HomeMy WebLinkAbout1926-09-21364
REGULAR MEETING, Sept. 21, 1926.
A regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen was held at the
Selectmen,s Office at 8:30 P.M. Messrs Custance, Burnham ,° Miles,
Ballard, and Robertson were present. The Superintendent of Public works
and the Clerk were also present.
Mr. W. Roger Greeley, of Kilham, Hopkins & Greeley, came before the
Board relative to the proposed office building to be in connection with
the Memorial Building to be located on the Shaw-Plumer lot on Mass.
Avenue between Grant Street and'Fletcher Avenue., He presented tentative
plans of the location of the lot with the proposed memorial building
thereon together with a connecting corridor to the proposed location
of the office building. These plans were left for thq-consideration of
,,,the Board. Mr. Greeley stated that he felt the sum of $120,000 would
be sufficient, this to include additional furniture which might be
necessary, to cover the cost of the building. The Board decided to make
a study of the plans,
Mr. Ernest C. Martin, Mr. 0. G. Seeley, and Mr. Fred H. Moulton,
came before the Board relative to the application of Mr. Martin for a
third class liquor license. Mr. Martin has taken stops -to purchase the
drug store owned by 0. G. Seeley, and he is desirous of obtaining g
permit for the Bale of liquor upon preseriptions. Mr. Moulton stated
that he had known Mr. Martin in Somerville for a number of years, and
known him to be an honest and reliable man, and recommended that the
Board grant him a license. References were received from Melvin &
Badger Company and from the H. D. Huggan Drug Company, both of Boston,
in which excellent recommendations were received for Mr. Martin. The
Board therefor voted to grant Mr. Martin a third class liquor license
to do business at 461 Massachusetts Avenue.
A bowlingalley license was granted to Fred B. Bartlett, Bedford
Street, to operate six bowling alleys at 466"Massachusette Avenue.
The Edison Electric Ill. Company was granted permission to remove
poles as follows:
Mass. Ave., approximately 420 feet Southeast of Piddle Street 1 pole
Mass. Avenue, approximately 240 feet South of Independence' Ave. "1 pole
Mass. Ave., approximately 560 feet Northwest of Uharles St. 1 pole
Mass. Ave., approximately 170 feet East of Bow Street 1 pole
The Board decided to request the Middlesex & Boston St. Rwy. Co.
to remove all poles and wires through the centre of the town, this is
owing to the fact that the busses are now in operation and the wires
have not been removed.
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Letter was received from the C. & R. Construction Company relative
to the condition at Rowland Avenue. They explained that it was necessary
to blow a.large section of the worst kind of ledge. They stated that
the engineers estimated for the removal of approximately 200 yards of
ledge, and they have removed more than twice that amount already. They '
ask special consideration of the Board to this item of ledge, and
requdst an equitable adjustment.
No action was taken upon the request.
The Chairman of the Board called attention to the fact that of
the $200,000 bonds allowed to be issued for sewer construction,
$191,000 has already been borrowed, leaving $9,000 to be expended.
' He desired to call the matter to the Boards attention in case they
felt it necessary to•zhake arrangements for borrowing any further money.
110 action was taken upon'the matter.
The.Superintendent of Public Works called attention to the fact
that the cost of repairing and cementing the Harrington elm in East
Lexington will be about x.35.00. He stated that the cost could be
divided between the Lexington -Historical Society, Mr. Baldrey and the
Town. The Board authorized the expenditure of this money upon the tree.
The Superintendent of Public Works prepared figures showing the
total cost -of $10,.221.61 for the installation of the Highland Avenue-
drain.
It was decided to request Mr. Everett S. Emery to rent the
Harrington house, which was given to the Town through Frederick H.
Rindge, so that the Town may receive some income from the property.
Letter was received from Percy Raymond of Revere Street in which
he informed the Board that the bell at the traffic signal at Revere
Street has been ringing at intervals continuously for one half an hour
and one and one-half hours. He stated that the Boaton & Maine R. R.
Co. had been trying to regulate the signal, but did not seem to be
successful, when the freight trains were changing, but the bell rings
' continuously at that time. Letter was written to the Boston & Maine
R. R, Co. requesting definite action on this matter, inasmuch as they
agreed and informed the Board that while the freight trains were
switching, -the ringing of the bell could be discontinued.
