Town Looks to Remove Unsafe Structure on Grandview Avenue

By Transcript Staff

The town is working on taking down an unsafe structure at 242 and 244 Grandview Avenue, according to Town Manager Tony Marino.

“This is an old wooden pier/bulkhead structure that is in disrepair,” Marino stated in his report to the town council this week. “We have also asked for surveyed plans to be made for these two parcels so we can determine who owns the structure.”

In addition, Marino said the town is also working on getting plans and pricing for a rip-rap option to be installed to stop any erosion that is occurring in front of the two homes at those addresses.

“Installing any rip-rap structure will require local approval from our Conservation Commission and DEP,” said Marino.

In other news, Marino said he and Martin Pillsbury from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC),  met with the town council’s public safety subcommittee to review the town’s jazard mitigation plan.

“We answered questions and reviewed changes that Martin was going to make to the plan,” said Marino. “We look forward to the Town Council adopting this plan at this (Tuesday’s) meeting so we can have an opportunity to apply for Federal Climate Resilience Grants.”

Marino said the FY27 Water Rate presentation is on the town’s website for review by residents.

“The new water rate starting on July 1, 2026, will be $27.69, which is a $0.85 increase over the FY26 rate of $26.84,” Marino said. “The yearly increase in the MWRA Assessment, as well as our previously approved Capital projects, accounts for most of the increase.”

In other updates regarding townwide billing, Marino said the FY27 trash bills for half of the trash fee have gone out.

“The cost has increased to $210 per unit per year, up from last year’s $190,” Marino said. “We prepared and included a one-page explanation of the increase in the trash fee with this round of bills.”

Finally, the town manager said the town has its bonding call with Standard & Poor’s coming up so that the town can go out to the market to bond the money it needs for the new fire station construction project, as well as a few water main and infrastructure projects.

“We are currently rated as AA+, and we look forward to meeting with the bonding agencies,” Marino stated.

The bid documents for the fire station project are now out, he added. “This is an exciting next step as we are getting ready to start construction starting in early September,” Marino said. “The pre-bid walkthrough for interested bidders was held on July 7, 2026, and the filed sub-bids were submitted on July 29th and were in line with our construction design estimates. We look forward to the General Contractor bids that are due on August 12, 2026.”