2026-09-28 - Committee on Public Works

00:33Vargas, if anybody is here to testify

00:35and you haven't filled it out yet, we

00:38got the testify sheets in there. You can

00:40put your name on it and all depends on

00:42which um case you want to work on it. We

00:45got bring new pens for you though. Don't

00:47take it.

00:58Good.

01:02It's 5:20.

01:04We're going to start a public hearing

01:06today. It's only a public hearing. We

01:09not we're not going to make decisions.

01:11We're not going to be boring. Is just

01:13listen to the concerns and the

01:15constituents.

01:17That's why we are here today. I want to

01:19welcome

01:20everyone. Thank you for taking your time

01:23and be here present.

01:25Um,

01:27call a meeting for order. Today is

01:29Monday, September 28th, 2026 at 5:30

01:33p.m. Say which meeting members are

01:36present.

01:38Thank you for being here. Uh, Councilman

01:40Justin Royers and Councilman Miguel

01:41Sanchez, your busy schedule.

01:45Welcome.

01:47Uh this time I would like to take uh

01:49item number seven out of order. Ask the

01:51clerk to read the item seven into the

01:53record please.

01:54>> So moved.

01:56>> No.

01:58No motion.

02:01petition from Jeffrey Padua Esquire

02:03Padwa Law LLC one park sweet 5 Proidence

02:06Rhode Island 0293 requesting to abandon

02:09the northerly portion of Utah Street

02:12starting at the intersection of Spruce

02:13Street and running south towards Atwells

02:15Avenue.

02:18>> Thank you. The petitioner has request

02:22that this matter be withdrawled and no

02:24testimony will be taken at this time.

02:29Um,

02:34okay.

02:48I have here two letters from the

02:51petitioner and plus in emails that we

02:54going to put in the record that they

02:56want this matter to withdraw for today.

03:00And that's being said. Now,

03:04uh, Madame Clerk, can you please read

03:07number one into the record?

03:10And

03:11want to ask the city sergeant to bring

03:13up the

03:16signing sheet for item one, please.

03:18>> Petitioner from Mroposa, assistant vice

03:21president, Providence College, one

03:22Cunningham Square, Providence, Rhode

03:23Island, 02908. requesting to abandon

03:26south portion of Cland Street from

03:28Sandingham Avenue abuing lots 196 197

03:32500 all owned by the Providence College.

03:37Thank you.

03:44I don't have anybody for number one.

03:49No.

03:55Uh, okay. That's number one. Nobody to

04:00testify.

04:03That's okay. Um,

04:05can you please

04:09Sergeant, can you please bring in number

04:10two?

04:12>> Number two is petition from Mark

04:13Proposa, assistant vice president,

04:15Province College, one Cunningham Square,

04:16Province, Rhode Island, 0298, requesting

04:18to abandon a south portion of Dante

04:20Street from Vento Street. Buing lots 28

04:23197 235 also owned by Providence

04:26College.

04:28>> Thank you.

04:30>> Anybody for number two? I guess it's the

04:33same

04:35person. Uh we don't have anybody

04:37neither. So

04:39can you please read number three?

04:44Sorry.

04:47Number three is petition of Kelly Morris

04:49Salvat Esquire Daryl Eva LLP one Turks

04:52Head Place sweet 1200 Proidence Rhode

04:54Island on behalf of 888 Eddie Street LLC

04:57and 908 Eddie Street LLC owner of the

04:59real property located at 888 Eddie

05:01Street Province Rhode Island requesting

05:04banning a portion of Divine Street.

05:06>> Thank you. Um Sergeant, can I have the

05:10she number three please?

05:26Thank you.

05:29>> Please state your name and where you're

05:31from for the record, please.

05:32>> Yes. Thank you. Uh good evening, Mr.

05:33Chairman, uh members of the committee.

05:34My name is Joseph Baxter. I'm an

05:36attorney here representing uh the

05:37applicant from Daryl Everett uh LLP. I'm

05:40standing in attorney uh Kelly Morris

05:42Salvatore Stead who submitted this

05:44application on behalf uh of our client.

05:50So I assume the uh the committee members

05:51of course have um received the petition

05:54uh and just by way of brief explanation.

