By MARK SARDELLA
WAKEFIELD — The town will try to take advantage of a newly created state program to fund needed repairs and maintenance to a bridge on the Wakefield-Saugus line.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has created a Municipal Small Bridge Program to assist communities in addressing small local bridges in need of rehabilitation or replacement. The program will provide a 100 percent reimbursable grant up to $500,000 for bridges with a span between 10 feet and 20 feet that are owned by cities and towns. The funding will cover both engineering and construction. Any costs above $500,000 would be the responsibility of the town or towns.
“The Route 129 Bridge, where Water Street crosses the Saugus River, may be a potential candidate for this funding,” DPW Director Richard Stinson wrote in a Sept. 26, 2016 memorandum to Town Administrator Stephen P. Maio, who brought the matter before the Board of selectmen this week.
According to Stinson, the bridge has a span of less than 20 feet, is in need of rehabilitation or replacement and is on a state numbered route. The bridge is listed under both Saugus and Wakefield, as the town line splits both the river and the bridge.
Stinson said that he is checking with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) to see if Wakefield can apply for the program. Stinson said that he recently met with the Saugus DPW Director who said that they are in the process of determining which bridge in Saugus would be their preferred candidate for the current application period.
The selectmen voted to authorize Stinson to apply for the grant if allowed to do so by MassDOT. If Wakefield is not allowed to apply and Saugus does apply for the Route 129 Bridge, Wakefield will support the Saugus application.
—–
In other business this week, the Board of Selectmen:
• Scheduled a public hearing for the possible suspension or revocation of liquor license for Caryn’s Restaurant, 395-397 Main St., on Oct. 12, 2016 at 8 p.m.
• Scheduled a public hearing on the laying out of Nazareth Road and Winship Drive as public ways on Oct. 12, 2016 at 7:40 p.m.
• Renewed for another three years the intermunicipal agreement between the towns of Wakefield and Lynnfield for the sharing of a Building Inspector.
• Appointed Colleen T. Getty of 17 Summer St. to the Wakefield Cultural Council.
• Approved a request from Library Director Sharon Gilley to accept and expend $467.53 in gifts from various donors.
• Approved a request from Thomas Lucey of the Wakefield Track & Field Boosters for The Frozen Frolic Road Race to be held on Saturday, Dec. 3.
• Approved a one-day liquor license for Fred Brizee for a fundraiser at the Crystal Community Club on Oct. 1, 2016 from 7 until 11 p.m.
• Approved a one-day Liquor License for the Wakefield High Soccer Boosters for a fundraiser at the Crystal Community Club on Oct. 7, 2016 from 7:30 until 11:30 p.m.
