Committee seeks details, business notifications for Essex Street paving and sidewalk work; forwards item to full council

The Lawrence Budget and Finance Committee requested more detailed planning information and directed the Department of Public Works (DPW) to notify downtown business owners about a proposed pavement-marking and sidewalk project on Essex Street, and forwarded the item to the full City Council with a favorable recommendation.

Oliver Aguilar, city engineer, said the funds would be used for pavement markings and related downtown work, and described the project as paving Essex Street from South Union to Winter Street with sidewalk repairs, pavement markings, sign replacement and select tree work. “We’re gonna use those funds to, do, pavement markings,” Aguilar said when introducing the item and listing planned work.

Committee members pressed for a clear scope, schedule and business-notification plan because of potential construction impacts during peak business season. Councilors asked DPW to provide a detailed project scope, a timeline or stage-specific time frames and advance communication to business owners so merchants can prepare for possible daytime disruptions. The engineer said planning was ongoing and that the work could start as soon as June but that the schedule remained tentative.

Members sought clarity on the extent of sidewalk replacement; DPW staff said the work would focus on damaged segments and estimated that roughly 10% of the sidewalks in the project area might be replaced, not a full-street removal. Committee members asked that DPW consider conducting the bulk of disruptive work after typical business hours where feasible and to provide a written plan so councilors can answer constituent questions.

The committee approved three related actions on roll calls: a motion requesting DPW provide project planning information to the council and committee; a motion that DPW send correspondence to business owners once the scope and timeframe are defined; and a motion to forward the expenditure authorization and project item to the full City Council with a favorable recommendation. The recorded yes votes on the roll calls included Councilor Wendy Luzon, City Council President Giovanni Rodriguez, and Vice Chair Vivian Marmol; each motion passed.

The authorization on the agenda was described as $54,932.7 from the Commonwealth Transportation Infrastructure Enhancement Fund. Committee members asked DPW to deliver the requested materials to committee staff and to coordinate direct notices to affected businesses between Union Street and Winter Street. The item will appear on the full council docket with the committee’s recommendation.