ORDER-2021-15 : Acceptance of Two (2) MassDOT Shared Streets and Spaces Program Grants. One for Pedestrian and Cyclist Accessibility Improvements funded at $19,560 and the second, the Melrose Parklet Project funded at $39,600.

Transcript (~18 min @ 2:07:52)

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▶ 2:07:54 Speaker 1: appropriations committee order 2021-15 acceptance of two max dot shared streets and spaces program grants one for pedestrian and cyclist accessibility improvements funded at nineteen thousand five Five hundred sixty dollars and the 2nd, the models parklet project. Funded at 39,600 dollars.

▶ 2:08:18 Jen Grigoraitis: Do we have, I believe there's a counselor Thomas.

▶ 2:08:23 Cory Thomas: I'd like to make a motion for a meeting consideration on this order 2021 dash 1, 5.

▶ 2:08:30 Speaker 9: Second counselor McMaster.

▶ 2:08:36 Jen Grigoraitis: Sorry, proceed with that. My apologies. So we have a request for a media consideration, which is. before us is unless there's a any an objection from any one counselor I seeing none the order is now before us I found some McMaster yeah madam president

▶ 2:08:54 Shawn M. MacMaster: at this time I believe we have to suspend rule 34 a as this is a municipal finance matter in order in order to have it in order to for media consideration in order to go forward on it just be appropriate to suspend that rule uh without doing so it has to go to finance yes thank you at that time at this time for that

▶ 2:09:19 Jen Grigoraitis: thank you so we have a second so we have a motion by council mcmaster seconded by councillor Garipay to suspend rule 34a for this order 2021-15 which is now before us is there any discussion Adam Clark, can you please call the roll?

▶ 2:09:33 Speaker 2: Councilor Sinella? Yes. Councilor Eccles?

▶ 2:09:37 Speaker 5: Yes.

▶ 2:09:38 Speaker 1: Councilor Garibaldi?

▶ 2:09:39 Speaker 7: Yes.

▶ 2:09:40 Speaker 2: Councilor Jamaleddine? Yes. Councilor McMaster? Yes. Councilor McNaught? Yes. Councilor Migliorelli? Yes. Councilor Stewart? Yes. Councilor Thomas? Yes. Councilor Tramontozzi? Yes. Councilor Grigoraitis?

▶ 2:10:03 Jen Grigoraitis: Yes, 11. yes 11. yes. So rule 34 a is now suspended and I believe we do have members of the administration here to speak to this. Correct?

▶ 2:10:15 Jen Grigoraitis: Incorrect yes. Okay. So I'll entertain a motion to suspend the rules so that we can bring. Those folks forward motion is to spend the rules 2nd.

▶ 2:10:25 Jen Grigoraitis: So, we have a motion to suspend the roles by Councilor Thomas seconded by Councilor McNaught. Madam clerk, can you please call the role?

▶ 2:10:32 Speaker 2: Councilor yes. Councilor Eccles yes, yes.

▶ 2:10:39 Speaker 2: Counselor, yes, counselor. McMaster yes, yes. Councilor Migliorelli? Yes. Councilor Stewart? Yes. Councilor Thomas? Yes. Councilor Tramontozzi? Yes. President Grigoraitis? Yes. 11 yes.

▶ 2:10:59 Jen Grigoraitis: 11 yes, the motion carries. Who are we bringing forward?

▶ 2:11:06 Speaker 11: I think it's just me.

▶ 2:11:10 Jen Grigoraitis: Hello, Ms. Pravi-Casales, you have the floor.