Letter was received from the State Department of Public Works
44 accepting the work done on Waltham Street from Concord Avenue to the
Waltham Line.
A warrant for the Collector of Taxes of $9,325.28 was signed to
be committed to the Tax Collector for the collection of the betterment
assessments on Bow Street, Carvilie.Avenue, Chase Avenue, Cliffe
Avenue, Grant Street and Oakmount Circle.
The Superintendent of Public Works was requested to file with the
Chairman of the Board a statement of the detail cost of the work on
each street previous to the mailing of the bills for the betterment
assessments.
The Board signed a certificate of reasons for the granting of
State aid to Mrs. Viola C. Oliver of Medford Street to the amount of
$8.00 per month. This request is made for regular payments.
The Board discussed the matter of establishing building lines on
Maes. Avenue and Bedford Street, and voted that notices of their in-
tention to establish building lines on Mass. Avenue and Bedford Street
be sent to the parties interested..
The meeting adjourned at 10:40 P.M.
A true record, attest:
Clerk.
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REGULAR MEETING, September 28, 1926.
A regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen was held at the
Selectmen s Office at 7:30 P.M. Messrs. Custance, Burnham, Miles and
Robertsonwerepresent. Lir. Ballard reported at 9 P.M. The Superin-
tendent of Public Works and the Clerk were also present.
Hearing was declared open upon application of Daniel J. O'Connell
for permission to erect a gasoline filling station at 16 Wobturn Street,
This location is on a triangular shaped lot, bounded by Woburn Street,
Fletcher Avenue, and the railroad track. Mr. O'Connell was requested
to hring in a plan of the lot of land together with the location of
the building proposed thereon, and the Board would then take some defi-
nite action upon his application.
Hearing was declared open upon the application`of John C. Phelps
for permission to install a 2,000 gallon gasoline pump at the Colonial
Motor Sales station on Bedford Street. Mr. Eugene Viano, owner of the
Colonial Garage, .34 Bedford Street, came before the Board and objected
to the granting of a permit to Mr. Phelps to install the gasoline pump.
He'felt that the tanks at his garage are now, and will be in the future
sufficient to accommodate all the trade in that line that is n c any.
He also did not feel that the Board would be justified in gran i +�"
Mr. Phelps when permits in other locations in the town opposite other
filling stations had been refused. He felt that the Board would do
well to limit the number of permits granted in the town.
The Board declared the hearing closed, but did not take any action
on the matter.
Robert Cady came before the Board for the continuance of his
hearing in regard to the extension of his piggery. At the meeting two
weeks ago thb Building Inspector brought up the fact that Mr. Cady
was building an addition to his piggery without a permit. The Board
discussed the advisability of notifying Mr. Cady that they would not
allow him to increase his business.
Mr. Carl Hauch presented A plan of the lots in the vicinity in
which he and Mr. Cady lived, and informed the Board that owing to the
conditions of the'permit that a compost heap must be at least 500 feet
from any building or highway, Mr. Cady was violating the terms of his
permit, and therefor should not have a permit to keep pigs.
No definite action was taken.
In response to the request of the Board three members of the
Planning Board, Mr. Frederick L. Emery, Chairman, Mr. William D. Milne,
Secretary, and J. Henry Duffy, came before the Board in reference to
establishing building lines. About two years ago the Planning Board
ur#ed the Board of Selectmen to establish building lines all over the
town, inasmuch as they felt that the twenty foot setback called for in
the Zoning Law was.not sufficient, and perhaps not legal. Since that
time the Planning Board have been working on securing releases from
owners of property on Bedford Street and on Massachusetts Avenue from
Cedar Street to Clarke Street, and no further action has been taken.
