the neighbors meet with the contractor weeks in advance to explain what was going on. “Don’t get me wrong – it’s a great thing replacing the water main,” Cogliano said.

“But, it would’ve been nice to know about it before Friday afternoon of the long 4th of July break with no one at Town Hall to explain the situation,” he said.

Highlights of the abutter notification

The flier distributed to Cliff Road residents last Friday advised residents that:

• Champlain Excavating will replace the entire existing water main on Cliff Road as well as all abutting water services from the new water main to the shut off at abutters property line. Champlain Excavating will provide abutters with a temporary bypass line during the water main replacement project.
• No vehicle would be allowed to access Cliff Road at the end of Appleton Street to the end of Anderson Way, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
• The project duration starts on July 5, with completion expected by Aug. 25.
• In the event of a medical emergency or need for emergency assistance, residents are asked to call 911. Once Saugus Police contact Champlain Excavating, access will be provided as needed.
• The parking spots along the ballfield along Appleton Street have been designated as temporary parking.
• Anyone who chooses not to move their vehicles to the temporary car parking area at the end of Appleton Street before the start of the next work day will not be able to leave until the end of the work day, at 5 p.m.
• Champlain Excavating will make the road accessible once daily work hours are completed.
• Access to abutting houses throughout the project construction will only be available by foot. No motorized vehicles will be allowed during the project hours of 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
• Residents who need access in and out during construction may contact Champlain Excavating in advance to schedule access. This typically may apply to individuals and caregivers who may need to leave for medical and other appointments who are unable to park along the ballfield on Appleton Street.
• Residents affected by the project can contact Todd Champlain, owner/President of Champlain Excavating, at 978-766-3046.
• After completion of the water main project, Cliff Road will be paved with a binder course that will remain until the spring of 2024 when a final coat will be installed.

Abutters express concerns

Besides the failure to notify Cliff Road residents in a timely manner, the residents identified their chief concern during an interview outside the Bambury home Wednesday night.

Shirley Raithel, 77, who moved to a house on Cliff Road about 50 years ago with her husband, Philip, 78, said the parking area designated near Stackpole Field is not a good option for her. “I have a handicapped plate because I’m not supposed to walk 200 feet,” Shirley said. “I already had one heart attack. I don’t need another one,” she said, noting that the driveway to her house is 125 long. There’s a landing of 50 feet that incorporates the 27 steps to the house. Shirley said her back problems prevent her from walking from the roadway up the parking area.

“I have eight doctors appointments coming up, including my eye surgery,” she said, “so I have a big problem.”

Shirley’s husband Phil raised some other issues. “I talked to the mailman on Saturday and he had no clue the road was going to close,” Phil said. “He said he would probably just walk now,” he said.

Phil noted other logistical issues that could make life inconvenient for residents and businesses they deal with on a regular basis. “You got Amazon, UPS and FedEx making deliveries. You got people cutting lawns and companies bringing in bottled gas,” Phil said.

“They’re going to give you weekends and they are giving you the hours after 5. And this is supposed to take place the whole summer. You don’t mind the inconvenience of these improvements. But the length of time concerns me,” he said.

Most of the neighbors have concerns about safety and the vulnerability of their cars if parked along Stackpole Field. “If I have an 8 a.m. doctor’s appointment, I’d have to leave my car out there overnight,” Bambury said. “But I wouldn’t leave my car out there overnight. It wouldn’t be safe,” he said.

Residents who want to use their cars for early appointments would have to leave their homes early, like at 6:30 a.m., to avoid getting stuck for the day, according to Bambury. “Everybody on the street has medical issues. We all have appointments. The lady across the street is in her 80s. She’s got it tough and she’s got a daughter in a wheelchair.”

Ruth Babcock, who has lived on Cliff Road for 25 years, said residents who live in the five homes on Anderson Way were not informed about the project, so she made copies and distributed some to those residents who will be affected by the closure of Cliff Road.

Champlain Excavating delays road shutdown

Cliff Road residents were bracing themselves for the possible shutdown of their road. But it didn’t take place.

“We were supposed to mobilize the vehicles last week and begin the digging today (Wednesday, July 5),” said Todd Champlain, owner/president of Champlain Excavating. “But I postponed it. We’re not digging until Monday (July 10). We were still doing the preparation work that we were going to do last week,” he said.

Champlain said he didn’t think it would be proper to begin the project just days before the July 4 celebration, out of respect for the Cliff Road residents. He also said he is making himself readily available to any of the residents who have concerns, noting that he put his personal cell phone on the flier several times so residents can reach him easily with their concerns. “The residents started calling me Friday night,” Champlain said.

“And I’m available to address their concerns. There’s going to be a little adjustment, but we’re going to have a way to get the residents back and forth,” he said.

Champlain said he has been involved with projects in Saugus since 2019. His company is based in his hometown of Middleton, where he also lives. “I will be here during the project,” Champlain said. “If they have any issues, they can reach me by phone or in person. We’re here to please,” he said.

Champlain said he can understand residents’ frustrations about being notified about the project just five days before the project was to begin. “It’s up to the town to approve the notification. We sent it to them in May,” he said.

“It’s up to the town, the Zoning Board and the Planning Board to get together,” he said.

Champlain said he believes the project will be less disruptive than what the flier suggests. He notes that residents will gain better access as the 700 feet of pipe is installed. “If all goes well, it’s a week’s worth of impact on the residents of Cliff Road,” he said.

“If we didn’t have the rock and ledge to deal with, the job would be done within two days,” he said.

As the project proceeds, Champlain said, he’s optimistic that residents will realize how the project “is truly an asset.” “They’ll be getting a new water pipe to replace one that’s been broken many, many times – there have been numerous water breaks here,” Champlain said. “They’re going to get a new fire hydrant and a brand-new road,” he said.

Meanwhile, Cogliano said he will be monitoring the project – following the work of the Department of Public Works and contractor – to make sure “neighbors are kept in the loop moving forward.”

“I spoke with our Water Department foreman this morning and some of the residents,” Cogliano said.

“It appears, from the conversation I had, that the down time will be much less than what was presented on the notice they received,” he said.