▶ 2:11:15 Speaker 11: Okay, thank you. So thank you for considering this immediate consideration the intent of this grant as uh jonah from the pet bike committee also um briefly mentioned is for these grants to be quick build projects and um in by mass dot standards that is assumed to be um something that can be implemented in a matter of about six weeks and so if we were to go through the the typical process of grant acceptance through the city council we would be looking at four of those six weeks being in the process of being sent to committee and then back to the full council so that was obviously not an available option if we were to accept this grant so i appreciate your willingness to consider this tonight um just to give a little brief uh background on the project so these projects the mass dot shared streets uh grant opportunity was a direct response to the covet 19 pandemic and is supposed to allow more outdoor spaces more shared spaces for communities to use for walking biking dining shopping you know anything that can be done outdoors that we could be allowing for additional space for so as jonah mentioned the pet bike committee had made some suggestions earlier on in the pandemic and some of those uh qualified under this grant program and then the city had also been simultaneously looking at parklets to begin with it's an idea that we had always been very interested in potentially providing some shared spaces especially in the business districts um so the the way the grant uh would work is that that we would be implementing it in different phases. So the parklets, the temporary parklets that you see presently, those were funded, both the barriers and the tables and chairs through the operating budget at this time. And those are intended to be pilots. So that's what we were considering phase one of our project and did not relate to the grant, but was something we were trying to do anyway. In phase 2 of the project, which is funded by a portion of the grant, that's the 39,000 and change portion. That would entail making the parklets a little more permanent and a lot prettier. So. What what we've proposed is some barriers that are similar to something that the town of Andover had done. The application included a picture, it's sort of a white fencing with planter boxes. Uh, that would replace the orange barriers that we have to date. That doesn't have to be what it looks like, but that's how we priced it out. So we have that 39,000 and change. To make those parklets both look nicer and also to put platforms on the ground such that they become flush with the sidewalk surface. So they're fully accessible right now in order to get into them. you'd have to go down the curb ramp into the street at the crosswalk, let's say at Starbucks, and then go into the parklet. That way, if you were disabled and you couldn't step off the curb, so that would be addressed as well. The 19,000 plus that we got in the other grant Is for 2 different initiatives 1 is slow streets and 1 is sidewalk expansions. And so the mayor's office is considering phase 2 to include both the enhanced parklets. And the slow streets component of of that 2nd grant. Slow streets are basically if a neighborhood comes forward and says, we'd like to. Block off our neighborhood to resident traffic only. We would put up saw horses with signs that say slow streets that have some contact information. If people had a comment that they didn't like the slow street. Or that they loved it, whatever they want to. To give us for feedback, and so those signs will be set up on a saw horse that would basically block. The majority of the traffic, but the residents would know that they could go around those and then it allows kids to bike in the street people to jog or walk or whatever else they want to do. Congregate in small socially distinct groups in the street. And so that is very much we didn't propose any particular neighborhoods that is neighborhood driven. If if West Wyoming came in and requested to be a slow street. We would have to say, no, if circuit street came in and requested to be a slow street. I can't imagine why we wouldn't say yes. So it's going to be taken on a case by case basis. We can't just shut down major roads and send the traffic through detours. But on small side streets that are only cut through unless you're a resident. Those are very easy to do and so that's that's what the slow street. Project looks like they would be open to. Local traffic, first responders, trash trucks. And, you know, anyone else who needs to gain access mail trucks. Those would all be allowed to go around the barriers and it would be set up to make that easy. Then the last phase of the project. Is the sidewalk expansion and that is part of the 19,000 grant. That is where we would take a sidewalk. This is what some other towns have done largely in more urban areas, but we would take a street. And we would put cones along what would normally be a parking lane. We would make sure we still have room for traffic to get by in both directions. And we would expand the sidewalk so that more people could bike more people could walk. Or jog, and that would really be some of our connecting neighborhoods, like. Bellevue is a good example for something like that. It's a wide street. It goes for a long length and so you could. You could close off a portion of the side of the road, which would allow for. You know, a lane for people to do. Other recreational activities within it. Porter street was another that was suggested, so we would start with probably the lowest hanging for streets ones where we don't think it would really disrupt traffic at all that have very little parking. That's normally utilized and test them out and the great thing about those is that they will be built with. Saw horses and cones, and if a neighborhood doesn't like them, we will do outreach before we put anything out. But if the neighborhood thinks they want it, and then decides that they don't want it. We can just send our guys back out to pick up the, the saw horses and the cones and the signs and then move them on to a different location. And then the last part of that 3rd phase. Is that the mayor's office is looking at expanding parklets into some other areas. Um, particularly alleyways are 1 thing that's being looked at. I know central terrorists was recently voted by the traffic commission to no longer be. Available to vehicular traffic that's along the side of the where it was very dangerous anyway. For cars to be driving, so it frees up that space for a potential parklet. And now there may be other similar spaces that we can look at. So. That's the rundown of the grant funding. It is available to us immediately. In fact. I received an email today that the treasurer collector's office got 1 of the 2 payments already today, and they were looking for a deposit account to put it in and I just asked them to please wait until. This meeting in the vote tonight, and presuming that that it's a favorable vote, then we will deposit the money into our accounts and start purchasing the items.

