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Town Manager Brian Sullivan has clarified questions about the Summer Street project -- who is paying for the work, and whether ground contamination is delaying the rebuilding of the road from Park Ave. Extension to the Lexington line.
The first question was raised last week on the Arlington e-mail list by a resident who wondered how the town could pay for plantings and benches in the light of the schools' budget shortfall of as much as $850,000. A issue was described on the list as a "rumor."
The Summer Street project is a state-controlled and -funded project, Town Manager Brian Sullivan wrote in an e-mail May 7. Thus, the town is not paying for the continued improvements.
As for the rumor about ground contamination from the former Reed's Brook dump site, which is now McClennen Park and other recreational facilities, Sullivan wrote:
"Work near the Lexington line is delayed so that we can do some redesign to allow for a parking lane abutting the park. If we wanted to give up on the extra parking, the work could be completed now.
"We feel, however, that the extra parking is worth the extra effort and time. This area has a gas barrier which complicates this work and requires additional environmental approvals."
Asked specifally about the rumored contamination, Sullivan wrote: "As with any landfill, there is methane gas. The gas barrier, which is intended to prevent the gas generated in the landfill from migrating across the street (it never has, but the DEP [Department of Environmental Protection] is always very careful), needs to be modified in order to get the parking lane approved and constructed. There is no ground contamination."
Former Town Meeting member John Kohl questioned this assessment May 7 and asked when the work on Summer Street at the Lexington end might get underway.
Sullivan answered in an e-mail on May 8:
"The gas barrier has been redesigned. Mass Highway is working with the contractor to get a price for the change order . . . .
"It sounds like the contractor has quoted an outrageous price, so Mass Highway is working through that issue. I can’t tell you with any certainty at this time when the work will commence on this section."
The latest update from the town's Web site.
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Enuma Elish
performs "Metropolis" Thursday, Nov. 20, at 8 p.m. at the Regent
Theater. General admission...
