Saugus on the Move: Town Manager Crabtree briefs selectmen on priority projects he has high hopes of completing by year’s end

By Mark E. Vogler

As a week in the life of local government goes, Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree hailed this one as making monumental progress for the betterment of Saugus. On Monday (July 15), he held an informational session in the second floor auditorium at Town Hall where he unveiled a plan to resurrect Anna Parker Playground with a state-of-the-art street hockey rink and six new pickleball courts. (See related story inside.)

The next day (Tuesday, July 16), Crabtree spent close to 90 minutes in the first floor conference room briefing selectmen on major projects the town has already completed in recent weeks and others he expects to complete – including the start of a campaign to win the town’s support of a third fire station that would be located on the west side of town. Much of the discussion focused on goals and objectives of interest to selectmen and the town manager and the progress that has been made. The last goals and objectives session took place in September of last year – less than two months before the Nov. 7 town elections.

Public session on fire station planned for fall

Crabtree told selectmen during Tuesday’s briefing that he is considering holding a public meeting during the first week of September to address the findings of the ongoing Third Fire Station Study, which is in the feasibility and schematic design phases. “The Public Safety and Communication architects, engineer and town committee have been busy conducting a thorough investigation of the existing Fire Department response time and incident coverage to help determine the viability of a new third Fire Station and its location to better serve the Town residents,” Crabtree said.

“The new study picks up on a recently completed report issued on operations and future demands of Public Safety throughout the Town. A major goal of the project is an assessment of the Town’s fire and related risks as it related to coverage and response times as our town has grown and evolved over the past decades,” Crabtree said. “The assessment was meant to provide the team with the most complete view of the Saugus community, its physical makeup, and the unique challenges faced when managing and operating fire and rescue programs and services.”

Six locations that consisted of Town-owned and private lots were investigated, and five run time analyses were conducted to help determine location viability, according to the town manager. The analysis included data on current deployment and demand analysis and existing station locations and future growth, he said. Crabtree told selectmen that he thought the study would be completed within the next month, perhaps after Labor Day.

“I was blown away with what the study has actually started to develop,” Crabtree said.

“When you start doing statistical stuff, it’s eye-opening,” he said.

It will be a big challenge to focus on a location to build the third fire station. But Crabtree cited the greatest challenge in selling the project to the public once town officials have been able to document the public safety need for putting a fire station on the west side of town. Crabtree stressed that it’s important for selectmen as community leaders “to get the public on board.” Once town officials have been able to analyze the feasibility study, a Special Town Meeting would probably be scheduled to consider a plan.

“Part of this has been sold the wrong way for 30 years,” Crabtree said.

“This is about getting the Fire Department to your house,” he said. “We sort of locked ourselves into ‘this is about the Fire Department.’”

Crabtree stressed that it’s crucial to make sure the public understands that the real issue is a serious public safety matter – one that involves making emergency medical services accessible to all parts of town. “It’s a team effort and people should understand about the whole community,” Crabtree said.

Capital improvement update

Crabtree highlighted the progress of several other projects that were high on the list of selectmen’s goals and objectives:

• The town manager said he is focusing on improvements at four town playgrounds: Anna Parker Playground, Golden Hills, Stackpole Field and Stocker Field. But at the moment, he said, Anna Parker is the priority project, which is estimated to cost up to $1.6 million, with the main attractions being the street hockey rink and the six pickleball courts.
• Belmonte STEAM Academy Courtyard Improvements: After a competitive bidding and construction process, the Belmonte Steam Academy (BSA) Courtyard Improvements project is substantially complete; the project scope included improvements to water accumulation and drainage along with the installation of park-type benches, concrete walkways and low maintenance plantings. The project also includes removal and replacement of a walkway adjacent to the courtyard to improve access to persons with a handicap or disability to the front entries of the building.

The project team scheduled work to maximize efficiency in coordination with the Town Manager’s Office, School Administration and operations. The contractor scheduled the concrete placements, which would have been the most disruptive activity to the school, over April vacation while the students were out of school.

The town had budgeted $329,000 for the Belmonte project, which wound up costing under $249,000.

• The Saugus American Legion Project: After a competitive bidding and construction process, the American Legion Building Painting and Improvement Project (Taylor Street) is substantially complete. The project scope was originally to paint the building; however, after proper planning, investigation and testing, it was found that the existing building surfaces contained lead paint. The lead had to be removed under a controlled process to protect workers, residents and the surrounding area.

After the paint removal process, elements of the building exterior were inspected to identify rotted wood siding, sheathing and trim. It was also found that some attic louvers and exterior doors were rotted, along with the Scott Procopio Legion sign. About 1,200 linear feet of rotted wood was repaired and replaced before the building received a prime and two coats of paint. Two exterior doors are on order and expected to be replaced by the end of August.

The original contract bid was $236,000. The construction cost is expected to be about $309,000.

• Public Safety Communications improvements, which are expected to cost up to $1.6 million. The scope of the projects includes a comprehensive study of the Town’s existing communication, dispatch and 911 radio systems. Originally installed as part of the construction of the existing Public Safety Complex, the communications systems and equipment are based on older equipment approaches that have long since been surpassed by superior technology and reliable systems that help provide a safety net for the men and women of our public safety department and citizens of the town. Progress: Systems Engineers have completed an extensive survey of all existing communications equipment in the Public Safety Complex and at six remote sites that transmit or receive radio communications throughout the town, such as the radio room at Tower Hill.

A study has also been conducted on street communication reliability (hand and car/fire apparatus radios for frontline and dispatch equipment. Next, a survey of the existing radio room and dispatch was conducted to determine the optimal layout for new dispatch furniture and equipment locations. Currently, the project team is assessing available space behind the existing dispatch center and command room that will allow for a phased and coordinated replacement of outdated equipment with new state-of-the-art, fiber-based equipment.

