We good.

All right.

Good evening, everyone.

Thank you for taking your time to be here today at City Hall and do the people's business.

Welcome to the committee of public works.

This is a public hearing today.

We're going to listen to everyone who's here today.

Today is Monday, December 1st, 2025, and it's 5.33 o'clock p.m.

Um.

I want to say welcome to my colleagues, Consulman Miguel Sanchez, Consulman Pedro Spinal, Consulman Um Jostin Royers, Consulwoman Tia Grave, and to the solicitor, the barman.

They better give you a name next time.

And to Babazar.

But especially to the to the people who comes in here and testify.

Can you read item one, please?

Sorry.

Patricia Mdeya M.

Vega and Christopher J.

Armstrong of 70 Brightwood Avenue and Joanne S.

Kasha.

I can't pronounce the thank you.

Of 45 Audubon Avenue, Annabelle E.

Sorrow and Matthew A.

37 Audubon Avenue requesting to abandon Falmouth Street.

See the side, can you please bring me the list?

First one.

The first one.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Yeah.

Okay.

I will have uh Bob Aesar to talk about these item number one for now.

Thank you.

Welcome.

Good evening, Mr.

Chair, members of the committee.

I'm Robert Azar.

I'm the deputy director of the Department of Planning and Development.

All street abandonment requests get reviewed by the City Plan Commission.

This one, the abandonment of Falmouth Street, came uh to the City Plan Commission uh a few months ago, and um the commission made certain findings uh that are outlined in a letter that was forwarded to you.

Uh this is a what we call a paper street.

It's undeveloped, it shows up on the map, but on the ground it's uh it's um it's not paved, it's wooded, um, and it is not uh providing um access to um for the public to any property.

It appears only to be useful to uh the property that it abuts.

Uh and in these circumstances, um our policies indicate that this would be a good candidate for abandonment.

These um the the street would be um made private property, it would be subdivided and the uh land would be divided up among the uh abutting property owners.

So the city plan commission uh recommends that the council approve this petition subject to several conditions.

One that the abutters come to an agreement on a plan for abandonment and subdivision prior to uh appearing before the city council, and this has to be depicted on a survey.

Um, the petitioner shall apply for an administrative subdivision to merge the abandoned street with their respective properties.

Uh three, the abandonment shall only apply to the portion of the street within Providence, and uh obviously since you don't have jurisdiction there, uh, shall not apply to North Providence.

There is a tiny corner of this uh street within this block that is is in the town of North Providence, and then finally that the petitioners shall grant any necessary easements for access to property, utility access, and maintenance.

Okay, thank you very much.

Now we have somebody from who representing these property.

Some pictorial uh identifications to the that show the wooded nature, the substantially wooded nature of the of the property is a little bit that's asphalted here, so you can see that it's really not been in uh we've been working with Bob Azar of the City, and uh you know our our you know our agreement or our position is is this is exactly what he's saying.

Uh the only practical use probably in this case would be the abandonment.

Um the abutters, all the abutters are in agreement uh with this.

Um and I, you know, the next steps I guess would be ascribing a value to it, and uh you know, delineating uh specifically where the elements would go to each of them, but they're essentially going to be the parts next to the the property are gonna be belong to the people who are right next to them.

Um there's already utilities in place on that property, so all of those utilities and all the access points for the utility would stay.

There's nothing that's um there's no intent to create any uh hardscape or asphalting or anything like that.

They want to leave it uh so that uh it's permeable for water.

Any questions from the colleagues?

Uh yes.

Uh so I mean that that was one of the conditions that Mr.

Aza pointed out, which is making sure that the abutters uh are in agreement, and you just asserted that of the R.

In fact, I actually have a blow-up copy of the actual petition.

It actually has all the audits.

I see that.

Actually, I had an up an old-fashioned neighborhood.

And they uh and they'll have no issues uh granting easement to the utility companies, right?

In fact, there's actively utilities on this strip right now, and everyone sort of knows where they are, and that's one of the reasons why they don't want to do anything other than the vegetation that's on there so that the access can continue to be bad for lack of a better word.

You can you can see it's just mulch and soft scape, I guess.

Well, thank you.

I'm I'm all set.

Uh me, Salthea.

You have a that's your area, right?

You said part of it is on in North Providence.

Um part Aubon Street, um, rightwood.

