USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Saugus > Town annual report of Saugus 1930 > Part 8
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On Thursday evening, April 3, 1930, your committee met in the Selectmen's office of the Town Hall at eight o'clock, opened the meeting and adjourned to the court room of the Town Hall where the Objectors, Miss Annie M. Raddin and Miss Sarah E. Raddin, and their counsel, William E. Sisk, Esq. and Lincoln Bryant, Esq., were heard.
The trustees of the Cliftondale Methodist Episcopal church through their counsel, Herbert P. Mason, Esq., exhibited to your committee the plans of the Community House which the Church proposes to erect in the rear of and as an addition to the present church property. It was stated by the proponents for the change in By-Law that the major portion of the present church building with the land in front, is now located in a business district ; that a small portion of the rear of the church building together with the vacant land in the rear of the church is located in a resident district; that the adjoining property facing on Lincoln avenue on the easterly side of the church property is zoned as a business district for a depth of one hun- dred (100) feet from Lincoln avenue ; that the property across Lincoln square from the church is zoned as a business district ; that the adjoining property on Jackson street on the easterly side of the land in the rear of the church property owned by Miss S. E. Raddin is zoned as a single residence district ; that the property on Jackson street, directly opposite the land in the rear of the church property, owned by Miss Annie M. Raddin is zoned as a single residence district, although at the present time, there is one building on it used for business purposes having been so used previous to the adoption of the Zoning Law.
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TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
The proposed building, as shown by the plans submitted, will be built in the rear and connect onto the present church building and be of similar material and construction.
The main part of the building will be two stories high and will extend back from the present building about So feet. It will provide for a combination gymnasium and auditorium, class rooms, ladies' parlors, club rooms, and part of the bowling alleys. To the rear of this addition and extending the easterly line of same will be an extension about 30 feet long to house the balance of the bowling alleys. The walls of this extension will be about four feet above the grade line and be covered by a flat tar and gravel roof and around the edge will be a gutter. The rear wall of this extension will come within, about, two to three feet of the rear lot line and by reason of the curve in Jackson street the northwest corner of the gutter will be only about one foot from the line. It was stated that there were to be no windows in the easterly side of the building where the bowling alleys were to be, and that precautions will be taken to deaden any noise made by the use of them. At a point on the property about opposite the old Post Office Building on Jackson street there will be a part of the new building inclosing stair- ways, and an exit that will come to a point about four feet from the lot line. It was stated that many ideas of design had been proposed in order to attempt to overcome the closeness with which portions of the building will come to lot lines but that the one presented your committee seemed to be the most feasible under the circumstances.
The estimated cost of the new building is given as about $55,000.00 and the purpose to be to provide a Community House open to all.
The proponents ask for this rezoning because the building as at present planned cannot be erected on the property as it now is zoned for the following reasons :
I. While the easterly wall of the present building is 5 feet from the east line of the property, the proposed building will project about 2} feet beyond and so only leave a space of about 2} feet between the east wall and the boundary line between the church property and that of Miss S. E. Raddin,
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SPECIAL TOWN MEETING.
1930]
2. That part of the low building, over the bowling alleys, will at its northwest corner be only a foot to a foot and a half from the lot line; that the part of the buildings to provide an exit on the westerly side will be only about three to four feet from the lot line. The objectors offered their objections as outlined in the notice filed with the Town Clerk by Miss Sarah E. Raddin and a letter from Miss Annie M. Raddin and also orally. The principal objections may be summarized as follows :
I. Miss S. E. Raddin states that she is the owner and part occupant of the house on the adjoining property to the east, and that the noise and confusion which would come from the uses to which the proposed building would be put would be a source of great annoyance and discomfort to her and her tenant, and also to others on adjoining property.
2. That between her house and the church property is a plot of land owned by her, suitable for residential pur- pose and so zoned. That the erection of the proposed buildings two stories in height within 2} feet of her west line would make the plot much less desirable for a dwelling, materially damage the value of it and would further deprive the owner of the right to light, sunshine and air, which is contemplated by the restrictions of the present Zoning By-Law.
3. That the re-zoning of the church property would not only be a hardship and detriment to her but would also be so to other residential property in the vicinity.
4. That the Petitioners can, under the present Zoning By- Law, erect a "Church Recreation Building" and should not, therefore, be allowed to have the property rezoned to enable it to carry on business activities such as are for- bidden in residential districts to the annoyance, discom- fort, and material damage to abutters and other owners in the vicinity.
