HomeMy Public PortalAbout09-12-15 Public Works Committee ReportTown Council
Town of Watertown
Committee on Public Works, Meeting December 1, 2009
Report: December 15, 2009
The Committee met December 1st at 5:00 pm in the Council Chambers to discuss business trash
collection, citizen concerns about the Pleasant St reconstruction project, and finalizing the draft curb
and sidewalk ordinance. Present were: Susan Falkoff, Chair; Steve Corbett, Vice -chair; Vincent
Piccirilli, Secretary; DPW Superintendent Gerald Mee; DPW Clerk Mary Haley; and Steven Magoon,
Director of Community Development & Planning.
Visitors present were Ernesta Kraczkiewicz and Steve Engler.
Curb and Sidewalk Ordinance:
As a follow-up to the meeting on September 1St, Mr. Magoon distributed a revised draft ordinance dated
December 1, 2009 for review (copy attached), that incorporated the changes from the last meeting. Mr.
Magoon also had the Town Attorney review the ordinance and approve the language defining "new
development" in sections 55.01(d)2 and 55.02(f).
The language added for "new development" was discussed and found acceptable. Councilor Corbett
was concerned that requiring a property owner to install new curbs and sidewalks may exceed the
Town's authority, and asked that the Town Attorney provide a letter stating this is permitted by Mass
General Laws. Mr. Magoon believed it was permitted, and he would get the letter.
Ms. Kraczkiewicz asked about section 55.02(d) where 4 ft wide sidewalks would be allowed. Mr. Mee
said the volume of pedestrian traffic would determine it, as well as the size of the grass strip. Grass
strips less than 12 inches are not practical.
Councilor Falkoff asked that Mr. Magoon present this ordinance for a first reading in the first Town
Council meeting in January, subject to an affirmative letter being provided by the attorney. All agreed.
Citizen concerns about the Pleasant St reconstruction project:
This item was added to the agenda at the request of Jill Halloran, a Pleasant St resident. Councilor
Piccirilli read her email, highlighting the areas of concern: lack of traffic calming, widening of the road
causing speeding, and removal of trees. Mr. Mee addressed each point:
• Traffic calming such as speed humps are not allowed on a major arterial and designated truck
route such as Pleasant St. However there will be 3 new traffic lights, at Russo's, Myrtle, and
Rosedale, which will aid pedestrian crossing and control traffic flow.
• The addition of granite curbs and concrete sidewalks where none existed will provide a visual
narrowing of the road to help slow traffic. Much of this work is not yet complete.
• The road has not been widened, and the Town had to obtain waivers from Mass Highway
because it is narrower than state standards. Since only the base coat of asphalt is down and
curbs are not all installed, it appears wider than it will be. Also, the final lane markings will
include 11 ft lanes and a striped 18" to 36" shoulder to further provide visual narrowing. From
Bridge St west, there will be center left -turn lanes to further control traffic.
Page 1 of 2
Committee on Public Works Report — December 15, 2009
• A number of trees were cut down, but almost all were on private property and had to be
removed to build retaining walls. The large elm at Myrtle St had a large limb fall and was found
to be rotted inside, and was cut down as a necessary safety measure. About 100 new trees will
be planted after construction is complete. Most of these will be on private property because the
road is too narrow to have sidewalk planting strips. Planting is likely to take place in the fall of
2010.
Steve Engler asked about curb cuts and access to the path entrances at Bacon St and Howard St. Mr.
Mee said the curve of the road makes it unsafe to have crosswalks at those two locations, but there will
be a new crosswalk with curb cuts about 30ft west of Howard.
Councilor Piccirilli will follow up with Ms. Halloran and other Pleasant St residents on answers to their
questions.
Business Trash Collection:
Mr. Mee apologized that Deputy Superintendent Sue Tamber was not available for today's meeting. As
a follow-up to the meeting of October 6th, Mr. Mee provided the following information:
FY09 Total business trash Billings: 176 accounts, 360 cubic yards, $ 55,546
Cost of tipping fees: 15.02 tons/week = 781 tons/yr@ $72/ton = $56,272 tipping fees
Allied has not broken out the cost of business collection separately from residential collection.
