USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Wayland > Official reports of the town of Wayland 1945-1947 > Part 22
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1948
Annie R. Costello, Inspector
1948
James J. Bolton, Deputy Warden
1948
Ethel H. Edwards, Deputy Clerk
1948
Philip Burbank, Deputy Inspector
1948
Francis M. Dowey, Deputy Inspector
1948
PRECINCT 2
Alvin B. Neale, Warden
1948
Madeline T. Hampstead, Clerk
1948
Orpha E. Bradshaw, Inspector
1948
Sebastian Selvitella, Inspector
1948
Parker H. Groton, Deputy Warden
1948
Frank S. Tarr, Deputy Clerk
1948
Arthur E. Peck, Deputy Inspector
1948
Charles L. Smith, Deputy Inspector
1948
9
WARRANT FOR ANNUAL TOWN MEETING
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS Middlesex, ss.
To any of the Constables of the Town of Wayland, in said County:
GREETINGS :
In the name of the Commonwealth you are required to notify and warn the inhabitants of said Town qualified to vote in town election to meet at their respective polling places on
MONDAY, MARCH 1, 1948
at six o'clock in the forenoon, there and then to bring in their ballots for a Moderator, Town Clerk, Treasurer, Collector of Taxes, Tree Warden and seven Constables, all for one year ;
One Assessor for one year ;
One Selectman, one Assessor, one member of the School Committee, one member of the Board of Public Welfare, one Water Commissioner, one Cemetery Commissioner, one Road Commissioner, two Trustees of the Public Library, one member of the Board of Health, one Park Commissioner, one Commis- sioner of Trust Funds and one member of the Planning Board, all for three years.
All the foregoing to be voted on the official ballot. The polls will be open at 6:00 o'clock in the forenoon and will remain open continuously until 7:00 in the afternoon, when they shall be closed.
And you are required to notify and warn the inhabitants of said Town qualified to vote in Town affairs to meet at the Town Hall on
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 1948
at 7:45 P. M., then and there to act on the following articles.
Article 1. To hear reports of the Town Officers, Agents and Committees, and act thereon.
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Article 2. To choose all necessary Town Officers, Agents and Committees not elected by the official ballot.
Article 3. To grant money for necessary Town purposes. See Finance Committee Report.
Article 4. To see if the Town will vote to fix the salary and compensation of all elective officers of the Town, as pro- vided by Section 108, Chapter 41, General Laws, as amneded, and set the effective date of such salary and compensation.
In 1947, the Legislature passed an act requiring the town meeting to fix annually the salary or com- pensation of each and every elective officer and further requiring that if the salary be effective from January 1, the town so state.
The Finance Committee recommends that the sal- aries for the elective officers be set as indicated in the budget and that they be effective from January 1, 1948.
Article 5. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Board of Selectmen and the Road Commissioners to sell or otherwise dispose of the present police car and the 1942 Chev- rolet two-ton truck in connection with the purchases of a new car and new truck respectively, provided for in the budgets of these departments, or do or act.
The action here suggested is routine in connection with the trade-in of old, and purchase of new, equip- ment.
The Finance Committee recommends the approval of the article.
Article 6. To see if the Town will authorize the Treasurer, with the approval of the Board of Selectmen, to borrow money from time to time in anticipation of the revenue of the financial year beginning January 1, 1948, and to issue a note or notes therefor, payable within one year, and to renew any note or notes as may be given for a period of less than a year, in accord- ance with Section 17, Chapter 44, General Laws.
The Finance Committee recommends the approval of the article.
Article 7. To see if the Town will appropriate a sum of money for "Water Department Maintenance," the sum so ap- propriated to be taken from "Water Available Surplus," or do or act.
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The normal expenses of the Water Department are averaging $12,000 to $13,000 a year. The Department plans to : (1) overhaul its pumps at an approximate cost of $4,500; (2) complete the painting of the tank on Reeves Hill for about $600; (3) change a number of gates and lift a number of hydrants at a cost of $1,500 and it feels that, because of the large amount of expected new building, it should be prepared to spend as much as $2,000 additional on installation of new services. The total expenses of the Department will therefore be from $21,000 to $22,000.
