HomeMy WebLinkAbout1931-09-01SELECTMENIS MEETING
' SEPTEMBER 1, 19310
A regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen was held
in the Selectmen's Room, Town Office Building; at 7:30 P.M.
Messrs. Trask, Custance, Blakel.and Gilcreast were present.
The Supt. of Public Works and the Clerk were also present.
Mr. Russell I. Prentiss came before the Board and
advised in regard to the reMevimeof dogs from quarantine
that the owners of the dogs should be given an opp&rtunity
to either ihoculate their dogs or keep them restrained.
With the identi:ficati3n inoculation tag he felt that this
would work out satisfactorily, and that all persons would
then be protected from rabies. he stated that he under-
stood that the dogs were very well controlled in Rhode Island
and he would endeavor to get some further information for
the Board.
He stated that the Board. had the authority to do
this and it was not necessary that the matter should come
before the Town, although it has twice been discussed at
Town Meetings.
The Board discussed the matte„ and felt that as
arrmngements could be made so that this could be carried
out when dog licenses are again due inasmuch as after
inoculation for rabies, a dog must be kept in quarantine
' for 14 days,,that it might be well to adopt this plan.
Nothing definite will be done about it until Mr. Prentiss
again reports.
Hearing was declared open on the application of
Philip L. Little for permission to maintain a two car
wooden garage, 181 x 18' at 15 Arcola Street.
A number of residents of this section appeared at
the hearing. Mr. Little also appeared.
As there was no objection, it was voted to grant
the permit .
Hearing was declared open on the application of
James R. Smith of Arlington for permission to maintain
a one car garage at 59 Independence Avenue.
It was noted that the diagram did not show that the
garage would be located 7Q feet from the property line.
The Board voted, however, to waive the calling of
a hearing and grant the permit provided Mr. Smith
locates the garage in accordance with the Zoning Law,
namely 72 feet f ro.m the line.
Mr. William A. Cann appeared before the Board and
wondered if there were any possible chance of his
getting the house which he recently built connected with
the sewer before the 28th of September.
He stated that°.the house was completed except for
the sewer and the party who was interested in living in.
the house is very anxious to move in.
The Board informed him that they did not see any way
157
Dog
Restraint.
Little ,garage
hearing.
Smith garage
hearing.
Summit Rd. possible for him to install the sewer inasmuch as the
sewer, By-law required a vote of the Town for authority to
install the sewer.
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Mr. Warren Timmons came before the Board and made
application for appointment as constable. He stated that
Appointment'
he understood under the new law that a Boston man could
for
not make collections in Lexington and that the collections
constable.
would have to be made b;, a Lexington man. For this reason
he desired to have the appointment.
The }Board informed him that he would have to bring
in recommendations as to his character and they would look
into the matter of the appointment.
Letter was received from the Town Accountant in which
he listed Highway Betterments on HighlandAvenue in the
name of O'Connor & Quinn and Alice R. Ferguson, also one
Highway
to Pichette & Ahern and one to Lennon and Baker on Mass.
Betterments.
Avenue.
The betterments were referred to the Supt. of Public
Worlds to look into and make his recommendation at the next
meeting of the Board.
The Chairman reported that Mr. Russell I. Prentiss
desired to attend the International Health Convention which
is bo be held at Montreal, Canada. The cost of making this
trip would be about $75. He stated that Mr. Prentiss is
a member of two of the international committees and was
Health
in very good standing for a Town of this size. He has
Convention.
attended the convention the last two ;Tears at his own
expense and felt that he should be entitled to' -the
expense this year from the Town.
The Board voted to:: insert an article.in the Wattant
authorizing the transfer of $75. for this purpose.
Application was received from Charles H. Sefton
Application
and James W. Denney for the extension of water from Wood
for water.
Street up Fairview Avenue to the corner of Hayward. Ave.
The Board voted to lay the matter on the table for
thirty days.
Commitment.
Commitment for water rates for the first section in
the amount of $7201.46 was signed by the Board.
Abatement; of the sum of $1090.89 was made on the
Sewer
Town of Arlington property on Fottler Avenue in the amount
abatement.
of $913.38 and also against the Boston and Lowell Corp-
oration for land on Fottler Avenue in the amount of $177.51
inasmuch as the owners would not receive any benefit from
the sewer having been placed in Fottler Ave.
