COURTESY PHOTO
Pictured is a rendering for the $100 million development planned for transforming the Hilltop Steak House site.
By BRIDGET TURCOTTE
SAUGUS — AvalonBay Communities thinks it has found solutions to a flooding problem behind the 14-acre Hilltop Steak House site.
The AvalonBay developers briefed town residents living near the Route 1 site about ways to keep a swale behind the property from overflowing. Potential flooding is a major concern for abutters, and swales are wetland areas, sometimes artificially created, capable of retaining water.
“We’re looking at retaining more of the water that falls on this site,” said David Gillespie, vice president of development for AvalonBay. “The amount of impervious area is being reduced. Even if we had the same amount, which we don’t, just by splitting it up, that reduces the volume and the rate. The swale needs to be cleaned up so it functions the way it’s supposed to.”
Water runoff from the site ends up in a swale behind homes on Laurine Road, which connects to Crystal Brook. Stephen Martorano, senior project manager at Bohler Engineering, said the swale was 3-feet deep at one point but sediment and leaves have reduced it to about a foot in depth.
“We want to clean the swale up so it does what it’s intended to do,” Martorano said.
Developers plan to dredge the swale to help alleviate the problem and work with the Department of Public Works to determine how it should be maintained, he said.
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The developers have visited with Laurine Road and Gilway Street residents to see the problems they are experiencing on at least two occasions.
One acre of landscaping will be strategically spread throughout the $100 million mixed-use development. The added vegetation will help address water drainage concerns, create a sound buffer and improve the air quality. Landscaping at the back of the property will absorb some of the excess water. It cannot be redirected towards Route 1 because of Massachusetts Department of Transportation requirements.
Development plans call for one story of retail space and three four-story residential buildings in the rear. The residential space will have a total of 280 studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments, and a one-story clubhouse with an outdoor swimming pool.
The development team maintained that plans to construct the residential and retail community include reducing stormwater runoff, not adding to it.
“The amount of impervious area is being reduced,” Gillespie said. “In general, it will reduce the amount of water that comes off the site and onto Forest Street. We’ve reduced it to a fair degree.”
The water will be treated to remove sediment accumulating in water runoff.
Gillespie stressed to residents that the sewage and water runoff problems were two separate issues. He suggested residents seemed to be lumping them together in voicing their concerns.
Once the project is completed, it is expected to generate about 130,000 gallons of sewage each day, about 25 percent of the existing system’s 500,000 gallon capacity.
Repairs were made to the sewerage system in 2014, after the Hilltop closed, and Dennis January, former CEO of Hilltop, was made aware of an issue caused when the restaurant was built, said January.
“That’s why you don’t have that problem anymore,” he said. “That was a problem (created by) the initial builder.”
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January said he listened to the audio from the last meeting two weeks ago and found it to be disturbing. He was bothered by one neighbor in particular’s use of profane language, he said.
At the meeting, neighbors interrupted the developer’s presentation countless times with outbursts. AvalonBay representatives were unable to finish their presentation.
Gilway Street resident Patricia Battaglia boisterously asked questions and demanded that they not add any water to the brook. She argued that dredging the swale will result in water moving to Crystal Brook more quickly.
“These are old time people who know that brook,” said Battaglia.
Resident Jill Moriello pointed out that a lot of the questions should be directed at the DPW, rather than the engineers for AvalonBay.
“We could always request a meeting with the DPW,” she said.
AvalonBay will make the presentation to board members in April.
Bridget Turcotte can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @BridgetTurcotte.