Okay.

So that would be closer to Annabelle would have that that section.

Is that what you're saying?

Okay.

So these two are I'm sorry.

So the John and Diala are gonna be splitting this area.

Okay.

Okay, thank you.

That's all that's Harry.

Well, said Miss Althea.

Yes, I am.

Thank you.

Okay.

Uh any questions from my colleagues?

No.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Thank you very much.

Uh, we like to call Bailey Coil Coily.

Oh, Mr.

Bailey.

Mr.

Chairman, I'm here representing the tax assessor's office.

Um, we were asked to value this particular property of the original application.

At that time, we received only the abandonment of the entire lot, and we had requested additional information so that uh we could identify what percentage of the property was going to which abutter, and with the uh part of the property being owned by the uh uh town of uh East uh North Providence.

Um we were concerned with how much square footage of the 10,000 square foot was actually in Providence so that we could identify the actual amount so we could give you a value at your committee meeting.

But so we haven't done any of that yet, but I noticed they do have a different plan, but I'm not sure if it truly identifies only the Providence land.

Okay, so come up again, please.

Let's just have just talk to the microphone, please.

The survey document should just have the Providence uh square footage on there that the engineering uh company put together.

Okay, great.

We just got that this evening.

It's okay.

Okay, thank you very much.

Thank you.

Okay, item number two, petition from Dylan Connolly Esquire Connolly Lower Associates, 123 Dyer Street, suite 2B Providence, Rhode Island 02903 on behalf of 161 Ridge LLC requesting to abandon a portion of Steele Street, southerly of Woodbine Street.

Sergeant, can you please bring me page number two?

Thank you.

Okay, we have Mr.

Acer again.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Um Steele Street, similar to the last item is also an undeveloped paper street.

Um and uh it's um just uh very short distance and provides access um only uh to the abutting properties.

There's a there's a little kind of parking area at the end that seems to be used by some of the abutting properties.

Uh so again, the CPC found that this was not something uh that was it it was not in the public interest to to keep this open and it would be appropriate for abandonment.

So uh CPC recommends to the council to approve the petition again, subject to uh three conditions, all abutters shall come to an agreement on a plan for abandonment prior to appearing before the council and depicted on a survey.

The petitioner shall apply for an administrative subdivision to merge the abandoned street with respective properties, and that uh any necessary easements for access to property utility uh utilities and maintenance shall be granted.

Okay, thank you very much.

Uh we have Bailey Beal Coyle again.

Well, Mr.

Bilin.

Okay.

Uh Mr.

Aza did uh point out all the things that uh we had concerns about.

We did not value this property also.

We were most concerned with lot 315, which indicates that some of the land is going to go there, but there is another street that a butts that we're not sure what the status is and what we were trying to figure out for valuation purposes whether this action was going to landlock uh 315.

Um so that was part of our concern, and we didn't have any definitions as to where the particular parcels were being distributed, so we have placed no value, but Mr.

Conley tells me that they will be getting some.

Okay, thank you very much.

I have Mr.

Nick Vasiloff.

Please.

Welcome.

Good evening.

Um I'm Nick Vassaliff.

Uh I am lot 12 on this radius map, 64 Evergreen Street.

Uh Nick and Vassilef.

V A S I L E F F.

Um against this abandonment.

It is currently Steel Street is currently the only way that I can access the back of my house uh without entering private property.

Uh the petition does mention that York Street is uh a way to access that currently York Street is not passable.

Uh there's stockade fence going across it as well as a lot of uh overgrowth and vegetation.

Um I have lived at 64 Evergreen for since October.

Uh I've already used Steel Street uh probably a dozen times to get to the back of my house uh to do basic maintenance.

That's it.

Thank you.

Uh one question.

Well, do you have a front entrance, right?

I have a front entrance, but the my property uh the back of my house is literally on the back of my property line.

So to access anything to do maintenance to do any of that exterior work, including trimming away uh some of the overgrowth that's there that I've been doing.

Uh, I need to get through Steel Street or ask neighbors to use their private property.

Thank you.

Any questions from thank you very much.

Uh we Mr.

Demel Dinails Williams.

Good evening.

Good evening, welcome.

Good evening.

We're at 29 Woodvine Street.

Oh, okay.

We're at 29 Woodbine Street.

