one. Good morning. >> Uh, good morning. Welcome to the public facilities commission meeting. Before us this morning is the Boston Transportation Department. Sheamus. >> Good morning, commissioners, and thank you. My name is Sheamus Highland. I'm an assistant corporation counsel in the
city of Boston law department filling in today for um TT Lee who is the uh chief legal adviser for the public facilities commission. Uh this meeting is being recorded and broadcast live. Before we get started, I will ask Colleen Dailyaly, the public facilities
commission secretary to take a roll call of the meeting participants. >> Thank you. >> Colleen, if you would conduct the roll call. >> So sorry. Thank you, Sheamus. Please unmute your device and confirm your presence when I call your name. Beginning roll call with the commission. Larry Mamole, commissioner,
>> present. >> Donald Wright, commissioner, >> present. >> Sheamus Highland, assistant corp counsel, PFD law department. >> Katherine Pendleton, article clerk, >> present. >> Vetta Pennyova, parallegal, >> present.
>> Next with the Boston Transportation Department, Vinnie Gupta, director of policy and planning, Boston Streets. >> Present. Charlotte Fleetwood, senior planner, Boston Streets, >> present. >> And Melissa Ryan, project manager, planning and permitting department,
AECOM, >> present. >> Thank you. And this concludes roll call. >> Thank you, Colleen. The first order of business before you this morning, commissioners, concerns of draft meeting minutes for the November uh the minutes
for the November 19th, 2025 public facilities department and Mayor's Office of Housing meetings. Is there a motion to approve these minutes via roll call? >> Uh motion to approve via roll call. >> Certain. >> Thank you. Commissioners, when I call your name, please uh note your vote for
the record. Commissioner Mimolei, >> yes. >> Commissioner Wright, >> yes. Thank you. >> Thank you. The meeting minutes for the November 19th, 2025 PFD and MO meetings are hereby approved. Um now to begin the
agenda this morning, we have Venet Gupta, director of policy and planning at Boston Streets. Uh BTD has one vote request on the agenda today. I will read the vote on the agenda uh followed and there will be a presentation following by the named individual. At the
conclusion of the vote presentation, the commission may make a motion to take a vote via roll call. If that motion is approved, um clerk daily, the PFC secretary, will conduct a roll call for each commissioner's vote on the record. Vote number one is being presented by
Charlotte Fleetwood, senior planner, Boston Streets, and Melissa Ryan, project manager, planning and permitting department, AECOM. Vote number one is a request for an order of taking for permanent and temporary easements
located on Walnut Avenue at Ruth Vin Street, Westminster Avenue, and Cobden Street, Crawford Street at Wholeworthy Street, Monroe Street at Humboldt Avenue, all in Roxberry for the Ellis Elementary Safe Roots to School project.
Charlotte and Melissa, if you would please present vote number one. Um, thank you for the opportunity to present this project. Um, it does the PFC staff have the presentation or should I share my version?
>> We have it. Okay, thank you. Um, so so the Ellis Safe Roots to School project is a a project that uh the city received a grant from Mass DOT to do traffic calming in the vicinity of the
Ellis school. But one of the reasons that they selected this grant is because there are quite a few uh schools in the area. So there's also the Higginson Elementary School. There's the Troder Elementary School, uh Boston Latin Academy, Bridge Boston School. So
there's a lot of youth and students uh who walk on these streets on their way to and from school every day. Uh so this particular project addresses six intersections as shown in red on this plan. And what we're doing is is traffic calming. So sort of standard traffic
calming techniques. If um if you wouldn't mind going to the next slide, we can go through them quickly one by one. Um so at Ruven and Walnut A, we're anticipating a um a raised intersection and this will uh vehicles will need to
slow down as they approach Ruthman Street. Similarly, um Westminster Avenue, a raised intersection, and both of those also have curb extensions. So, we'll be able to create better, more directional and accessible crosswalks in
these locations. Uh next slide, please. Um similarly, Walnut A and Copton Street. Um two raised crosswalks in this one. And then the next slide, please. uh the intersection of Walnut A and
Crawford Street. So, there'll be some curb extensions uh to tighten up the intersection, reduce the distance of the crosswalks, and and make the crossings uh just generally safer and more accessible. Next slide, please.