The recommendation was received from the Supt. of
Public Works.
Mr. Russell I. Prentiss recommended that Mr. August
Garbage
young of Laconia Street be now granted a permit to
License.
transport garbage, and the Board so voted.
Duplicate of the Olass 1 Agents License granted to
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John C. Phelps, Paul Revere Garage, was signed by the
Board, he having lost the original.
The adjourned hearing of the Board of Survey on
the approval of plans of Alden Road filed by Mr. M.
Bowman Judkins was again called.
Mr. Judkins was present and Mr. Porter, of Porter
Bros. was also present.
The Town Engineer was present and reported that the
Planning Board had approved the layout with the changes
that had been made since the first hearing.
Mr. Porter was called in inasmuch as the extension
of the layout of the territory as made by the Town Engin-
eer would affect his property.Mr. Porter agreed to
meet Mr. Judkins and go over the situation with him on
the ground.
Mr. Judkins agreed to have the plans made by his
Engineer and brought in for approval. The Board therefor
adjourned the hearing again to Sept. 22, 1931.
Conference was held with Mr. F. L. Emery, Chairman
of the Planning Board, Mr. C. Edward Glynn and Mr. Wm.
D. Milne and Mr..�,James G. Robertson who was Chairman of
the Committee on Vine Brook Drainage last reporting to
the Town oft the subject.
Mr. Emery desired to get the opinion of the Board
as to whether or not they felt the Vine Brook Drainage
subject should be brou*ht before the Town again. It was
the opinion of the Planning Board that it should not be
drooped. he therefor consulted with Mr. Robertson and
Mr. Robertson was also of the opinion that it should not
be dropped, and that it should be brought before the Town
for action.
Mr. Emery was informed about the suit brought by
Mr. Ryder, and stated that not withstanding the suit,
he still felt the Town should consider the proposition.
He felt that the situation on the Ryder property was
such that unless it is corrected it is apt to cost the
Town several hundred thousancl dollars. He felt that if
they could get the Town to take action on constructing
the lower part, or Section l or 2, or both as a Town
proposition, tihat the Town might not consider it in
connection with the Ryders. He thought that the danger
of a possible development of this territory by small houses
and foreigners coming into the territory might be a great
loss to the Town. He stated that when he conferred with
Mr. Ryde-^, he showed the utmost cooperation and he even
purchased the Aldrich place when they were considering a
drive around the playground and the street that would go
through the Aldrich property toward Marrett Road. He felt
that I,ir. Ryder might have been ill-advised in bringing
suit against the Town and he did not know how this would
affect the feeling of the voters.
Mr. Emery stated that the Rydors were willing; to
agree to a betterment assessment of about three cents
a foot on their property.
Mr. Robertson stated that his Committee talked
with both Robert L. and Charles W. Ryder and they were
informed by them that all propositions previously sub -
IN
License
Bd.of Survey
hearing,
Alden Road.
Vine, Brook
Drainage.
mitted as far as assessments were concerned were abandoned.
Mr. Robertson suggested that Section 1 and 2 be
done and that it be bonded over a long period of years,
at least for twenty years. He believed that this was the
logical way to finance the proposition. He felt then that
Mr. Ryder would go ahead with the work above on his own
land. He statedthat there has always been a question
about just how much the proposition would.cost and he
believed it would cost about $110,000. and that it could
not be done for less than $100,000._,
Mr. Glynn felt that the Ryders should pay part of
the cost by betterments of the work above Vine Brook
Rd. inasmuch as this would be the only way we could
obtain any revenue from the expenditure of this money;.
Mr. Robertson thought that the work above Vine
Brook Road could be put in by the Ryders and that they
be required'to put all the work in to the proper grade
furnished by the Town. He felt that this brook should
be considered the main drain in the Town wherein we
dump surface water, and he felt that some sewerage also
went into the brook, and when this is done, the'Ryders
would then fall in line and do the work above.
Mr.- Glynn did not believe that the"project was ever
presented to the Town in a finished manner and he believed
that considerable work should be done on it and it should
be presented in the Spring.
Mr. Milne felt that the more building there is in
a place, the faster the flow of the storm drainage water
and that this storm drainage must be -taken care of. If
there were considerable building beyond the Vine Brook
Area, it mitrht cause a flood condition.
