HomeMy WebLinkAbout1929-02-1338
Buckley &
McCormack
Pole lo-
cation.
Baker Ave.
Pole lo -
REGULAR MEETING, FE UARY'13, 1929.
A regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen
was held at the Selectmen's Room at 7;30 P.M.
Messrs. Burnham, Ballard, Chamberlain; Custance
and Robertson "were present. -The Suint; of Public
'forks and the Clerla were also present.
Br. Joseph Buckley -&-John J. McCormack of
the firm of Buckley & McCormack, came before the
Board to register complaint relative to the
Issuance of plumbing permits to jouneyman Dlumbers
not having a master's license, and to plumbers
using another manter plumber's licenseto obtain
a permit,
The Plumbing Inspector was also present:,
and it was found that there was not sufficient
definite information presented in order to.
answer the questions asked.
Buckley & McCormack -presented letter showing
the fact that Robert Watt did not hold a master
plumber's license, whereas the Plumbing Inspector°
stated that he was not informed by the Civil Service
Department that he had not renewed his license.
They presented copy of the State 'Law whereby
it was their understanding that 'all,plumbers
doing'bu.ainess should have a master plumber's
license, and that no journeyman plumber could
hire a master plumber for the purpose of doing
the same business.
The Board finally decided to request Buckley
& McCormack to put their complaint in writing;
and the Board would endeavor to furnish them
with such information as they desire.
Rearing was declared open upon the petition
of the B. E. Tel. & Tel. Co, to maintain ten
poles -on take r'Avenue from.Butler Avenue north.,
easterly j"ointly with the. Edison'Electric Ill.
Co*
Mr. -,prgnc .sJ• J. Toye, Mr. Clarence MacPhee,
and Mr. J. L. Van Steenburgh, appeared to ask
why the petition came in for the poles. They stated
no objectisan, but they did state that the poles had
been thereffor some time, and that they did not
know why the petition was asked for in this location.
It was .explained to them that the street has
now 'become a public highway, and for that reason
the petition was.made.
Application was received, from the R. E. Tel. A
Tel. Co. for permission to remove forty poles
on Waltham Street from Barrett Road to Massachusetts
cation. Avenue.
Waltham St. It was decided to grant permission to .the
N, E. Tel, A: Tel. Co. to remove the poles,
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Application was received from the residents
of walthm Street from Forest Street to house
of John E. A. Mulliken, asking that a sewer be
placed in Waltham Street.
The Board decided to insert an article
'
in the warrant asking for this sewer, but in
the meantime the Supt. of Public Works was
Waltham St.requested
to study the plan of Metcalf &Eddy
sewer
and McClintock and Woodfall relative to sewers,
and to give the cost of the extension, and to
just what point it can be made and to give
any suggestions thst he and the Town Engineer
might have.
Metcalf &
It was also requested that Metcalf & Eddy
Eddy report,
proposal on the Sewer survey be presented
before the Board on next Tuesday evening.
Town of
Letter was received from the Town Counsel
Arlington
relative to highway betterment assessment on
highway
Cliffe Avenue against the Town of Arlington.
assessment.
The Town Counsel was instructed to proceed
to make the best possible arrangement with
the Town of Islington.
Application was received from the Battle
Green Chapter, order of DeMolay, for the
DeMolay
use of the Cary Memorial 'Hall on April 5, 1929
request,
for the installation of 'officers and in which
no charge is to made for admission.
'
It was decided to grant the Educational
rate for the use of the hall.
Mr. Frederick L. Emery came before the
Board to express to the Board the position of
the Planning Board relative to a tuberculosis
hospital being located in Lexington. He read
a letter prepared by the Planning Board to
the Selectmen expressing 'their views, and
he stated that a certain stigma went with
the location of a hospital in a town, and he
felt it was similar to the situation of the
Veterants Hospital that was intended should
be located in Lexington, and was opposed by
the residents of the toms when it was intedded
to be erected. He stated that since the
was built that it has been an expense
-hospital
and nuisance to the town and he felt that a
location of a tuberculosis hospital might bring
an expense to the town, inasmuch as the land taken,
approximately 200 acres, could be assessed, but
the buildings erected upon the land could not
be taxed. The number of families employed
on the premises would probably have children
who would attend the local schools and be
additional expenzesto the School Dept. He
stated that if the hospital were to be located
in Lexington, he felt that some arrangement
could be made whereby the name might ,be called
the Middlesex Sanatorium and not have Lexington
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88Bnected with the name in any way, and if the
main entrance to the hospital could be definitely
located on the 'Waltham side, inasmuch as he
understood from the County Commissioners. that
the main entrance was intended to be from
the Waam side, inasmuch as he understood
from the County Commissioners that the main
entrance was intended to be from the Walnut
Tuberculosis
Street end. He suggested that the better
hospital.
way to decide the matter is to insert an
article in the warrant, so that the townspeople
might have an opportanity to vote upon the
question and see if they desire to have a
hospital in Lexington.
Proposal of Mr. Robert L. Ryder was read
in which he stated that he would consider
taking $1.00 per square foot for the 10,777
square feet fronting on Massachusetts Avenue,
and 20¢ per square foot for the balance of
the area within this layout which fronts on
Two proposed
Vine Brook Road. For that portion which belongs
streets.
to Mr. Robert L. Ryder in the sixtyy foot layout
from Waltham Street to Vine Brook Road; namely,
299100 square feet, he is willing to take 10�
per square foot. The balance of this layout which
belongs to his brother; namely, 155150 square
feet he values at 20� per square foot as it
fronts on the highway, namely, dine Brook Road)
whereas Mr. Robert L. Ryder`s does not. This
is in connection with the Board of Survey layouts
made by the Board in 1916 and 1918 over land of .