Abbottzford and Crawford Street, we'll be doing a curb extension with a rain garden in the center. Uh the office of green infrastructure will maintain the rain garden and this will create a much shorter crossing across Crawford Street or or across Abbottzford Street and it
will also slow drivers who right now can Abbottzford is a one-way street. Crawford is also a one-way street. So the people approaching Crawford can make that turn very quickly. Right now it's almost like a highway ramp. So, this will force drivers to slow down and be
able to see pedestrians crossing the street. Next slide, please. And then the last one is at Humbult and Monroe. Humbult Avenue in Monroe. There is a bus stop in this location. There was tragically a child who was killed um with their when
they were crossing the street with in their mother's arms. Um so, this this is a very um it's an important location. There's a lot of students who actually cross in at both sides of the intersection. Right now, there's only a crosswalk on the sort of page left side. So, we'd be adding an additional
crosswalk, but making that priority crosswalk on the left, which leads to the bus stop raised. Um, so with that, I'll turn it over to Melissa to talk about the rightway needs for this project. >> Thanks, Charlotte. Um before we get into
the individual easements, I'll give you an overview of the process we've um we've taken we've gone through. We started this project um in the beginning of this year and in order to facilitate the construction that Charlotte just described, uh we need to acquire eight
permanent easements and 21 temporary construction easements. Those easements are over 17 privatelyowned parcels and two parcels owned by the city of Boston through the mayor's office of housing uh department and the uh Boston public
schools. Permanent easements uh will bring back of sidewalk into the city layout so the public can pass and repass um on a uniform and standard sidewalk width. Temporary construction easements will
facilitate the construction um giving the contractor access to do that construction work in front of the property owner's uh property limit and then also to grade and loan seed as a result of the uh sidewalk
reconstruction. And this the intent of the um work in on the temporary construction areas easement areas is to return the property to the to the um current conditions today. So the pro this project is funded
through mass DOT with federal funds and as such we need to um adhere to the federal requirements and regulations under the uniform act and also the state requirements through the processes established by the mass DOT rightaway um
bureau. These processes require us to um acquire these easements via eminent domain and we it has established a standard outreach process that we've engaged in. Our outreach process cons consists of
multiple um contacts via phone mailings, email and in person. The first mailing that we sent out and all mailings are sent out via certified mail return receipt requested was the introduction package. The introduction package um introduced the project to the
property owner, sent them the plans, and gave them the federal aid acquisition guide, which outlined the property owner's rights under the federal regulations and the state guidelines through Mass Dot. After the introduction package, we
engaged uh two appraisers. We had a certified uh general appraiser appraise the easement areas and then we had a second certified general appraiser review the first appraisers work and they both came to concurrence on the amount of offer
as a next level of uh review. The city of Austin assessing department has also uh reviewed the appraisals and concurred with just compensation amount. And then after the appraisal process was done, we mailed out the offer packages
um which explained the easement values um for each easement, gave them an overview of the process that we did and also included a summary report from the appraiser um by way of the just compensation report. So to date we have 11 sign offs uh from
property owners and I can go over these uh easements now. So, here is the first one, 346 Wet Street. Um, this is a permanent easement E1 and this area is needed to be brought
into the city street layout. Next slide. Across the street here at 31 Fel Hilton Terrace. Um the contractor will reconstruct the sidewalk but need access to um the private property's land private property owner's land to
facilitate grading and loan and seat. Next slide at three Hilton Terrace. This is a very small back of sidewalk temporary easement. Um the contractor will need access to this this area to facilitate sidewalk reconstruction.
Next slide. This is here across the street. Um this very small area um shown in yellow is E is the area of E2 U permanent easement. We are bringing this area into the street layout. Um this is the area that is needed for the curb
ramp. Next slide here at 297 to 297A Walnut Avenue. Um E3 again back of sidewalk area that is being brought into the city street layout.
The second, next slide. The second easement at this location um is for grading and lman and seed. The contractor will be reconstructing the sidewalk right up to the property owner's um property line and then we'll
need to step on the property and then they will um regrade it and low and see bringing it back to existing conditions. Next slide. At the next property here at 291 Walnut A, um the sidewalk will be reconstructed
and this will require the contractor to remove the fence or portions of the fence and then they will have to regrade and lo and see. Next slide at 275 Walnut Avenue. This is the
property that's in the care and custody of Mayor's Office of Housing. Um, right at the back of the sidewalk. This area is bringing being brought into the city street layout. Next slide. This is the adjacent property. Again,
the back of sidewalk being brought into the city street layout. And then next slide. The next the second easement is a temporary easement. And this small area is required so that the contractor can step on this area and facilitate the
sidewalk reconstruction. The next property is on Harishhoff Street owned by the U. City of Boston through the school department. Um again, there's two easements here. One for uh permanent easement bringing the back of sidewalk into this the city's control. And then
the next slide shows the temporary easement, which is a very small area just giving the contractor the right to step on the private property to facilitate sidewalk reconstruction. Next slide. 286 Walnut Avenue. It has two temporary
easements. Temporary easements are required for access to facilitate the sidewalk reconstruction and that post removal. So you can see here TE19. And then the next slide shows around the corner TE20. Next slide.
