Saugus Board Approves Wonder Restaurant, Raises Fees
Select Board · Meeting of July 14, 2026
Saugus residents demand answers as water bills spike into the thousands. Deborah and Michael Fossey told the Select Board they're holding three water bills totaling more than $15,000 across two properties, while Selectman Anthony Ciccolini said a constituent's bill jumped to nearly $192,000 from around $325. Town Manager Scott Crabtree said he would push the collector's office for updates and consult town counsel on capping disputed bills at historical usage.
The board also voted 5-0 to demand Beacon Hill audit the Legislature under Question 1, approved a common victualer license for the national "food hall" chain Wonder at the former Santoro's site over small-business objections, raised the special permit fee to $200 and the liquor transfer fee to $350, and adopted a $150 BYOB policy. Residents also pressed the board for nearly an hour over longstanding gridlock at Howard and Main streets, which they blame on a 2016 state signal change.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 4,180 words
Source: the Select Board meeting of July 14, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
Keep reading with a 30-day free trial
Subscribe to Saugus News to keep reading this post and get 30 days of free access to the full post archives.
Starting a trial requires a payment method. After 30 free days your subscription begins at the price shown at checkout and renews automatically until you cancel. You can cancel anytime from your account. Subscription terms
A subscription gets you:
- Subscriber-only posts and full archive
- Post comments and join the community
- 24x7 access to local news