Uh Daryl, Barbara.

Um we noticed the we got a uh a letter the other day about uh the planning to build there.

Uh the problem we have right now is that uh we don't know where their parking would be.

Right now, Woodbine Street is totally filled.

And from what I understand is we still don't have overnight parking in Providence.

So we will have even more vehicles because they plan on building a duplex, correct?

So we're trying to figure out where they're gonna put the uh vehicle traffic.

Uh that used to be an old playground back there where they're trying to build.

Uh and what they're calling Steele Street running into York Street was a pathway that the city maintained from uh Woodvine all the way over to is it Doyle Avenue?

They've slowly built up on those on that property.

So the where they built before they had house uh parking, but right where they're trying to build right now, there's no parking there.

There are no utilities there.

So I'm just wondering how that's gonna affect my property at 29 Woodbine.

Where are they gonna be uh having all this construction traffic, everything?

All right, so you wonder.

Yeah, and not only that, I was just talking with a neighbor next door, and he said that he hadn't received any notification about um them wanting to build something at that 161 um, I guess that L LLC that's trying to build that duplex there.

They're kind of just cramming things in, and it's kind of very tight there.

And um, as the gentleman spoke earlier, he does need access to his own property through through that little area.

It's a very tight area, and um even that little back alley behind that fence is so narrow.

They the parking situation is just really horrible on the east side as of now because you have all the properties that were condoed due to that condo uh uh time and error when they were condoing everything.

So you don't really have access for adequate parking.

Um I just think it's just gonna be a strain.

It it just doesn't seem feasible to me to even build a property there.

So that's my concern, and my concern also again is how is that gonna affect us because as I said, that area is that area is very small and very tight, and those people that are parked there now, they actually need that for the property that's in front of that particular where the area where they're gonna build at.

So I I don't even see it being feasible.

Um my personal opinion.

The area has become more for college students now, so most of the homeowners over there are leasing or renting out each floor.

So there's almost two cars per floor.

Those are three family houses over there.

So we're talking at least six vehicles per property.

So put another property with at least four more vehicles, which really doesn't uh seem to make sense at all.

You know, especially since we're coming into winter now and most of the uh students and the out-of-towners don't move their vehicles when we're supposed to have a parking ban, so the street doesn't get plowed.

We don't get proper, yeah.

That's true.

So thank you very much.

All right, thank you.

Thank you.

Uh Mr.

Dillon Coin?

Connelling.

Why not last name?

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman, members of the board.

Um I think the a couple of notes right off the gate.

I would love to connect with the neighbors.

Um we would love to just kind of work it out so it makes sense for everyone.

Uh I have also been in communication with one of the other abutters uh just earlier today.

It's the the gentleman at 37-9 Woodbine lot 314.

Um, I do have correspondence uh from him and I to submit.

Um he's supports the abandonment.

Uh there are some conditions uh associated with his support.

I wanted to, he's agreed to those in writing.

I wanted to kind of submit it exactly as is.

Um I didn't know if I could uh walk forward with with copies for the committee.

Uh I I agree with the neighbors um that remarked on it being a tight lot.

Uh we think we can enhance um the lot in the neighborhood through uh the abandonment of the public right-away.

Um it's not really used as a public right-of-way.

It does have some history of some uh negative nuisances.

I have been in touch with the counselor in the area.

Um in terms of access, uh, we don't plan on uh building throughout the area, so we can work with on easement access uh with our neighbors.

Uh happy to communicate in detail with all of our neighbors about what their interests could be in terms of uh acquisition appraisal costs.

Uh you know, I am managing the subdivision and survey.

I will uh basically just roll in the neighbors' concerns to my work and efforts on that front.

Um, you know, I'm also very happy to answer any questions, but generally uh we have one very strong priority, which is just the 50% of the public right away directly in front of our property, which is not much land.

Uh our our secondary sort of goal is to make everything work better for neighbors.

Uh, I think the way that we can achieve that is uh through an abandonment of uh Steel Street from our property all the way out to Woodbine.

Um as a portion of that, our neighbor immediately abutting Woodbine would gain parking.

Uh they'd be able to acquire uh 50% of the road.

And then um, as you can see in the correspondence uh from the neighbor at 314, uh that neighbor is roughly in agreement that we're gonna be able to uh figure out how to do this together with an access easement so that he can kind of get to his backyard as necessary, and we won't build anything within 10 feet of the property line.