05:56Uh I just wanted to generally describe

05:58the uh the plan as proposed uh for the

06:01abandonment of two portions of Divine

06:03Street. Um both of which are um paper

06:06roads. Uh one part being paved that's

06:09the part looking at the um the map and

06:12the survey provided in the petition.

06:14That would be the portion of Divine

06:15Street that is below Oxford Street. Um

06:17so that is currently passable but only

06:19services um you know my client's lot as

06:23well as the Abutters lot uh directly. Um

06:25both representatives um

06:29from the uh the applicants the two

06:30applicants who have joined in the one

06:32petition are here as well. Um and also

06:34going on to the portion of Divine Street

06:36that uh we seek to abandon uh above

06:38Oxford Street uh that is currently

06:40covered by uh vegetation um and it's not

06:44passable um at this point uh by any

06:46vehicle traffic. Uh as you'll also see

06:49in the um the CPC um letter that they

06:52forwarded after their hearing on this

06:54matter, they do um recommend um approval

06:57uh of this petition for the abandonment,

06:59noting that it uh likely won't have any

07:01adverse uh outcome. uh as far as traffic

07:04goes or utilization of these portions of

07:06Divine Street. Uh one last point I'd

07:09like to note uh as well, the portion uh

07:12of Divine Street below Oxford that is

07:14passable uh or that it is paved um

07:16currently is just kind of accumulating

07:18debris uh a couple of mattresses uh and

07:21other things like that. Um but again,

07:23it's not uh servicing um you know

07:27servicing as a roadway or anything like

07:28that. Um, so with that, I'd be happy to

07:30answer any questions um of the members

07:33or or introduce either of the applicants

07:35if they'd like to hear from them as

07:36well.

07:39>> Any question for the

07:42council Roy

07:52does uh yes,

07:55yes, I talked to him today. Yeah, it's

07:59is where

08:01uh council, do you know that they have

08:03they had to pay some some money for this

08:07property, right? They know about it.

08:09>> Yes. Um I did speak with the uh the

08:11clerk's office regarding that and uh it

08:12was indicated that we received the uh

08:14the hard copy tonight um of the

08:16appraisal and obviously we're expecting

08:18that and we'll look everything over.

08:22>> Thank you.

08:23>> Thank you,

08:25>> Mr. Dan. Gora Goragan.

08:31Sorry if I don't pronounce your name

08:32right. So sorry.

08:35>> It's okay. I'm not surprised. It's

08:36pronounced Gori Ron. My name is Dan

08:38Goran.

08:40I own Hookfast Specialties which is on

08:42Seymour Street between Divine Connects

08:46Seymour and Oxford. Um Hookfast is a

08:49100-year-old company. We've been at

08:51location on Seymour Street for 60 years.

08:54Uh it is uh Divine Street is just below

08:57Eddie Street. It is an access point for

09:00us, my 22 employees, my suppliers, my

09:04customers to get quick access to Allen's

09:07Avenue to go 95 North. Uh Eddie Street

09:10in the afternoon is blocked. It's a

09:12traffic, you know, it's a it's a parking

09:14lot in the afternoon. So it is one block

09:17from Divine Street to Eddie Street.

09:20Eddie Street is block traffic. Every one

09:24of my staff goes to Vine Street and goes

09:26down Oxford to get to Allen's Avenue.

09:29So, this is a critical piece of street

09:31for us. So, closing it. Yeah. You're

09:33going to add minutes every day. We've

09:36been running in that location for 60

09:38years. We want to be good neighbors. We

09:41know the owners.

09:43I don't think we should close the

09:44street. It's too important to us. It's a

09:45critical artery for the operation of my

09:48business. So, I'm pleading with you not

09:50to close it. Any

09:54question for Mr.

09:57Council Royess?

10:14>> Okay.

10:16>> This

10:18Yeah, I got a question. This little

10:19street they're talking about is

10:22I was there yesterday

10:26is a paper street behind the buildings.

10:29It's two buildings A88 and 908.

10:33>> Correct. This is one part. This is the

10:35only part of Divine Street that connects

10:37Seymour to Oxford. It's an actual

10:40street. It's paved. It's maintained.

