City officials and design consultants briefed residents and fielded questions regarding the future plans for Broadway’s renovations, along with concerns over the citywide rodent infestation problem. – Photo by Donald Norton

By Donald Norton

The Cross Street Community Center was filled on Monday night with residents and business owners alike from East Somerville to get an update on the roadwork and sidewalk renovations that will be done soon.

Design Consultant Daniel Chardrandi talked about the process of what was going to happen to the main section of Broadway and its sidewalks. The project will commence shortly, beginning at Sullivan Square then going up to MacArthur Street. Residents were told that the three year project would include the coordination of all the utility companies and MWRA working on updating Broadway, doing it once so that it is not torn up in pieces further down the road.

Residents and business owners filled the Cross Street Community Center for Monday’s East Broadway Streetscape construction meeting. – Photo by Donald Norton

The project, as explained to the area residents and business people, is going to be done in sections over the three years, in sections of approximately 100 feet each time of digging up and doing the renovations. Sidewalks in the end would in some places go from 9 feet out to 18 feet. Broadway would go down to one lane on each side, with a bicycle path as well.

The project will be dished out on the Design Consultants website in three week increments, explaining what is going to happen and how.

Questions by concerned residents over the infestation of rodents were posed, asking what was going to be done about it. DPW Commissioner Stan Koty acknowledged it is a big problem all over the city and that the city is paying to have the reported areas bated. He suggested that everyone should call the city and give information on where they see the rodents so the situation can be corrected. The city is responding as fast as they are notified.   Susan F, a Mt. Vernon resident, said when she sees them she calls 311 and the city does respond, and that the proposal for making Broadway into one lane is going to be a great thing for East Somerville when it is done. Other residents complained that this was a crazy idea. One or two businessmen expressed their opinion that one lane for Broadway was not a very good idea.