Mr. Ryder.
Mr. Frederick L. -Emery suggested that he
felt the layout of the Board of Survey should
not be disturbed until such time as the Planning
Board have an opportunity to decide upon the
layout of streets, taking in the Vine Brook
area. He stated that the Committee on Review
of the Zoning Law was taking all the time of
the Planning Board for work and hearings relative
to the Zoning Lax, and the Plannigg Board would
not have an opportunity to work upon the matter
until after March ist, 1929. He felt that Mr.
Ryder would be willing to wait until such time
asathe Board took action.
The Board after discussing the matter,
decided to notify Mr. Ryder that the matter
would be taken up at a later date as soon as
the Planning Board has an opportunity to study
the entire layout.
Dr. Clarence Shannon, Chairman of the
Appropriation Committee, came before the Board
in reference to discussing the Fire Department
Fire Dept.
matters with the Board. of Selectmen, inasmuch as
the entire report of the investigation of the
Fire and Water Departments was referred to the
Appropriation Committee for a report to the Town
Meeting.
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It was ded1ded that the Apnropriahion
Committee should meet with the Selectmen at
a later date.
Mr. John H. Devine, Chairman of the Committee
on the Review of the Zoning Laws, came before the
Board to get an expression of opinion as to how the
Board of Selectmen feet in regard to thehir intended
recommendation for a Board of Appeals. a stated
that in the various hearings held, it appeared
that the person having an appeal on the Zoning
Law felt that they were not justly treated. no
stated that in changing over the zoning Law it
appears that there will be a great many changes
for requests of appeal and therefore a Board of
Appeals should be established to hear the requests
of property owners. His committee felt that
Board of the Beardr,6f 8glpvftent�gadwentlrely too much to
Appeals occupy their time to burden them with the position
of Board of Appeals. For this reason, they
suggested that ona member of the Board of teetmen
serve on the Board of Appeals, one member of the
Planning Boa�d, and three citizens from three liferent
districts. he Board did not seem to object to this
arrangement,- He also asked whether or not the Board
felt that the depth of 75 feet front lots should be
100 feet. The expression of opinion of the Board was
that 6,000 feet area would be sufficient and that
' the depth of 100 feet would be a hardship.
Letter wns received from Mrs. Henry C. Davis,
President of the Public Health Association, wherein
Public Health she set 'forth the `activities'of that association.
Association. The Board voted to approve $500.for use of
the Public Health Association for the year 1929 and to
write a'letter to Mrs. Davis expressing their appreciation
of her letter in which she gave the information.
Upon being informed that the Public Health
Association would be given $500, the Appropriation
Committee felt that public funds should not be ap.
propriated for any private association, and asked for
the opinion of the Town Counsel upon same.
The Chairman of the Board was authorized to pro.
teed to present bill #18 being an Act to enable the
Town of Lexington to have representative form of
Rep. Form of Town Government with but two slight changes sugfested.
Mr. Robertson suggested that the Su
Town Government-fgg t. of ublic
Supt.
orks find out from other towns how they proceed
in regard to assessing the cost of curbing, also
doing the concrete work on driveways and ramps. This
arose out of the discussion relative to placing
curbing on Massachusetts Avenge adjacent to the
Town property.
The Supt, of Public Works was also requested
Dix Lumber to look into the matter of the Dix Lumber ompany
Co. sign. sign placed on the State Road.
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State Aid pay State Aid pay rgjj in the amount of $32.00
roll. was signed by the Board.
Letter was received from the Town Counsel
giving his opinion relative to amount of money
that could be paid to the widow of Elinus
Hadley. It appears that she is now receiving
money from a State Firemen's Fund, and it does
not appear that the Town of Lexington can be
glinus Badle7As of much assistance to her unless they assist
vldww. her from the Welfare Department.
It was left with -9r. Burnham to take up
with Mr. Edward W. Taylor, his co -trustee of
the Lexington Firements Fund, and to find out how
much is left in the FiremenPs Fund for Mrs. Badley,
and how much assistance she -is receiving from
this fund.
Application was -received from the residents
Coolidge -Ave. of Coolidge Avenue fqr the acceptance of same
as far as the E. C. `'now property.
The matter was laid upon the table until
such time as the estimate of the cost of con-
struction is received from the -Town Engineer.
It was decided to hold a special meeting
on Feb. 14, 1929 to discuss the estimates.
For the week ending February 9, 1929,
Highway Department.
The Department was occupied with the work
of cutting baek the high bank and widening a
dangerous corxier in Grove Street, cleaning
catch -basins, patching street surfaces, and
sanding slippery sidewalks. Neat week'the
regular maintenance work will be continued.
Moth Department.
Gypsy moth nests were treated with creosote
on Lincoln Street and on the Playgrounds.
Park Department.
Regular maintenance work carried on.
Engineering Department.
Highways
Made suggestions on plan for a 50 foot
layout of Hill Street.
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Miscellaneous.
Staked out Massachusetts Avenue curve opposite
' Grant Street and also its curved intersection with the
proposed=100 foot street along Vine Brook.
Work on 600 scale Town Map.
Visited all places along Massachusetts Avenue fvom
Arlington to Lincoln and gave out new street numbers.
'fork on Block Plan.
Supt. of
Public
Water Department.
Works
Report.
Painting hydrants, painting and repairing equip-
ment, and reading meters in the first section.
Regular routine work is planned for the weet
ending February 23, 1929.
Very truly yours,
William S. Scam nan
$upt. of Public Works
Meeting adjourned at 11:50 P.M.
A true record, Attest:
Clerk.
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