10:42Now, I understand the frustration of

10:44trash being dumped in that street

10:45because I deal with public works all the

10:47time. I'm on Seymour Street, which is a

10:49dead end street. Our street gets dumped

10:51on all the time and I work closely with

10:53public works and they're great. They

10:55come and pick up the trash. My staff

10:57goes out there and picks up debris on

10:58the road. We handle all the plowing of

11:01the street before the city gets there

11:02usually because we have to have staff

11:04coming in. Again, I have 22 employees on

11:06Seymour Street. This is really important

11:08to us for our operation.

11:11>> Thank you very much for this.

11:12>> Thank you for your consideration.

11:26Can you please read

11:29number one?

11:33>> Uh,

11:37we have you on here.

11:38>> I'm I'm I'm not I'm one of the

11:40applicants.

11:42>> My My name is Jason Sister. I didn't I

11:44didn't sign on that because I was the

11:45applicant.

11:49Thank you.

12:16Thank you very much. Uh, Mr. Jason,

12:19>> good evening. U, my name is Jason Sisto.

12:21I'm one of the applicants uh for 888 and

12:24908 Eddie Street. Um, with respect to

12:27the section of Divine Street that the

12:29previous gentleman was just speaking to,

12:31that street is constantly filled with

12:35debris. Um, there there have been boats,

12:38trailers, u, mattresses. Um, We've had

12:41numerous uh calls into DPW. They do not

12:44respond. We've actually been fined. Uh

12:47both myself and the other applicant have

12:49been fined. You can check the records

12:51because we actually go there, take all

12:53the stuff from the streets, put it on

12:55our on the sidewalk. So that way our

12:57vehicles can pass and people can pass.

12:59As far as access, that street is uh

13:02pretty much a dead end. On one end of

13:04the street is Meeting Street School. So

13:07you can't go I mean you only go from

13:09Meeting Street School to um uh the

13:12opposite side of the street which is the

13:14other side that we're we're abandoning.

13:16So to get back and forth to Allen's A

13:18you would go up one of the other side

13:19streets. You would not go through Divine

13:22to get to Allen's Avenue. There's no

13:24direct access to Allen's Avenue from

13:25Divine. So abandoning this really would

13:29less of a burden on the city, less of a

13:30burden on DPW and us. I mean we're at

13:32the point right now where the trash is

13:34just enormous and it gets to the point

13:37where we're forced not to pick it up and

13:40not to clean it and let the street just

13:41be overburdened and let DPDW deal with

13:44it as they so wish. And we've tried not

13:47to do that. We've been good neighbors.

13:48We spent thousands and thousands of

13:50dollars of our own money in cleaning up

13:52the street and cleaning up that area.

13:54So, I would compel you guys to actually

13:57look at it from that perspective that

13:59and and this is going to be put back

14:00onto the tax ro. It's going to be a a

14:02much better use than what it currently

14:04is versus having the inconvenience as he

14:07said a few minutes out of the way. So,

14:09thank you for your time.

14:11>> Thank you very much.

14:15Okay,

14:20Madame Craig, can you please read number

14:21four?

14:23>> Number four. Petition from Dylan

14:24Connley, Esquire, Rhode Island Land Use

14:26Law, 123 Dia Street, 3B, Proven, Rhode

14:29Island, 02903, on behalf of Destiny

14:31Partners LLC, requesting to abandon

14:34portions of Nancy Street ing north until

14:36it reaches Mercy Street.

14:40>> Sergeant, can I get the list on number

14:41four?

14:50>> Thank you.

15:02Uh, my jersey.

15:14Are you for number five?

15:17>> This is number four.

15:19>> Did you Did you do the right one, Matt?

15:21Right on the right one.

15:26number. Um,

15:32>> he pick up the

15:37>> Make sure they're

15:57Sorry about that.

16:00Mr. Lily Porchfield.

16:15>> Thank you.

16:16>> Hi there.

16:18>> Welcome.

16:19>> Thank you.

16:21I am here to support this project. Um,

16:24and I will defer to Dylan Connley for

16:26the rest.

16:44Bwork

16:46driver.

17:19Mr. Mark.

17:20>> Mark. Sorry, we can't pronounce your

17:22last name. I'm sorry.

17:22>> So sorry.

17:26>> Sorry about that. Just please state your

17:28name for the record.

17:29>> Hi, Mark.

17:30>> Hi, Mark Plimpmpton. Um, I'm here to

17:32support this project, but I'll defer to

17:34uh my attorney, Dylan Conley.

