Town seeks better causeway control

Volunteers sought for cleanup work

By David Rattigan, Globe Correspondent, 9/14/2003

Weeds and wild grass grow high from the cracks in the cement and along the walls of the Nahant causeway. On the Nahant end, the vegetation traps Styrofoam cups and food wrappers.

"It's an eyesore, said selectman Richard Lombard. "There are weeds everywhere; they've overgrown the guardrail. It's just a disgrace.

"And that's the entrance to the town," he added. "Our beautiful little town."

The causeway connects Lynn to Nahant, and borders the Nahant Beach Reservation, owned by the state and managed by the state Department of Conservation and Recreation (and formerly managed by the Metropolitan District Commission).

To deal with the latest problem in that area, Lombard is organizing a day-long cleanup of the weeds and trash on the causeway. Meanwhile, town officials and local legislators are focused on correcting issues both on that stretch of road and the Nahant Beach Reservation that borders it.

On the causeway itself, weeds aren't the only problem. There are potholes on the street and the walls are crumbling at some spots. There are cracks in the catch basins, and drainage issues that lead to flooding on the street.

On the beach, a lack of trash pickup was a big issue this summer.

"We need a comprehensive plan for the entire reservation," said state Representative Steven Walsh of Lynn, who with state Senator Thomas M. McGee and state Representative Robert F. Fennell, both of Lynn, is supporting measures that address the physical state of the causeway and the maintenance issues at the Nahant Beach Reservation. "We should look at the whole parcel, from one end to the other, and find the best solution."

At the same time, town officials are considering their own remedies. Mark Cullinan, the town administrator, has suggested that Nahant investigate making a bid to run the parking lot at the beach. The town made an unsuccessful bid in 1999, the last time the contract was awarded.

A bill filed last December by McGee and Fennell would make the collection and removal of trash from the entire state-owned reservation the responsibility of the firm hired to collect parking fees. Currently, the vendor is responsible for picking up litter from the parking lot, but the Department of Conservation and Recreation is responsible for maintaining the beach and emptying trash barrels for the entire reservation.

"I know if the town of Nahant took it over, they'd keep the beach clean," said Frank Valeri, McGee's chief of staff. It's frustrating to hear negative comments about the beach reservation area."

The legislators also are supporting a $11.8-$13.7 million causeway reconstruction project originally proposed by McGee, who at the time was a state representative, and then-Senator Edward Clancy Jr., who is now the Lynn mayor. Currently in the design stage, the project would address drainage and catch basin issues that would reduce flooding and subsequent damage on the causeway while also rebuilding the dunes at the beach and rebuilding the parking lot. A rebuilt causeway also would eliminate many of the weeds and overgrowth on the causeway now, said Walsh, who added that the project might begin in 18 months, though, "the way the economy is, that might be somewhat optimistic."

Walsh noted that he, McGee, and Fennell have also had discussions about addressing the algae situation in area waters, which frequently causes an odor on shore. "All of these issues are correctable," Walsh said.

Cullinan said that while the town is considering bidding for the parking contract, it will analyze the costs and responsibilities first. "There is a cost issue," selectman Michael Manning noted. "The cost for getting rid of trash is not insignificant."

However, running the parking lot itself might provide revenue from an area that the town already has some involvement with, officials noted. "As it is, we supply fire, police, and we were supplying the animal control officer," when a large snake was found on the beach earlier this summer, Lombard said. "They also call us for medical aid. We might as well get the revenue."

Earlier this summer, officials in Nahant and Lynn had complaints about the lack of trash collection at the beach. Lombard and Manning both say the state Department of Conservation and Recreation has done a better cleanup job over the past several weeks, after selectmen aired their concerns during a meeting concerning another project. Lombard said someone lit a fire under the department. "That's what needed to be done."

For the short term, Lombard is organizing volunteers, including, he hopes, some of the town's landscapers, to clean up the inbound and outbound lanes of the causeway. Lombard has also talked with Essex County Sheriff Frank Cousins, whom he said has agreed to send a group of 20-35 inmates to help with the daylong project.

Local landscapers may donate trimming equipment for the job, Lombard said. Police will assist with traffic control. "I'm trying to schedule it sometime within the next three or four weeks," said Lombard. "It has to be done."

Felix Browne, spokesperson for the Department of Conservation and Recreation, said that in a time of tight budgets and limited resources, the department's new Office of Public-Private Partnerships will seek to work with citizens' groups looking to address issues such as trash and weed cleanup. He encouraged groups to call the office's director, Betsy Shure Gross at 617-626-1117.

"There's a great deal of enthusiasm around Massachusetts for public resources such as parks and beaches," Browne said. "This is a difficult time for the state financially. The department acknowledges that and is looking at all possible ways to maintain all of our parks and recreation facilities to the highest possible standard."

This is the fifth year that selectmen have scheduled a cleanup on the causeway according to Lombard, who said the cleanup should be done by the state.

"We can go around and around with that, and never get anything done," he said. "The weeds are so high, there might as well be Christmas lights on them."

Volunteers can call Town Hall at 781-581-0088 for more information.