The Finance Committee recommends the approval of the article and the appropriation and transfer from "Water Available Surplus" the sum of $18,000, which, together with the $3,000 provided in the budget under "Hydrants," should be sufficient for the purposes of the Department.
Article 8. To see if the Town will vote to appropriate and assess a sum of money for the reconstruction and improvement of Old Connecticut Path, said money to be used in conjunction with any money which may be allotted by the State or County, or both, for this purpose, the work to be done by the Road Com- missioners, or take any action in relation thereto.
Each year, the Finance Committee has pointed out that there is nothing for which the Town gets so much as it does under Chapter 90 construction work-our money currently being matched on a three-to-one basis.
During the last two years, the Town has done the basic work on the reconstruction of Old Connecticut Path from Pine Ridge Road Extension to the junction of that road with Cochituate Road at the Five Paths. There remains unexpended from last year's combined appropriation by Town, County and State, 14,500. Provided the Town will appropriate $5,000, the Coun- ty and State, together, will add $15,000, making a total of $34,500 to be expended this year in putting in the rock and permanent surface. It is also contemplated that a start may be made on the work of rebuilding the road in the two centers of the Town by doing some of the necessary drainage work.
The Finance Committee recommends the approval of the article and the appropriation of $5,000 for the
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purpose, the work to be done under the supervision of the Road Commissioners.
Article 9. To see if the Town will vote to appropriate and assess, or transfer from other available funds, a sum of money for "Road Machinery Account," or do or act.
The Road Machinery Account is set up to provide funds for maintaining equipment when work is being done, either maintenance or construction, on Chapter 90 roads. The Town secures rental income from its equipment while work is in progress, the payments going directly to "Road Machinery Fund." It is from this fund that the Town normally sets up the "Road Machinery Account."
The Finance Committee recommends the approval of the article and the appropriation and transfer of $1,500.
Article 10. To see if the Town will vote to raise and ap- propriate a sum of money for the acquisition of sites for, and the construction and original equipping and furnishing of, addi- tions to, or new structures supplemental to, the Wayland High School Building and the Grade School Building in Cochituate, and will determine whether the necessary money shall be pro- vided by taxes, by borrowing or by transfer from available funds in the Town Treasury, and to authorize the Committee appointed in accordance with the vote under Article 19 of the Annual Town Meeting in March, 1947, to acquire sites for, and to construct, equip and furnish additions to, or new structures supplemental to, the Wayland High School Building and the Grade School Building in Cochituate, and to authorize said Committee to enter into the necessary contracts and agreements for the building, original equipment and furnishing of such buildings, or take any other action relative thereto.
The Finance Committee fully recognizes the prob- lem confronting the Town concerning the need of expansion of the school facilities. It is also fully aware of the magnitude of the expense involved. The Special School Planning Committee has held a number of hearings with various groups throughout the Town on their tentative plans, and expects to render a com- plete report at two public hearings which are to be held prior to the Town Meeting. The conclusions are not available as this report goes to press.
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The Finance Committee will make its recommenda- tions, therefore, at the Town Meeting and, because of the great importance of the matter, it urges the towns- people to attend both the public hearings and the Town Meeting.
Article 11. To see if the Town will vote to discontinue as town, public or private way, that portion of Bradford Street from its junction with Main Street to a point approximately 450 feet from Main Street, or any other portion of said street. or do or act.
Bradford Street is an unaccepted right of way located parallel to, and on the northerly side of, the Cochituate Grade School. The action here suggested has been proposed by the School Committee because of the limited area and the proximity of the school play- ground.
The Finance Committee concurs in the desirability of removing this street from public use and thereby eliminating a possible source of accident.
Article 12. To see if the Town will appropriate a sum of money for the improvement of the lighting of the Public Library Building in Wayland, and will provide the funds there- for by transferring the balance remaining unexpended of the funds appropriated under Article 8 of the Warrant of the An- nual Town Meeting of March 7, 1945 for the purchase and installation of a new furnace, heating equipment and insulation for the Public Library Building in Wayland, or do or act.
