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Planning board recommends council approve return of Grove Street parcel to adjacent property owner
Summary
Following review of a city council referral, the planning board unanimously recommended the council approve returning about 257 square feet of right-of-way along Grove Street to an adjacent parcel, retaining a corner radius and hydrant easement for public infrastructure.
The planning board recommended that city council approve a petition to amend the Grove Street layout that would return 257 square feet of previously-acquired right-of-way to the adjacent property at Grove Street (tax map parcel 585057000). The recommendation was unanimous.
Public Works Director Donald Leshy explained the parcel was originally acquired in 2014 to accommodate a second northbound travel lane at the Grove Street–Water Street intersection in anticipation of a proposed event venue. The venue never materialized, and current traffic counts and public requests did not support retaining the extra lane. The city retained a small corner area (radius) and an easement for a fire hydrant; the brown-shaded area on staff maps is the portion proposed for release back to the adjacent owner (now Habitat for Humanity).
The board discussed sidewalk implications and noted that telephone poles and other utilities on the street edge limit sidewalk construction on the west side; the existing sidewalk remains on the opposite side where school crossings occur. Leshy said retaining the corner radius was important to preserve the roadway curvature and related infrastructure.
After discussion, the board voted to recommend that the City Council approve the amendment to the Grove Street layout. The motion passed unanimously.
