Public Improvement Commission remote hearing

With the ongoing public health concerns surrounding the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the Public Improvement Commission (PIC) will be taking the following temporary steps to promote social distancing and to comply with federal, state, and local directives:

• The PIC hearing scheduled for May 7 has been canceled.  The next PIC hearing is tentatively scheduled for May 21.
• Other future PIC hearings will tentatively be held as scheduled.
• Hearing participants will be digitally connected, per the City’s Department of Innovation & Technology.
• For those members of the public who are unable to attend the proceedings in person, all hearings will continue to be televised and may also be viewed online via Boston TV.
• Written testimony for all agenda items will continue to be accepted via email; testimony should be directed to PIC@boston.gov.
• Until further notice, five full-size sets of all PIC plans (rather than the customary three) are required to be submitted by the relevant filing deadline.
• A project may be considered eligible for a New Business agenda only if a 100% complete submission package (five sets of plans, plus one copy of everything else) is delivered to the PIC office by 4:00 PM on the Thursday prior to the target PIC hearing.  Incomplete and/or piecemeal submissions will not be placed on a hearing agenda.  For additional information on submission requirements, please reference the relevant PIC procedural checklist(s) found online: boston.gov/PIC#related-documents.
• In addition to the typical hard-copy submission, a prospective New Business project is also required to submit a digital copy of all submission requirements to PIC@boston.gov.
• Public access to City Hall continues to be limited.  As such, hard copy submissions should be made via standard mail.  Should any particular submission need to be delivered by hand, please contact PIC staff ahead of time via email to confirm staff availability to receive such a submission and to schedule a delivery time. Unannounced/unexpected in-person deliveries may not be accepted by City Hall staff.
• All dissemination of PIC plans to Public Agency and Utility Company reviewers should be done via email; certified mailings are no longer necessary.
• PIC staff will not be accepting in-person meetings until further notice; requests for phone and teleconference meetings will be accommodated to every reasonable extent.  Such requests should be scheduled in advance via email.
• PIC staff will continue to be available via email during normal business hours.

These practices should be considered in effect immediately and will remain in effect until further notice by PIC staff.  Updates to these practices will be posted as appropriate.  Please feel free to contact PIC@boston.gov should you have any questions.

Hearing Minutes

At the request of the Public Improvement Commission staff, the Acceptance of the Minutes of the PIC hearing held on April 23, 2020.

Public Hearing Continued

On a petition by Crown Castle Fiber for a Grant of Location with lead company status and no participants to install new telecommunication conduit with City shadow within the following public ways in Roxbury:

• Albany Street – generally between address no. 906 and Eustis Street;
• Dearborn Street – generally at Eustis Street/Albany Street/Dearborn Square.

(NB 3/26/2020; PH 4/23/2020) As shown on a set of plans entitled “City of Boston Public Works Department, Engineering Division, Grant of Location Plan, 906 Albany St, Boston (Roxbury),” 3 sheets dated March, 2020.

On a petition by Crown Castle Fiber for a Grant of Location with lead company status and no participants to install new telecommunication conduit with City shadow within the following public ways in South Boston:

• East Fourth Street – from address no. 650 to I Street;
• I Street – between East Fourth Street and East Fifth Street.

(NB 3/26/2020; PH 4/23/2020) As shown on a plan entitled “City of Boston Public Works Department, Engineering Division, Grant of Location Plan, 650 East Fourth St, Boston,” 1 sheet dated January 21, 2020.

On a petition by Crown Castle Fiber for a Grant of Location with lead company status and no participants to install new telecommunication conduit with City shadow within Brookford Street (public way), Dorchester, from address no. 35 generally at Dromey Street to Howard Avenue.

(NB 3/26/2020; PH 4/23/2020) As shown on a plan entitled “City of Boston Public Works Department, Engineering Division, Grant of Location Plan, 35 Brookford St, Dorchester,” 1 sheet dated February, 2020.

On a petition by Crown Castle Fiber for a Grant of Location with lead company status and no participants to install new telecommunication conduit with City shadow within the following public ways in Brighton:

• Islington Street – at the side of 40 Armington Street, south of Brighton Avenue;
• Brighton Avenue – between Islington Street and Cambridge Street.