▶ 2:19:41 Jen Grigoraitis: Thank you. Are there any questions from counselors?

▶ 2:19:49 Speaker 9: Okay, seeing none. Counselor Stewart.

▶ 2:19:54 Robb Stewart: Thank you, Madam President. I just wanted to make a statement about this initiative. I'm.

▶ 2:20:03 Robb Stewart: well highly supportive of this and uh prior to the um the whole pandemic breakout where

▶ 2:20:11 Robb Stewart: everything closed down i was a regular attendee at the pet bite committee and the excitement uh that is in that committee uh i think and the the work that they do is well demonstrated by this plan that's been thought out that's been brought a number of examples from different communities and I think it's a tremendous asset to this town. I just want to point that out and have the administration recognize that this group of volunteers consistently meet and really objectively try to find great ways to utilize the city's alternative ways of moving around basically to its maximum potential and I encourage the administration to continue to work with them including bringing various aspects of the administration to the committee and not by proxy but by direct contact as if it's it's a tremendous value add from the interactions that I saw you get get results like this. It helps Ms. Paroi Casales plug in to what they're thinking about on a consistent basis. I know they communicate a lot with her, but I think that it helps her bring her ideas as well and across communication. So with that, I think this is a great initiative, I fully support it. And thank you, Ms. Paroi Casales for clearly identifying the details of the plan. Thank you, Madam President.

▶ 2:21:52 Speaker 9: Thank you, Councilor Stewart. Councilor Serapis?

▶ 2:21:54 Mark Garipay: Yes, thank you. Ms. Perico, just one question on the Safe Street portion of it. And I apologize if you had mentioned it and I missed it. If a neighborhood was to come forward as a Wood Alderman, I'm sure I may get some requests on this. If a neighborhood was to come forward, do they need a 100% uh need the whole everyone on the street um 100 for this or is it a percentage or how

▶ 2:22:27 Speaker 11: how how is that going to work so we haven't we haven't strictly established that um we would need a vast majority i would say um i would say we're unlikely to need a hundred percent because oftentimes they're people who just aren't going to weigh in one way or another if we have very vocal opposition then we're unlikely to to attempt to do it on a particular street um you know the idea is for this to be a very positive thing and we don't want to be arguing with with residents or with neighborhoods um trying to force this on anyone it's not you know it it only really provides a benefit to the direct neighborhood in which it's set up And so, if a neighborhood doesn't want it. Or once it's out, if if a neighborhood. Opposes it, then then we would just take it back up. So. Yeah, we haven't specified what percentage we would need. I think it would probably also be case by case, you know, if it's a street with 12 houses, and we have 10 of the 12, I would say we'd move forward very likely move forward and. And just see how it goes and see if those last couple of folks. Weigh in, as I mentioned, there is going to be contact information on all the signs. So we have. We've set up an email address that is shared streets at city of Melrose dot org. And it's on the parklet signs right now, and it will be on all the signs. So if someone misses the opportunity to weigh in when the neighborhood. Petitions to be added and then has comments afterwards, they have a mechanism to make those comments.

▶ 2:24:16 Speaker 9: Thank you, thank you. Any other counselors.

▶ 2:24:20 Jen Grigoraitis: Hey, what is the will of the council?

▶ 2:24:27 Jen Grigoraitis: Second, do we have a motion to approve made by counselor Stewart? Seconded by counselor. Is there any discussion Adam clerk? Can you please call the role?

▶ 2:24:43 Speaker 2: Counselor, yes.

▶ 2:24:52 Speaker 2: Yes, uh, yes. Counselor, yes. Counselor McMaster yes, yes. Counselor, yes, yes. Counselor Thomas yes, yes. Present Grigoraitis yes, 11. Yes.

▶ 2:25:18 Jen Grigoraitis: 11 yes and the order carries back to you madam clerk of committees order 2021-18

▶ 2:25:23 Speaker 1: appointment of Emily Minton of 33 Waverly Place to the Melrose Commission