So with our two neighbors immediately abutting us on Woodbine, we have uh a conceptual agreement.

Um at 41 Woodmine, we anticipate that neighbor gaining parking as a result of this abandonment.

And at 314 Woodbine, uh, we anticipate giving the neighbor additional protections.

Thank you.

Um as for where we would park.

Uh right now, our hope and our goal is to have a lot large enough to support a side-by-side tuplex with integral parking.

So the parking would be directly underneath the units.

Uh one side uh of the building would be essentially one unit, the other side would be another.

Uh I also heard concerns about rentals.

We do plan it uh for it to be a for sale product.

We're not sure whether or not it would be two separate condos.

Um, but it is definitely designed to be home ownership, not to be rental.

Uh it's gonna be uh a bit more of a when you target home ownership, you do nicer finishes, you do fewer bedrooms than you would if you were just doing pure rental.

We don't plan on holding it for pure rental.

Uh, I also plan on being integral to the development myself.

Uh so if there are any questions or concerns, uh, I'd be happy to sort of discuss them with the board and do what I can to commit uh to making sure the neighborhood is happy.

Okay, any questions from my colleagues?

No questions.

Yes, my penny, yes, get in touch with the neighborhood, like these uh uh neighbors who came today and testify about the concern and and try to work it out with them.

I know you you will find a way to very work it out.

I'd be very happy to do so, Mr.

Chairman, especially with the gentleman that just uh spoke.

Um our original reach outs came in June, July.

This has not been a fast moving project.

So he's actually acquired the property after we did our reach out.

So I have missed him, and and I'm thankful he's here this evening so that I can talk to him.

Okay, thank you very much.

Thank you.

Please read number three.

Item number three, petition from Mark Karate, MP General Contractors requesting the abandonment of Hillcrest Avenue beginning at Woodside Road and extended to Platte 95 lot 215 for the development of two duplex homes.

Okay.

Um Mr.

Sergeant, can I get the last page, please?

Thank you.

Okay, we have uh Mr.

Bob Assar.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Um we have had some discussions with the petitioner.

Um, and I know that he's had some discussions with the Department of Public Works about how the property that he owns might be developed.

Um this road um services his property.

It also provides some access to other pieces of property that uh some that are developed, others that aren't developed.

Um and we had a little bit of a concern about how um abandoning the street might affect those other property, and we had some uh questions about whether it might be possible for him to develop this and keep the road open as a public right-of-way.

Um, and it seems like he's exploring that avenue.

So I would I would uh ask maybe for the petitioner to uh explain a little bit better what his thought process is.

Uh in any event, we have not taken this yet to the city plan commission, given that these discussions have been ongoing.

So uh the commission has not issued a uh recommendation.

Okay, thank you very much.

Uh Mr.

Beer Coin again.

Welcome back.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

Um the assessor's office has not valued any of these for the similar reasons that were proposed here.

We're not sure um because there are two houses on the front corner that already use it um for their purposes, and we would assume that then they wanted to abandon it from the back of their property backwards, but we weren't sure.

And there's also people beyond the uh lots that they seek to be developed that we don't know uh by taking away their right of way whether or not we'd be landlocking them.

So we have not provided any values.

Okay, thank you.

And we have Mr.

Mark Marty.

Is Mark?

Mark, thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

Um and looking at Hill Crest.

The uh homes on the left and the right both have their own driveways.

They use the abandoned street, but they do have access for parking, which they do use on the left.

The home on the left has its own driveway on the left side, and the home on the right has its own driveway on the right side of theirs.

They use the abandoned street as auxiliary parking for themselves.

Um in regards to the actual abandonment or development of the street, that's right now on the discussion with the city's planning department as well as public works as to what is the most effective way for the development of this property, whether it be my development, developing this the road and then turning it back over to the city or an outright sale and abandonment of the property.

But those discussions are still ongoing.

I'm right now waiting for my surveyor to give me some paperwork so I can send it to the engineer for the city as well as the planning department and agree that we will all have a Zoom type meeting to go over the effective use of of this property and what would serve best in developing it.

Okay, thank you very much for your testimony.

Thank you.

Thank you.

There's no more for their business.

There's no more fire business on the public hearing agenda.