THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, June 26, 2020 Page 7 BATTLE | from page 6 the project and to make sure all of the issues are resolved.” There are several major issues which are of concern to residents and town offi cials, the chief one being the longstanding issue of drainage in the area. Another contentious issue is the density of development on the project site, which is slightly more than 23,000 square feet – the minimum size for a house lot in town. The neighbors are upset that the developer is seeking to build 30 units of housing on a house lot suitable for one family. Manoogian questions validity of Dover Amendment “If this project wasn’t within the 100-year fl ood plain, it would be entitled to a building permit,” said Richard A. Salvo, of Engineering Alliance, Inc. of Saugus, the civil engineering and land planning consultants hired by the developer. Salvo noted that a small portion of the property lies within R-1 (Residential A – Single Family) zoning district. The three-story building complies with B-1 (Business-Neighborhood) zoning district, but it is fi ve feet higher than what is allowed in R-1 district. “This falls under the Dover Amendment, so this can be allowed to be built,” Salvo said, referring to a provision in state law which allows protection for any nonprofi t organizations claiming a religious or noneducational purpose. But Precinct 10 Town Meeting Member Peter Manoogian questioned whether the nonprofi t organization has the legal right in this case to claim protection under the Dover Amendment. Manoogian and the other four Precinct 10 Town Meeting members – Peter Delios, Martin Costello, Steven C. DiVirgilio and Darren Ring – appeared at the neighborhood er DISPLAYING THE PLANS: Left to right, Rick Salvo, an engineer for the developer, and John Nakashian, one of the project developers, show off the artist’s rendering of the proposed veterans housing project for the vacant Amato’s Liquor Store at 206 Lincoln Ave. gathering and have all gone on record as opposing the veterans housing project. Selectman Michael Serino was instrumental in pushing for selectmen to support the hiring of an attorney for the Conservation Commission. “We’re putting 30 units on a family-zoned lot,” said Serino, citing his reason for opposing the project. Selectman Debra Panetta told the gathering that the entire Board of Selectmen attended the informal meeting to lend support for the neighborhood. “We don’t have a vote on this, but we all care,” Panetta said. She also expressed concerns about the project being proposed for a house lot. “It’s a quality of life issue,” she said. Salvo, the developer’s civil engineer for the project, told the neighbors that there is nothing that could be done on the project site that would correct the drainage problems that have been plaguing the neighborhood for years. “We can’t solve it,” Salvo said. “We can manage it.” School Committee Member Joseph “Dennis” Gould – another Vietnam War Era vetAluminum Everett 10 Everett Ave., Everett 617-389-3839 Owned & operated by the Conti family since 1958 • 62 Years! “Same name, phone number & address for over half a century. We must be doing something right!” Owned & operated by the Conti family since 1958 • 57 Years! family since 1958 • 60 •Vinyl Siding •Carpentry Work •Decks •Vinyl Siding •Free Estimates •Fully Licensed •Roofing •Free Estimates •Carpentry Work •Fully Licensed •Decks •Roofingf •Roo ing • Fully Insured •• Replacement Windows Replacement Windows www.everettaluminum.com Now’s the time to schedule those home improvement projects you’ve been dreaming about all winter! Everett Aluminum eran who lives in the neighborhood – got irked by Salvo’s comments. “You’re not going to fi x the problem with 23,000 square feet. You can only make it worse,” Gould told Salvo. Gould also took great umbrage with the density of the project being proposed for the property. “We passed a bylaw in this town for house lots to be 23,000 square feet,” Gould noted. “That is [b.s.]. That’s absolutely [b.s.], so stop it,” he told the developers in an apparent protest about the size of the project. John Nakashian emphasized for the people at the neighborhood gathering that Saugus veterans would get fi rst preference on the project. “All the veterans from Saugus are fi rst in line. We decided to have one in Saugus because Saugus doesn’t have one,” Nakashian said of the veterans housing project. In an interview after the meeting, he noted that his company received 300 applications for a similar project located on Shirley Avenue in Revere, which has been open close to a year. He added that it is a bigger building that was built on a 10,000-square-foot lot. • • • www.eight10barandgrille.com The Eight/10 Bar & Grille will REOPEN on Wed., MAY 6 from 4-8 PM for Take-Out and Delivery with our delivery partners... STAY HOME! 8 Norwood Street, Everett (617) 387-9810 STAY SAFE! Summer is Here!
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