Watertown's rate: $260/year for up to 3 cubic yards ($5/week), plus $208/year per additional cu.yd.
Private hauler: $8 to $9/week per cu. yd, depending on location and volume
There was a brief discussion covering all the information collected to date. The decision comes down
to three options:
1. Leave the program and rates structure as is
2. Discontinue the program
3. Institute a new written policy and adjust the rates to fully cover our costs, encourage recycling,
and discourage large users.
It was agreed that we would like a program that supports the viability of small storefront businesses that
do not have a parking lot or other storage area for a dumpster. The Committee asked the DPW to
propose a new policy and rates that addresses the following points:
a. Calculate true costs of the program, including Allied collection fees and administrative costs,
and propose new rates to cover costs
b. Make recycling mandatory as part of the trash collection program
c. Examine the possibility of having Allied provide toters to businesses to ensure the amount of
trash being put out does not exceed what is being charged
d. Consider a tiered rate structure to make the program economically unattractive to large users
(i.e. more than 3 yards/week), and favor smaller businesses (1 barrel per week)
e. Use the licensing process to enforce collection of fees
The meeting adjourned at 6:30 pm.
Report prepared by: Vincent Piccirilli
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December 1, 2009
ORDINANCE # 0 -09 -
AN ORDINANCE GOVERNING THE GENERAL STANDARDS AND REQUIREMENTS FOR
CURBS AND SIDEWALKS
WHEREAS, the Department of Public Works together with the Curb Committee, find that standards of
design and requirements for the construction and/or reconstruction of curbs and sidewalks shall be
established in accordance with the MassHighway guidelines; and
WHEREAS, the design and requirements will conform to the Americans Disability Act (ADA) and
Massachusetts Architectural Access Board (MAAB) Guidelines.
NOW THEEFORE, BE IT ORDAINED, that the Town Council for the city known as the Town of
Watertown does hereby amend the 2006 Revised Watertown Ordinances by adding a new Section 55,
Curbs and Sidewalks as follows:
INSERT the following new Section 55, Curbs and Sidewalks
Section 55.01, Curbing Requirements
(a) All materials for curb installation shall conform to the following standards to provide a barrier
between the roadway and pedestrian sidewalk and its adjacent planting strip. In areas where curbing
is installed, parking on any portion of the sidewalk or planting strip will not be permitted.
(1) All curbing hereinafter installed for full depth reconstruction roadway projects shall consist
of granite curbing, unless otherwise directed by the Superintendent of Public Works under
section 55.01 (d) 3.
(2) Curbing for roadway resurfacing projects not included in subsection (1) shall consist of
asphalt "bread loaf" curb with a vertical face and non -mountable, except that sections of the
curb at intersections and adjacent to handicap ramps and sections of existing granite curb
shall be granite, unless otherwise directed by the Superintendent of Public Works under
section 55.01 (d) 3.
(3) When roadway improvement projects extend for less than a full block, the installation of new
curbing will be at the discretion of the Superintendent of Public Works under section 55.01
(d) 3.
(b) Curbing will be installed when adequate lane width is available for each roadway component based
on roadway classification. Roadway classification shall consist of the following:
Arterials are roadways that "service statewide travel as well as major traffic movements within
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urbanized areas or between suburban centers" or "link cities and towns in rural areas and interconnect
major arterials within urban areas".1 Arterials have high or moderate mobility and limited points of
access
Collectors are roadways that "link arterial roadways and provide connections between cities and
towns" or "connect local roads to major collectors and arterials".1. Collectors have moderate mobility
and moderate to high access.
Local Streets are roadways with low speeds and a high degree of local circulation and access and are
not intended for regional connectivity.1
The following table contains a partial listing of Watertown roadways and their functional classification.
Roadways that are not listed are assumed to be local roads. For purposes of this Ordinance, the Mass
Highway classification shall be used, except as noted. Changes to the listed classifications shall he
considered based upon the classification criteria and will be brought before the DPW subcommittee of the
Council with a recommendation from the Superintendent of Public Works.