5. Miss Annie M. Raddin, whose property is on the oppo- site side of Jackson street, objected for the reason that she would be caused great discomfort and annoyance from
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TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
the noise and confusion which would come from the uses to which the proposed building is to be put and from the annoyance and danger from parked autos especially at times when contests and other attractions will be held.
6. That the proposed building would occupy or cover a greater portion of the church property than is allowed under Section II of the Zoning By-Law, which in sub- stance provides that in a business district not over 80% can be covered. -
In regard to this objection your committee sought the aid of the Superintendent of Public Works, Mr. Maggi, to compute the measurements and he found that the approximate area of the property for proposed use was 19,849 square feet, more or less, and that that portion of the area which would be covered by the present church building and the proposed addition would be 11,636 square feet more or less, or, about 59% of the area. Whether the open spaces as provided conform to the require- ments of the Zoning By-Law, in so far as rear and side spaces are concerned, your committee feels is solely within the jurisdic- tion the Building Inspector who would pass upon this phase of the question when considering an application for a building permit.
7. It was further objected that the land on which the new building is to be erected is now much used for auto park- ing by those who attend church; that after its erection it cannot be so used and so will cause much parking on Jackson street, which runs on a sharp curve and will thus add to the conjestion and annoyance to those living on adjoining property.
S. That the northwest corner of the rear end of the building over the bowling alley is only four feet in height and coming within one foot of the lot line will be dangerous to persons using the sidewalk.
9. That the portion of the building on the west side to pro- vide an exit will come so near the lot line that it will, on account of the curve in Jackson street at this point, cause a serious obstruction to the view of anyone driving into Jackson street from Lincoln avenue.
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SPECIAL TOWN MEETING.
1930]
IO. That at one session of this meeting the Moderator appointed a committee to consider the advisability of widening Lincoln avenue and Jackson street. Should it be found desirable to do this it would be much more ex- pensive after this property was rezoned and the proposed building erected.
II. That the provision of Section 24 of the Zoning By-Law which requires "that before an amendment can be con- sidered at a Town Meeting the Planning Board must hold public hearings and give fourteen days notice" has not been complied with.
Your committee has been informed that the Planning Board has held a meeting to comply with this provision.
Your committee feeling that it is not a part of its duty to advise, has endeavored to give the members of this meeting a fair and impartial statement of the facts as they found them leaving it to each individual voter to determine from this what his or her action shall be.
Respectfully submitted,
THOMAS P. PARSONS, WALTER L. C. NILES, LAURENCE F. DAVIS.
ART. 2. Rezoning of Cliftondale square.
Voted at 8.57 P.M. to adjourn until 10.15 unless sooner called to order by the Moderator.
The meeting was again called to order at 9.59 P.M.
ART. 2. Rezoning of Cliftondale square.
Mr. Kahler secretary of the Planning Board, thereupon made a partial report on behalf of the Planning Board concerning the proposed rezoning, and recommended that further time be given to the Planning Board to report on the matter at an adjourned meeting, to be held Monday, May 5, 1930.
A motion was then made to adjourn the matter to Monday, May 5, 1930 at 8 P.M., which motion was defeated.
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TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
Use of the check list was ordered upon request of 75 Town Meeting Members.
Voted, That the Zoning By-Law and Zoning Map forming part thereof be and the same are hereby amended so that the premises at the northeasterly corner of Lincoln avenue, Lincoln square, and Jackson street shown as Lot A-72 on Plan Number 2001 on file in the Assessors' office, said premises being a part of the property assessed to and occupied by the Cliftondale Methodist Episcopal Church shall hereafter be zoned in its entirety as a business district.
By affirmative vote of 75, the use of the check list was ordered, and the vote was taken as follows :
Thomas E. Berrett Yes
Bion C. Butler Yes
Ralph G. Borland Yes
Mabel L. Carter Yes
George H. Durgin Yes
Chester F. Cross Yes
Arthur D. Hitchings Yes
Elmer E. Gray Yes
George I. Hull
Yes
Edwin K. Hayden Yes
Gordon C. Marr
Yes Harold P. Rice
Yes
Thomas P. Parsons
Yes
Frank L. Ward Yes
Henry A. B. Peckham
Yes
Edward Gibbs, Jr.
