By ADAM SWIFT
PEABODY — More than a decade after the city got initial funding for the project, the dredging of Crystal Lake is finally underway.
“Peabody residents have waited a long time for this project to become a reality,” said Mayor Edward A. Bettencourt Jr. “Crystal Lake was once a great source of pride and enjoyment for Peabody families and there has been a tremendous longing to bring it back to its former splendor.”
Bettencourt and representatives of the project team will host a community meeting to discuss the project and answer questions from neighbors next Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at the West Elementary School, 15 Bow St.
Work crews were at the West Peabody lake this week and were scheduled to begin the dredging in a matter of days.
Tons of sediment will be removed, and there will also be new recreational amenities added to the area. Bettencourt said the work will make it an inviting destination for families, nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts.
The efforts to restore the lake dates back decades and got its first big boost in 2006, when the late state Rep. Joyce Spiliotis secured $800,000 in state funds to dredge the lake. That money remained earmarked in a special city account which the mayor said he leveraged in 2014 to jumpstart the project.
“Make no mistake, the seeds of the project were planted by Joyce Spiliotis,” said Bettencourt. “It is a testament to her hard work and diligence, for which she was renowned, as well as her love of the City of Peabody, which will be felt by all those who visit Crystal Lake in the years ahead.”
More recently, the restoration project got a boost from a $400,000 state grant secured by the city’s legislative delegation led by state Sen. Joan Lovely and state Reps. Tom Walsh and Ted Speliotis. Additional funding for the project came from existing capital projects accounts and city bond sales.
“Getting the project to this point has involved a lot of hard work by a lot of very dedicated people,” said Bettencourt. “Now that we are so close to the finish line, there is a great sense of excitement and anticipation.”