Okay, good morning. My name is Nick Gove, interimm chief of streets uh and chair of the public improvement commission. I call to order the public improvement commission hearing of February 26th, 2026. Uh Mr. Lyman, can you please take a roll call? >> Certainly. Would the representative from
the public works department please state their name for the record? >> Nick go inter chief of streets. >> Thank you. >> Property management department please do the same. Joseph Callahan, >> Transportation Department,
>> recording, >> inspectional services department, >> Brian Ronin, >> Water and Sewer Commission, >> Denise Devlin, >> and Commission for Persons with Disabilities,
>> Sarah Leon. >> Full quarum. All yours. Great. All right, we're going to start with uh hearing minutes at the request of the public improvement commission staff acceptance of the minutes of the PIC hearing uh which was held on February
12th, 2026. >> I'll make a motion to accept the minutes of February 12th, 2026. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I >> I. >> Any opposed or abstain?
Hearing none. So moved. Okay. Uh moving on to uh uh public hearing. Um first item on the agenda. Public hearing agenda number one on a petition by 1599 Columbus LLC for the
discontinuence of any and all rights to travel the public way. Uh the public may have had within a pedestrian easement adjacent to Amory Street. Armory Street public way. Roxbury located on its easterly side at the rear of 1599 Columbus a generally south of Brewery
Lane in Armor Amory Street connector. Um as shown on a plan entitled City of Boston Public Works Department engineering division pedestrian easement discontinuence plan Amory Street 1599 Columbus a Roxbury one sheet dated February 18th 2026.
>> Good morning Mr. Chairman. Steven Ventresco with Nich Engineering. Good morning members of the commission. um start with the discontinuence for $15.99 stated and I will try to share my screen. Yes, here we are. Um just for context,
Jackson Square uh is here and our site is here and the blue line is showing where the um discontinuence is proposed um as shown on the plan here in the blue. Uh and you can see there was some encroachments from construction. Um, so we're looking to remove this uh
pedestrian easement and uh we'll create the new one. So that's our plan. Um, if you have any questions, happy to entertain them. >> Great. Thank you. Any questions or comments from the commission? How about PIC staff or members of the
public? I will take this opportunity to remind the public if you wish to ask questions or add testimony to any particular agenda item, we ask that you please use the raised hand function which can be found at the bottom of your screen at the reactions tab. I am not seeing any
raised hands at the moment and PS staff is all set on this action item. >> Great. Is two weeks enough time or I'm sorry, no. Uh, any other questions from members of the commission? Do I hear a motion?
>> I'll make a motion to approve a petition by 1599 Columbus LLC for discontinuence in Amber Street is read to the record by the chair. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed or abstain? Hearing none, so move. Thank you.
>> Thank you. >> Okay. Public hearing uh agenda item number two um on a petition um by 1599 Columbus LLC for the acceptance of a pedestrian easement adjacent to Emory Street Public Way in Roxbury located on its easterly side at the rear of 1599
Columbus A generally south of Brewery Lane Emory Street connector as shown on a plan entitled City of Boston Public Works Department Engineering Division Pedestrian Eastman Plan Eorry Street 1599 Columbus A in Roxbury one sheet dated February 18th 2026 Back to the
proponent. >> Morning again. Steven Ventresco with Nich Engineering. Uh following up on uh the discontinuence, we are now proposing a new pedestrian easement uh which is shown here in red. Um we've had numerous discussions with disabilities um with
the PIC office. Um we were asked to provide planters which are shown here on either side of the stairs uh which are provided and um and here is the final easement uh in conformance with what was constructed. Um any questions? Happy to
entertain them. >> Thank you. Any questions or comments from commissioners? >> Hearing none. How about members of the public or PIC staff? All set on this. We have a motion. >> I'll make a motion to approve a petition
by 1599 Columbus LLC for the acceptance of the pedestrian easement in Emer Street is written under the record by the chair. >> Second. All in favor? >> I >> I. >> Any opposed or abstained? Hearing none. So move. Thank you. >> Thank you so much. Have a good day.
