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Methuen mayor outlines $12.5M capital plan, announces Searls Estate resident tours and housing-choice designation
Summary
Mayor DJ Borrega presented a $12.5 million fiscal 2026 capital improvement plan focused on roads, parks and public-safety equipment; he also announced public tours of the Searls Estate for Methuen residents and said the city earned the Commonwealth's Housing Choice designation that unlocks competitive grants.
Mayor DJ Borrega used the Aug. 4 Methuen City Council meeting to walk the council through a proposed $12.5 million capital improvement plan and to announce several community initiatives. The CIP, he said, prioritizes roads and sidewalks, safety improvements at intersections, park renovations including Forest Lake, LED field lighting upgrades and modernization of water, sewer and IT infrastructure.
The mayor described new public-safety investments in the plan: replacement ambulances, renewed body-worn camera and taser programs, license-plate readers and the next phase of a citywide camera system. He also said the city will replace aging fire-alarm systems and classroom carpeting in school buildings and is planning to buy a generator so the senior center can serve as an emergency warming center.
Borrega announced that Methuen has been designated a Housing Choice community by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, a status he called a gateway to capital grants for infrastructure that supports housing growth, Complete Streets funding and community planning grants. He said the designation recognizes recent housing production and will strengthen the city's ability to compete for state programs.
On a high-profile property issue, the mayor outlined plans for public guided tours of the Searls Estate on Aug. 16 limited to current Methuen residents. He acknowledged the 19th-century property is not ADA-compliant, warning that interior access will include stairs and long corridors, and said preregistration and liability waivers are required. The city will staff the event with volunteers, on-site police presence and traffic control; the mayor said a later date for nonresidents could be considered if demand warrants.
Why it matters: The CIP sets the city's near-term infrastructure priorities, and the Housing Choice designation expands grant opportunities that could reduce the local share of future projects. The Searls Estate tour is the first step toward a public-facing disposition process; councilors pressed for transparency about the RFP and preservation safeguards that legal staff said are being finalized.
What's next: The mayor said the CIP will be on the council agenda for deliberation, and the final Searls Estate RFP and preservation language will return to the council after legal review.
