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FAll 2001 Currents

Editorial: MDC Purchase of Wiley Street Property is a Winning Solution MDC Commissioner David Balfour, Representative Cresta, and Senator Richard Tisei at Wiley Street, September 2001. The recent announcement that the Metropolitan District Commission will acquire 6.2 acres of land on Wiley Street from developer David Barrett is great news for both the environment and the neighborhood. At the urging of Senator Richard Tisei and Representative Brian Cresta, Executive Office of Environmental Affairs Secretary Bob Durand and MDC Commissioner David Balfour successfully negotiated a deal with the developer to ensure that this land owned by Cyrus Cunningham be purchased by the MDC for conservation and public access. According to the deal, the house will be redeveloped and sold, and public access to the 6.2 acres of protected open space will be maintained. The long-term positive results of this deal include: A valuable buffer zone to the Mill River will be preserved, protecting this tributary of the Saugus River from potential increased stormwater pollution associated with the proposed development of the property. Habitat for mammals, birds, and fish that currently feed, live and migrate in this natural area along the Mill River will be preserved. A 6.2 acre parcel of open space adjacent to the MDC’s Breakheart Reservation will be preserved as open space, protecting important wildlife corridors and expanding a broader area that is already available for passive public recreation. Wiley Street neighbors who are already burdened by flooding will not have to deal with increased flooding (and associated public health risks and expenses) that would have been caused by development of the site into 12 residential lots. Flooding in this vicinity has already caused erosion to the banks of the Mill and Saugus Rivers. Preserving this open space will protect the downstream environment from increased erosion and associated habitat degradation. Rich archeological resources at this site, which had been previously identified by the MDC as a known prehistoric site, will be left undisturbed by development. Sincere thanks are owed to Senator Tisei, Representative Cresta, EOEA Secretary Bob Durand, MDC Commissioner Balfour, and MDC staff Tom Gray and Jim Comeau, for having the tenacity and foresight to negotiate this difficult deal. Thanks also go to the neighbors who helped make this issue a priority for their public officials. Their collective efforts made this winning solution a reality. Joan LeBlanc, Executive Director Saugus River Watershed Council

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