THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2023 ~ Letter-to-the-Editor ~ Page 5 DANGERS at the new Northeast Metro Tech T he HILLTOP location proposed for the new Northeast Metro Tech High school imposes several severe safety oversights that will result in school users getting hurt needlessly, on a regular basis. The proposed new Voc HILLTOP location disregards the 2016 Pre-Feasibility Study recommendations and will cause added construction and maintenance costs, in addition to undue risk of injuries, compared to the Voc option to build on the athletic fi elds. To quote another concerned Wakefi eld resident who happens to be an architect (Brian Thomson): “Vertical movement is inherently more diffi cult and potentially more dangerous than horizontal movement, and by locating the NEMT building on the hilltop, it is unavoidable, expensive and exposes them to serious liability. This is but one of a number of serious design and campus planning fl aws and mistakes that are inherent in the present plan to build on the hilltop”. The proposed Voc HILLTOP location will require 100 north facing stairs (10 fl ights) just to reach the lower-level entrance of the new 5 story building OR they can access hilltop school by 730’+ ELEVATED ramp OR they will walk up the main front access road that has no sidewalks (because it is too steep for sidewalks). These three options will negatively impact school accessibility and add to the daily risk for all building users forever. If the Voc cannot install a sidewalk along the new north UMASS AMHERST | FROM PAGE 4 achieved the honor for the fall semester were Serena Marie Cacciola, Kyle J Cocorochio, Christopher John Denovellis, Ronald DiBiasio Jr, Ava Eileen Fiorino, Shaylin Elisabeth Groark, Mikayla Chelsea Hashem, Josh Jain, Jenna Susan Linehan, Kiara Angela LoNigro, Anthony David Macone, Gianna Rose Macone, Gina Giovanna Pasquale, Emma Rose Peacock, Vi Nhat Pham, Lauren Marie Pozark, Matthew James Roscoe, Samantha J Szczesny, Samy Timouyasse, Dominic Rocco Trabucco, Favio Vreka and Caitlin Debra Wright. The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a worldclass research institution with a revolutionary spirit that inspires our academics to chaluphill entrance driveway to school because access road is to steep, what do you think is going to happen when you mix cars, bicycles, buses and pedestrians and bad weather? It is glaringly obvious that safety was not a design priority, and it will be it is just a matter of time before someone is seriously hurt, needlessly. (Note: The Wakefi eld Traffi c Advisory Committee did suggest a sign on the front access driveway from Hemlock Road stating “NO PEDESTRIANS”). I am disappointed that anyone thinks it is acceptable to build a $325 million school with no sidewalk along main front entrance from Hemlock Road which is steep, curving and has no shoulders. This critical oversight that should not be allowed! The steep front driveway connecting Hemlock to top of hilltop campus will have guard rails on one side and a rock fall catchment and drainage swales on the other side, that result in pedestrians and cars on same driveway. Another real danger that should not be overlooked is the real danger to the emotional well-being of all school students and employees who will be subject to many weeks of massive blasting of bedrock while they are in school. Of course, the Voc states they will do everything safely and will be closely monitored by all parties, with an expert explosive contractor. While the HILLTOP is blasted the construction truck traffi c down the access road through the current student parking lot to delivlenge convention, rethink expectations, and work tirelessly to change the world. Our students are the artists, scientists, change-makers and leaders of tomorrow whose commitment to their community drives them forward. Our faculty members are leaders in their fields, working on groundbreaking research with graduate and undergraduate students across all academic disciplines to redefi ne what’s possible. With programs for fulland part-time students both on and off campus, interdisciplinary majors, a robust online learning community, the intimate Commonwealth Honors College and connections with the Five College Consortium, UMass Amherst has opportunities for every student to reshape their world. er blasted rock to be crushed behind the current school is also a safety issue hazard for students and summer visitors to Breakheart. The disruption to academic and emotional well-being of school users will be clearly jeopardized by the extensive and prolonged blasting of very hard bedrock fi lled hilltop within 150 yards of school. The last danger I want to point out are the 600’+ cliff s being made around new school when they blast the top 35’ off the HILLTOP to build new school. These cliffs require 15’ rock fall catchment zones below. Why create this hazardous situation when much better and less expensive options exist? Why build school on subpar, functionally compromised HILLTOP location at outrageous expense (20% of school budget is for site prep) when the Voc already has had a tragic fatal pedestrian accident in 2009? Shouldn’t safety be the top design priority. We all want a new Voc, but not a new Voc with multiple significant inherent safety and accessibility issues built in that will destroy the ONLY Forest Core habitat in Wakefi eld. The safety of all school users should be top priority with safety built in from the start. Please speak up and let town offi cials and Voc Supt. DiBarri know that the safety should be designed in from the start. You can also help build a safer and far more accessible Voc by visiting the following website www.nemtforest.org. We can AUTOTECH $$ CASH FOR YOUR CAR, TRUCK OR SUV! $$ DRIVE IT - PUSH IT - TOW IT! Cold Hard Cash for Your Vehicle! GET YOUR VEHICLE SPRING READY! 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