HomeMy WebLinkAbout1929-11-12410
SELECTMENTS MEETING - NOVEMBER 12, 1929.
A regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen was
held at the Selectments Office, Town Office Build3 ng,
at 7:30 P.M. Messrs. Burnham, Custance, Chamberlain,
Blake and Shannon were present. The Supt. of Public
"forks and the Clerk were also present.
Street lights. Report was received from the Supt. of Public "forks
Middle St. stating that five street lights are needed on Middle
Street between Marrett Road. and Lincoln Street.
The Board accepted the recommendation. of the Supt.
and requested him to order the .lights for this location.
Mr. Harold Lamont, 20 7inthron Roadhaving
accepted the chairmansbip of the Tercentenary Committee,
came before the Board to talk with them regarding a
Committee to be formed on the Tercenterc.Ny.
Mr. Lamont explained_ that he had read considerable'
about the nronosed celebration, and be stated. that the
central committee had a program r,_._tz from June lst
Tercdntenary to October 30. He tglked with Mr. 'E. B. 1.11orthen and
'Committee. from him he received some suggestions. Mr. Lamont
suggested a. committee to be a sort of a "Ways and Means"
Committee of a membership of from 5 to 12 men and women
with perhaps a representative from the American Legion,
Chairman of the 19th of April Committee, a man connected
with the banks, one or more or probably the whole Board
of Selectmen, one or more from the Historical Society
and one or more from the churcres and schools. He felt
that this Committee could then act as a sort of Advisory
Committee and that they in their indiv4dual capacity
on tre Committee, could serve as chairmen of other
Conmittees.
He suggested the names of Mr. Elwyn G. Preston,
Fred S. Piper, George E. Briggs, Harry A. Wheoler, and
Frank Shepard as members of the Committee. He also
suggested th^t the central committee have in mind
securing the cooperation of the persons in the Town to
clean up the Town as much as possible.
He also suggested that the Town might appropriate
money to place permanent markers at all of the Historical
spots in the Town, and possibly he could secure the
cooperation of the parties on whose premises these
markers should be placed.
He stated that the Historical Society had a,
book about the historical places in the Town, and they
can make up this book for 34V and sell it for 501, thereby
making a profit and also giving to the Town the benefit
by improving their historical places. It w^s suggested
that the historical places be kept open until a later
hour so that.parties from out of Town could have an
opportunity to view the buildings.
Mr. Lamont stated that he would bring in suggestions
at a later date as to the other members of this
Committee if the general outline that he had planned met
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with the urprova.l of the Board. The Board expressed to
Lovell Bus
hearing.
Mr. Lamont their a;prreci-tion of his ac^entance of the
chairmanship of this committee, and informed him th^_t
they were entirely in accord with his progress in this
'
connection.
At 8 P.M. hearing was declared open upon the
application of the Lovell Bus Line Inc. for permission
to operate busses in Lexington from the 11oburn-Lexington
line over Woburn and Lowell Streets to the Arlington -
Lexington line.
Mr; S. R. '+11rightington was prersent and. conducted
the Daring.
Mr. James Henchey of lJoburn appeared for Mr.
Lovell and 38 persons were present. Mr. Henchey stated
that the Lovell Bus Line ;.was irncorporated in 1919, and
at that time operated a route between ?"%oburn and Reading
and one from 'Woburn to Billerica, and the Eastern Mass.
R.R.<bo. took over the line from the Lovell Bus Line Inc.;
thl�n the Lovell Bus Line Inc. took over the Concord
Maynard and Hudson Street Railwa;Y Co. operating between
Concord and Arlington Heights and adjoining towns,along
the line.
The Lovell Bus Line Inca now felt that there was
a demand for service from Woburn to Lexington and from
Arlington Centre through to 'Watertown Square, going
`by the way of Belmont.
'
All of the persons present voted in favor of the
bus line provided .the line came down along Dowell
Street, inasmuch as this is where they desire to Fet
to Boston from.
Mr. Henchey stated thpt the Lovell Bus Line Inc.
was desirous of giving service but of course, they
could not give service if there was not a reasonable
return on.their investment. For the past six months
there has been a demand for service from this section.
They have not as yet received any permits for any
other -Town but the matter has been before the "'oburn
City.Council and their attitude, Mr. Henchey.stated,
,vas that if Lexington would grant'a permit, they would
not stand in the way of granting a permit.