After the hearing adjourned, the Board discussed
the matter and. voted that they approve and. are in sym-
pathy with the suggestion of the Planning Board in
determining how the matter of Vine Brook Drainage can be
best brought before the Town and the Board will cooperate
with them in their efforts.
Letter was received from the County Commissioners
in which they stated that they would not cooperate Sin
Wood expending money on Wood Street.
Street. Letter also was received from the State Dept. of
Public Works in which they stated that they had revoked
their previous vote wherein they were to allow the
expenditure of the balance on the construction of Mass.
Ave. to be spent on Wood Street.
Mr. Custance agreed to take.the matter up on
Friday morning at the hearing in the County Commissioners
office.
Letter was received from the Selectmen of the Town
of Stow requesting that signs be placed on posts
Signs, directing traffic to the Town of Stow and that they would
reimburse Lexington for its expenditures for this
purpose.
The Board replied that they would be glad to have
these signs placed in accordance with the suggestions and
asked that they post signs directing the traffic to
Lexington and Lexington will stand the expense.
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Sehedule..of hearings on billboardd before the
Commissio;i appointedto make a study of billboards was
received. The dates are as follows:
Tuesday, Oct. 6, Friday, Oct. 8, Thursday, Oct.15,
Room 370,State House, at 10:30 A.M.
The Chairman was requested to attend the hearings.
The Board signed the application for the.boarding
of infants of Lilian Sefton of Fairview Avenue.
Letter was received from the Town Clerk notifying
the Board that the Chairman of the Board of Registrars
was Mr. L.H. Truesdell.
161`
Billboard
hearings.
Boarding of
Infants.
Chairman,
Bd.of Reg-
istrars.
In regard to the property of Robert L. Ryder located
at the corner of Lowell and North Streets where he re-
quested the street be widened in accordance with his
agreement when he gave the land to the Town, the inform-
ation regarding the deed was placed before the Board and
it appeared when Mr..Ryder gave this land, he requested
the street be widened.
The Board therefor voted to widen the street at the
junction of Lowell and North Streets, and in North
Street as far as the line of the Ryder property' continues,
the same to cost not more than $300.
It was left with.Mr. Custance to go over the ground
With Mr. Ryder before starting the work to see if the
proposed widening is agreeable to him.
Mr. Ryder presented a partial release of the land
belonging to Antonio Mereariante on.this corner, but,the
final release was never received from Mr. Mereadante
although he had been requested to send it in to.the Town.
Ryder, re
corner
North &
Lowell St.
. Mr. Trask reported having had a conference relative
to the."Accord of Nations" having a meeting on Sept. 12th,
from 2-3 P.M. on the Common or on Parker Field and he made
the suggestion that they might have a meeting in the Cary "Accord
Memorial Hall. When the hall was viewed, it appeared to of Nations
them to be a very good suggestion and they agreed to let Mr.
Trask know if they would want their meetinm there. Mr. Trask
stated that he felt the organization was a reputable one. They
were to hold meetinf7s in Boston, New York, Philadelphia and
Lexington. They tentatively requested the use of the hall for
the evening of Sept. 24th.
Attention has been called to the fact that the
Royal Blue Line busses have been parting on the
wrong side of the street in front of the Hancock -Clarke
House.
Mr. Trask called attention to the fact that the Traffic
traffic regulations did not include anything about the Regulations.
parking at this location. Before adopting a regulation
covering this, the Board requested the Supt. of Public
' Works to 166k up any other places that have been posted
for'parking`that have not been included in the regulations.
Circular letter was received from Mass. State Council
in Regard to the efforts that are being made to dis-
4ti th ►�? .`hay xa WtOber<<I2t)%- 401 State holiday. They
at State requested the Board's cooperation in opposing any action
h411'6ay. to eliminate this holiday.
No action was taken on the matter.
The Chairman reported that Mr. McCarthy of the
'American Legion requested that the Board allow $75,
expenditure for flags for the American Legion for their
convention. He stated that last year most of the Legion-
aires coming into Boston for the convention from the.West
Legion carried flags.
flags. The Board did -not feel that they should spend money
for this purpose and the Chairman was requested to so
inform Mr. McCarthy.
Publid Weifar4
ren Oftir%
at it 0
Mr. Trask stated that he thought something should
be done about the men who ask for work in the Town that
own automobiles. He stated that he had at least six call
at his office and apply for work and stated that they
did not have anything to eat -but they were driving cars.
