THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, JAnUAry 26, 2024 Page 9 FLOODING | FROM PAGE 8 study. But I’m not all-in for the fl oodgates, because you’re going to alleviate the problem on one side and then the water needs to go somewhere. And where’s it going to go? It’s going to the Point. And the point is the Point of Pines and we’re going to end up underwater. So, I do want the study. I want the Army Corps of Engineers or whoever is going to do the study to come back with facts before we make any decisions. But we are all in,” she said. “I’m nervous about what’s going to happen if they do have the floodgates, to be honest with you. I’m afraid. The years they’re talking about are about 30 to 50 years. I’m looking more like 10 to 15 years, is when Rice Avenue, in particular, will be completely under water.” Manoogian said he’s had conversations with Guarino-Sawaya about sand from the restoration of the marsh going over to the Port of Pines. “The study will address those concerns,” Manoogian said. “Of course, Revere would have to be satisfi ed with what the study comes up with. But, as the [town] manager points out, we don’t want someone to suff er for something that benefi ts one group. I believe this concern can be resolved and I’m glad the issue has been raised. And Revere is on board for the study.” Trapped on Bristow Street Precinct 10, an area in East Saugus which features some of the most flood-prone neighborhoods in town, had three town meeting members attending Tuesday night’s meeting: Manoogian, Darren Ring and Carla A. Scuzzarella. “I’ve never seen Bristow Street as bad as it was. And I lived there for almost 30 years. And I live right around the corner on Carr Road,” Scuzzarella said. “Bristow was getting it from both ends: coming down the hill, down the street and then coming up from the marsh area and the river. People are just besides themselves – water they’ve never seen. Not everybody has fl ood insurance down there. It just makes it really diffi cult when you can’t drive, can’t get out of there. There’s no other way out of there without driving through the waste, so to speak,” she said. “I appreciate you listening to Peter and I appreciate your concern and I’m really hoping that we can move this forward because it is important to an entire precinct of our community as well as the people across Ballard Street, on that side of the river. The water was extremely high. For them to close 107 – I’ve lived in Saugus a long time – that’s a rare thing that Route 107 gets shut down to traffi c. We need some help. Hopefully, letters will do it.” The starting point Tuesday night’s discussion on the revival of the fl oodgate project took about 45 minutes. It was initiated by a letter Manoogian wrote to selectmen last week, requesting to have the letter on the meeting agenda for a discussion. “This is the beginning of a process to build public sentiment and convince our state and federal delegation that this is needed,” Manoogian said. Saugus has experienced the fourth and sixth highest fl ood events since the Blizzard of 1978 – and both events took place early in the new year. President Biden authorized the most recent study of the fl oodgate project in December of 2022, but it has yet to be funded. “The project got put on the radar screen and was reauthorized,” Manoogian said. “We need the study to be funded and update the work that’s been done,” he said. “Ideally, the project could be in the water by 2035,” he said. Manoogian estimated it would cost $300 million to build the fl oodgates, with the federal government paying for 65 percent of the project and the state’s share at 35 percent. He said Saugus’ share of the costs would be $10.5 million. It would cost Saugus about $150,000 as part of its share for the $3 million study. Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree off ered Manoogian and selectmen advice on how to garner support for the project and study. “To me – strategically – getting the other communities on board is going to have a lot more infl uence,” Crabtree said. “I think the money is the least of the issues,” he said. “I think you need ‘buy-in’ for that study.” Crabtree stressed it would be important for the state delegation to submit something in writing to back the project. Selectman Michael Serino said the town has already done its fair share to address the fl ooding issue in town. “We need to get these fi ve communities on board. Saugus can’t do it ourselves,” Serino said. Selectman Jeffrey Cicolini stressed that putting pressure on the town’s state and federal legislative delegations is crucial. “I’ll write a letter 50 times over, but the teeth comes from our delegation,” Cicolini said. “Without the state and federal government pushing for it, it’s going to fall on deaf ears,” he said. Cicolini experienced the frustrations of Precinct 10 homeowners fi rsthand. “I witnessed it. I built my home down there [Beachview Avenue] – ’98 to 2018,” Cicolini said. “I witnessed three significant fl ooding events. Since I left, there have been fi ve signifi cant fl ooding events…The devastation that’s down there is crazy,” he said.
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