There's TE20. These are all relatively small silver easements. Um, next next slide. This is 163 to 165 Crawford Street. The first easement here is a permanent easement. Again, bringing the back of
sidewalk into the city street layout, but also in the lower leftand corner, you can see that little triangular area um, which is also needed for the curb ramp that's right in front of that. Next slide. So the next three slides show the four temporary easements that
are in front of this private property. Um just giving the contractor the right to step on the private property to facilitate the sidewalk reconstruction. So here's one TE5. Next slide. TE16 and
17. And the next slide is TE8. Okay. Next slide please. Thank you. 71 to 73 Humbult Avenue. Uh this is a temporary easement to to facilitate um sidewalk reconstruction. As a result of reconstructing the sidewalk, the
contractor will need to regrade um and then lo and see this this area of private property. Next slide. At 62 Monroe Street, there's two easements. permanent easement which is a very small triangular area of this back of sidewalk that um will be brought into
the city layout. And then next slide shows the temporary easement. Um again because of the sidewalk reconstruction the contractor will need to um access this area to facilitate the construction. The fence will not be removed.
Um the next slide please. at 67 Humble Dav. Um, again, area of a permanent easement that's being brought into the city sidewalk and street layout. And then to the next slide shows the other area of the building where the
contractor will need access to to construct this new sidewalk. Next slide. 65 Humble Avenue. And then actually the next three slides 63 and 61 um all are
four side rock reconstruction and facilitating grading and lmancy and that is actually the same for 59 on the next slide as well. And the last property is 40 to 54 Hazelwood Court. uh two
easements a temporary easement TE6 um this is for grading LMAN seed and then the sidewalk reconstruction and the next slide shows TE24 which is for access for facilitating sidewalk reconstruction
I don't think I mentioned that was the last of those of the property um slides I don't think I mentioned that the temporary easements are taken for 5 years period of 5 years which allows for the contractor to um schedule his work and complete it in a in a time that um
aligns with the easements so that we don't have to go back to the property owner and request an extension of these easements. That concludes my uh my overview for you guys. If you have any questions, we'd be happy to to answer them for you. >> Uh my compliments, you managed to avoid
every single wall. >> Yep. >> In the entire design process. So, uh, >> good job. >> Thank you. >> Other than that, I don't have, uh, any questions. This seems straightforward for this project. Uh, Commissioner, >> no, just want to commend you guys. Uh,
great presentation. Uh, very thorough. I do have a question around 291. I did notice a tree on that site. You did mention that there was going to be the fence removal. Um, is there a thought or any ideas around salvaging that tree um
for that uh tree canopy on that homeowner site? You may not be able to speak to that now, but I did want there was a robust tree on that site that I just had a little concern with removing. >> Sure. Um, I'd have to look at the look at the rightway plans um to answer that
question and we can get get back to you. I I think I can answer it though because I think um there was a question about accessibility around the tree route and the designer was going to use a flexible pavement to make sure that we have what
we need and that we can do our best to protect the tree. So our our aim is to protect the tree and I think we would just be impacting it um on the part that encroaches on this city's sidewalk. >> Thank you sir. Commission.
>> Um, the motion to approve via roll call. >> When I call your name, can you please note your vote for the record? Commissioner Mimolei. >> Yes. >> Commissioner Wright. >> Yes. >> I'm sorry. I just need to double check
to see if uh in Okay, thank you. >> Okay. Uh, vote number one is hereby approved. And this concludes the Boston Transportation Department's agenda for today's meeting. Um, is there any further business or is there a motion to
adjourn this portion of the meeting? >> Motion to adjourn this portion of the meeting. >> Second. >> Thank you very much. >> I wanted to add my thanks as well to well, Commissioners Maholi and Commissioners Wright. Uh, good to see
you guys. Thanks so much. >> Good to see you as well. You talking about three oldtimes? >> Yeah. I suddenly realized that there were three oldtimes running the show. >> Good luck to see you around. >> This portion is is hereby adjourned.
Thank you. >> Take care, guys. >> Bye now. >> Thank you.