The Trustees of the Public Library would like to make certain improvements in the lighting system. They were able to complete the heating and insulation work within the original appropriation and now have left, a balance of $407.86 in the account which they would like to have made available for the electrical work.
The Finance Committee recommends the approval of the article, the appropriation of $407.87 for the purpose and the transfer therefor of the balance re- maining in the "Library-Special Heating and Insula- tion" account.
Article 13. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the purchase, for additions to the Lakeview Cemetery, one, or both,
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pieces of property located off Pemberton Road, adjacent to the Cemetery, one of which is owned by Bessie G. Trimble and the other, by Blanche I. Schleicher, and will appropriate, assess or transfer from monies appropriated for a like purpose in 1947 and/or will transfer funds from "Sale of Cemetery Lots and Graves Fund" for the purchases, or do or act.
The matter of additions to the Lakeview Cemetery has come before the Town several times in the past ten years. Last year, it was pointed out that the situation was acute and that, in view of the shortage of available lots, the matter should be acted on promptly. The Town voted $1,000 for the purchase of 134 acres from Mrs. Trimble and $800 for 11/2 acres from Mr. Lupien. Negotiations for the Lupien piece fell through. The Trimble piece, enlarged to about 2 acres, the Finance Committee is advised, can be bought for $1,500, and Mrs. Schleicher has indicated a will- ingness to sell about 1 acre for $750-a total of $2,250. Both pieces are contiguous to the Cemetery, are level, and are in line with the logical development of the area.
The Finance Committee recommends the purchase of both pieces of property, through the use by transfer of the $1,800 total appropriated last year under Arti- cles 12 and 14, and by the transfer of $450 from the "Sale of Lots and Graves Fund."
Article 14. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the appointment of a special committee to study and report at the next Town Meeting on the matter of acquiring for ercreational and/or any other municipal purpose, any part of the real estate situated on the easterly shore of Lake Cochituate, in the general area bounded by Lake Cochituate, Fuller Road, West Plain Street, Pemberton Road and Commonwealth Road West, and will appropriate and assess a sum of money for the work of the committee, or take any other action relative thereto.
Beginning in 1947, the Metropolitan District Water Commission removed the restrictions on the use of Lake Cochituate, with the result that the west shore of the Lake, at the foot of Shawmut Avenue Extension, has become a popular bathing beach, but lacks restric- tions as to use and is without guards.
As of January 1, 1948, the entire Lake Cochituate
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area was turned over to the Division of State Parks of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation, there- by opening the area to any resident of the State. Be- fore the use of the beach by non-residents expands to a point that it becomes a nuisance and, before the sur- rounding land is developed and becomes too expensive, it seems advisable to acquire sufficient land to provide the necessary facilities for a top-grade bathing beach for Wayland residents and for the control of the entire area. It is only through ownership of the adjacent land that the Town can have any control over the beach itself. The Finance Committee recognizes the neces- sity for prompt action and feels that a complete study should be made at once by a special committee.
The Finance Committee therefore recommends the approval of the article and the appropriation of $300 for the purpose, the funds to be taken from those pro- vided in the budget for the work of the Planning Board.
Article 15. To see if the Town will vote to accept as pub- lic town ways, under the provisions of the Betterment Act, the following roads in that part of the Town known as the River- view Terrace section, so called, or any of them or any portion of any of such roads, viz : the ways now called : Overlook Road. Riverview Avenue, Riverview Circle, Shore Drive as laid out by the Board of Selectmen and as shown on a plan or plans on file with the Town Clerk ; and to authorize the Board of Select- men to acquire any necessary land by eminent domain, purchase or otherwise ; and to appropriate and assess a sum of money to cover the acquisition of such land and the construction of said public town ways or any part thereof and take any action in re- gard thereto.
This article has been inserted at the request of the people of the Riverview Terrace section. Because of the background, a rather full explanation is in order. These people have, on a number of previous occasions. petitioned for the installation of water lines, but have always been turned down by the Town. They have never before, by article, asked for the acceptance of their streets and the installation of water under the Betterment Act, by which they would share in the cost of the improvement. The present request, and that of
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the following article, are therefore being made on quite a different basis.