(NB 3/26/2020; PH 4/23/2020) As shown on a plan entitled “City of Boston Public Works Department, Engineering Division, Grant of Location Plan, 40 Armington St (Brighton Ave), Allston,” 1 sheet dated January 21, 2020.

On a petition by Crown Castle Fiber for a Grant of Location with lead company status and no participants to install new telecommunication conduit with City shadow within the following public ways in West Roxbury:

• Carolina Avenue – at the rear of 20 Child Street, east of South Street;
• South Street – between Carolina Avenue and Sedgwick Street;
• Sedgwick Street – east of South Street.

(NB 3/26/2020; PH 4/23/2020) As shown on a plan entitled “City of Boston Public Works Department, Engineering Division, Grant of Location Plan, 20 Child St, Boston,” 1 sheet dated February 19, 2020.

On a petition by Crown Castle Fiber for a Grant of Location with lead company status and no participants to install new telecommunication conduit with City shadow within Walnut Avenue (public way), Roxbury, located generally between address no. 302 and Ruthven Street.

(NB 3/26/2020; PH 4/23/2020) As shown on a plan entitled “City of Boston Public Works Department, Engineering Division, Grant of Location Plan, 302 Walnut Ave, Boston,” 1 sheet dated January 21, 2020.

Public Hearing

On a petition by Mark Kenmore LLC for the Widening, Relocation, and Extension of the existing right-of-way lines of Commonwealth Avenue (public way), Boston Proper, generally at Beacon Street/Kenmore Square, located west of Brookline Avenue.

(NB 4/23/2020) As shown on a plan entitled “City of Boston Public Works Department, Engineering Division, Widening and Relocation Plan, Commonwealth Avenue, Fenway,” 1 sheet dated March, 2020.

On a petition by Mark Kenmore LLC for the making of Specific Repairs within the following public ways in Boston Proper:

• Commonwealth Avenue – at address no. 560-574, generally at Beacon Street/Kenmore Square;
• Beacon Street – generally at Commonwealth Avenue/Kenmore Square.

(NB 4/23/2020) As shown on a plan entitled “City of Boston Public Works Department, Engineering Division, Specific Repairs Plan, Commonwealth Avenue and Beacon Street, Fenway,” 1 sheet dated March, 2020.

On a petition by TC Systems Inc. for a Grant of Location with lead company status and no participants to install new telecommunication conduit with City shadow within the following public ways in West Roxbury:

• Hyde Park Avenue – generally at address no. 350, north of Wyvern Street;
• Wyvern Street – east of Hyde Park Avenue.

(NB 4/23/2020) As shown on a set of plans entitled “City of Boston Public Works Department, Engineering Division, Grant of Location Plan, Proposed Lateral Conduit Placement, 350 Hyde Park Ave, City of Boston,” 3 sheets dated February 26, 2019.

On a petition by Crown Castle Fiber for a Grant of Location with lead company status and no participants to install new telecommunication conduit with City shadow within Camden Street (public way), Boston Proper, located generally at the rear of 396 Northampton Street, northwest of Columbus Avenue.

(NB 4/23/2020) As shown on a plan entitled “City of Boston Public Works Department, Engineering Division, Grant of Location Plan, 396 Northampton St, Boston,” 1 sheet dated March, 2020.

On a petition by Crown Castle Fiber for a Grant of Location with lead company status and no participants to install new telecommunication conduit with City shadow within the following public ways in South Boston:

• D Street – generally at address no. 227, between West Broadway and West Fifth Street/Flaherty Way;
• West Broadway – at D Street.

(NB 4/23/2020) As shown on a set of plans entitled “City of Boston Public Works Department, Engineering Division, Grant of Location Plan, 227 D St, South Boston,” 2 sheets dated March, 2020.

On a petition by Crown Castle Fiber for a Grant of Location with lead company status and no participants to install new telecommunication conduit with City shadow within the following public ways in Boston Proper:

• West Dedham Street – generally at the side of 380 Shawmut Avenue, between Shawmut Avenue and Washington Street/Pelham Street;
• Washington Street – at West Dedham Street/Pelham Street.