Table 1 Functional Classification of Watertown Streets
Road
DPW Classification
AASHTO
Classification*
MassHighway
Classification
Arsenal Street
Arterial
Minor Arterial
Principal Arterial
Belmont Street
Arterial
Minor Arterial
Principal Arterial
Galen Street
Arterial
Principal Arterial
Principal Arterial
Greenough Blvd — MDC
Arterial
Minor Arterial
Principal Arterial
Main Street
Arterial
Principal Arterial
Principal Arterial
Mount Auburn Street
Arterial
Principal Arterial
Principal Arterial
North Beacon Street
Arterial
Principal Arterial
Principal Arterial
Pleasant Street
Arterial
Collector
Principal Arterial
Watertown Street
Arterial
Principal Arterial
Principal Arterial.
Arlington Street
Connector
Collector
Minor Arterial.
Charles River Rd - MDC
Connector
Collector
Minor Arterial.
Common Street
Connector
Minor Arterial
Minor Arterial
Coolidge Avenue
Connector
Collector
Minor Arterial
Howard Street
Connector
Collector
Minor Arterial
Irving Street
Connector
Local
Minor Arterial
Lexington Street
Connector
Collector
Minor Arterial
Nonantum — MDC
Connector
Minor Arterial
Minor Arterial
School Street
Connector
Collector
Minor Arterial
1 Mass Highway , Project Development and Design Guide, p. 3-8
Page I3
Road
DPW Classification
AASHTO
Classification*
MassHighway
Classification
Waverley Avenue
Connector
Collector
Minor Arterial
Acton Street
Primary
Local
Local
Bigelow Avenue
Primary
Local
Local
California Street
Primary
Collector
Collector
Church Street
Primary
Collector
Collector
Coolidge Hill Road
Primary
Local
Collector
Dexter Avenue 1
Primary
Collector
Collector
Grove Street
Primary
Local
Collector
Highland Avenue
Primary
Local
Collector
Nichols Avenue
Primary
Collector
Collector
Orchard Street
Primary
Minor Arterial
Collector
Spring Street
Primary
Local
Collector
Summer Street
Primary
Collector
Collector
Sycamore Street
Primary
Collector
Collector
Walnut Street
Primary
Collector
Collector
Waltham Street
Primary
Collector
Collector
Warren Street
Primary
Local
Collector
*Source: MassGIS Data
(1) Adequate travel lane width is deemed to be 11 feet on principal and minor arterials, 10 feet
on collectors and on local roads. Adequate parking lane width is deemed to be 7 feet in
residential areas along all classes of roads and 8 feet in width within commercial areas.
(2) A principal or minor arterial, or a collector, with two way traffic must have a minimum of
two separate travel lanes.
(3) Local Roads, which are considered roads not having the DPW Classification of Arterial,
Connector, or Primary, may have a single shared travel lane for two way traffic, provided
there are periodic opportunities for passing.
(4) A minimum street width of 18 feet curb to curb shall be adequate for the following roadway
configurations:
(i) A one-way street with one travel lane and with one side on -street parking.
(ii) A two way local street with one travel lane and one side of on -street parking with
provision for periodic spaces of restricted parking at least every 100 feet for
vehicles to pull over to the side.
(iii) A two-way collector or local road with two travel lanes and no on -street parking.
(5) The curb -to -curb pavement width will then determine if there is adequate room for on street
parking on one side or both sides of a street. Resulting parking issues shall be referred to
the Traffic Commission for consideration.
(c) In cases where curbing is proposed, but no curbing currently exists, and where the resulting street
width is not great enough to allow both adequate travel lanes and parking shoulder widths per
subsection (b), every effort should be made to accommodate a defined street edge
(d) Curb Installation Requirements:
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I. Whenever the owner of a parcel abutting a public way desires that curbing be installed abutting
such parcel, the property owner may pay for and install granite curbing at their full expense,
subject to the approval of the Superintendent of Public Works and subject to the conditions as
herein defined. Such installation shall also include appropriate transition to adjoining curbing and
walkways, including handicapped ramps and access as required.
