Committee Report - L&P - 9-20-16 — File 202124

Licenses and Permits Committee Page 1 of 3 Printed 9/22/2016 September 20, 2016 REPORT OF THE LICENSES AND PERMITS COMMITTEE Attendee Name Title Status Arrived Dennis M. Sullivan Chair Present Maryann M. Heuston Vice Chair Present John M. Connolly Alderman At Large Present Others present: Alderman Mark Niedergang, John Long - City Clerk, Jacqui Duffy - Eversource, Charles Sillari - Clerk of Committees. The meeting took place in the Committee Room and was called to order at 6:02 PM by Alderman Sullivan and adjourned at 7:33 PM. Approval of the July 13, 2016 Minutes RESULT: ACCEPTED 202013: Submitted by Eversource to install 31 feet of conduit in Morrison Avenue, from Pole 238/28 to a point of pickup at the rear of 10 Winslow Avenue. (Interim approval issued 8/29/16) Ms. Duffy explained the reason for the request and Alderman Connolly stated that this work would assist with the opening of a pre-school. RESULT: APPROVED 202042: Public Event Permit, Hudson St Neighborway, Sep 3, 8AM-5PM. Each side was asked to select 2 representatives. Mr. Long explained the online public event application and said that one was submitted on August 24, 2016 for an event scheduled for September 3, 2016. The application was reviewed and signed-off by the SFD, SPD, T&P and the DPW on August 31, 2016 and the next BOA meeting was on September 13th. Mr. Long explained the process of an interim letter of approval and the interim license was approved.

Licenses and Permits Committee Page 2 of 3 Printed 9/22/2016 Alderman Heuston asked if proper notice of the street closing was given to abutters and Mr. Long explained the notification requirements, adding that the applicant completed an electronic affirmation. Alderman Heuston asked how notice requirements are verified and she inquired about painting on the street. She also questioned a sign off by a secretary in the DPW. Mr. Long stated that permanent markings on the street should not occur. Alderman Niedergang stated his support for Neighborways and reported that most of the neighborhood is in favor of the mural, but 3 individuals were unhappy with it. In the future, Alderman Niedergang will ensure that abutters are personally spoken to. He went on to say that he feels that the mural is an asset to the street. Alicia Amaral said that the mural is in front of her house and that she was notified about it and she expressed concern about getting tenants in the future. She appreciates the effort that went into the painting and she is supportive of the Neighborways Project, but doesn’t believe that it slows traffic, but rather is a distraction to drivers. She believes that it encourages children to play in the street and is a serious safety hazard. Deborah Higher is sorry that the communication wasn’t satisfactory to some neighbors and she spoke about her outreach in the neighborhood. Mr. Piwinski said that he knows many people who are against the mural and he doesn’t know what makes playing in the street safe. He considers the mural to be graffiti and feels that it depreciates the value of his property. He spoke about ways to calm traffic and doesn’t think that purple bunnies painted on the street is the answer. Mark Chase discussed the permitting process and said that the permit was for a block party. He explained the goal of NeighborWays and said that he will never allow another mural to be painted without getting signatures from neighbors. Chairman Sullivan explained the need for interim permitting and would like to see better notification to abutters. Alderman Heuston feels that murals add value to a city and she would like to see a more public and official process implemented and suggested that OSPCD and T&P be officially involved. Alderman Heuston asked Mr. Chase to work with those departments to develop a tighter set of guidelines around notification. Proposed designs of murals should be vetted and proposed locations should be adhered to. Alderman Heuston expressed concern about children playing in the street because of the mural. Alderman Connolly said that the permit process was in the best interest of the community and he expressed concern about an “attractive nuisance”. He suggested having a real estate professional evaluate the mural’s impact on property values. He recommended that the item remain in committee and hopes that the neighbors will be able to work this situation out. Alderman Niedergang would like 3 real estate opinions and also a neighborhood meeting, co- hosted by an Alderman-at-Large, since he is not a neutral party. Mr. Piwinski would like to wait until after November 19th for the neighborhood meeting.

Licenses and Permits Committee Page 3 of 3 Printed 9/22/2016 Alderman Heuston would like a communication sent from the committee to let department heads know that they must get items to the BOA with enough time for members to perform their due diligence. RESULT: KEPT IN COMMITTEE Handouts: • Hudson Street Flyers (with 202042)