The Town Engineer has brought up the fact that it would not seem wise
to bring before the Town the acceptance of building lines on all streets
in resident sections, while the Zoning Law called for the twenty foot
setback, otherwise the townspeople would not believe that the Zoning Law
was of any use. The Town Counsel stated that he had gone over cases,
and advised the Board that if they proceeded to establish the building
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lines under the law authorizing the establishment of building lines,
the abutting owners would be entitled to damages, while under the
Zoning; Law they would not. He stated that he had looked up several
cases, and it would seem that the strength of the Zoning Law was
growing from the evidence he secured. Mr. Emery stated that he had
talked with Mr. Edward T. Hartman, who is an authority on Zoning
matters, and Mr. Hartman felt that the Board would be perfectly safe
in working under the Zoning Law, inasmuch as the Zoning Law has been
upheld in most all cases. Mr. Emery stated that he was also convinced
that the proper procedure would be to simply act under the Zoning Law,
and 'to establish a building line only on Massachusetts Avenue in the
business section where the Zoning Law does not establish a line. The
Board felt also that this was the proper action to take, and it was
decided not to notify the abuttors on building lines. The Planning
Board, however, were to proceed upon the plan of establishing the
line in the business section on Massachusetts Avenue.
Mr. Frederick L. Pinery, as president of the .yield and Garden
Club, made a request to the Board of Selectmen that the Supterintendent
of Public Works be instructed to cause to be removed all advertising
signs and all political posters in the town, and that the Board
request Mr. Neil McIntosh to remove and not to replace signs advertis-
ing his property on the public utility.poles and on the highways in
the town. Mr. Emery stated that he questioned the right of anyone to
use the public utility companies poles, and felt that they should be
notified, and the Police should be requested to tear down all of these
signs.
' Mr. Finery also requested the Board to take action in regard to
the grass borders between the streets and sidewalks in the town, and
requested that the following vote be passed.
Voted, That grass borders between sidewalks and all streets
except those in active business sections, are an important
feature of highway development and the Supt. of Public Works
and Supt. of Streets are requested.to see that all existing
grass borders be preserved so far as possible from damage
in the construction and repair of streets and that where
they do not already exist, they be constructed where prac-
ticable, where sidewalks already exist or are built, and
they are also requested to see that all contracts and con-
tractors are drawn and instructed to like effect, also that
in I)lacing all poles the companies doinC the work, carefully
remove 4nd replace the sod and sidewalk material.
Eo action was taken.
It was voted to rescind the vote passed at the last meeting in
regard to the rental of the Harrington House, owing to the fact that
the Town has not yet voted to accept the gift.
Letter was received from H. R. Bygrave, attorne-,r for Mrs. Annie
McMakin of Cambridge, informing the Board that he has examined the
Building Law of the Town and could find no reason why Mrs. McMakin
should not be allowed to erect the house of the Pope and Cottle Cc .
on her land in Lexington. The Building Inspector stated that the
plans now filed with him conformed with the Buildin Law except that
he felt that a hatchway from the kitchen to the cellar should have an
outlet, to the outside wall, but the plan did not call for this. He
questioned whether he had the right to with hold the permit, inasmuch
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as the Building Law does not require the outlet. Mr. W. Roger Greeley,
Chairman of the Committee on the revision of the Building; Law, came
before the Board and stated that he felt that this was a Board of
Health regulation, and that if this hatchway were allowed with no
outlet from the cellar, it would become a menace to health, inasmuch
as anything could be thrown in and there would be no means of cleaning
it out. He felt that the Building Inspector should inform the parties
building the house that if they did not'have" a bulkhead into the
cellar, that the house would be condemned by the Board of Health.
Mr. John F. Lovell, of the Lovell Bus Line, Inc, came before the
Board and informed them that at the hearing before the Public Utility
Commission the Commissioner infoxmed him that it was debided`:in three
cases similar tothis that the applicants should go back to the Boards
of Selectmen of the towns, and request that they grant the license with
proper restrictions, and that the Board of Public Utility prefer that
the license be granted restricting the Lovell busses from making stops
from the Concord Railroad Station to Arlington Heights.
After discussing the matter, the Board voted to grant the Lovell
Bus Line, Inc., the right to run its busses through Lexington from thb
Lincoln line to Arlington Heights, with the restriction that no stops
be made from the Concord Railroad station to Arlington Heights.
Special police commissions were signed for Robert Smith and
Franklin P. Simonds of Grove Street.
Alcohol Licenses were granted to the Standard Oil Company of N.Y.
for the sale of denatured alcohol at 5 Massachusetts Avenue and Bed.
ford Street at the Manor Crescent.
The meeting was ddjourned at 11:00 P.M.
A true record, Attest%
Clerk.
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