Lynn City Council News

Lynn City Council adds Hood Elementary School to list of the city’s education facilities slated to be improved

The Lynn City Council approved a bond authorization of $5.8 million for upgrades to the the Hood Elementary School at Tuesday night’s meeting.

The school, located on Oakwood Avenue, will get a new roof, windows and doors. Included in the authorization of the funds are not only the materials but also the design, installation and any other incidental costs related to the project.

By fixing these items, the Council hopes to extend the useful life of the Hood Elementary School.

By authorizing the bond for the Hood’s upgrades, the city may be eligible for a grant from the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) for up to 80 percent of the cost of the project. However, the Council cautioned at Tuesday’s meetings applying for an MSBA grant in no way guarantees the acceptance or  the  approval  of an application, the awarding of a grant or any other funding commitment  from the Building Authority. The MSBA’s grant program is a non-entitlement, discretionary  program based on need, as determined by the MSBA, and any costs the city incurs in excess of any grant approved by and received from the Building Authority will be the sole responsibility of the City of Lynn.

The authorizing of the bond is the Council’s latest move in upgrading some of the city’s aging school facilities.

In February the Council voted to authorize Lynn Superintendent Dr. Catherine Latham to submit a statement of interest for the Lynn Vocational Technical Institute Annex for emergency grant money or funding from the MSBA for an accelerated repair project for the school’s roof.

The city wants to replace the school’s old roof with a new EPDM (ethylene propylene diene terpolymer) with three inches of insulation.

At the same meeting, the Council voted unanimously to authorize Latham to submit a second statements of interest to the MSBA, seeking funds to build a new middle school that would replace the aging Pickering Middle School on Conomo Avenue.

With the Pickering bursting at the seams with around 650 students, Lynn is facing the same problem that some other surrounding cities and towns are facing–having more students than seats at local schools.

However, last year voters rejected the $200 million proposal 64 to 36 percent to have the city pay for the building of two new schools in Lynn to replace the Pickering. Now the city must turn to the MSBA for funds to get the project off the ground.

 

Lynn City Council approves 24-unit condo project

The Lynn City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve a petition to construct a 24-unit condo development on Western Avenue.

Developer Patrick McGrath is proposing to build a four-story, 24-unit building at 693 Western Ave. but first needed the Council to sign off on zoning relief because a residential building is a forbidden use in the zoned business district.

McGrath’s attorney, Paul Keating, said at Tuesday night’s meeting that his client will replace the dilapidated garage and adjacent residential home currently on the site with an attractive new development.

“The garage and residential building have been in a state of disrepair for many years,” said Kaeting.

Lynn resident Calvin Anderson said he liked the plan.

“I like the plan, I like the professionalism,” he said. “This is a diamond in the rough area and if this development is constructed in the same manner Mr. McGrath has done with some other projects in the past it will be a wonderful addition.”

Ward Six Councilor Peter Capano said the property in its current condition has been a problem for many a years and a source of complaints to his office from neighbors.

“He (Mr. McGrath) has satisfied all the requests we’ve asked for,” said Capano. “I sent out letters to the neighbors in the area and received no opposition to the project.”

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