• The $6 million water meter replacement program is expected to be completed by December 2026.
• Additional plans for Cliftondale Revitalization: The Town of Saugus owns two buildings that could be torn down to pave the way for a parking lot. The town manager noted that a $2.3 million grant from the federal government, which the town received last year, was earmarked for doing such a project.
• The town has about $3.5 million in water and sewer projects going on.

Selectmen respond to town manager’s briefing

The Saugus Advocate reached out to all five selectmen for their response to the town manager’s briefing on capital improvement projects, goals and objectives. They had some concerns, but were generally supportive of the town manager’s report. Here’s what they had to say.

Board of Selectmen Chair Debra Panetta: “I am pleased with the progress made on the goals the Board set.  I am excited for the new improvements made to Anna Parker playground as well as all the other Capital improvements and infrastructure upgrades that the manager presented.  It is impressive that we are moving forward with our short and long term priorities that are well identified and researched. These types of improvements help build a  stronger sense of community and improve the quality of life for our residents.”

Board of Selectmen Vice Chair Jeffrey Cicolini: “I think it is eye opening to hear just how many irons are in the fire as far as capital improvement projects go. The town has so many projects at various stages of completion, many are much needed repairs and maintenance and others are exciting new recreational areas and playgrounds, movement towards a 3rd fire station and many more. To hear of the millions of dollars in grant funding obtained by the Town Manager is great news for our residents as it helps reduce the tax burden associated with these costs.

“As for any concerns I have I feel the lack of qualified persons applying for or accepting many key roles, namely our planning department is somewhat concerning. People interview for the positions and ultimately accept jobs elsewhere. It isn’t always a financial decision. I do think our storied, negative political landscape reflects poorly on our ability to attract prospective employees. We need to stop the negativity and focus on raising awareness of all the things that make Saugus such an amazing community. This will allow it to gain a reputation as a great place to live and to work. This is critical in our efforts to fill key vacancies within various departments. The status quo approach obviously isn’t working. I am also concerned about the overall cost and financial impact of the voke project while our enrollment numbers continue to fall, as raised by the Town Manager. This needs to be researched further with the officials from the Voke.”

Selectman Anthony Cogliano: “I think everything the manager brought forth tonight was positive for our town. The new playground at Anna Parka is a major step in the right direction, Pickleball is the hottest game out there today and something I get calls from our residents all the time. The Street hockey court is also a welcome addition and what i like best about it, it goes back to the place it always was before it was run down. The picnic benches and lighting are also a nice touch for Anna Parka. My frustration with this project is that we are kept in the dark until the project is ready to go out for bid. I know we can’t do everything that’s needed at once, but we should be able to answer to the residents why Anna Parka was picked ahead of Stocker, Stackpole, and Golden Hills which in my opinion should be condemned before someone gets injured. All in all it is still a win for Saugus.

“It is also nice to hear that the West Side Fire Station, which was voted on in 1996 is inching closer to becoming a reality. With traffic as bad as it is in North Saugus, this is a must for our town.”

Selectman Corinne Riley: “I was pleased with all the improvements that the Town Manager has been working on. My top priority continues to be the West Side Fire Station, so I am happy to see this project moving to the next phase. The Selectmen and Manager have agreed that Parks and Playground are a priority, and this was supported by both the Finance Committee and Town Meeting in recent years. The improvements at Anna Parker are very exciting and I look forward to this work getting started soon. Residents of Golden Hills have been in dire need of a new playground for many years, so I was very happy to hear the Manager commit to addressing the Golden Hills Playground starting later this year. The park is not up to modern standards regarding safety and accessibility, and no alternative park is within a safe walking distance, which is why I feel so strongly about it. I’m also excited to see the Riverwalk project come to realization, as well as improvements at the Senior Center. I was especially happy to see the much needed improvements to the American Legion building get started a few weeks ago, as this building is so important to our Veterans.

“At his last evaluation a year and a half ago, all five Selectmen as well as the manager agreed that communication for residents needed improvement. Tonight, the Manager informed the Board that he has hired a new employee to facilitate communication. I am pleased that the Manager has taken this step, which I think will be helpful in getting timely and accurate information out to residents. I am hopeful that this is the first step toward implementing a subscription-based email/SMS-compatible notification service for residents, which all of our neighboring towns and cities have.

“My concern, listening to the update, is that filling the critical Planning Department positions will be difficult. We need these employees to help address economic centers like Route One, Cliftondale, and Saugus Center, both to provide improved amenities for residents, as well as bring in increased tax revenue. I have stated before that we need to address changing times in our town to what we want, and not what could be forced upon us.”

Selectman Michael Serino: “I thought that the update went well. There are many capital projects in the pipeline. Residents that I have spoken to are all excited about the park project at the Anna Parker playground. Six new Pickleball Courts along with a Street Hockey Court and a Picnic Area will be constructed. With the support of the Board of Selectmen, Town Manager and Town Meeting Members, approximately 4 million dollars has been set aside for our parks and playgrounds. I am disappointed in the setback at the Golden Hills playground due to an issue regarding an abutting lot line. However, the entire Board is committed to the rehabilitation of that playground. I am happy to hear that work will begin in regards to a parking lot for Cliftondale Square. Moreover, the study regarding a third Fire Station should be completed by Sept 1st.

“I still remain concerned regarding the construction of the new North East Vocational school, which is needed. However, it seems like no updates have been provided to the Town. I believe that quarterly updates should be provided to the town in regards to the construction status of the project. The update should include an estimated time-line to completion of the project, along with any adjusted estimated costs of the project to the town.”