Yes
W. Charles Sellick
Yes
Horace C. Ramsdell
Yes
Charles Wilson Yes
Frank B. Sloan Yes
Walter A. Wilson
Yes
Crawford H. Stocker Yes
Walter S. Dyer
Yes
Walter S. Hamilton
Yes
Edwin M. Holmes
Yes
Angelina S. Hayden
Yes
Jesse W. Lambert Yes
Bessie I. Neale
Yes
Frank N. Lendall Yes
Frank Reppucci Yes
John F. Mccullough, Jr. Yes
Marion P. Russell Yes
Harry F. Wentworth Yes
Rosanna M. Gautreau
Yes
Bertrand D. Westendarp Yes
Howard F. Kelley
Yes
Charles S. Baker Yes
A. Willard Moses Yes
Paul A. Haley
Yes
Otto F. Persson Yes
Frank A. Hill
Yes
Charles N. Wormstead Yes
Charles M. O'Connor Yes
Frank H. Coburn Yes
Benjamin A. Ramsdell Yes
Benjamin Q. Belonga Yes
Priscilla Flockton Yes
Harry W. Merrill Robert C. Pike Yes Yes
Ernest A. Hodgdon Yes
Harry T. Turner Yes
Roswell W. Abbott Yes
Nathan F. Chapman
Yes
George B. Conley Yes
Helen F. Cunningham Yes
Arthur Lee Homan
Yes
Arthur L. Hawkes Yes
John N. Mader Yes
1930]
ANNUAL TOWN MEETING.
107
Samuel A. Phinney
Yes
Martha R. Merrill Yes
Edward E. Walker Yes
Edward W. Wilson Yes
John Willis White Yes Charles T. Anderson Yes
Laura H. Bailey Yes
W. George Greenlay Yes
Edith R. Freeman Yes
Walter R. Jones
Yes
Frederick H. Griswold Yes
Avery Truman Weir Yes
Florence W. Hatch Yes
Andrew B. Britt Yes
Yes
Herbert B. Newhall Yes
Walter L. C. Niles
Yes
Charles E. Light Yes
Charles A. Charles Yes
Iona E. Britt
Yes
Herbert G. Hatch
Yes
Albert J. Mandeville Yes
William E. Ludden
Yes
George N. McKay Yes
Daniel M. Radford
Yes
Arthur W. Randall Yes
William E. Snow Yes
Flora L. Russell
Yes
Frederick B. Willis
Yes
Walter L. Butler
Yes
Isabella J. Griswold
Yes
Harry T. Nish
Yes
Kaler A. Perkins Yes
Laurence E. Richardson Yes
Charles E. Thrasher Yes
Harry A. White Yes
Roger P. Beckman
Yes
Frank O. Gatchell Yes
George H. Mason Yes
Walter W. Hanson Yes
Charles B. McDuffee
Yes
Edward O. Roy Yes
J. Arthur Raddin Yes
Alton S. Benson No
Lewis P. Sanborn
Yes
Raymond P. Chesley
Yes
Howard C. Heath
Yes
Minnie R. Drinkwater
Yes
Mortimer H. Mellen
Yes
David W. Hanson No
John C. Pitman
Yes
Elsie C. Pickering
Yes
Lester T. Poole
Yes
Otto W. Thomas
Yes
Charles Ahman Yes
Frank P. Bennett, Jr.
Yes
Wendell C. Brooks Yes
Lillian Shores Yes
Charles B. Pickering
Yes
Harry Woodward Yes
Arthur B. Randall Yes
Wallace Campbell
Yes
Mabel E. Williams Yes
Frank A. Green Yes
John P. Chesley Yes
Harold E. Dodge
Yes
Lewis J. Austin Yes
Total Yeas
125 Total Nays 2
Voted, To adjourn at 10.45 P.M. without date.
A true copy. Attest :
LILLIAN SHORES,
Town Clerk.
M. Etta Mansfield Yes
Agnes B. Dodge
Charles F. Estes Yes
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TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
TOWN OF SAUGUS
ESSEX, SS.
To W. Charles Sellick, Constable of the Town of Saugus:
GREETING :
In the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts you are hereby directed to notify and warn the inhabitants of the town of Saugus, qualified to vote in town affairs to assemble in the Town Hall on Monday evening, June second, nineteen hundred and thirty, at 8 o'clock, to hear and act on the following articles, viz :
ARTICLE I. To hear and act on reports of Committees.
ART. 2. To see if the town will vote to rescind the vote under Article 76 of the Annual Town Meeting of March 17, 1930; "Voted : That the Board of Selectmen be and are hereby instructed to call for bids for all highway construction and water extension projects costing over $500.00 and to award the con- tracts for the same to the lowest responsible bidder and that they have authority to reject all bids," or to see what action the town will take in relation thereto, agreeable to the petition of C. F. Nelson Pratt and others.
