Fitchburg outlines Belmar, Tower Hill water‑main and storm‑sewer work; city says no homeowner assessment

City of Fitchburg public‑works staff on Monday laid out a schedule and neighborhood impacts for a water‑main replacement and limited storm‑sewer capacity project affecting the Belmar and Tower Hill neighborhoods, and said the city will not levy a special assessment on homeowners for the work.

"They're gonna be looking to start ... on May 26 in the Belmar neighborhood," said Ben Scholte, who introduced himself as the city environmental engineer. The project has two parts: stormwater improvements at the Red Arrow Trail/Crescent Road intersection to reduce recurring flooding on Crescent Road, and replacements of aging water mains and service lines in Belmar and later in Tower Hill.

The water‑main work in Belmar covers Crescent Road (Equity Lane to Red Arrow Trail) and Sentinel Pass (Red Arrow Trail to Apache Drive); the Tower Hill scope includes Barber Drive, Lyman Lane, Floran Drive and Tower Hill Drive. Staff showed plan maps and described staging; Foss said the contractor plans to sequence work through Tower Hill starting on Barbara, then Lyman, Floran and Tower Hill, though the order could change with crew availability.

Residents should expect roadway closures to through traffic but local access will be maintained, Scholte said. Where a property's water service runs under a driveway, the contractor will remove and replace the driveway apron to match existing materials. "You'll have access at the end of each working day," Scholte said, and contractors are required to provide 48‑hour door‑hanger notice before planned shutoffs except in emergencies.

Tracy Foss, assistant director of public works, described service interruptions as largely predictable: "We would anticipate 3 shutoffs for each of the affected properties," she said — one to connect the new main to the old, one at the far side connection and a third to install each service — while emphasizing that unforeseen conditions could require more.

Staff said trash and recycling collection should continue and crews will move carts as needed, and that mail delivery should remain normal though temporary mailboxes could be installed if a mailbox must be moved for construction. The project team advised residents to remove plantings and landscaping within about 15 feet of curb stops to avoid damage during terrace excavation.

Schedule targets given by staff call for a May 26 start in Belmar with utility work in that neighborhood expected to be complete by early July (weather permitting); Tower Hill water‑main work is being targeted to begin late June and finish by the contract completion date of Sept. 1. Street resurfacing will be performed by a separate paving contractor and all work, including paving, is required to be complete by Oct. 31 under the paving contract.

On funding, Scholte said there will not be a special assessment against homeowners for the project. "There will not be a, special assessment as part of this project," he said, adding that water‑main replacements are handled through utility rates and that storm‑sewer work is funded by stormwater utility fees and some grants.

Plans and the presentation will be posted to the city's project web page (a QR code and link were provided during the briefing), and staff left business cards for follow‑up questions. Foss named Zach Landry as the city contact for the repaving contract once utility work is complete.

The meeting closed with staff inviting residents to review printed plan sets and discuss property‑specific questions one‑on‑one.