USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Saugus > Town annual report of Saugus 1931 > Part 19
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The high point on lot A-24 is about 60 feet above the level of Central street at the entrance to the lot, and the average level of A-24 is about 30 feet above the same point.
1
218
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
The level of lot A-31 is above lot A-24.
If this site should be decided upon, it would mean that a tremendous amount of ledge excavation would have to be done before the lot would be suitable to receive the school building. By sounding with 'a bar we estimate ledge to be from two to three feet from the surface of the ground.
The proposed school could be located on this site and future additions could be made, but the lot is not, in our opinion, suited to the needs of the town.
If a playground is desired, it would be necessary to prepare lot A-31 by doing more ledge excavation at a large expense.
The lot lays so that the building could be located in a general north and south direction, which is desirable from the point of view of light.
There are no railroads, gas plants, factories, or other sources of injurious noise and odors located near enough to this lot to damage the same.
The land is high and is ledge, with a small amount of over- burden, and is not adaptable to taking care of the sewerage from the building. This would have to be carried off in pipes, and cesspools would have to be provided off the land where a suitable place could be found.
From a safety point of view, the location of the site cannot be questioned.
The site would have an abundance of air and sunlight and therefore, would be satisfactory from a health point of view.
The lot is located approximately half way between Saugus Centre and Cliftondale, and would be a suitable location as far as the contributing area is concerned, with the exception of North Saugus, Golden Hills, and any development west of the turnpike. The children would have to be transported from these points.
The property is not owned by the town and would have to be purchased. It is assessed for $3,575, and, if taken, would result in a loss of taxes to the town on that amount.
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SPECIAL TOWN MEETING.
1931]
3. FISKE'S FIELD.
The Fiske's Field site is located at the corner of Central and School streets, and consists of five different parcels of land, Known as A-I, A-2, A-3, A-50 and A-51, containing about 16} acres.
The lot is large enough to accommodate the proposed school building and future additions.
The building can be so located that noise and dust from the street will not be a serious matter.
There is sufficient room on the lot for a playground and a small athletic field.
The building can be so located that the maximum amount of sunlight will be admitted to the school room.
There are no railroads, gas plants, factories, or other sources of injurious noise and odors located near this lot.
The land is low and wet. At the time we made our investi- gation, water was standing over a large portion of the lot. On ounding with a bar, the land was found to be very soft, and in our opinion, is not suitable for a foundation without doing special work. The lot would require a great deal of filling and drainage to make it suitable for a school site.
The danger to children from traffic conditions would not be erious at this location.
From a health standpoint, we do not think this lot is good on iccount of the low land and dampness that is very likely to exist n the basement and throughout the building.
All of the town, except North Saugus and the Golden Hills ection, come within the two mile radius of this lot.
The sewerage and drainage from this lot would be a serious ›roblem.
This lot is not owned by the town, and would have to be pur- hased. It is assessed for $17,225, and, if taken, would result n a loss of taxes to the town on that amount.
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TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
1. SIMS FARM.
The Sims Farm site is located on Lincoln avenue, in the Cliftonale section.
The lot is irregular in shape and contains about eight acres. The land slopes to the back and would require considerable grading. It is large enough to accommodate the proposed school building and future additions.
The building can be so located that it will not be bothered with noise and dust from the street.
There is sufficient room on the lot for a playground and athletic field.
There also is room for school gardens.
The accepted practice is to locate the building so that the long axis runs north and south. It would not be possible to do this on the Sims Farm site and still be located well in reference to the street.
There are no railroads, gas plants, factories, or other sources of injurious noise and odors located near this lot.
The land is not low and wet. There is about 15 inches of loam over good gravel. It is reported that the town used this land for a gravel pit when Lincoln avenue was built. Ledge is exposed on the opposite side of Lincoln avenue, but according to reports none has been found on this lot.
This lot is satisfactory from a construction point of view.
The building could be so located that the danger from traffic on the street would not be serious.
From a health standpoint, it is our opinion that the lot is satisfactory.