ART. 3. To see if the town will vote to amend and change the Zoning Law and the Zoning Map so that the lands and the premises on the westerly and northerly sides of Jackson street, from the corner of Essex street, opposite the Cliftondale Metho- dist Episcopal Church, as far as land assessed to Mary C. Mel- zard shown as Lot A-32 on Plan 2011 on file in the Assessors' office, shall be zoned hereafter as a business district. All of the said lands and premises are shown on said Plan 2011, to wit : Lot No. A-37 assessed to Harry M. Surabian (or, Jean M. Danielson in 1929) ; Lot No. A-36 assessed to Columbus Build- ing Association, Inc., of Saugus; Lot No. A-35 assessed to Annie M. Raddin and Lots No. A-34 and No. A-33 assessed to James O. Crowell, agreeable to the petition of Annie M. Raddin and others.
ART. 4. To see if the town will vote to accept Chapter 15, Section 13-A of the General Laws, an act relative to "Reserve Police Forces in Certain Towns." Be it enacted, etc., as follows :
109
SPECIAL TOWN MEETING.
1930]
Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Seven of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section thir- teen, under the heading, RESERVE POLICE FORCE IN TOWNS, the following new section :-
SECTION 13-A. A town having an organized police force or department, other than a town in which a reserve, force is established under special law, which accepts the provisions of this section, may establish a reserve police force consisting of such a number of mem- bers as the town may determine. Appointments to such a force shall be made in the same manner and subject to the same provisions of law as appointments to its regular police force. Members of said reserve force may be removed by the selectmen at any time for any reason satisfactory to them and shall be subject to such rules and regulations as the selectmen may prescribe. Said mem- bers shall, when on duty, have all the powers and duties of members of the regular police force of said town and shall be paid by the town such compensation as the selectmen may fix.
Or to see what action the town will take in the matter, agree- able to the petition of Raymond B. Tompkins and others.
ART. 5. To see if the town will vote to adopt the following By-Law: "No person shall own or keep any dog which by biting, barking, howling or in any other manner disturbs the peace and quiet of any neighborhood, or endangers the safety of any person, and all dogs of that breed commonly known as 'German Police Dogs,' shall be prohibited from running at large, or to see what action the town will take in relation thereto, agreeable to the petition of the Chief of Police.
ART. 6. To see if the town will vote to instruct the Moder- ator to appoint a committee of three to investigate the advisa- bility of the town purchasing the "Old Ironworks House," so called, on Central street, and the "cinder banks" on the shores of the Saugus River, constituting the site of the first ironworks in America, said committee to report to the Annual Town Meeting of 1931, or to see what action the town will take in the matter, agreeable to the petition of Paul A. Haley and others.
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TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
ART 7. To see if the town will appropriate the sum of $8,000.00 for the purpose of purchasing and installing a new chassis, and making required repairs on the LaFrance Ladder Truck, or to see what action the town will take in the matter agreeable to the petition of the Board of Fire Engineers and the Board of Selectmen.
And you are hereby directed to serve this Warrant by posting attested copies thereof at the usual places seven days, at least, before the time of holding said meeting.
HEREOF, FAIL NOT, and make due return of this Warrant, with your doings thereon to the Town Clerk at the time and place of said meeting.
Given under our hands and the Town Seal this seventeenth day of May, A.D. nineteen hundred and thirty.
A true copy. Attest :
[TOWN SEAL
W. CHARLES SELLICK, Constable.
HARRY WOODWARD, WALLACE CAMPBELL, FRANK A. GREEN, Board of Selectmen.
A true copy. Attest :
LILLIAN SHORES, Town Clerk.
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
ESSEX, SS. May 24, 1930.
Pursuant hereunto I have served the within Warrant as directed by posting attested copies at the eight precincts at least seven days before said meeting according to the By-Laws.
W. CHARLES SELLICK, Constable.
A true copy. Attest :
LILLIAN SHORES," Town Clerk.
III
SPECIAL TOWN MEETING.
1930]
SPECIAL TOWN MEETING
June 2, 1930.
The meeting was called to order by the Moderator, Frank P. Bennett, Jr. The reading of the Warrant was waived.
ARTICLE I. Reports of Committees.
The report of the Finance Committee was rendered and accepted.
Report of the Finance Committee
[TOWN SEAL] For Special Meeting of June 2, 1930.
ART. 7. Request of the Board of Fire Engineers for $8,000.00 for the purchase of a chassis for the LaFrance Ladder Truck of the Fire Department.