17:41>> Okay, that's the case. Can I call Dylan

17:44Collie?

17:54>> Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

17:55>> Welcome,

17:56>> Dylan Connley. On behalf of the

17:57applicant, I do have some materials I

18:00want to present. Um, May I approach the

18:02clerk?

18:30>> Mr. Mr. Chairman, this is um a project

18:32that the sort of legal proceedings about

18:35it are somewhat complex because of the

18:37the size of the road and the number of

18:39parcels involved, but conceptually it's

18:42actually pretty quite simple. There's a

18:44uh an a paper street, you know, an

18:47unimproved street behind our lot. Our

18:50lot is subject to our remedial action uh

18:53plan with DEM. So we have a lot of site

18:55cleanup that we need to do and so we

18:58would like to acquire the entirety of

19:00the paper street the entirety of it and

19:03basically roll that into our uh

19:05environmental cleanup efforts and roll

19:08it into the overall site development

19:10which we plan to do over the course of

19:12many years. There's also an abandoned

19:15cemetery. Uh and uh Bob Azar was aware

19:19of a law that allows for us to petition

19:22to maintain a public cemetery. And so

19:25we're petitioning to do that as well. Um

19:27so in the same way that we want to clean

19:29up the site in its entirety, want to

19:31clean and maintain the cemetery. We

19:32don't want to acquire the cemetery, but

19:35we do want the it's it's used as a dummy

19:37ground right now. And if you look at the

19:39back of our petition, you'll see a

19:41series of photos, uh, not in the

19:44document just handed out, but in our

19:45petition, there's a series of photos

19:47that show sort of the tires, the

19:51mattresses, um, and the junk associated

19:54with it. But in the materials that were

19:56just handed out,

19:59we are the owners of the yellow parcel.

20:05The green area is the

20:08right of way we're seeking to have

20:09abandoned and the blue area is the

20:13cemetery that we're looking to basically

20:16get the city's permission to clean and

20:18maintain.

20:20And so when you flip the page, you can

20:22see how it becomes one cohesive site if

20:26we are able uh to have the rightway

20:29abandoned and to acquire it.

20:32It's

20:34a relatively large area, but again,

20:36subject to the DEM uh remedial action

20:39plan and uh it's not really buildable

20:42with the exception of use on our

20:44property. So, we don't think we're

20:47really causing any any concerns or

20:49creating any problems. We're really just

20:50kind of cleaning up the area around our

20:52site as a portion of uh our efforts on

20:55our site. Uh I'm happy to answer

20:57questions. Uh I did receive uh the

21:00appraisal figure. Uh we would like the

21:03ability to respond to the appraisal

21:04figure. Uh, and we would like the

21:06ability to present to uh the city what

21:10our what we understand our costs to be

21:13to clean the site up and to maintain the

21:15cemetery so that we can use that uh

21:20potentially through the uh P

21:23uh to acquire for less than the cited

21:26figure uh because essentially all we're

21:28doing with the real estate is cleaning

21:29it. It's it's dirty. It's a dumping

21:31ground. So that's what we're looking to

21:33do.

21:37Uh, thank you, Dylan. Um, quick

21:40question. So, I'm not sure if I missed

21:41this. So, the your your applicant

21:44doesn't have any intention to to develop

21:46on it at any point or

21:49>> not within the green, which is the

21:51abandoned portion.

21:54Right now, our site access off of

21:57Planefield. The green area is behind a

22:00series of backyards, and we have a lot

22:02of drill sites in this that show that

22:04this is contaminated. So no development

22:07at all on the blue. That's the cemetery.

22:09We're just going to maintain that. And

22:11the green area we intend to use

22:12basically as buffer but not to build on

22:16it directly. So we don't anticipate any

22:19structure in this space. We anticipate

22:21site access and we anticipate um

22:25basically just maintaining and improving

22:27the area so that we're not new

22:29construction next to an illegal dumping

22:31ground. That's sort of what we're trying

22:33to avoid. But any any development

22:35proposal would be subject to planning

22:38and zoning review, zoning standards, the

22:40whole nine. I have nothing like in that

22:42regard today.

22:44>> Um, just to clarify, the the yellow

22:46section that is currently owned by the

22:49applicants.