The -Clerk st4ted`that in the -Town -of Amesbury when
application was made for 'aid, the person owning an auto-
mobile must leave the -number -plates in the office of the
Cleric, otherwise they --cannot recetre aid, and when they
are through' rec-eiv±ng aid, thih `'nem?"r -piFtes are given
back to them.
The -Board felt that this would be a good way of
handling the si.tttation in Lexington and Mr. Trask
requested that a new application for employees to
be made up and that all applicants be required to
register again this year. The Board voted that all
applicants for aid if they have automobiles, be re-
quested to leave their number plates with the Clerk of
the Board.
The Chairman -reported that the Town Counsel advised
that the Board commit to the Assessors the betterment
Betterment charge against the property of Caroline A. Harrington,
charge, bill having been seitt to Mrs. Harrington under date of
July 6, 1927, thethe amount of $719. so that said amount
will be•placed upon the tax bill.
Hearing will beheld at,the`Cou'ityrCommissioners.-_`..
office:on:_Fr.iday,.Sept._4th at 10 A.M..on the relocation
of Bow Street.
Mr. Trask and Mr. Custance agreed to attend the
hearing.
-Mr, Custance presented schedule of proposed
appropriations for 1932 and the board agreed to take the
list and consider them before the next meeting.
Ar. Custance stated that `he would attend to mending
in the insurance sbhedule to the appraisal company
this coming week.
Mr. Custance reported having consulted with Mary
Mu1ve in re and to the la out of t� s riet which the
Boarir�te s to make ove part ofie u vey
proper y.
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Mr.,Cust.ance-stated that Miss Mulvey works for
Chas. E. Howe, real estate man, and he asked her.to have Mr.
Howe confer with him in regard to the property.
Weekly report of the tupt..of Public works was
received.
Mr. Trask brought up the matter of building a
bridge on Allen Street on that part beyond the school
which has not been laid out by the Board of Survey and
Mr. Scamman stated that he could put in some 42" pipe and
some planks, and it would serve the ,purpose for the
school children to walk over and that he could do this
work right away.
Mr. Custance suggested that the Board notify the
Edison Zo now to be starting the schedule on the
morning street lights similar to the schedule of last
year. This is to protect persons going to the market
train at 5:55 A.M.
The Town Engineer presented a plan showing a 40 ft.
drive in to the Public Works Dept. property. The Board
voted to approve this plan presented under date of Sept.
10 1931:
The Supt. of Public Works attention was called to
the fact'that the weeds on Hill Street should be mowedf,
Also to the condition of the tar sidewalk in front of the
Masonic Hall and to the sidewalk at the corner of 041tham
Street and Mass. Avenue near the letter box; also to the
condition of the tar sidewalk on Bedford Street.
Mr. Custance reported having received a bid of $35,
for the painting of the gold leaf sign on the Town Office
Building from F. H. Tobin; also a bid from L. H.
Truesdell of $48.
The matter was left with Mr. Custance to have the
work done if he felt it was necessary.
Ar. Custance called attention to the fact that
Mr. Savoye had broken a spring on Harding Road and he
had not received any satisfaction from the Supt. of
Public Works regarding the matter. The Supt. of Public
Works reported that Jqhn Hendricks of Arlington also
broke a spring on Lowell Street. The.Supt. was requested
to bring the details of the two cases to the Board for
their decision..
Mr. Custance inquired whether or not the Board
desired to have a booth at the Trade Show, Oct. 21st.
This booth might have pictures of various places in
the Town and a phmaplet might be gotten out for the
occasion, He stated that he felt the cost would prob-
ably be about $200.
The Board decided to this the matter over -and
make their decision at a later date.
The Board decided to request the State Dept. of.
Pu�61ie Wdtks to place a sign at the eorner of M66s."
Avenue and Beacon St., Boston designating the direction
163
Mulvey
PzD perty,
Bridge,
Allen
Street.
Street
lights.
Plan.
Sidewalkd.
Bid for
painting.
f
Auto
springs
broken.
Trade
Booth.
164
bPb
of--the loin of L ington and also to ask 'them to designate V)Lexington when they have signs on roads leading to
Request Lexington.and to towns behond.
for
signs. The mealting adjourned at 11:43 P'M.
A true record, Attest: '
Clerk. .