Weymouth — The town council unanimously approved on Jan. 18 a resolution that requests the state to construct a drawbridge over the Fore River, instead of a vertical lift span, in response to complaints by residents and neighborhood associations.

District 1 Councilor Victor Pap said that residents in North Weymouth and throughout the town overwhelmingly favor a bascule bridge and a vertical lift span has no visual appeal for the area.

“The Fore River Bridge is not just another bridge,” he said. “It is a gateway to the coastal South Shore from Boston. We recognize the long-term importance of the quality of life. The mayor (Susan Kay) has submitted a letter in support of a bascule bridge.”

Pap said that residents have voiced support for having a drawbridge during a series of information meetings with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT).

MassDOT is proposing to build a vertical lift bridge that would allow a 255-foot clearance for vessels to pass underneath it when it is raised and a 58.5-foot passageway for smaller boats to go under it when it is in a closed position.

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Copyright 2011 Weymouth News. Some rights reserved

By Ed Baker, Wicked Local Weymouth, Posted Jan 21, 2011 @ 04:35 PM

Memories of a nor’easter that punished the North Weymouth coastline with damaging ocean flooding on Dec.27 are quite fresh for Fort Point Road resident Kevin Harris, who urged town officials to replace an aging seawall near his neighborhood.

Harris said that he also wants Kay and District 1 Councilor Victor Pap to keep North Weymouth residents informed about what steps have been taken to get federal aid for property owners who suffered damage.

Pap said that he has asked the council’s public works committee to review the damage to the seawall and how repairs can be funded.

“There is a countywide issue threshold that has to be met,” he said.

Pap said that getting federal aid to replace the seawall would likely be a challenge for Norfolk County because it has three coastal towns.

“Because Plymouth County is essentially coastline, they were put on the fast track to get assistance,” he said.

Pap said that the mayor and local officials are working diligently to get federal aid.

”We are following up on our requests and will be proactive with the community about how the process is going,” he said.

Click Here to read the full article in the Weymouth News.

January 25, 2011

Attn: Damaris Santiago
Richard Marquis
Acting Division Administrator
Federal Highway Administration
Massachusetts Division
55 Broadway, 10th Floor
Cambridge, MA 02142

Re: EA Public Comments
Fore River Bridge
Project File Number: 604382

Dear Mr. Marquis,

As the locally elected municipal official, who represents North Weymouth and all the neighborhoods at the Southern base of the Fore River Bridge, I write to publicly comment on the Environmental Assessment (EA) report and communicate the numerous concerns we have with the potential impact from the proposed design of a vertical lift bridge on the Fore River Bridge Replacement Project. By way of background, please understand that I have attended all public information meetings and these comments are in the context of having absorbed all the information put forward by MassDOT in addition to asking questions and obtaining feedback over 18 months.

The Community of North Weymouth firmly believes that limiting the increase of the current channel width to 200 feet and accommodating a bascule design must be a priority. Increasing the channel width to 225 or 250 feet would have a severe negative environmental impact, on both the communities of Quincy and Weymouth because it would force upon us an unsightly vertical lift bridge.

North Weymouth, with a population of over 10,000 residents, is the only constituency, which has a full spectrum of concerns in that we are recreational boaters; commuters, who travel the bridge to work and school; local residents who will hear the construction and see the finished product everyday for the next 70‐80 years; as well as consumers, who utilize the goods and services provided by commercial interests that access the waterway. Additionally, it is our property values that will be affected by the short and long‐term impacts from the erection of a new bridge.

Despite the intention to remain within the original footprint of the former bridge, the reality is that because of the proposed bridge’s enormity, the “airprint” will forever change the landscape and region. The new bridge will either positively brand our town as a welcoming community, or, as we fear based on the current EA report, permanently scar the historic neighborhoods and business district along the second oldest settlement site in the nation within the 22nd largest municipality in Massachusetts.

For this reason alone, I can confidently deem the findings of the Environmental Assessment report to be significantly flawed. As a community, we cannot accept these findings because such a pivotal document in the replacement project process fails to take into account the most important environmental impact any structure in existence ever has: its very sight and the permanent, unalterable effects that such a visual imprint will have on its surroundings forever.