Public hearing agenda item number three on a petition by Verizon New England Incorporated for the rental of City Shadow to install new telecommunication fiber in an existing conduit within the North Washington Street Bridge uh Boston proper and Charles Town located on the
Bill Russell Bridge generally between Causeway Street and Chelsea Street as shown on a set of plans entitled City of Boston Public Works Department of Engineering Division City Shadow Rental Plan uh Verizon North Washington Street, Bill Russell Bridge, two sheets dated
February 2026. >> Yes. Good morning. Uh Ross Belanu representing Verizon New England. Um again, we're just looking to place fiber across some ducks that were replaced over the uh Bill Russell Bridge as a
part of Mass DOT project number B-16-016 uh bridge replacement. So, um, go to my plan here. Our existing tie-in point with the six conduits placed by Mass DOT as a part of the the bridge project.
Uh, onto the next sheet here over the bridge and down to our existing tie-in point pull box. Um again, these condos were replaced as a part of the bridge project and we're just looking to put our fiber back in um as a part of
the overall project. >> Great. Thank you. Um any question comments from the commission? >> I'll just note that we are waving this cost based on them facilitating this um run over the bridge in the first place. Thank you, Amy.
>> Any other questions, comments from commissioners, >> about members of the public or PIC staff? >> Um, I'll set the project team jumped through a couple hoops to update their plans and we appreciate that at the last minute.
>> Okay. Do I have a motion? I'll make a motion to approve a petition by Verizon New England for the rental of City Shadow on the North Washington Street bridges read by the chair. >> Second. All in favor? >> I post abstain.
Hearing none so moved. Okay. Uh hearing agenda item number four uh also Verizon on a petition by Verizon New England Incorporated for a grant of location um with lead company status and no participants to install new telecommunication conduit within City
Shadow uh with City Shadow within the following public ways in East Boston, Orlean Street from Porter Southwesterly to address number 172 in Porter Street at Orle Street as shown on a set of plans entitled City of Boston Public Works Department Engineering Division.
Brand of location plan, Verizon, 172 Orleans Street, Porter Street, two sheets dated December 2025. Yes. Good morning. Once again, Ross Bill representing Verizon, New England. Um, know already I have my plan up here.
Uh looking at place one conduit to 172 Orleans Street, silent from our existing mainh hall 19 over 88 at the corner of Porter and Orleans with City Shadow to my second page here.
Sorry about that. down Orleans to number 172 where we'll be handing off to the private property at the private property line. Again, this is to get fiber services to that property. Any questions or comments from the
commission? How about the staff or members of the public? All >> set. I have a motion. >> Make a motion to approve a petition by Verizon New England for a grand location in New Orleans Street and Porter Street as read by the chair. >> Second.
>> All in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed or abstained? Hearing none. So moved. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Agenda item number five on a petition by Fox Rock 176 Federal Realy
LLC for the granting of a sidewalk cafe license for seasonally reoccurring outdoor seating within Federal Street Public Way on Boston proper located on its easterly side at address number 176 generally between Purchase Street and High Street as shown on a set of plans
entitled City of Boston Public Works Department Engineering Division sidewalk seating 175 Federal Street Tradesmen in Boston. Two sheets dated February 2nd, 2026. Hand it over to the proponent. >> Good good morning, Mr. Chairman, members
of the commission and pick staff. This is Mike Ross, principal bell on behalf of the petitioner. Um, this is a petition to have a seasonal private cafe uh seasonal cafe uh at 176
Federal Street from the Federal Street Extension, which is a pedestrian way um at the corner of Purchase Street and Federal Street uh within a building that's owned by Fox Rock with a uh
tenant that is um tradesman uh restaurant and this is the uh plans here. Can zoom in a little bit. It's approximately 25 seats. Um the you
know we talked about this the uh uh uh deck itself will be um assembled in various parts so that it creates a single structure um and um it will have a bank edge to protect the edges and um
there will be it's right along it's about seven about 17 ft off the building. It's right, sorry, here's what I'm looking for. It's right along the current edges of the planters that are there. And these planters would be replaced. They're
currently circular cement planters. They'll be replaced with square cement planters, and they'll be in the same area. There's a light post that the city of Boston owns as well as a baller and that will be
maintained uh for access year round for access for the city and um the only issue that came up uh was there was a question from ISD but it was relating to a was confusion it was relating to a different building so it didn't apply here.