The lot is located on the south side of the town and a two- mile radius extends as far as Mt. Pleasant street, near Birch Pond, and Lynn Fells Parkway on the west. Students north of this point would have to be transported.
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SPECIAL TOWN MEETING.
1931]
The sewerage and drainage on this lot can be taken care of easily as the subsurface materials appear to be such that the water from cesspools will filter away readily.
The property is not owned by the town and would have to be purchased. It is assessed for $11,625, and, if taken, would result in a loss of taxes to the town on that amount.
5. GEORGE ALKIDES LOT (Milliken Farm, so called) .
The George Alkides site is located on Summer street, near Main street. The lot is practically in the geographical center of the town.
The lot is nearly rectangular and contains about six acres. It is large enough to accommodate the proposed school building and necessary additions.
There is sufficient room for a playground and small athletic field.
The building can be located so that its axis will run north and south.
There are no railroads, gas plants, factories, or other sources of injurious noise and odors located near this lot.
The portion of the land near Summer street is good for foun- dations. The back land is low and wet and would require fill- ing before it could be used for a playground.
The lot is satisfactory from a construction point of view.
There would be no danger from traffic on the street as it is not a main thoroughfare.
From a health standpoint, this lot is satisfactory.
The drainage and sewerage can be taken care of on this lot. but the materials do not appear to be as suitable as at other sites.
The property is not owned by the town and would have to be purchased. It is assessed for $10,000, and, if taken, would re- sult in a loss of taxes to the town on that amount.
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TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
6. COHEN FARM.
The Cohen Farm site is located on Central street near Appleton.
The lot is irregular in shape and contains about eight acres. It is large enough to accommodate the proposed school building and future additions.
The noise and dust from the street will not be serious.
There is sufficient room for a playground and athletic field.
The building can be located with the axis running north and south.
There are no railroads or gas plants near the lot, but there is a shoddy mill, from which disagreeable odors may come when the wind is northeast.
The front land is good, with hard materials for a foundation, but the back land is a swamp hole which would require con- siderable filling before it could be used. This is the location from which iron ore was taken in the seventeenth century.
The lot is satisfactory from a construction point of view.
The danger from traffic on the street would not be great.
A two-mile radius takes in all sections except Golden Hills, the extreme end of East Saugus and Cliftondale.
The drainags and sewerage could be taken care of without too great expense.
The property is not owned by the town and would have to be purchased. It is assessed for $11,875, and, if taken, would re- sult in a loss of taxes to the town on that amount.
7. PRESENT HIGH SCHOOL LOT.
The present High School lot is located at the junction of Central and Winter streets, about one-half mile from the geo- graphical center of the town. The lot is irregular in shape and contains about two and one-half acres, on which is located the present High School building, which occupies the main portion. of the lot.
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SPECIAL TOWN MEETING.
1931]
The addition as proposed is to be located in back of the pres- ent building, and, no doubt, will be made a part of the same. The addition can be built as proposed, but in this building there will be several rooms without natural light or air.
There will be limited room for future extensions unless more taxable property is procured.
As the present building and this addition will use practically every available square foot of land, there will not be any room for a playground or athletic field.
There are no railroads, gas plants, factories, or other sources of injurious noise and odors located near this lot.
The land is high and suitable for taking care of the sewerage and drainage, although the existing arrangement and capacity will probably not take care of the additions.
A new heating plant will have to be provided as it is reported that the present plant is already overloaded.
From a construction standpoint, this lot is not as desirable as some of the others.
The traffic problem is bad at present as there are too busy streets, and with the addition to the present structure it will be more serious as there will be a greater number of children to cross the streets.
From a standpoint of health, the lot is satisfactory.
The transportation problem at this site would be the same as it is at the present time.
The lot is now owned by the town and would not take any taxable property unless further additions should be required.
Conclusions
From a comparison of the various lots, it is our opinion that the most desirable site is the Town Farm site, located on the Newburyport Turnpike.
