East Bridgewater Select Board Approves North Bedford Street Sewer Project
Board awards $6.4 million contract, reduces Summit Drive speed limit to 20 mph
EAST BRIDGEWATER - June 9 - The East Bridgewater Select Board approves a $6.4 million contract for the long-awaited North Bedford Street sanitary sewer system, marking a significant milestone for the town's infrastructure development.
During Monday's meeting, the board awarded the contract to C. Naughton Corporation, which submitted the lowest bid among seven contractors. The project, which has been in development for approximately three years, comes in well under the $11 million originally authorized.
"This is truly a project that I see as the first project that is going to provide the opportunity for the town for sustainable growth," says John Haines, Director of Public Works. "It answers those questions that people have asked forever. Why is there no development in this? Why do we not have a bustling Route 18 corridor?"
The sewer project benefits from substantial grant funding, with $4 million from MassWorks and approximately $3 million from an Economic Development Administration grant. Additional funding comes from developer agreements with properties adjacent to the planned sewer line.
Town Administrator Charlie Seelig notes the project's financial benefits for East Bridgewater.
"The result between what we're going to spend and the grant monies and the contributions from folks where the pipe is running through, all that taking net is more than offset by the property taxes we're getting from the Greystar property," Seelig says. "We're going to be ahead of the game immediately rather than waiting a number of years in order to recoup what we've spent so far."
Construction is expected to begin this summer. The total project cost, including contingencies and oversight, is projected to be around $9.1 million, significantly less than the authorized amount.
In another significant decision, the board votes to reduce the speed limit on Summit Drive from 25 to 20 mph following persistent requests from residents concerned about safety.
Residents from Summit Drive present research on stopping distances, noting that at 25 mph, it takes 84 feet to stop, while at 20 mph, the stopping distance drops to 62 feet.
"We're just talking about our little street, dropping it down to 5 miles an hour, down to 20, for the safety of our grandchildren," a resident says. "That's all we're asking. And it's up in your authority."
The board's decision comes after several meetings on the issue and follows the installation of 25 mph signs about six weeks ago to replace "thickly settled" signs, which indicate a 30 mph limit.
Police Chief Michael Jenkins supports the speed reduction but notes that the Traffic Advisory Committee advises against installing speed humps, which residents had also requested.
"We're very proactive on the speed, and we're looking at different solutions to that," Jenkins says. "And if it's a matter of dropping it to 25 to 20, that can be done. And that's the first step."
The police department plans to deploy portable speed monitoring signs in the area to help make drivers aware of the new limit.
Board member Katherine Mullen expresses concern about establishing a process for handling similar requests in the future.
"I think changing the speed, like you said, we're kind of setting a precedent of how many people are going to come in and say, we want this speed reduction," Mullen says. "I guess it's just I want to make sure that we're setting Summit Drive with the process."
In other business, the board:
- Approves a contract with Karen Urbec as the new library director. Urbec, currently at Bridgewater Public Library, brings experience as a certified archivist and genealogist.
- Approves a change of officers and ownership interest for Wedgwood Beverages, Inc. at 838 North Bedford Street.
- Hears a presentation from Plymouth County Outreach about their work addressing substance use issues in the community. The organization, which faces the end of grant funding in the next few years, discusses potentially using opioid settlement funds to continue operations.
- Decides not to reappoint town constables, with Police Chief Jenkins noting the position has become "antiquated" with "no oversight, really, or formal training."
- Approves several community events, including the annual flag retirement ceremony and the East Bridgewater Community Gardens Harvest Festival.
The board also congratulates Assistant Town Administrator Rebecca Johnson on earning her MMA certificate in local government leadership and management, which Chair Peter Spagone describes as "graduate level coursework."
The meeting concludes with a reminder about the upcoming Dale and the Duds concert on Tuesday, June 17, from 6 to 8 p.m. on the Common, described as "an East Bridgewater tradition that we think is like almost 40 years."