Recognizing the obvious negative impact on the environment a vertical lift bridge would have on the area, the Weymouth Town Council voted unanimously in favor of rejecting any vertical lift styled bridge. The Weymouth Historical Commission adopted a near‐identical resolution and Weymouth Mayor Susan Kay also publicly wrote and spoke in support of a 200‐foot channel width that allows a bascule styled bridge over the Fore River Channel. In short, all local officials are in agreement that no one in Weymouth wants what is being proposed in order to accommodate what seems to be a small but influential group of commercial and maritime interests.

With a $250 million appropriation of the people’s money, it is critical to do what is in the best interest of everyone. An incremental increase in the channel width to 200 feet (from the existing 175 foot width) allows commercial and maritime interests greater flexibility in utilizing the port. The bigger bridge allows fewer openings than what previously existed and what the current structure accommodates. A bascule bridge over a 200‐foot channel also offers fewer openings and improved commute times. The design aspect is for the residents, the property owners and the taxpayers who reside at the base of the bridge. For this, a 200‐foot channel width allows for the construction of a lowimpact, bascule styled bridge that preserves the character of the community.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts entered into an agreement before the previous bridge was demolished, which called for an appropriate replacement. As a life‐long resident of North Weymouth, I can resolutely assure you that the proposed vertical lift bridge is wholly inappropriate and totally unacceptable. Simply put, we do not need a channel wider than the Panama Canal.

I understand the timetable under which the Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Coast Guard and MassDOT must operate in order to bring this project under the accelerated bridge program to fruition. However, in my experience as an elected official and prior to that as an aide in the state legislature, I am keenly aware of the notion that quality must trump expediency. The death of a young woman from the Central Artery/Tunnel Project of recent years aptly highlights what can happen when we rush to get a public works project done. In other words, things don’t have to be done right now, but they need to be done right.

On behalf of the 10,000 residents of North Weymouth, I urge the Federal Highway Administration to “do it right” and work toward a bascule styled bridge as the only acceptable structure in the Fore River Bridge replacement project.

Thank you in advance for your consideration of these comments offered with Best Regards,

Victor Pap

CC:

U.S. Senator Scott Brown
U.S. Senator John Kerry
U.S. Representative William Keating
Frank A. Tramontozzi, P.E., Chief Engineer

The North Weymouth Civic Association is a group of dedicated individuals working to improve the character of our community. John Peruzzi of Bradley Road currently serves as president with Sandra Gildea as vice-president of the 200+ member organization. North Weymouth is fortunate to have an infusion of young blood, led by Rebecca Haugh (pictured at the NWCA booth) to help spearhead the NWCA online presence.

Our municipal form of government began its transition from town meeting to a mayoral structure in 2001. What do you think of the charter changes?

Town Hall serves as the central administration for tax payments, municipal services and the decision-makin gin how best to serve our community. Town Council meetings typically take place on the first and third Mondays of each month and at every meeting, you have a passionate advocate who isn’t shy about ensuring our tax dollars are sepnt prudently and that, as a local body politic, we live within our means.

Victor Pap III, District 1 councilor for the town of Weymouth, is disappointed that officials are recommending the vertical lift design when so many residents would like to see the old drawbridge-style span return to the Fore River.

“I think some of us are disappointed with the recommendation by MassDOT and how it’s being presented to the public as a fait accompli,’’ said Pap. “Nobody wants to have a long commute time, but we’re the ones who have to live here and look at it.’’

“The rendering I saw made me cringe,’’ said Pap. “If you’re going toward it, you’re going to see a nice, historic, mainstream, aesthetically pleasing gateway to the South Shore, or you’re going to see Stanley Kubrick’s ‘2010.’ ’’ Pap said he was also concerned that the choice of bridge design appeared to be driven by the potential for widening the channel.

“We had a historic bridge here . . . and that was something that fits in with this historic area. You have Quincy, the City of Presidents, and Weymouth, one of the oldest communities in the country — why put something that looks like a futuristic vessel between the two? Just to allow extra barrels of oil to get across?’’

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