251
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
The following is the order in which we would consider the desirability of the sites suggested :
First, Town Farm. Second, 'Alkides Lot. Third, Sims Farm. Fourth, Cohen Farm. Fifth, High School Lot.
Sixth, Fiske's Field. Seventh, Unity Camp.
If there is anything that is not clear in this report, please let us know.
Very truly yours, CHAS. T. MAIN, INC., by B. S. Rose.
ARTICLE III
The Finance Committee believes that action on this article is unnecessary. The committee was decidedly pleased with the selection made by the moderator at the last Town Meeting and believes that the power of appointment should still be left in his hands. Furthermore, it would be illegal for any member of the Finance Committee, as such, to sit upon such a committee, and no member of the present committee has any desire for the honor.
The Finance Committee, therefore, recommends that this article be indefinitely postponed.
ARTICLE VII
The Finance Committee recommends that this article be adopted.
ARTICLE XIII
The Finance Committee recommends that this article be in- definitely postponed.
ARTICLE XIV
The Finance Committee finds that the roof of this school is in a deplorable condition, allowing water to seep into the
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SPECIAL TOWN MEETING
1931]
building. It would appear expedient to make certain repairs at the present time to avoid much greater expense in the imme- diate future.
The Finance Committee therefore, recommends the expen- diture of $1,000 for repairs to the roof of the Sweetser Junior High School.
ARTICLE XV
The Finance Committee finds that this sidewalk is an un- finished portion of the 1930 sidewalk program and the lien on this property is already on record at the Registry in Salem to apply when the betterment is installed. One-half of the cost will be borne by the petitioner.
The Committee therefore, recommends the appropriation of $330 for this construction.
ARTICLE XVI
The Finance Committee is not in favor of making a through way of Lincoln avenue. This is one of the principal traffic routes through our town and is thickly settled, practically the whole length. There are two schools, one very congested busi- ness district on this avenue, and many side streets, all of which would have to be posted.
The Finance Committee recommends this article be indefi- nitely postponed.
ARTICLE XVII
The Finance Committee is unanimously opposed to the sale of this building. The site will be valuable some time in the future for a fire station or other municipal building.
The Committee, however, favors leasing the building to the organization for a suitable rental.
ARTICLE XVIII
The Finance Committee is advised that these gutters are in need of repair as they have been in service many years and cer- tain sections are in dangerous condition
The Committee recommends the requested appropriation of $250.
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TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
ARTICLE NIX
The Finance Committee recommends that this article be re- ferred to the Board of Selectmen.
ARTICLE XX
The Finance Committee recommends that this article be re- ferred to the Board of Selectmen.
ARTICLE XXI
This article will, if adopted, enable the Selectmen to sell land at low value previously auctioned and defaulted and to impose reasonable restrictions thereon. This would prohibit the estab- lishment of gravel pits and stone quarries in residential sections.
The Finance Committee unanimously recommends the adop- tion of this article.
ARTICLE XXII
The Finance Committee is unanimously opposed to this article. The committee has complete confidence in the honesty and integrity of the present Treasurer.
It is possible to conceive, however, of some person being elected to this office who might abuse such powers as this article would confer.
The committee believes that this article should be indefinitely postponed in its present form.
The Finance Committee feels that if the provision "with the advice and consent of the Board of Selectmen" were incorpo- rated in the article, it would recommend its adoption.
ARTICLE XXIII
A bad situation exists here but after considering the argu- ments on the case the Finance Committee was unable to agree as to the policy of action being taken at this time due to heavy appropriations already having been made this year.
The Finance Committee was evenly divided on the question.
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SPECIAL TOWN MEETING.
1931]
ARTICLE XXIV
It is the understanding of the Finance Committee that auto- matic traffic lights on State highways are of a type specified by the State, and they cost about two thousand dollars each.
The State pays one-half of the first cost but the town in addi- tion to paying one-half of the first cost assumes the entire annual cost of approximately one thousand dollars per set.
These lights are not purchased outright but are installed on a lease basis.