Happy to answer any questions. >> Thank you. Any questions or comments uh from the commission? How about PIC staff or members of the public? >> Sorry, couldn't find my mute button. Um uh Mike, if you can just confirm again
for the record that um the seating area as well as the decking will be removed during the offseason in its entirety. >> Yes, it will. The seating area is uh designed to be removed in its entirety. as well as the decking itself >> or whenever we need to get under it. >> Yes.
>> Or whenever you need to get under it. Yeah. Access will be made available for the city at any time. >> Great. Perfect. Thank you. That's all. >> Any other questions or comments from the commission? And if not, do we have a motion?
U make a motion to approve a petition by Fox Rocks 176 Federal Realy LLC for the granting of a sidewalk cafe license on Federal Street as read in the record by the chair. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I I >> I.
>> Any opposed? Hearing none. So move. Thank you, Mr. Ross. >> Thank you very much. Have a nice day. >> Okay, that concludes uh our public hearing. Um we're going to move on to uh new business. We have two agenda items.
Um the first is uh Albany Street Wear Street Boston proper specific repairs uh on a joint repair on a joint petition by the city of Boston transportation department and the city of Boston public works department. All right.
Well, I'll get started and then hand it off to our engineer. Um, I'm Maddie Webster from the City of Boston Public Works Department. This project came about after mother and daughter leaving Boston Community Pediatrics suffered severe injuries from a vehicle crash while crossing Albany Street where there
was no existing crosswalk. So our intent with this project was to install a compliant and safe crosswalk across Albany Street at Wearingham Street. And in so doing, we constructed a compliant curb ramp across Albany off this page
last year with the intent to come back and reconstruct the rest of the curb ramps this year. And I'll hand it off to our engineer. >> Hi, good morning. My name is Radu Naan um with Carlson Associates supporting public works department um and we are
the design engineers um helping the city uh with the proposed changes. Um front of you is a set of of specific repair plans showing curb realignments along
street north of Albany Street. um widening of the existing sidewalk along uh Wear him Street, the reconstruction of the sidewalk, the construction of a new pedestrian ramp um and as a pair to an existing pedestrian ramp that was uh
built in 2025 by the city across um Albany Street. um and the installation of a race crosswalk across Wearham Street um as an extension of the uh the sidewalk along the um westerly edge of
Albany Street. Uh the additional improvements incidental to the reconstruction of the sidewalk and um realignment of the ped the curb the edge lines the the curbs include um new uh
street drainage features, new street lights uh including conduits to uh maintain uh circuit along street. the um removal of a tree grate
and the installation of um new material, porous material uh within a tree prep tree prepit uh along um Albany Street, the replacement of a bicycle rack and the addition of a new bicycle rack along
street near the um uh the clinic and the installation of a concrete curb. Uh that will help um limit the potential um impact of grading the sidewalk on the
um guess uh easterly edge or sorry westerly edge of of street and Albany Street. So the area I'm highlighting in yellow here in order to create a u decible 88 compliant sidewalk.
a great big great difference between the uh the sidewalk and window wells along the the building facade. So, we're proposing a concrete curb to make up the difference between the sidewalk level
and those window wells. The curb will be introduced with a transition simply going from a flat surface to uh a curb reveal in order to avoid tripping hazards uh at either edge of that
sidewalk. I have some pictures for context. Um and happy to take any questions. >> Thank you. Any questions or comments from commission members? >> Okay, hearing none. How about PIC staff
or members of the public? >> All set on this for now. >> I assume two weeks is enough time. >> Yes. >> Okay. What is that date? What's the next day, Todd? Sorry. >> March 12th.
