Page 6 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JULY 16, 2021 GARDENS | FROM PAGE 1 proposal on Monday (July 12) and offer some feedback. Most of the neighbors who spoke said they like the concept of tearing down the old schoolhouse and beautifying the area for passive recreation – an ideal place where kids can play and grownups can relax. “This can be a source of pride for this neighborhood,” Precinct 10 Town Meeting Member Peter Manoogian told the group of citizens who lined the four walls of a classroom inside the school when the threat of rainy weather spoiled their plans to meet outdoors. A SHOW OF SUPPORT: East Saugus residents at Monday’s community meeting on the “Ballard Gardens” proposal raised their hands in favor of one idea being considered for reuse of the old Ballard School. Manoogian, one of the members of the five-person study committee to investigate the potential use of the Ballard School, organized the meeting to brief neighbors on a proposal he has developed in collaboration with Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree’s office. Toward the end of the meeting, Manoogian asked for a show of hands on how many people supported the proposal. A majority of people in the room raised their hands, reinforcing comments of overwhelming vocal support from residents in the neighborhood during the community meeting. The Ballard Gardens is still just a preliminary proposal, but one that seems to be gaining momentum. Manoogian suggested the next step should be the creation of a three-person advisory group consisting of one member from each of the three key streets in the area near the school: Dudley, Greenwood and Richard. Support from Town Hall Town officials who attended the meeting expressed strong support for the project. Jeannie Meredith, of Crabtree’s Town Hall staff, in an interview after the meeting called the proposal “a great idea.” “I love the idea of having a community garden and a spot for the gazebo,” Meredith said. “In today’s world, to have an outdoor space where people can relax and enjoy nature is very appealing,” she said. The project, if realized, would augment other open space projects already planned or underway – particularly the Saugus RiverWalk Project along Ballard Street near the banks of the Saugus River and the Northern Strand Community Trail, according to Meredith. “This could connect nicely with those and other projects involving open space, going from one end of the town to the other, '' she said. In an interview after the meeting, Board of Selectmen Chair Anthony Cogliano said he likes the Ballard Gardens proposal. “Sure, I would endorse it,” Cogliano told The Saugus Advocate. “And I know I can get volunteers to take care of the property,” he said. Town Manager Crabtree commended the way residents in the neighborhood were organizing to show their support for the proposal. “I think the positive thing is having people from this neighborhood involved from the beginning and being able to put their support behind the project,” Crabtree said. “You have Peter and people involved in this who have a track record of following things through, he added. When residents turn out to show support for projects they want to see in their neighborhood, “it’s good input that makes my job easier,” CrabGARDENS | SEE PAGE 8 KEEP THESE FOR HISTORY’S SAKE: Precinct 10 Town Meeting Member Peter Manoogian suggested that these columns at the front entrance of the 110-year-old Ballard School be salvaged and incorporated as a nostalgic feature in the “Ballard Gardens” proposal.
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