22:50>> Yes, there's there's some section here

22:53that has some additional title

22:55challenges that have uh we're working

22:57with the city on. Uh the city was about

23:02this real estate, passed a resolution to

23:04acquire this real estate from Almax, but

23:07then never actually recorded the deed.

23:09Uh, so that's another item that we need

23:11to work with the P on. Uh, but this area

23:14in green is the public right away that

23:17we're looking at abandoning tonight. And

23:19this area in blue is the cemetery

23:21>> and everything south of the green, all

23:25that yellow that's currently owned by

23:27the your applicants, right?

23:29>> That's correct. Uh we have recently

23:31completed a a partial adaptive reuse

23:34project in the commercial building on

23:36the site. Uh we have frontage on both

23:39Planefield and Murray. I've been working

23:42with the planning department fairly

23:44regularly on this over the course of

23:46years and plan to continue to do so.

23:48Essentially phase development over time.

23:59No questions.

24:02Do we have a a right away for the

24:06family members of this little cemetery?

24:10Do you have any idea how many people has

24:12been buried there?

24:14>> We don't uh but we are happy to grant

24:16easement and access easement uh to the

24:18cemetery across uh our real estate both

24:21directly from uh Planefield

24:24and we would work on that with the

24:26planning department.

24:30I would like to have like a little ement

24:33like a right away for people to come and

24:35visit in the future because you and I

24:37won't be here but you you don't know if

24:40they got family that they want to come

24:42back and visit and drop some flowers.

24:45>> No, no issue with that at all. Again,

24:48improving that and maintaining that is

24:50one of our goals. It's just a dumping

24:51ground right now. So, very happy to

24:53grant access to the families of the

24:55deceased.

24:57Any

24:59other questions?

25:01>> Thank you very much.

25:02>> Thank you.

25:12>> Number five. We don't move members in

25:15this one. Can you read number five?

25:20>> Number five. Petition from Eric Bright,

25:22124 West Park Street, Province, Rhode

25:24Island 0298, requesting to abandon a

25:26portion of West Park Street.

25:28>> Now we have Mr. M.

25:38>> Thank Thank [clears throat] you, Mr.

25:39Chairman, and good evening, councelor

25:41Sanchez and Royus. Madam clerk, I'm here

25:44representing the petitioner Eric

25:46Brightite of 124 West Park Street,

25:48[snorts]

25:48uh who petitioned the city back in June

25:51regarding the

25:54uh

25:55135 West Park Street. Uh the petitioner

25:58owns the plat 67 and lots 161, 246,

26:04555, 163, and 245, which are all the

26:08related abuing parcels. Uh he is here

26:11tonight. he will testify after me and

26:13will speak to the difficulties that he

26:16and the neighbors have had with this

26:17particular uh road. Um I just did want

26:21to inform the committee that police,

26:23fire, DPW, parks and planning uh raised

26:28no objections to this petition. uh came

26:31before the city plan commission in

26:33August and they unanimously voted in

26:36support of the abandonment petition

26:38subject to an administrative subdivision

26:42and granting any necessary easements

26:44both uh both of which the petitioner is

26:46willing uh is willing to do. We also

26:50have a a letter of support from neighbor

26:52Neil Kaplan if I may submit it to the

26:55clerk.

27:06And with that, Mr. Chairman, I'm happy

27:07to answer any questions. And if not,

27:08I'll turn it over to the applicant, Mr.

27:10Akbrite.

27:13>> Thank you. Any question for

27:16the council?

27:17>> Thank you very much.

27:17>> Thank you.

27:18>> Thank you.

27:22Now, I want to enter this letter in

27:23support for number five. Thank you.

27:29>> Welcome, Mr. Eric.

27:31>> Good evening.

27:32>> Good evening, sir.

27:34>> May I approach the clerk with some

27:38visuals,

27:38>> please?

27:58Go ahead.

27:58>> Please state your name for the record.

28:00>> Uh Eric Bright.

28:06Um so I uh

28:09have property on both side of the road

28:11and my neighbor Ray Swin has the end of

28:13the road who's here tonight. The the

28:16main issue is uh the neglect. Um, the

28:19street light hasn't worked for 10 years.

28:21Um, the sidewalks don't exist. It's

28:25overgrown.

