Billerica Police | MA

Story by Evan Lips elips@lowellsun.com

Lowell Sun News – Imagine a town center where you didn’t have to turn south on Concord Road to head north on Boston Road.

A town center with two-way traffic on Boston Road, a sidewalk linking the common to the Shops at Billerica and a traffic pattern with three sets of signals instead of seven.

Selectmen asked a Rhode Island engineering firm to come up with a few new concepts for the future of the town center, and last night they got a good look.

The board voted unanimously to send one of the two conceptual designs to the Traffic Management Committee, which will begin hosting public discussion forums later this winter. The Historic Districts Commission will also have a say.

The concept calls for turning the section of Concord Road between Blanchard Avenue and Andover Road into a one-way, northbound road with about 25 parking spaces abutting the common and a raised crosswalk in front of the library. Andover Road would have a dedicated left-turn lane for traffic to head south on Boston Road.

Kien Ho, a Beta Group traffic engineer, said the proposal “simplifies the volume of traffic into one main line,” Boston Road.

Beta Group Associate Darshan Jhaveri said the changes would make the common as accessible as it is during the Christmas-tree lighting while also improving traffic. But the plan would also reduce the number of parking spaces on Boston Road from about 15 to about seven.

Turning the concept into reality won’t be cheap. Town Manager John Curran said last night that initial estimates call for about $14 million. But he added that these are the types of projects that can be completed by towns with level debt. Last fall, Town Meeting voted to transfer $1.4 million in free cash to the town’s debt stabilization fund.

Curran said the fund “helps preserve the tax rate the way it is” and noted that between $2 and $4 million could be available from the state’s MassWorks Infrastructure Program. Improving the town center, he added, will also “add value to the whole area.”

The Traffic Management Committee will meet Monday at 7 p.m. to review the design, but public hearings have not yet been scheduled.

Billerica Police are investigating a breaking and entering of the Vining School on 1/28/12.  A custodian responded to the school as a result of an alarm.  While checking the school he observed a white male, early 30’s, 5’8”, approx. 170 lbs, short brown hair, clean shaven, wearing a red winter coat, khaki pants and red backpack. The suspect claimed that he worked for Comcast.

It was later discovered that two HP laptop computers were missing.  The suspect may have been operating a plum colored Jeep Cherokee.  Below are some pictures of the suspect.  If you think you recognize the suspect based on the clothing, etc, please call BPD detectives at 978-667-1212.

On 1/28/12 at approximately 8am Billerica Police received a call from a resident on Andover Rd stating that they had observed a green Ford Ranger pickup truck drive up to a neighbors home.  The caller stated that the vehicle left and was loaded with equipment and scrap metal.

Before calling the police the witness called the neighbor to advise him that someone was at their home and left with a truck full of equipment and metal. The victim was able to get in a vehicle and follow the green pickup towards Wilmington where he was able to get the suspects to stop. Because the pickup was so overloaded the victim was unable to see the registration plate.

Officer’s William Conners, Brian West, Don Boulette and Detective Glen Magnan arrived and assisted the return of the property to Andover Rd.  During the brief investigation the suspects claimed that they thought the items they took were just “scrap” metal.  In addition to some steel plate and scrap that was stolen, the suspects also helped themselves to a Bobcat auger attachment valued at $4000.

Scott M. Maga of 215 Salem Rd and his son, Michael Maga, of the same address were both arrested for felony larceny.  It should be noted that Scott Maga was also arrested in April 2011 by Sergeant Steven Elmore.  Sgt Elmore observed Maga driving his green Ford Ranger down Boston Rd with an overweight load of steel that had been stolen from the Boston & Maine Railroad located at Iron Horse Park in N. Billerica.