Page 2 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2020 Conservation Comm. approves order of conditions for controversial veterans housing project By Mark E. Vogler W ill the 24-unit veterans housing project proposed for 206 Lincoln Ave. help or hurt the fl ooding situation which plagues residents of the neighborhood near the site of the former Amato’s Liquor Store? Selectman Debra Panetta broached that crucial question toward the end of Wednesday night’s continued hearing of the Conservation Commission. Richard A. Salvo, of Engineering Alliance, Inc. of Saugus – the civil engineering and land planning consultants hired by the Revere-based nonprofi t organization Rising Community & Housing, Inc. – concluded “it would be impossible for this property to solve the fl ooding issues of East Saugus.” But Salvo insisted that adequate measures have been taken in the planning of the project to make sure that construction of the veterans housing will not make matters worse. “We’ve gone above and beyond what’s required,” Salvo said. “As far as the site is concerned, we completely managed our storm water,” Salvo said. “We’ve taken the flooding away from that problem,” he added. The Conservation Commission agreed with Salvo, too, as it voted unanimously to approve an order of numerous conditions that it required Rising Community & Housing to meet in order to comply with state wetlands regulations and town zoning codes. “This is as much as the commission can possibly protect the neighborhood,” Conservation Commission Offi cer Francis G. McKinnon said. He also noted that if the commission had denied the application and it was appealed to the state “a lot of these things would not even be incorporated,” referring to conditions that Salvo and Rising Community & Housing agreed to to make the project more appealing to neighbors. But neighbors who live in the area have been vocal in their opposition at previous Conservation Commission meetings – that the project is too big for the 23,000 square foot lot and will only worsen fl ooding in the area. Panetta and fellow Selectman Michael Serino have advocated vigorously on behalf of the neighbors at all of the Conservation Commission hearings over the summer and fall months. “The footprint of that building is too large for that lot,” Serino said during his testimony Wednesday night, noting the 4,700-square-foot building. Salvo disagreed with Serino’s assessment, saying the project as proposed met all of the zoning criteria of the R-1 Zone. Since the commission’s previous meeting, Salvo said, he has made two additional changes to the project. He ORDER | SEE PAGE 6 State Police seek public’s help in catching hit-andrun driver who fled scene Pedestrian struck by car suffers serious injuries A BUSINESS CHECKING ACCOUNT THAT CHECKS ALL THE BOXES. LOW MONTHLY FEES - ONLINE BANKING & BILL PAY REMOTE DEPOSIT CAPTURE - COIN SERVICES TALK TO US TODAY ABOUT OUR DIFFERENT BUSINESS CHECKING ACCOUNTS. WE’LL HELP YOU FIND THE RIGHT OPTION. EVERETT – 419 BROADWAY LYNNFIELD – 7 7 1 SALEM STREET 61 7-38 7 - 1 1 10 Visit our website to learn more at: EVERETTBANK . COM Member FDIC Member DIF HAVE YOU SEEN THIS CAR: This photo was provided by the State Police, who are trying to locate the driver involved in a hit-and-run accident that left a pedestrian seriously injured on Wednesday (November 18). (Courtesy photo by Massachusetts State Police to The Saugus Advocate) (Editor’s Note: This info is from a press release issued by the Massachusetts State Police.) T he Massachusetts State Police are seeking the public’s help in identifying a hit-andrun driver who struck a pedestrian – causing serious injuries – on Wednesday (Nov. 18) in Saugus. The crash occurred at approximately 10:17 a.m. on Route 1 southbound at Route 99. The victim, a 24-year-old Gloucester man, suff ered serious injuries and was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital. Preliminary investigation by RIGHT BY YOU the State Police-Danvers Barracks indicates that the victim, who is employed by a business in that area, stepped into the roadway to retrieve a barrel that had blown onto the road. After striking the victim, the motorist did not stop and continued onto Route 99. Police are seeking to locate the vehicle and driver. The suspect vehicle is a white sedan, possibly a Nissan Sentra. The driver is believed to have been a white male. The vehicle might have frontend and undercarriage damage. “A photo of the actual vehicle taken from a nearby camera is included with this release. (The vehicle we are seeking is the one on the highway, seen from the side.)” Anyone who has seen this vehicle, or who has information about it or the driver, is urged to call the State Police-Danvers Barracks at 978-538-6161, or simply call 911.
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