Mrs. Manuel A. Perry stated that they desired to
have the service on Lowell Street, and not on Summer
'Street extension, inasmuch as that service would not
help them, and at the present time they had to pay taxi
fares to go to Arlington Heights.
Mr. Henchey stated th-+t they desired_ to go down
Lowell Street because that is the street on which most
of the people live.
Mr. T. A. Custance suggested that the bus line might
go down Lowell Street and then swing up ark Ave. over
the hill by the school house in Arlington and back onto
Summer St. extension, and in that way he did not think
there would be any competition with the Boston Elevated.
Mr. Lovell was also present and stated that he wanted
to give the best service that he could in any place
where there was a demand for it.
Mr. Eric Johnson also stated i.h-t fully 1019 pf the
Lovell Bus
hearing.
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people present were from Lowell Street and they were
at this hearing for the purpose of supporting this
petition so that they could have bus service on
Lowell Street.
Mr. Johnson also cpoke of the school ch-1dred
that now have to go to Arlington Heights to get to
the Junior High School, and thought that they might
use this Lovell Bus to ride up to Ydoburn Street.
Mr. Frank E. Tucker stated that he did not see
how this re tition could be an interference to the
Boston Elevated.
The Town Counsel explained to them that.th�s
matter would have to go before the Dept. of PublA,*
Utilities, and they are the parties to decide whether
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or no,-. it would be considered com�netitive. Only one
party present lived over the line in Arlington. All
others were residents of Lowell Street section.
The hearing closed at 8:45 P.M.
After the.hearing the Board decided to vote,);In
favor of grantinga permit to the Lovell Bus Lir��_Ino.
extension
Application was received from Robbins & Smith
�Plan
of? Spencer St.
for approval of plan for extension of Spencer Street.
It was decided to refer this plan to the Planning
Board.
'Alcohol
Alcohol license was signed for Mrs. Anselm C.
license.
Mullen, 301 Mass. Ave.
Letter was received. from Mr. Neil McIntosh
in which he informed the Board that he might be able
McIntosh lot
to arrange with the purchasers of the lot owned by
on 'A'PlthamSt.
him on "laltham Street to waive the award of damages
providing that the Town wild a retaining wall in front
of the lot as it appeared before the relocation.
The matter was referred to the Supt, of Public
Works for a report as to the location of the lot
and. what anrears to be necessary.
A letter was signed to be sent to General
'later main
Frank T. Hines, Director of U.S. Veterans' Hospital,
Ito Veterans'
Washington, D. C. asking whether or not their
Hosnital.
Department was interested in the proposal for the water
main to the Bedford Hosnital.
Letter was received from Edward. W. Taylor
Accident,
calling attention to the accident at the corner of
;Bedford St.
Bedford Street and No. Hancock Street, and asking
that something be done to remedy the dangerous_
condition at this point by installing a beacon or
some other means of warning.
The Board.referred. the matter to the Supt. of
Public ',Yorks to bring his recommendations to them
for improvement in the traffice condition.
Invitation was received from the American Legion
to attend the Armistice banquet at the Mohawk Club,
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Thursday evening, November 14, 1929. The individual
The Supt, of Public '''dorksf attention was called
to the fact that some�Aigns should be placed on Elm
Avenue to eliminate parking on both sides of the
street, and also on the Hancock St. side near the
Masonic Hall.
American
Legs on
Banquet.
Tentative
estimates for
1930.
Trask
sewer.
Clematis
Brook
Parking
Signs.
members of the Board ha(9 already accepted the
invitation to attend the dinner.
Mr. T. A. Cust^nce reported that the
Arpropri.ation Comm-ttee were to have a meeting
Nov.13, and at'that time they, desired. to disc ss
the tentative estimates for the year 1930. He
presented a list drawn up by him of estimates for
the coming year. He also presented a list of bond
issues which the Town might be called upon to issue
for 1930.
The Board discussed these various estimates
but did hot feel that they could make any definite
recommendation as yet.
Mr. Custance was going to present the tentative '
list to the Appropriation Committee for their
_
consideration.
Mr. Custance brought up the matter of disposing
of the condition caused by the action of the Board
last year in installing a sewer to accommodate Mr.
Robert P. Trask up Mass. Avenue in on the Trask
property.
He explained that Mr. Trask paid for the
installation of the sewer which was laid in yis
lawn and not.in the Highway. After this was laid.
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Mr. Trask refused to let Mr. Ripley connect with
this sewer inasmuch as it was a private connection.