The Finance Committee agrees that this is a danger point on our highway system and recommends that consideration should be given to detailing a special officer to this junction during the periods of heavy traffic, especially week-ends and holidays.
ARTICLE XXV
Same conditions as above and same recommendations.
ARTICLE XXVI
The Finance Committee recommends that this transfer be made.
ARTICLE XXVII
The Finance Commitee recommends that this article be re- ferred to the Board of Selectmen.
ARTICLE XXVIII
The majority of the Finance Committee disapproved of this request.
The majority believes that such action should be postponed till fall and therefore recommends that this article be indefinitely postponed.
On this question Mr. Edward Gibbs, Jr., was recorded in the negative.
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[Dec. 31
TOWN DOCUMENTS.
ARTICLE XXIX
The Finance Committee recommends that acceptance of this portion of Pearson street mentioned be referred to the Board of Selectmen.
ARTICLE XXX
The Finance Committee recommends the sum of $1,663.70 as detailed in the article.
It will be noted that of this sum approximately $1, 100 is for debts due surrounding cities, towns and institutions for Public Welfare and Soldiers' Relief items.
ARTICLE XXXI
The Finance Committee unanimously opposes this request. The committee believes the article to be illegal in that it calls for the town expending public funds on unaccepted streets.
The committee believes that this would be an unwarranted and unjustifiable sum for the town to expend.
ARTICLE XXXII
The majority of the Finance Committee recommends that this article be indefinitely postponed.
Mr. Edward Gibbs, Jr., recommends taking the land in con- nection with the construction of a road in the future but not for the sum named. The land in question is assessed at a low value and much of the surface gravel has been removed.
SPECIAL TOWN MEETING
July 13, 1931.
Meeting was called to order at 8.16 by the Moderator. A quorum was counted, 127 being present.
The Finance Committee report was at this time tendered and filed.
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SPECIAL TOWN MEETING.
1931]
The Planning Board report at this time was submitted and filed.
The following Tellers were appointed by the Moderator and duly sworn-Charles Wilson, Dorothy Eyre, Terrance McTague, William J. Bateman.
ARTICLE 2. Is placed by the Moderator at the end of the Warrant by unanimous consent.
ART. 3. Voted, To indefinitely postpone.
ART. 4. Voted, To indefinitely postpone. Yeas 113. Nays 29.
ART. 5. Voted, To indefinitely postpone.
ART. 6. Voted, That the town construct a new High School building on that portion of the Saugus Infirmary property bounded westerly by the Newburyport turnpike, northerly by land now or formerly of Ryman, Drury and the heirs of Caroline A. Ames, easterly by land now or formerly of Shepherd & Davis, and southerly by a way, and on such adjoining land as may be acquired by the town, and said building to have a new and original equipment. Yeas 93. Nays 62. 9.54 P.M.
At this time notice was given for reconsideration of Article 6.
ART. 7. Voted, That a committee of five citizens, one of whom shall be a member of the School Committee be appointed, to have full charge of all matters relating to the construction of the new High School building, and to provide new and original equipment for said building, and said committee shall have authority to bind the town in all contracts and obligations which they may deem necessary and expedient to enter into in connec- tion with said work in a sum not to exceed $330,000. Yeas 108. Nays 14. 10.05 P.M.
ART. 8. Motion lost. Yeas 17. Nays 92.
ART. 9. Voted, To indefinitely postpone.
ART. 10. Voted, To indefinitely postpone. Yeas 90. Nays 28.
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TOWN DOCUMENTS. [Dec. 31
ART. 11. Voted, To indefinitely postpone.
ART. 12. Voted, To indefinitely postpone.
Motion to reconsider Article 6. Motion was lost on a roll call vote. Yeas 51. Nays 101.
