Page 2 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2022 Traffic Commission ends one-way trial on Derby and Sigourney By Adam Swift T he Traffi c Commission voted not to extend the 60-day trial switching the one-way directions of Sigourney Street and Derby Road at its Wednesday, Oct. 20 meeting. The commission took the action at its August meeting after residents of the two roads between Malden Street and Squire Road petitioned for relief from the heavy traffi c from vehicles that use the streets as a cut-through to and from Squire Road and the Market Basket Plaza. The move then set off a ripple effect on surrounding streets off of Squire Road that sent increased traffi c Lawrence A. Simeone Jr. Attorney-at-Law ~ Since 1989 ~ * Corporate Litigation * Criminal/Civil * MCAD * Zoning/Land Court * Wetlands Litigation * Workmen’s Compensation * Landlord/Tenant Litigation * Real Estate Law * Construction Litigation * Tax Lein * Personal Injury * Bankruptcy * Wrongful Death * Zoning/Permitting Litigation 300 Broadway, Suite 1, Revere * 781-286-1560 lsimeonejr@simeonelaw.net onto those roads, causing those residents to seek relief from the Traffi c Commission and the City Council. Last week, the City Council approved a request from the Traffic Commission to fund a traffi c study of the streets bounded by Washington Avenue and Broadway and Malden Street and Squire Road to determine a mitigation plan for traffic in the neighborhood to address the number of vehicles, as well as noise, trash and other disturbances. In September, residents of a number of the streets near Sigourney and Derby asked the Traffi c Commission to end the trial period and take a holistic approach to solving traffi c issues in that area of the city. The trial period converted Derby into a one-way road from Grover into Squire, preventing trafLOAN | FROM Page 1 this is the biggest fi scal mistake in the history of the city,” Zambuto said at the Ways and Means Subcommittee meeting prior to the vote at the regular council meeting on Monday night. Rizzo stated that he understands there is a need for a new high school, but also cited the fi nancial concerns and the unknowns of building on the Wonderland property. He said he wanted to continue the discussion on the appropriation and suggested the council hold a second meeting on the proposed appropriation. But with a tight deadline for the project under the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) timeline, Superfi c from making a right turn from Squire onto Derby. It also converted Sigourney into a one-way street from Grover to Malden, preventing traffi c from turning from Malden onto Sigourney to get to Squire. At last week’s meeting, a number of residents from Sigourney and Derby urged the Traffi c Commission to keep the new traffi c patterns in place until the traffi c study is completed and recommendations are made. “Our lives have been so much better for the last 60 days,” said Sigourney Street resident Joann Giannino; however, she added that she felt badly for the people on Charger Street who were aff ected negatively by the change in traffi c patterns. Ward 6 Councillor Richard Serino, who was unable to attend the Traffi c Commission meeting, sent a letter suggesting the commission maintain the one-way patintendent of Schools Dr. Dianne Kelly urged the council to act on the appropriation on Monday night. The MSBA will cover a portion of the total cost of the new high school, although the MSBA does not cover land acquisition costs. “We have a strict deadline that we have to have paperwork to [the MSBA] in December, which means we need to be getting on that land in the next week,” Kelly said. “If we’re beyond another week of getting access to the land, our hope is that this will be voted tonight, that we could fi le the notice of taking with the state, and that they would approve it, and that we could get on the land next week and start doing soil samples and pieces. The bottom line is we can’t wait until another meeting unless we want tern for Derby Road while changing Sigourney back to the original pattern. He also suggested the traffi c study get underway as soon as possible, since a new Popeye’s drive-through restaurant slated to open at the corner of Squire and Derby will only increase traffi c in the area. Gennaro Cataldo of Augustus Street presented a petition from residents of the surrounding side streets who wanted to end the 60-day trial. “Two streets [Sigourney and Derby] have become private, ultra-quiet streets at the expense of the rest of the ward,” Cataldo said. “We cannot continue to move the problem to neighboring streets without data from the traffi c study.” He added that the traffi c study would have more accurate fi gures if the traffi c returns to their original pattern in the neighborhood. to push the whole project out.” During the site selection process, preliminary fi gures showed a total cost of slightly under $400 million for a new high school. While the city is eligible for a reimbursement rate from the MSBA of up to 79 percent, there are caps in place and items not eligible for reimbursement; that means the total project cost picked up by the state will likely be closer to 40 percent. Under the current project timeline, it is expected that students would be in the new high school building in the summer of 2026. Richard Viscay, the city’s finance director, has stated that the city hopes to pay for the land acquisition and building project without a debt exclusion or Proposition 21/2 override. WASTE REMOVAL & BUILDING MAINTENANCE • Landscaping, Lawn Care, Mulching • Yard Waste & Rubbish Removal • Interior & Exterior Demolition (Old Decks, Fences, Pools, Sheds, etc.) • Appliance and Metal Pick-up • Construction and Estate Cleanouts • Pick-up Truck Load of Trash starting at $169 • Carpentry LICENSED & INSURED Call for FREE ESTIMATES! Like us on Facebook advocate newspaper Facebook.com/ Advocate.news.ma
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