2. Any new development project shall include the installation of granite curbing and concrete
sidewalk with planting strip across the entire project's public street frontage at the property
owner's expense, subject to the approval of the Superintendent of Public Works and subject to the
conditions as herein defined, including the rules and regulations promulgated by the
Superintendent of Public Works. Such installation shall also include appropriate transition to
adjoining curbing and walkways, including handicapped ramps and access as required. As used
in this section, "new development project" shall mean any project where there is a new building
foundation, either because there was no pre-existing building or the previous foundation has been
removed.
3. No curbing shall be installed under this section at those locations where the Superintendent of
Public Works determines that the installation of curbing is not feasible due to public safety, site
constraints, budget constraints, or conflicts with future plans for the area. In such cases the
Superintendent of Public Works shall receive the concurrence of the Town Manager and written
notice to the Council.
4. The Superintendent of Public Works is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations, consistent
with the Curb and Sidewalks Ordinance, which shall implement the provisions of this Ordinance.
5. All curb installations shall comply with the rules and regulations of the Superintendent of Public
Works in addition to the provisions of this Ordinance.
Section 55.02, Sidewalk Requirements
a) All materials for sidewalk construction or repair shall consist of concrete unless exempted under
subsection (b, c and e) below.
b) The material used at street tree locations may include the use of asphalt in order to address tree root
issues in accordance with DPW regulations.
c) The material used as a temporary utility repair, where deemed necessary by the Superintendent of
Public Works, may include asphalt. Temporary repairs shall be permanently replaced with concrete
in accordance with the DPW regulations.
d) Sidewalks which are constructed hereinafter may extend the full length of the public way at the
discretion of the Superintendent of Public Works and shall have a preferred clear walking surface of 5
feet not including curbing with a minimum of 4 feet, and shall conform to Americans Disability Act
(ADA) and Massachusetts Architectural Access Board (MAAB) Guidelines, unless otherwise
exempted under subsection (e). A minimum clearance of 3 fect shall be provided around obstructions
in the sidewalk such as utility poles, street trees, and hydrants. In residential areas the sidewalk width
shall be a maximum of 5 feet with the balance of the right of way as a planting strip. Whenever the
owner of a parcel abutting a public way desires that a sidewalk be installed abutting such parcel, the
property owner may pay for and install concrete sidewalk at their full expense, subject to the approval
of the Superintendent of Public Works and subject to the conditions as herein defined and in
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compliance with other DPW regulations. Such installation shall also include appropriate transition to
adjoining curbing and walkways, including handicapped ramps and access as required.
e) No sidewalks shall be installed under this section at those locations where the Superintendent of
Public Works determines that the installation of sidewalks is not feasible due to public safety, site
constraints, budget constraints, or conflicts with future plans for the area. In such cases the
Superintendent of Public Works shall receive the concurrence of the Town Manager and written
notice to the Council.
f) Any new development project shall include the installation of granite curbing and concrete sidewalk
with planting strip across the entire project's public street frontage at the property owner's expense,
subject to the approval of the Superintendent of Public Works and subject to the conditions as herein
defined, including the rules and regulations promulgated by the Superintendent of Public Works.
Such installation shall also include appropriate transition to adjoining curbing and walkways,
including handicapped ramps and access as required. As used in this section, the term "new
development project" shall mean any project where there is a new building foundation, either because
there was no pre-existing foundation or the previous foundation has been removed.
g) The Superintendent of Public Works is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations, consistent
with the Curb and Sidewalks Ordinance, which shall implement the provisions of this Ordinance.
h) All sidewalk installations shall comply with the rules and regulations of the Superintendent of Public
Works in addition to the provisions of this Ordinance.
Council Member
I hereby certify that at a regular meeting of the Town Council for which a quorum was present, the
Above Ordinance was adopted by a vote of
On
Valerie Papas
Council Clerk
Clyde L. Younger
Council President