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THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, June 19, 2020 Page 11 Veterans Housing project draws flak Several Precinct 10 Town Meeting members call on selectmen to advocate for the neighborhood By Mark E. Vogler Precinct 10 Town Meeting D iscussion of pending plans for a 30-unit housing complex for veterans in the Cliftondale area wasn’t on the agenda for last Tuesday night’s meeting of the Board of Selectmen. But three Town Meeting members who represent the residents of Precinct 10 say selectmen should be advocating for Saugus citizens who have concerns about the project that’s been proposed for the former Amato’s Liquor Store property at 206 Lincoln Ave. Selectmen say they have no jurisdiction or authority to act in response to the neighbors’ complaints because the notice of intent was filed with the Conservation Commission. “We should not wash our hands as quickly as we seem to be doing,” Precinct 10 Town Meeting Member Mar tin Costello told selectmen during the meeting that was held via Zoom teleconferencing. Costello called the intent of the project noble, adding “the location is the problem.” ASKS | from page 3 were rebuilding that war-torn Middle East country. He has a six-year-old son, Owen. His parents – Jose and Marisa Santos – live in São Paulo with a younger brother, Weverley, 19, and two sisters:, Wellen, 27, and Wendy, 14. Highlights of this week’s interview follow. Q: What got you involved with recruiting for the Massachusetts Army National Guard? A: I came here when I was 16. I went to Saugus High School and graduated. I could not afford college, so I looked at the military, and the National Guard has the best benefits as far as education goes – 100 percent tuition and fees paid for – so I decided to join the Guard as a way to go to college. After that, I graduated from college. With the basic knowledge of what the National Guard was about and what it could do for you, I decided I could help other kids who were in my situation to better themselves, so that’s the main reason why I got into it. I just wanted to put the word out there so I could help people the same way I got helped. Q: Right now, you work out of an office in the area? A: I work out of the office in Malden, but I also have Saugus; I have Melrose and Stoneham. Q: Because of COVID-19, it’s affected the way you work? A: Yes. We got pulled out Member Steven C. DiVirgilio told selectmen flatly “The residents don’t want this.” DiVirgilio cited neighbors’ concerns about flooding and traffic. “People are not happy about this,” he said. “You are going to lower the living standards and quality of life. It will change the neighborhood dramatically.” Precinct 10 Selectman Peter Manoogian and several other opponents said they think there isn’t enough room on a piece of land that measures 23,000 square feet to accommodate 30 units. “At what point does the town have the right to say, ‘This is too much on too little,’” Manoogian said. Former Precinct 10 Town Meeting Member John Coburn, who is also a retired Saugus police officer, said the property already has a history of flooding onto his land. “This place is not the place for this development,” Coburn said. Coburn clashed with Selectman Jeffrey Cicolini. “You told me if I didn’t like it to sell my house, because it’s ‘a done of the office for a few weeks. People were staying home. But even though people were staying home and not coming out, there was still a lot of interest, and I still kept busy with recruitment, working out of my house. People saw what we were doing. We activated to help with the COVID mission. People saw that and they wanted to be a part of it to help out, too. Q: So you still kept busy through the Coronavirus? A: Yes. We were busy. Q: Even with the ongoing pandemic, people are still attracted to serving in the Guard? A: Absolutely. Yes. Q: Why do you think that is? A: Like I said, they see what we’re doing, and they want to be part of it, too, you know, to help out the community. And I think that’s the main reason why. You get to stay local and you help out the community, too. Q: And it gets you out of the house. Right? A: Absolutely. Yes. People were going crazy, so whatever it takes to get out of the house! Q: Sounds like recruitment really hasn’t slowed down any since the outbreak of COVID-19. A: No. Actually, I personally got busier with this whole pandemic going on. I had more interest, even though I couldn’t visit high schools. I had a lot of deal,’” Coburn told Cicolini. The selectman denied making the comment. Cicolini cites governor’s backing Cicolini insisted there is not much that selectmen could do in the matter. “This is not a town-sponsored project,” Cicolini said. “This is an outside, nonprofit organization…we don’t have the ability or authority,” he said. The project has the backing of Gov. Charlie Baker, according to Cicolini. Selectman Michael Serino said he hopes Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree and selectmen will support allowing professional resources that may be needed by the Conservation Commission to help members do their job. “I think the project is way too big,” Serino said. Manoogian called it “a travesty,” suggesting that selectmen were “all over Facebook, supporting this thing.” “It would be a strong message if the Board of Selectmen took a strong stand against this phone calls from people interested in joining. Q: What’s the typical week like? How many calls do you field? How many people do you recruit? A: On a normal day, I wake up in the morning and open up my computer. And everybody who goes online and looks for information and types their phone number and personal information in there, it will pop out in my system, so every morning, I just make phone calls; I respond to emails. And I have a daily plan from there. Now things have changed a little bit because we are not issue,” Manoogian said. Board of Selectmen Chair Anthony Cogliano said he asked the developer to meet with the residents to explain the project. A meeting has been set for next Wednesday (June 24) at the former Amato’s Liquor Store property at 206 Lincoln Ave. “The meeting is concerning the infamous water and drainage problems we deal with on almost every major storm and spring snow melting time,” complained a flyer circulating in Precinct 10. “At the meeting will be representatives of the developer, our town select persons, and our Town Meeting members, as well as residents that will be directly impacted by more drainage and water run off problems.” The project has been proposed by Rising Community & Housing, Inc. of Revere. “The proposed site development will consist of a new 5,863 square foot (s.f.) dwelling with surface parking, associated utility connections, storm water management allowed to go to schools anymore, but we have calling lists from colleges and high schools and stuff like that, so I usually do mostly phone calls and emails. Pretty much the whole processing from the start to the end, I do by phone and computer these days. And then there’s ASVAB [The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery], the test that people have to take to qualify, and there’s the Medical Examination that’s done in Boston at the processing center. And I will wait until they sign the contract and are sworn in, so we do it all. Q: How many kids did you facilities, landscaped areas and incidental site work. The majority of the site is located within the B-1 (BusinessNeighborhood) zoning district,” according to a Notice of Intent filed with the Conservation Commission. “The limit of the B-1 district runs through the subject property. A small portion along the westerly property line is within the R-1 (Residential A – Single Family) zoning district. The subject parcel is comprised of approximately 23,331 square feet with frontage along Lincoln Avenue,” the document continued. “The site is currently occupied by an 3,440 square foot (+/-) retail building known as ‘Amato’s Liquors’ and a bituminous concrete parking area. The proposed project includes the demolition of the existing retail building. The property abuts Lincoln Avenue to the west and residential properties to the north, east and south. Access will be provided via one (1) new driveway entrance along Lincoln Avenue.” get from this year’s Saugus High School class? A: At Saugus High – up until the whole COVID situation – I got about five kids from there. Q: These are kids who signed up? A: They did. They’re in right now. They actually go to Reading for training before they ship out to Boot Camp. Most of them will be shipping out this summer. I already had two who did yesterday, and I have three more who are going to ship out pretty soon. Q: How long have you been ASKS | SEE PAGE 16

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