(NB 4/23/2020) As shown on a plan entitled “City of Boston Public Works Department, Engineering Division, Grant of Location Plan, 380 Shawmut Ave, Boston,” 1 sheet dated February 10, 2020.

On a petition by Crown Castle Fiber for a Grant of Location with lead company status and no participants to install new telecommunication conduit with City shadow within the following public ways in South Boston:

• Old Colony Avenue – between Dorchester Avenue and C Street;
• C Street – between Old Colony Avenue and Baxter Street;
• Baxter Street – generally at the rear of 54 Old Colony Avenue, southeast of C Street.

(NB 4/23/2020) As shown on a set of plans entitled “City of Boston Public Works Department, Engineering Division, Grant of Location Plan, 54 Old Colony Ave, Boston,” 2 sheets dated January, 2020.

On a petition by Crown Castle Fiber for a Grant of Location with lead company status and no participants to install new telecommunication conduit with City shadow within the following public ways in Charlestown:

• Dorrance Street – generally at the side of 14 Temple Street, northeast Mystic Avenue/Maffa Way;
• Mystic Avenue – at Dorrance Street/Maffa Way.

(NB 4/23/2020) As shown on a set of plans entitled “City of Boston Public Works Department, Engineering Division, Grant of Location Plan, 14 Temple St, Charlestown,” 2 sheets dated February 25, 2020.

On a petition by National Grid for the making of Specific Repairs within New England Avenue (public way), Dorchester, located on its westerly side north of Woodrow Avenue/Norfolk Street.

(NB 4/23/2020) As shown on a set of plans entitled “City of Boston Public Works Department, Engineering Division, Specific Repair Plans, New England Avenue at Woodrow Ave/Norfolk St, Dorchester,” 5 sheets dated February 7, 2020.

On a petition by National Grid for a Grant of Location to install a gas regulator station and associated infrastructure within the following public ways in Dorchester:

• New England Avenue – north of Woodrow Avenue/Norfolk Street;
• Woodrow Avenue – at New England Avenue/Norfolk Street.

(NB 4/23/2020) As shown on a set of plans entitled “City of Boston Public Works Department, Engineering Division, Grant of Location Plans, New England Avenue, Gas Regulator Station, Dorchester,” 2 sheets dated February 7, 2020.

On a petition by the Boston Transportation Department for the making of Specific Repairs within Geneva Avenue (public way), Dorchester, located at address no. 51, generally southeast of Normandy Street.

(NB 4/23/2020) As shown on a set of plans entitled “City of Boston Public Works Department, Engineering Division, Specific Repair Plan, Neighborhood Slow Streets Program, Geneva Avenue Raised Crosswalk, Dorchester North,” 3 sheets dated May 21, 2020.

New Business

Armandine Street, Rockwell Street, Stockton Street, Mora Street, Fuller Street, Fairmount Street, Wilmington Avenue, Codman Hill Avenue, Fendale Avenue, Codman Street, Driscoll Drive, Ogden Street; Dorchester – Specific Repairs – On a petition by the City of Boston Transportation Department

Wilmington Avenue, Fairmount Street, Fuller Street, Selden Street, Maxwell Street, Evans Street, Corbet Street, Capen Street, Milton Avenue; Dorchester – Specific Repairs – On a petition by the City of Boston Transportation Department

West Selden Street, Delhi Street, Crossman Street, Lorna Road; Dorchester – Specific Repairs – On a petition by the City of Boston Transportation Department

Tremont Street; Boston Proper – Specific Repairs – On a petition by the City of Boston Transportation Department

Summer Street; Boston Proper – Specific Repairs, Private Utility License – On a set of joint petitions by the City of Boston Transportation Department and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority

River Street; Dorchester – Pedestrian Easement, Specific Repairs – On a set of joint petitions by Mattapan Station Preservation Associates LLC and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority

130 Chestnut Hill Avenue, Ledgemere Road; Brighton – Highway Discontinuance, Specific Repairs – On a set of joint petitions by 2Life JJ Carroll LLC and the Boston Housing Authority

425 Summer Street; South Boston – Grant of Location  – On a petition by Crown Castle Fiber