PRECINCT ONE
Fred C. Cheever No, Arthur D. Hitchings No, George I. Hull No, Gordon C. Marr Yes, George A. McCarrier No, Thomas P. Parsons No, Henry A. B. Peckham No, W. Charles Sellick No, Charles Wilson No, Clarence M. Davis No, Walter S. Dyer No, Edwin M. Holmes No, Jesse W. Lambert No, Frank N. Lendall No, John F. Mccullough, Jr. No, Welcome W. Mccullough No, Frederick L. Sawyer No, Harry F. Went- worth, Bertrand D. Westendarp, Timothy J. Bannon Yes, Thomas E. Berrett No, George H. Durgin No, Elmer R. Emmett No, John G. Holmes No, Henry A. Mccullough, Lawrence E. Day No, Charles M. Sweeney, Russell P. Gray Yes, Vincent J. McGilvray, Jr. Yes.
PRECINCT Two
William J. Bateman Yes, Benjamin Q. Belonga Yes, George H. Flockton, Jr., Priscilla Flockton, Charles E. Flynn No, Ernest A. Hodgdon Yes, Leslie E. Parsons Yes, Charles B. Pugsley, Harry T. Turner Yes, Nathan F. Chapman, Robert J. Maher, Russell R. Peterson, Samuel A. Phinney Yes, Angelo Rossetti Yes, Fred B. Swett Yes, Edward E. Walker Yes, John Willis White Yes, C. Carroll Cunningham No, Paul A. Haley, Charles H. L. Kahler Yes, Charles M. O'Connor, Kenneth A. Larkin Yes, Richard J. Spencer No, Charles W. Turner, Chauncey V. Whittredge No, George Wood Yes.
PRECINCT THREE
Esther A. Borjeson No, Charles A. Charles Yes, George W. Gale, George F. Gosselin, Herbert G. Hatch No, John W. Hitchings Yes, William E. Ludden, Daniel M. Radford, William E. Snow, Frederick B. Willis No, Arthur R. Arm- strong Yes, Dorothy J. Eyre No, Bertram C. Farnham Yes, Isabella J. Griswold No, Joseph A. Lambert, Mabel I. Nelson No, Kaler A. Perkins, Charles L. Putney, Frederick R. Sketchley Yes, Charles E. Thrasher Yes, Frederick H. Gris-
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SPECIAL TOWN MEETING.
1931]
wold No, Terrence J. McTague Yes, Herbert B. Newhall No, Walter L. C. Niles No, Frederick R. Sharp, William T. Allan No, Dexter G. Pratt No, Henry F. Gayron, Jr. Yes, Stanley W. Hatch, Sanford S. Searles Yes.
PRECINCT FOUR
Irene W. Bennett, George H. Blood No, Russell Clucas No, Charles W. Gibbs No, Edward Gibbs, Jr. No, Charles W. Hanson No, Horace C. Ramsdell No, Frank B. Sloan No, Crawford H. Stocker No, Crawford H. Stocker, Jr., Ethel L. Gibbs No, Walter S. Hamilton No, Angelina S. Hayden No, Bessie I. Neale No, Frank Reppucci No, Marion P. Russell No, Waldo B. Russell No, Sydney Smith, Ernest F. Tarbox, Virginia E. Woodward, Mabel L. Carter, Chester F. Cross Yes, Bertram E. Dexter, Harold P. Rice No, Newell V. Bartlett No, John S. Cashen, Fred L. Hawkes No, Leonard C. Maxwell, Edwin A. Rich, Jr. No, Lewis E. Richardson No.
PRECINCT FIVE
Frank H. Coburn No, Arthur L. Hawkes No, Ernest W. Homan Yes, John N. Mader No, Harry W. Merrill No, Robert G. Pike Yes, Charles E. Stillings Yes, Roswell W. Abbott No, George B. Conley No, Arthur Lee Homan No, Martha R. Merrill No, Lucy F. Stillings No, Edward W. Wilson No, Joseph E. Wormstead, Howard F. Kelley No, Oren O. Bentley No, A. Willard Moses, Otto F. Persson, Charles Wayne Traver No, Harold J. Coburn No, Rosanna Gauthreau No.
