At a Dec. 1 public hearing, residents and the petitioner clashed over a request by 161 Ridge LLC to abandon a portion of Steel Street south of Woodbine Street.

Nick Vasileff, who identified his address as 64 Evergreen Street, said Steel Street "is currently the only way that I can access the back of my house, without entering private property," and urged the committee to consider access problems. Barbara and Daryl Williams of 29 Woodbine Street told the committee they are concerned about existing parking pressure on Woodbine and nearby streets, noted York Street is not passable and said adding a duplex without clear parking would strain the neighborhood during winter and school months.

Dylan Connolly, the petitioner's representative, said he has communicated with several abutters and submitted correspondence from a neighboring owner who supports the abandonment with conditions. Connolly proposed abandoning 50% of the public right-of-way directly in front of his property to enable a side-by-side duplex with integral parking beneath the units, and said the product is intended for homeownership rather than rental. He said he will coordinate surveys, administrative subdivision filings, and easements with neighbors and city staff.

A tax assessor's office representative told the committee the office had not placed a value on the parcel because submissions did not clearly indicate how land would be allocated among abutters or whether abandonment could landlock other lots; staff flagged the need for clearer survey information before valuation. There was no formal vote recorded on the petition at the hearing; staff and the petitioner said they would continue outreach and provide survey and subdivision materials for further consideration.