28:27Uh, there's a fence at the end which is

28:29about to fall down. Um,

28:32one of the measures we were going to do

28:34is put some jersey barriers at the end

28:37uh of the street, but that would make

28:39the street look rather blighted. So, if

28:42you take a look at what I um presented,

28:46that's the proposal to deal with the

28:48safety issue at the end of the street um

28:51and the street lamp that's there. Uh I

28:55would put that on my own electric bill.

28:58And we would keep the street open as you

29:00see so that in the winter time when they

29:04do snow, when they do plow the street,

29:06there'll be somewhere to put the snow at

29:07the end.

29:11And the idea is to beautify the street

29:15um and

29:18take care of the visual blight.

29:22>> Okay. Any question for Mr.

29:26>> Thank you very much, sir.

29:27>> You're welcome.

29:28>> Thank you.

29:40Okay. Can you please read number

29:44six?

29:47Petition from Sanderly,

29:5123 Western Street, Province, Rhode

29:52Island, 0296, requesting to abandon the

29:54northern terminus of Western Street.

29:57>> Thank you.

29:58>> You're welcome. Um, Sandra Lee,

30:04welcome.

30:06>> Thank you.

30:08>> Good evening and thank you all for being

30:10here. I appreciate your time tonight. My

30:13name is Sandra Lee and I live at 23

30:16Western Street in the Mount Hope section

30:20of the east side of Providence.

30:22I'm petitioning to have the northern

30:25terminus of Western Street abandoned.

30:29That small parcel which is 30 feet wide

30:34and 35 ft deep, literally dead ends in

30:38front of my front door. And for 25

30:41years, it's provided me a parking space

30:45um for my vehicle.

30:48What I want to do is purchase that and

30:51absorb it into my lot so that in the

30:54future I will have a legal parking space

30:57because right now um that that belongs

31:02to the city

31:04and um as I was told by

31:10one of the DPW guys that doesn't legally

31:14allow me to have a parking space And so

31:18I'm asking the city of Providence to

31:21allow me to um purchase that and absorb

31:25it into my lot for my home.

31:29Are there any questions?

31:34>> I only have one of butter.

31:36>> I was going to ask that.

31:38>> Okay.

31:40>> The

31:42I was looking at Google map. the

31:45neighbor who is at the end, do he use

31:49the backyard for something towards with

31:52the three ends

31:54>> at the end?

31:55>> So that's what I was just speaking to.

31:58The man

31:59is on Duncan Avenue and his backyard is

32:04the southern terminus

32:06of his yard which abuts the northern

32:09terminus of Wes Street. But for all the

32:12time we've been neighbors, there's

32:13always been fence there

32:16and he never comes over on that side,

32:20you know, and his backyard is is just a

32:24mode lawn with a bunch of nice hostas

32:28and he doesn't utilize

32:31the terminus of Western Street at all.

32:33He doesn't have access to it unless he

32:35walks all the way around the block

32:39and comes to my house.

32:41Does that answer your question?

32:45You do you own the one across the street

32:48from you?

32:48>> Yes. Yes, that was your question. I'm

32:50sorry. Yes, I own that. So, I'm a butter

32:54there.

32:58>> Have you talked to the neighbor? The one

33:02with the street ends?

33:05>> That's way on the other side of my lot.

33:09>> No, no. like 123

33:1323 Western Street, right?

33:16>> When the the tree ends a little while

33:18there, that's a neighbor that his

33:21backyard is into that tree.

33:23>> Yes. I sent him I wrote him a handmade

33:26note and I put it in his mailbox

33:29couple of months ago letting him know

33:32about all of this. And I haven't heard a

33:34peep from him. I see him in the backyard

33:36sometimes and we say hello.

33:39He he he

33:40doesn't have any use for that land, but

33:45um he has been informed

33:48of what I intend to do or what I'm

33:50trying to do, I should say. Does that

33:53answer your question?

33:55>> Yes. Any other question for

34:00>> I just want to thank your city clerk

34:03here, Sher Petronia. She's been so

34:05patient with me.

34:06>> You're welcome.

34:08Thank you very much for your testimony.

34:09>> Thank you.

34:10>> Thank you.

34:17>> Okay, seeing that this is the last one,

34:21we don't have no more names on it. I

34:24want to

34:26conclude the public hearing. I want to

34:28say thank you to everyone for coming

34:30today. Have a safe night and let's see

34:33you on the next sign. Thank you.