None of the streets in this section have been ac- cepted, although all have been open to public use for more than twenty years. A substantial amount of cut- ting, grading and drainage work will be necessary be- cause of the small amount of work which has previous- ly been done on any of the streets. The section has no public water system. The nearest water in the Way- land system is in Old Connecticut Path and in Fram- ingham, at a distance of about 3-10 of a mile.
Following the last Town Meeting, the residents took the proper steps to place before the Town the matter of acceptance of a portion of their streets and the installation of water in those streets, under the Betterment Act. They raised, and paid over their share of the cost of preparing plans, and at this time, are asking the Town to accept Overlook Road for a distance of about 1,000 feet from Stonebridge Road, and Riverview Avenue, about 500 feet easterly, from Overlook Road.
The Highway Department estimates the cost of putting the streets in shape for acceptance by the Town at $7,800 and the Water Department estimates the cost of doing their work at about $5,200. There are about thirteen houses on the sections of streets involved and. if the entire job is done under the Betterment Act, as requested by the residents, and the betterment is as- sessed at 50% of the cost to the abutters, to be paid back to the Town over a period of ten years, as has been our custom in the matter of betterments, the cost to the individuals will be about $500 a house and a similar amount to the Town.
The work on the streets and the water line should be done only as a part of a single project and all of the work should naturally be deferred until after the Town has arranged to bring water to the Riverview section. This latter matter will be decided when the Town acts on the report of the Special Water Survey Committee.
Whenever the residents of any street are ready to pay their share of improvements as betterments, the Finance Committee has regularly recommended that
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the Town do its share by making the necessary appro- priation.
The Finance Committee feels that the solution here offered is the first of two necessary steps in solving the problem of improvement of the Riverview Terrace section. It therefore recommends the approval of this article, the appropriation of $7,800 for thet betterment, no work to be done until there is definite assurance by subsequent action of the Town that water will be made available at the Stonebridge entrance to the section.
Article 16. To see if the Town will vote to install water pipes and hydrants in the roads named in the foregoing article, or any portion thereof, to appropriate and assess a sum of money to pay the expense thereof and to authorize such sums, or any part thereof, to be included in the betterments to be assessed under the previous article, or take any action thereon.
The Finance Committee's report under the previous article fully covers the matter here involved.
The Finance Committee recommends the approval of the article and the appropriation of $5,200 to be expended under the supervision of the Water Depart- ment, the cost to be included in the betterment to be assessed under the previous article, no work to be done, except in connection with the improvement of the streets involved and then, only when there is definite assurance by subsequent action of the Town that water will be made available at the Stonebridge entrance to the section.
Article 17. To see if the Town will vote to accept as a public town way, under the provisions of the Betterment Act, the way known as Adelaide Avenue, leading off West Plain Street in that part of the town known as Cochituate, as laid out by the Board of Selectmen, and as shown on a plan or plans on file with the Town Clerk; to authorize the Board of Selectmen to acquire any necessary land by eminent domain, purchase or otherwise ; and to appropriate and assess a sum of money to cover the acquisition of such land and the construction of said public town way, or any part thereof, or take any action in regard thereto.
This street is in a thickly settled section, just off West Plain Street. The abutters have agreed to have the work done under the Betterment Act. Adelaide
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Avenue, itself, is about 575 feet long, and the cost of rebuilding the road would be about $1,650, funds for which would be advanced by the Town and would be partially reimbursed through betterments. Over a per- iod of years, the Finance Committee has always felt that, whenever the residents of any street were pre- pared to pay their share of the cost of improvement, the Town should be ready to join them by matching their payment.
The Finance Committee recommends the approval of the article and the appropriation of $1,650 therefor, the work to be done by the Highway Department.
Article 18. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the installation of a water main and hydrant in Adelaide Avenue for a distance of 600 feet, running northerly from West Plain Street : to appropriate and assess a sum of money therefor and to authorize such sums, or any part thereof, to be included in the betterment to be assessed under the previous article, or take any action thereon.
