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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1952-12-15-min 428 CC tO SEwTMENiS MEETING December 15, 1952 , A regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen was held in the Selectmen's Room, Town Office Building, on Monday evening, December 15, 1952 at 7:00 P. M. Chairman Nickerson, Messrs. Gay and Reed were present. Mr. Burns, Supt. of Public Works, and the Clerk were also present. Mr. Burns brought up the subject of rates for street betterment assessments to be levied on streets Street accepted at the Annual Town Meeting in March, 1952. betterment He. explained that he has figured the assessments on assessment the basis used before, that is, road excavation and rates surfacing, plus engineering, plus 50% of the cost of drainage, divided by twice the length of the street. He made comments as follows on the various streets. The drainage was very high on Hillcrest and the excavation was also high because the top was 25% heavier to hold. The total cost was $19.30 per foot excluding engineering, before applying the formula. The total cost of Preston Road, including en- gineering, was $24,000, drainage $8,000. There was an average amount of excavation on Wilson Road and also an average amount of drainage. Barrymeade Drive was partially constructed and a portion of the drainage was in. Drainage was installed in Independence Avenue when Smith Avenue was constructed. The base was in on the Woodhaven group. Upon motion of Mr. Gay, seconded by Mr. Reed, it was voted to establish the following rates per assess- able foot : Hillcrest Street $7.50 Preston Road 7.04 Wilson Road 5.37 Barrymeade Drive 4.00 Independence Avenue 3.93 Woodhaven group 2.10 Mr. Gay left the meeting at 7:40 P. M. to discuss Library budgets with the Appropriation Committee and re- turned at 8:50 P. M. Reference was made to William DeScenza's offer of $150 for 15 lots on Edna, Freemont and Bellflower Streets. L 429 Mr. Reed reported that he went up to see these lots, and someone is clearing them off. The Chair- man asked Mr. Burns to send a man from the Engineer- ' ing Department up to investigate and report what the Tax Title situation is as to whether or not there is water in property the streets and what is being done by way of tres- passing on the lots either by error or otherwise. Mr. Burns retired at 7 :50 P. M. Letter was received from Ms. Edith A. Tuttle, 12 Hancock Street, requesting the installation of curbing in front of her property. The Chairman was authorized to advise Ms. Tuttle that there are no funds left in the curbing approp- Curbing riation, that the request will be considered in the 1953. budget, but no assurance given that curbing will be constructed in front of her property. Motide was received from the State Department of Corporation and Taxation advising that the sum of $57,400 has been established as the amount not less than which the 1953 bond of the Treasurer of the Town of Lexington shall be written. The sum of $66,700 1953 Bonds has been established as the amount not less than which the 1953 bond of the Collector of Taxes shall be written. Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was voted to establish the sum of $57,400 as the amount not less than which the 1953 bond of the Treasurer shall be written; and the sum of $66,700 as the amount not less than which the 1953 bond of the Collector of Taxes shall be written. Letter was received from Frank Mowat, Dog Officer, requesting a transfer of $76 to cover ex- penses for the remainder of the year. Transfer The Board was not opposed to requesting a trans- fer, but instructed the Clerk to request Officer Mowatto advise as to approximately what he needs additional funds for. Letter was received from the Board of Fire Commissioners requesting a transfer of $400 to pay expenses incurred as a result of an accident in- volving repairs to the aerial ladder, together with Transfer hospital and doctorls bills for Private Govan. Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was voted to request the Appropriation Committee to transfer the sum of $400 from the Reserve Fund to the Fire Department - Expenses Account. 430 COPDr. Ralph H. Wells met with the Board at 8:30 P. M. to discuss Union Health Departments. He said that this does not require any action at the present time, but he wanted to give the Board some ibfor- mation on what is going on outside. He explained that the Union Health Plan is being reactivated be- cause the Massachusetts Medical Society has appoint- ed a sub-committee to look into the matter. It feels that the doctors have to be re-educated or educated into the Health Plan as well as the Boards of Health of the various communities. The sub-committee met on December 2nd and passed the proposals as a whole, with- out the compulsory features, hoping that the amendments this coming year will nullify some of the things the towns have been using to defeat the program as a whole. It was also voted to have the members of the sub-com- mittee speak to their own Boards of Health. He said that it came to his attention through Mr. McQuillan, Chairman of the Board of Health, that a meeting was to be held last Tuesday night in Lincoln, and he attended. He informed the Board that there is also possibility of subsidies to the towns entering into the picture. Dr. Wells said that he suggested to Mr. Mecixillan that it might be advisable to reinstate the old Com- mittee as long as this law is on the books in an effort to keep Lexington informed and also to help in the leadership of the association. He said that at the meeting he attended some of the towns were rep- resented by the Boards of Selectmen or Boards of Health, and Lexington was represented by Mr. Jackson who took no part in the discussion. He said that his committee would like to have Lexington represented, to have some say, take part in