A complete breakdown in the LaFrance Ladder Truck makes it necessary for the town to consider means of relieving the situation. Although the Town Meeting appropriated $2,750.00 for the repair of this machine, such a serious condition now appears that this sum will not take care of the situation.
The Finance Committee has gone into the situation at length with the Board of Fire Engineers. The latter body has secured the opinion of experts on this type of equipment, as well as local garage men, and it is their unanimous opinion that the ladder truck would cost so much to repair that it would be wiser to purchase a new chassis and make use of such present equipment as can be utilized for the new apparatus. The purchase of a new motor and many other expensive parts would be necessary to suitably repair the truck.
The ladder truck is now 12 years old and has been subjected to hard usage. It is the opinion of the Finance Committee that the purchase of a new chassis presents the most economical and satisfactory solution to the problem.
It is, however, the unanimous opinion of the Finance Com- mittee that the present apparatus should be inexpensively
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TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
repaired so that it would be suitable for emergency purposes and retained by the town. The estimated turn in value is only $200.00 and the Committee is convinced that it is worth much more to the town in case of possible emergencies in the future.
The Board of Fire Engineers have in their budget an item of $2,750.00 for repairs to the LaFrance. Of this amount slightly more than $2,000.00 remains unexpended.
The Finance Committee, therefore,
RECOMMENDS-That the sum of $5,000.00 be appro- priated for the purpose of purchasing and equipping a new chassis for the LaFrance Fire Truck, and the Board of Fire Engineers be authorized to use $2,000.00 remaining in their budget for repairs on the old ladder truck, towards the purchase of the new chassis, providing a total for this purpose of $7,000.00.
ALEXANDER S. ADDISON, Chairman, PAUL A. HALEY, Secretary, WALTER A. WILSON, ARTHUR W. PRICE, A. TRUMAN WEIR, ROSWELL W. ABBOTT, EDWARD GIBBS, JR., FREDERICK R. SHARP,
Finance Committee.
The committee appointed under Article 32 of the Annual Town Meeting of 1929 on drainage near Hurd avenue made a report and the matter was referred to the Board of Selectmen.
To the Members of the Limited Town Meeting, Town of Saugus :
Your committee, appointed under Article 32 in the March 1929 Town Meeting, to investigate the taking of land for the right of drainage for surface water in the brook running under Central street near Hurd avenue reports as follows :
II3
SPECIAL TOWN MEETING.
1930]
Your committee held several meetings and has viewed the land and the brook in question and has further investigated and considered the taking of land adjacent to the above mentioned brook.
It has obtained an Engineer's Survey and profile plan of elevations of this brook from the point about 100 feet easterly from Central street to the junction of this brook with another brook near the corner of Essex and Vine streets, which plan is submitted herewith as a part of this report.
This plan shows that there is sufficient grade to this brook from Central street to the junction above mentioned to allow for the proper flow of water between these two extreme points. There are, however, several plus grades between these extreme points that would have to be reduced. Growth of vegetation has encroached into the brook and in some places joined with the vegetation on the opposite side. These plus grades and vegetation have prevented the naturnl flow of the water in this brook so that in some places where the ground is nearly level the water has impregnated the adjoining land with result that the adjoining land at this point has become soft and soggy. The brook has many sharp turns and angles and if it was to be used for the drainage of surface water it should be widened, straight- ened and the bed lowered in several places.
Your committee is of the opinion that if surface water from another water shed, other than that served naturally by this brook, is deposited in this brook and if land was taken in accordance with the wording of the motion under which your committee was appointed, that the difficulty which the motion endeavors to remedy would be transferred to another location further along the brook and that the remedy would not be complete.
It is also the opinion of your committee that in order to use this bro k for general surface water drainage that land on both sides of the brook would have to be taken for the full length of the brook, namely until it empties in the Saugus river, a distance of approximately two miles, which action is beyond the scope of the motion under which your committee is acting.
8
114
TOWN DOCUMENTS. [Dec. 31
Therefor it is the opinion of your committee that if any action is taken in the manner suggested by the original motion to fully remedy the difficulty under study that it would require a new motion to take land for the full length of the brook and if this is to be considered we would recommend that similiar action be taken on all other brooks in the town which are, or likely to be used for surface water drainage and should be done after a complete study of surface water drainage for the whole town. Following this the town should petition the legislature for right to take over these brooks.
This, however, would not give immediate relief to the difficulty at hand.
To get reasonably early relief your committee has considered carrying the Mountain avenue water out into another drain either the Morton avenue drain or into the Cliftondale square drain.
At this point your committee consulted with Town Engineer. Maggi, who made an investigation and reported to your com- mittee as follows :
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