>> All right. See you on March 12th. >> Thank you >> very much. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Second item of our new business is uh Ruggle Street at 550 Huntington A in Roxbury. Pedestrian easement specific repairs on a set of petitions by
Wentworth Institute of Technology. Hand it over to the proponent. >> Uh good morning commissioners. My name is Rebecca Lee. I'm a real estate attorney with Mintz representing the Wentworth Institute of Technology. I have with me Sean Finn who's the vice president of operations at Wentworth as
well as Ryan Gordon the project engineer um at Niche Engineering. Also with me is Chris Raineer who's a partner at Goulston who's representing Balfur Batty Campus Solutions. They have been selected by Wworth Institute of Technology to develop this property.
They're a nationally known developer of student housing facilities. Uh before you is a rendering of the building uh which is going to be 202,000 square feet about 972 student beds um with ground
floor dining facilities. It has received BPDA approval earlier this month. We'll get zoning commission approval next month and we expect it to go into construction this spring. Um these petitions are associated with what is actually a landlocked site. This site is
not bounded by any city street. It's in the heart of the Wentworth campus. Um, but the Wentworth main campus drive off of Rugle Street is being reconfigured um by agreement of the city and Wentworth to be much more pedestrian friendly and
to uh narrow its width. Um the area that PIC actions is shown on this plan and what we're here for is two petitions. One is specific repairs related to the stub of sidewalk um that is being um uh
redone uh at Huntington Avenue. And the second is a easement to the city for pedestrian uh uh sidewalk widening. Um and so I will these are the only petitions that are associated with this project. in the future whatworth will
we'll be back to you about streetscape improvements on Rugle Street um which is discussing with city officials um and um I will then turn it over to Ryan Gordon from Niche Engineering to go into the particulars of the two petitions before you.
>> Thanks Rebecca. Uh good morning Ryan Gordon from Niche Engineering. Uh as Rebecca mentioned we have specific repairs and a pedestrian easement. Uh here's a photo of the existing condition of the driveway entrance off of Ruggle Street here with uh Huntington Avenue in
the background on the right side. Uh you can see the existing driveway is about 35 ft wide and there's ramps on either side that ramp down to the street. Um on the left you can also see uh there's an existing national grid gas regulator um
where there was work done there a couple years ago um and I will get into that on the specific repairs plan about where we ended up with our limit of construction. This is our specific repairs plan that shows the layout and grading for this
area. I'm going to go to a zoomed in version here um so that you can see more easily what we're proposing. Uh on this side on the left uh side of Ruggle Street here on the page uh you
can see we have our driveway entrance um that is being narrowed to 24 ft wide. We are providing a more standard uh driveway entrance that ramps up for a pedestrian path a minimum 10 ft wide. Uh
and along with that we are replacing the nearest curb ramp and the receiving ramp on the other side and replacing the crosswalk uh that connects the two. Uh we are maintaining an existing street
light that is between the driveway entrance and the curb ramp, replacing one of the pull boxes associated with that light. And the gas regulator that I mentioned that's in the sidewalk is on the south side of the page here. Um is really where we're uh stopping our our
extent of our sidewalk reconstruction to protect that in place. The pedestrian easement associated with this project is um shown in a hatch here. Uh it's approximately 6 and 1/2 ft wide, 592 square ft, and we've extended that to
the corner of Huntington Avenue. Uh and here's our pedestrian easement plan. And I will add too that we uh you know, we've coordinated with all the city agencies. We met in a joint meeting with the planning department, public
works accessible ramp team, and the disabilities commission to address their comments and went back and forth a few times to get the plan to where it is now. So, with that, I'm happy to answer any questions. >> Great. Thank you. Any questions or
comments uh from the commission? How about PIC staff or members of the public? >> All set. >> Okay. Two weeks enough time. >> Yes. See you on March 12th. Thank you very much. >> Thank you.
>> Okay, that wraps up uh our agenda for today. Okay. Any other questions or comments from the commission? I see staff. >> We're good. >> Is there a motion to adjurnn? >> Make a motion to adjurnn. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I
>> I move. Thank you everybody. >> Thank you.