Melrose Board Clears Path for $305,000 Dam and Bridge Design Contract

MELROSE — December 13, 2019 — Melrose Select Board advances $305,000 Rock Arch Rapids engineering contract and clears Church of St. Mary demolition review. The board directed staff to return January 16 with a county cost-share agreement and formal contract with engineering firm WSB for design of the dam rehabilitation, channel realignment, and bridge replacement project, with WSB proposing a fee of $305,000. The board informally backed a 12-foot trail width on the east side of the new bridge — roughly $250,000 more than the standard option — to preserve eligibility for future state trail and park grants. The board also unanimously issued a negative declaration on the need for a full Environmental Impact Statement for demolition of the fire-damaged Church of St. Mary, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, removing a procedural barrier to salvage of the building's historic stained-glass windows. The city's total 2020 tax levy was held at $1,380,000, with the estimated tax rate falling from 62.43 percent to approximately 58 percent as the 2011 bond — carrying a $190,000 remaining balance — heads to final payoff in February.