Orient Street Sidewalk Petitions

At a glance

Based on the official minutes and auto-generated captions; names and figures may be misheard.

What: two petitions by Craig Thomas (an abutter) to build new sidewalks on the upper part of Orient St. and on Orient St. from Sultan St. to Plantation St.
Where it stands: the Public Works Committee recommended denial of both, 3-0, on 2026-07-21, and the City Council accepted that on 2026-08-18, 9-0.
Next: Robert A. Bilotta suggested a neighborhood meeting and possibly a shorter sidewalk from Plantation St. to March St. toward Holmes Field; no new petition is on record.

DPW estimate: $777,000, about $71 per linear foot, with granite curb and cement sidewalk on both sides.
Abutter betterment for a 50-foot frontage: about $3,541; for 100 feet about $7,083. Payment over up to 10 years at 5% (about $37 a month on $3,500), billed with the tax bill.
Any new sidewalk construction needs a funding source, since the annual contract covers repairs, not new construction.

77 ballots went out: 4 in favor, 13 opposed.
Abutters said off-street walking paths already exist, that curbs and sidewalks would narrow the street and push parked cars onto it, and that Orient St. is an emergency route toward UMass Medical.
Some said that if the city goes ahead against abutters, the city should pay.
DPW checked records and aerial views and found no past city sidewalk on this section.

About 25 minutes across 1 meeting (from transcript timestamps; approximate).

Meeting	Minutes
2026-07-21 - Public Works Committee	25

2026-08-18 - City Council - Committee reports recommending denial of both petitions accepted 9-0.
2026-07-21 - Public Works Committee - Combined hearing; three abutters spoke against (one by phone with historic photos); councilor Bilotta spoke of a shorter run to the park. Both petitions recommended for denial, 3-0, so the neighborhood can come back with a plan.