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Page 4 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, July 3, 2020 ~ THE ADVOCATE ASKS ~ Lincoln Ave. residents say proposed veterans housing would worsen neighborhood drainage problems Editor’s Note: For this week’s column, we interviewed John and Karen Coburn, longtime town residents who live next door to 206 Lincoln Ave. – the site of a proposed 30-unit housing development for veterans. The three-story apartment complex would be built on a 23,000-square-foot lot where a vacant package store (Amato’s Liquor Store) currently stands. The Coburns are among many residents in the neighborhood who fear that if the development is allowed, it would worsen fl ooding problems in the area. John, 63, moved with his family from Chelsea to Saugus when he was 15. He is a 1974 Saugus High School graduate. He worked for the Saugus Police Department for 33 years, retiring in 2009 at the rank of sergeant. He was a member of the Army National Guard for 10 years. He later served two 2-year terms on Saugus Town Meeting, representing residents of Precinct 10. Karen, 57, retired last year after working as a clerk at the Saugus Post Offi ce for 31 years. She is a lifelong town resident who was born in the old Saugus General Hospital and graduated from Saugus High School in 1981. They have been married for 13 Facebook.com/ advocate.news.ma years and have lived in the house at 208 Lincoln Ave. since 2005. Karen requested last week’s neighborhood meeting with the developers John and Rob Nakashian of Revere, which was held in the parking lot of Amato’s. Highlights of this week’s interview follow. Q: What is the best reason for 505 Broadway Everett, MA 02149 Tel: 617-387-1120 www.gkdental.com • Family Dentistry • Crowns • Bridges • Veneers/Lumineers • Dental Implants • All on 4 Dental Implants • Emergency Dentist • Kid Friendly Dentist • Root Canals • Dentures • Invisalign Braces • Snap On Smile • Teeth Whitening We are the smile care experts for your entire family ANGRY NEIGHBORS: Karen and John Coburn have been putting up with fl ooding problems contributed by the business next door for years. Now they are concerned that a 30-unit apartment project for veterans proposed for the site of Amato’s Liquors could make matters worse. So do dozens of residents who live in the East Saugus neighborhood. (Saugus Advocate photo by Mark E. Vogler) opposing this project? John: A few people are trying to make this into a housing issue – that “the neighbors are against a project for veterans.” But that’s not what it’s all about. This is a drainage issue. We have long-standing water problems here, which this project will just make a lot worse. I get water puddles in the backyard because of the rain. Every four to fi ve years, I have to replace the cedar fence posts – seven of them – because they’re rotten at the bottom. The ground gets saturated. And several neighbors who lived behind me have waterlogged property. Every time we get a good rain, the water comes down from the hill across the street, crosses over the property [next door], and I get the water in my swimming pool. Karen: It’s absolutely about the fl ooding. I lived in this town my entire life. I used to play in the marsh here. My personal feeling here is that by pushing this project, they are trying to help one group of people [veterans], but at the same time, it’s negatively aff ecting the neighborhood. Q: So, how far back does the fl ooding problem go? John: I remember when I In House Dental Plan for $399 (Cleanings, X-Rays, Exams twice a year and 20% OFF Dental work) Schedule your FREE Consultations today was a patrolman; the East Side of Saugus was my route during my fi rst couple of years on the job. We used to drive down Bristow Street, and the water would come through the bottom of the doors of the cruiser. I’d say it’s been at least 45 years that there have been water problems down here, and nothing has been done about it. When you add all that up, I just don’t think that 30 units is going to help improve the water problems any. Karen: When they put all of the houses in the Pevwell Drive area, that’s when our problems began – when they put all of the houses in the marshland. They just kept developing, developing and developing. It’s a huge problem. This was all farm and marshland 60 to 70 years ago. You can’t change that. A couple of years ago, everybody in the neighborhood got a letter that they had to have fl ood insurance, so town offi cials know what the issues are. It’s been happening for 50 years. It’s been here forever. How can you add to a problem that we already knew about – that we don’t have suffi cient drainage? Over 30 years ago, when my twins were less than a year old, they were evacuated because of the fl ooding. Q: What was your reaction to last week’s neighborhood meeting? John: We had a good showing. I was very pleased that we had about 85 to 90 people show up. And we made sure that this is not a veterans’ issue, but a water issue. We have a lot of veterans who live in the neighborhood and they are all against it – because of the drainage issue; they’re all speaking out against it because they’re all impacted. I just feel that there is a good amount of wetlands that they’re [the developer] going to encroach on if this project gets approved. And I don’t think that people from out of town should be dictating our quality of life. Q: Some people might think that this is a “Not in my backyard” situation, that you just don’t want the project in the ASKS | SEE PAGE 16

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