Posted on September 20, 2016
By Taylor Rapalyea, The Salem News
The plan to dredge Crystal Lake has been decades in the making, and on Thursday night it took another step forward.
Peabody City Council voted to approve a $2 million appropriation to dredge the West Peabody lake and part of Elginwood Pond. According to the project description, roughly 51,500 cubic yards, or 7.8 acres of sediment will be dredged from Crystal Lake to a maximum depth of 8 feet via dry mechanical dredging.
Mayor Ted Bettencourt’s letter to the council said the estimated cost of the project is between $3.5 and $4 million, and the city has around $2.2 million in funding on hand reserved for the lake. The appropriation will allow for a November start date on the project, and Bettencourt estimated that the city could collect $1.65 million in landfill fees.
The sediment will then be excavated and hauled to the Peabody landfill, a licensed facility for reuse or disposal. The project also includes a “small public park area” next to the intersection of Lowell Street and Crystal Drive. The park includes a new footpath and overlook on the south side of Crystal Lake.
The project will also replace five existing catch basins with deep sump catch basins along Lowell Street upstream of Crystal Lake, and a new fountain would be installed. The fountain will be an aesthetic piece, as well as a means to aerate the water, according to the project description.
The description also notes that the project will be publicly bid, and the final dredging volume and footprint will be established by the price of the winning bid. The dredging will open the lake up to public use.
There was no presentation on the project at Thursday night’s council meeting, but the councilors present voted unanimously to appropriate the money. Councilors Barry Sinewitz and James Moutsoulas were not present during the vote.
Source: The Salem News