discussions and also take part in the leadership of the Union Health Department. The Chairman referred to the report, anb#itted to the Annual Town Meeting in March, 1952, by a Committee of five residents appointed by the Moderator to in- vestigate and study this subject and said that, in spite of the report, he did not believe the Selectmen had closed minds bn the subject. He said that the Board is willing to co-operate by attending the meet- ings and suggested that Dr. Wells, or the secretary of the group, advise the Board when and where the next meeting is to be held so that some member of the Board can attend. Dr. Wells agreed to obtain the information and advise the Board. He retired at 9:00 P. M. Application was received from August Schumacker, Use of on behalf of the Boston Market Gardeners Association, hall requesting permission to conduct an annual banquet in Cary Memorial Hall on February 21, 1953 from 6:00 P. M. 431 until 11:00 P. M. Upon motion of Mr. Gay, seconded by Mr. Reed, it was voted to grant the use of the hall subject to a charge of $35.00. Upon motion of Mr. Reed, seconded by Mr. Gay, it was voted to sign deed, prepared by Town Counsel, con- veying lot 57 Grandview Avenue, Lexington to Mrs. Marion B. Steeves. Upon motion of Mr. Reed, seconded by Mr. Gay, it was voted to grant the following licenses: '(Quote). At 9:10 P. M. the following members of the Planning Board met with the Selectmen, Chairman Adams, Messrs. Hathaway, Irwin, Johnson and Potter. Mr. Burns was also present. Mr. Adams said that his Board feels it is a good time for something definite to be done in regard to Edison way. The Chairman said that pressure has been brought to bear during the last six months and people want to park and park near the center. He said that, if the people are still of the same frame of mind, he thought, according to Town Counsel, if it is for parking, funds can be used from the Parking Meter income. However, Parking Meter funds are-snot available for a street. He said that the Board is almost duty bound to present something to the Town Meeting in March to be voted upon either for or against, He said that since Mr. Ballard made his original negotiations, Mr. O'Connell, one of the property owners involved, has died. Mr. Adams asked if this meant starting all over again, and the Chairman replied that he did not know that it does. The Chairman asked about the last proposal develop- ed by the Planning Board, and Mr. Burns said that he thought it was to abandon any idea of going through with a whole street, stopping at O'Connell's and blacktopping the area to the railroad and let the merchants do the rest if they wanted to. Anything the town had would be a tak- ing by the town and owned by the town. Mr. Adams said that the Planning Board likes an exit to Depot Square. The ChairmAn said that the Board is definitely of the opinion that it wants to present to the Town Meeting a scheme for getting in and getting through to Depot Square and to provide as much parking area as possible and also to have the merchants provide additional parking. Mr. Johnson said that his Board suggests that the Town take care of the necessary drainage. Mr. Hathaway said that the Planning Board also included illumination. 432 g0 The Chairman said that if the Planning Beard now thinks it is possibly going to coincide with this overall proposal, he would contact Mr. Ballard and ask him to reactivate himself, and an effort will be made to work out something mutually agreeable and present something to Town Meeting that will be aedep- table to both the Selectmen and the Planning Board. He said that if the two groups cannot come to an agree- ment, it will still have to be presented to the Town, and if the Town does not go along, an effort will at least have been made. He said that he would contact Mr. Ballard right away and then be in touch with the Planning Board. Mr. Johnson suggested including funds in the 1953 budget to provide a parking area adjacent to Cary Library. The Chairman said that this location had been con- sidered about two years ago, and it was discarded be- cause it was figured to cost about $3,000. He said that it is so far from the center of the town it seemed that it would be used only by persons going tu the library. He explained that, as he recalled it, the expense was high because of a drainage problem. The Clerk retired at 9:25 P. M. An informal discussion was held on the following proposals, relative to by-pass roads, submitted by the Planning Board. 1) Bedford Street from opposite Johnson's garage to the junction of Massachusetts Avenue and Lincoln Street, generally following the brook; (a) Massachusetts Aatenue and Lincoln Street through town land, crossing Waltham Street, Marrett Road to Pleasant Street. 2) From Bedford Street to Grove Street following the ex- tension of Eldred Street. 3 ) Proposal for a connecting road between Wood Street and Bedford Street which involved several choices. (a) Wood Street to Westview Street. (b ) Directly across the swamp (Meagherville) to Bedford Street, parallel to Route 128. (c ) Wood Street, connedting to Route 128 with an overpass. Item (a) might well be a Federal project because of the closeness to South Road to Bedford Airport. The Planning Board recommended asking Town Meeting for an appropriation for taking on all except item number 3. , 432k The Woodbine House 73 Waltham St. Coon Victualler (reII newal) Village Variety Store 93, Mass. Ave. Hattie Peckham 3,7 Hancock St. " a H Geo: R. Reed 8i Son, Inc. 1721 Mass. Ave. is It '" Mary A. Rowland 150 Lowell St. " " If Shoppers ' Haven 316 Marrett Rd. " '" 1° Town Line Pharmacy, Inc. 20 Mass. Ave. n rrr. Ir Mawhinney Motor Sales 581 Marrett Rd. 1st Class Agent a Colonial Garage, Inc. 1668 Mass. Ave. " 'r' n Lex. Amusement Co. , Inc. 1794 Mass. Ave. Sunday Movies Lex. Liquor Mart, Inc. 1849 Mass. Ave. Package note '" note I I I