Mr. Custance felt therefore, that now that the
Sewer Dept, are installing a sewer in Mass. Avenue, that
the condition at Mr. Ripley's should be taken care
of. It would cost Mr. Ripley about $400. to change
over all of his plumbing to go through to Audubon
Road, and it was not the natural flow of the sewer
to go that way. He felt that the Town should bear
part of the expense, owing to the manner in which
the installation was handled_ in that section last
year,
It was decided to lay the matter on the table for
one week.
The -Supt. of Public 'corks gave G report of the
estimated cost to the various owners of property for
the deepening and widening; of Clematis Brook. It
was decided, to send a copy of the estim^tes to
A. J. Lima of "'nitham street and have him take up the
matter witr the various residents, as to the p^vm�nt
of the amounts set asid^ t1-^ir nsmes for the cost of
deepening and widening the brook.
The Supt, of Public '''dorksf attention was called
to the fact that some�Aigns should be placed on Elm
Avenue to eliminate parking on both sides of the
street, and also on the Hancock St. side near the
Masonic Hall.
American
Legs on
Banquet.
Tentative
estimates for
1930.
Trask
sewer.
Clematis
Brook
Parking
Signs.
414
Clapboards Various matters such as obtaining old clapboards
for Belfry. io place upon the Belfry on Belfry Hill were considered.
Trey:, Maple Attention was called also to 9 tree on Maple
Street. Street near the bridge which is in n dangerous con-
dition.
Relocation Mr. Custance stated that he felt that Cedar
of Cedar St. Street should be relocated. its entire length while
the Town owns the Almshouse property.
t
It was decided to communicate with the Planning'
4 Cerussi Rd. Board asking them for a report regarding the preposed
streed from Mass. Avenue to Vine Brook along the
Viano garage, inasmuch as a change in the layout to
80' would require another hearing, which would have
to be held before the layout is accepted by the Town.
The following is the weekly report of the ,Supt, of
Public 'Plorlrs.
For the week ending November 9, 1929.
Highway Department.
The department continued the work of constructing
Hill. Top Avenue and has completed the drainage in
Coolidge Avenue.. I
Surface natebes have been made in Mass. Ave., 'v7oburn
Street and. Concord. AVe�nue.
A large number of catch basins and. gutters have
been cleaned, traffic lines and signs placed and other
maintenance work attended to.
Next week the department will continue the work
on Hill Top Avenue and will attend to the regular
maintenance.
Moth and. Shade Tree Department.
Gypsy and Brown Tail moth nests have been treated
with creosote in 'weston Street, ShadeStreet and Concord Ave.
and this work will occuby the department next week.
PARR DEPARTMENT
The work of leveling the filling at the Lincoln
Street end of the playground has progressed and that
work and regular maintenance has occupied the department.
during the past week:
Next week it will attend to the regular maintenance.
'slater Maintenance.
%pater services installed for: Hill., on Prospect
Hill Road; three for Generoso.on Eliot Road and 'Marren
Street.
Water Construction.
The Mass. Ave. water main has been completed
with the e-cention of h drants which as yet have not
been received.
,,;Te have laid approximately 23001 of 12" water pipe.
.Sewer Construction.
On `Vednesday, November, 6th, work was started on
the extgnsion of the Mass. Ave. sewer from Audubon
Road to property of J. H. Valliere.
Anproximately 180' of 8" sewer pipe has been
laid and one manhole has been constructed.
This wort/ will be retarded considerably due to the
ledge that has been encountered in the excavation.
The work contemplated for the-week':iending November
23rd is as follows: extension of the Mass. Ave. sewer
job; extension of the 12" -.water main from Summit Avenue
to Cedar Street on the northerly side of Mass. Avenue.
Engineering Department.
Sewers.
Recorded sewer plan of Mass. Ave. from Audubon
',Road to beyond Lake Street at Registry November 6.
Lines and grades for construction of Mass. Ave.
sewer. 'Mork begun November 6.)
Highways.
Changes made in relocation of Hill Street in
field and on plans.
-Started work on Mass. Ave. to set back curb.
fronting Colonial Building.
Miscellaneous.
Preliminary work for additional fencing at
`eestview Cemetery.
Started topo work in area bounded by Mass. Ave.,
School Street, Lincoln Street and Audubon Road-.
Bow Street survey for location beyond culvert.
Yours vexoy truly,
William S. Seaman
SuptL of Public Works.
The meeting adjourned at 10:50 P.M.
A true record, Attest:
Clerk.