PRECINCT SIX
Andrew B. Britt Yes, Washington L. Bryer Yes, Agnes B. Dodge No, Charles F. Estes Yes, George A. Foster Yes, Charles E. Light No, W. Ernest Light No, Lewis O. Stocker No, Iona E. Britt Yes, Joseph G. Fisher No, William Huggins, George W. Lambert, Albert J. Mandeville, George N. Mckay Yes, Arthur W. Randall No, Flora L. Russell Yes, Charles T. Anderson Yes, Elizabeth H. Anderson Yes, Charles C. De Franzo Yes, W. George Greenlay Yes, Oswald C. Anderson, Raymond E. Morrison No, Benjamin H. Pingree No, William S, Rockhill.
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TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
PRECINCT SEVEN
Alexander S. Addison No, Roger P. Beckman, George H. Mason, Herbert P. Mason No, Charles B. McDuffee Yes, Wil- liam R. Snow, J. Arthur Raddin No, Lewis P. Sanborn, John Walkey, James B Allen, Winifred F. Curtis, Norman D. Hatch, Howard C. Heath, John B. Lang No, Mortimer H. Mellen No, Alfred T. Pitman No, John C. Pitman No, Lester T. Poole No, Walter L. Butler No, Frederick J. England No, Harry T. Nish, Harry A. White No, Maria E. Smith, Sarah A. Curtis, Ashton F. Davis, Willis T. Dean No, Arthur A. Pitman No.
PRECINCT EIGHT
Stanley Anderson, Nellie G. Blair No, Giles S. Bryer Yes, John P. Chesley No, Russell E. Chesley No, Tom D. Emmett, Frank O. Gatchell, Walter W. Hanson Yes, Frank F. Hum- phries, Edward O. Roy, Alton S. Benson, Raymond P. Chesley, Minnie R. Drinkwater Yes, Frank L. Green, David W. Hanson, John Husler, Walter F. Leeman No, Elsie C. Pickering, Harold A. Smiledge, Otto W. Thomas Yes, Samuel Brown Yes, James Entwistle Yes, Violet Humphries, Charles B. Pickering, Arthur B. Randall No, Laurence F. Davis No, William C. Humphries No, Edgar H. MacDougall, Daniel B. Murphy, Chester B. Hicks.
EX-OFFICHIS TOWN MEETING MEMBERS
Tony A. Garafano No, C. F. Nelson Pratt Yes, Frank P. Bennett, Jr. No, Walter A. Wilson No, George H. Quarmby No, John C. Pitman, Harry Woodward Yes, Harold E. Dodge No, George H. Ames No, Lewis J. Austin, Herbert L. Robin son Yes.
The Moderator appointed the following committee under Article 7-Thomas Parsons, Henry A. B. Peckham, Walter L. C. Niles, Frank B. Sloan, Frederick Willis.
ART. 13. Voted, To indefinitely postpone.
ART. 14. Voted, That the sum of $1,000.00 be and it hereby is appropriated for repairing the roof and parapet walls of Sweetser School building.
ART. 15. Voted, That the sum of $330.00 be and it hereby is appropriated to construct a concrete sidewalk at the easterly
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SPECIAL TOWN MEETING.
1931]
side of Lincoln avenue in front of property owned by Joseph W. Upham et al, approximately 108 feet.
ART. 16. Voted, To indefinitely postpone.
ART. 17. Voted, To indefinitely postpone.
ART. 18. Voted, To indefinitely postpone.
ART. 19. Voted, To indefinitely postpone.
ART. 20. Voted, To indefinitely postpone.
ART. 21. Voted, That the Selectmen, and their successors in office, be, and the same hereby are, authorized to sell at pub- lic or private sale any of the property which the town may have acquired or may hereafter acquire through proceedings based upon non-payment of taxes or under proceedings for the sale of lands of low value, to impose upon the property so sold such restrictions, reservations or conditions as shall be deemed expe- dient, and to execute and deliver in the name and under the seal of the town quitclaim deeds or other instruments therefor.
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