Provided the previous article is approved by the Town, the two-inch water line now in the street should be replaced with a six-inch line for a more adequate supply for fire protection and to avoid the necessity of tearing up the street again at a later date to replace the present two-inch line. The Water Department estimates that the job will require 600 feet of six-inch pipe, fittings, hydrant and labor, and that it will cost about $1,800.
The Finance Committee recommends the approval of the article and the appropriation of $1,800, to be expended under the supervision of the Water Depart- ment, the cost to be included in the betterment to be assessed under the previous article.
Article 19. To see what action the Town will take with respect to the improvement and better maintenance of the Town dumps and what sum of money it will appropriate and assess therefor, or do or act.
Both Town dumps are a constant source of trouble, chiefly because they are unattended. Indiscriminate dumping of garbage and dead animals, mixed with the normal debris, papers and brush have been the inevit- able result. The conditions have been aggravated by
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the use of the dumps by individuals from other towns. Fires among the refuse are frequently getting out of control, with the result that the Fire Department, alone, spent something over $300 putting them out during the past year. The smoke, odor and unsightli- ness are real sources of annoyance to those who live anywhere near the dumps and their operation is not a credit to the Town.
Under the sponsorship of the Planning Board, with the co-operation of the Board of Health, the Police Department and the Highway Department, a plan for handling the matter has been suggested, after a study of similar operations in other towns. It involves the erection of fences, gates and attendant's shed ; sched- ule of days when the dump will be open; the employ- ment of an attendant, wtih the waste collected allowed as a portion of the pay ; exclusion of use by non-resi- dents ; the enforcement of regulations on use and the passage of a by-law to back up enforcement.
The Finance Committee recommends a trial of the program at the dump adjacent to the Highway Garage for a year and that there be appropriated and assessed the sum of $1,300 for fencing, gates and supervision, the work to be done and the supervision of mainten- ance to be by the Highway Department.
Article 20. To see if the Town will amend its by-laws by adding thereto, a new by-law entitled, "Control of Dumps" and reading substantially as follows :
1. No person, other than an inhabitant of the Town shall use any public dump established by the Town.
2. All public dumps shall be used only at such times as may be permitted by regulations adopted by the Select- men.
3. Whoever violates the provision of this by-law shall be subject to a penalty of $20 for each offense.
or will take any other action deemed necessary or desirable to effect the control of public dumps in the Town, to confine the use thereof to inhabitants of the Town and to make possible the enforcement of any such control, or do or act.
The Town cannot expect to have effective control over the use of its dumps without giving proper
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authority to enforcement officers. The proposed by- law is suggested with that in mind.
The Finance Committee recommends the approval of the article.
Article 21. To see if the Town will vote to amend the present Zoning By-laws by providing for the establishment of a new type of district permitting a limited type of business use, to be designated as a roadside business district and to provide the use or uses permissible in such district and to provide a method for the location of such district or districts upon the zoning plan, or take any action in regard thereto.
This article, which was inserted by the Planning Board, proposes the establishment of a new type of zoning under our Zoning By-laws, permitting a limited type of business to be adopted along certain through roads.
The Planning Board will have held a hearing on the proposed change and will render a report at the Town Meeting.
The Finance Committee feels that the Town should be guided by the Planning Board's recommendations.
Article 22. To see if the Town will vote to amend the Zoning By-laws as follows :
To change from a residential to a business zone that por- tion of the land on East Commonwealth Road, owned by Frank J. Maley, bounded. and described as follows : westerly by J. M. Bent ; easterly by Winter Street; from Commonwealth Road to Dean property, bordering Bents', depth 327 feet; from Commonwealth Road to Dean property, bordering Winter Street, depth 219 feet.
This article and the following two, seek to effect a change for a piece of property from a residential to a business zone.
The matter comes under the jurisdiction of the Planning Board, whch will have held a public hearing, and will have made a complete investigation, prior to the Town Meeting and, for that reason, the Finance Committee recommends that the Town be guided by the report of the Planning Board.
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