Page 6 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2021 A reader's perspective Route 1 zoning district needs upgrading to protect Saugus. That’s why Town Meeting needs to pass Article 2 at Tuesday night’s special town meeting M y interest and involvement regarding the revised Route 1 Business Highway Sustainable Zoning District (BHSD) by-law evolved after the completion of the Hilltop-Avalon Bay development. In 2015 when the Route One zoning by-law was passed by Town Meeting, I was not on the Board of Selectmen or a Town Meeting Member. During that time I was Chairman of the Board of Assessors. However, after the completion of the Hilltop-Avalon Bay project I was surprised and upset, like many residents in our community, in regards to the amount of housing (280 apartments) allowed to be developed on the property. After receiving a copy of the plans, I had calculated that residential property contained approximately 324,000 square feet of fl oor space as compared to commercial property representing only 24,000 square feet of fl oor space. This represents a ratio of 92 percent residential vs. eight percent commercial. Considering the fact that the residential tax rate is $12.34 per thousand and the commercial tax rate is $25.74. I became concerned that the loss of our commercial tax base could result in an increase in the tax cerned as to the impact to our school system, police department, fi re department, ambulance service and our civilian dispatchers. This is why I truly hope that Town Meeting will support this article at this time. I do support the mixed use ADJUSTMENTS NEEDED: Selectman Michael J. Serino says the current Route One Business Highway Sustainable Zoning District (BHSD) by-law needs to be revised so Saugus can manage smart growth and development along the town’s major commercial corridor. He is calling on Town Meeting to approve Article 2 when it convenes for a Special Town Meeting set for Tuesday, Feb. 16, via Zoom videoconferencing. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate) rate for our residential property owners. Furthermore, with a signifi - cant increase in housing along Route One, I was also conAUTOTECH 1989 SINCE CA$H FOR YOUR CAR! DRIVE IT - PUSH IT - TOW IT! Cold Hard Cash For Your Car, Truck or SUV! 2008 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 4X4 Crew Cab, Z71 Package, Just Serviced, Clean Title, Only 126K Miles, Warranty! TRADES WELCOME! $11,900 Easy Financing Available! EddiesAutotech.com 2010 MERCURY MILAN 4-Door, Auto., Most Power Options, Clean Title, New Tires, Only 130K Miles, Runs & Drives Great, Warranty! TRADES WELCOME! $3,995 781-321-8841 1236 EasternAve • Malden We Pay Cash For Your Vehicle! concept and the intent of the current zoning by-law. Strip malls are a thing of the past and they do not bring much revenue to the town. However, I do believe we need quality and balanced development. Town Meeting member Joe Vecchione and I had introduced some zoning articles last year. Consequently, with the addition of Alex Mello to the planning department the Town Manager had off ered Alex’s services and suggested we work with him. We have been collaborating for a year regarding the proposed articles. The revised BHSD by-law is not a total revamping of the current document. I would call it an adjustment to the current document. The key changes to the BHSD by-law are: • Requiring a minimum percentage of commercial uses ranging from 10 percent to 35 percent depending on lot size. • Including language requiring that our setbacks be maintained and reserved as open space. • Including language that All developments over 100,000 square feet will require a minimum common space area of at least fi ve percent of the gross fl oor area. • Adjustment in regards to building height setback requirements. • Lowering the units per acre from 30 to 25 units per acre. • Adjusting parking requirements to refl ect realistic parking needs. • Including language to prevent traffic from a development accessing our neighborhood streets. Requiring Route 1 access only. • Encouraging collaboration with MassDOT regarding acceleration / deceleration lanes on Route 1. I hope Town Meeting members will support the revised (BHSD) by-law. If anybody has any questions please feel free to call me @ 781-231-0987. Respectfully, Mike Serino Editor’s Note: Michael J. Serino is a life-long Saugus resident who has been active in local government for many years. Serino, 67, is a 1971 Saugus High School graduate. He is completing a two-year term on the Board of Selectmen. But he served as chair during his previous time on the board. His public service also includes chairing the Conservation Commission, Board of Assessors, the Open Space Committee and the Saugus Resident (First-Time) Homebuyer Program. In addition, he has served as an elected Town Meeting Member from Precinct 10, Vice-Chairman of the Town Meeting Charter Committee and a member of the Saugus Planning Board. He has devoted many hours to planning and zoning issues. Taxpayers Beware Saugus police warn residents of income tax return-related scams (Editor’s note: the following press release was issued recently by the Saugus Police Department) W ith tax season now underway, Chief Michael Ricciardelli and the Saugus Police Department would like to advise the community to be careful with personal and fi nancial information when fi ling, in order to avoid falling victim to common scams. “Tax season is often littered with scams and fraudulent claims from individuals that do not represent the IRS,” Ricciardelli said. “Making sure our residents know about prevention strategies and scam warning signs is of the utmost importance to us, especially this time of year.” One common scam involves residents trying to fi le their taxes electronically, only to learn they had been submitted by another entity. Residents are encouraged to complete and fi le taxes as soon as possible to give potential scammers less time and opportunity to submit a refund using their information. Other scams that have been known to occur, especially during tax season, include scammers calling residents claiming to be from the IRS or another government body. The scammer informs victims that they did not pay, or incorrectly fi led their taxes and now owe money to the IRS, which must be paid promptly through a pre-loaded debit card or wire transfer. If victims refuse to cooperate, they are then threatened with arrest, deportation or suspension of a business or driver’s license. Scammers also sometimes claim to represent the victim’s local police department. Local police do not enforce federal tax laws in any capacity. To avoid becoming a victim of an IRS scam, residents are encouraged to remember the following: • If you owe back taxes, the IRS will contact you by mail, and not by phone, email or social media. • The IRS never requests personal or fi nancial information by email, text or social media. (The IRS says it has no way to text people). • The IRS does not leave prerecorded or urgent voicemails. • The IRS will not ask for payment using a prepaid debit card, gift cards, money order or wire transfer. • The IRS will not ask for a credit card number over the phone. • In the latest scam, an “IRS agent” states that a small fee is required to qualify for a government stimulus check. No government agency, including the IRS, requires anyone to pay anything to receive a stimulus payment. • If you receive a call from an IRS scammer, hang up. Do not engage with these callers. • If you get a call from someone claiming to be with the IRS asking for a payment or if you think you may owe monTAXPAYERS | SEE PAGE 21
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