USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Swampscott > Town annual report of Swampscott 1914 > Part 8
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The committee feels that the best interests of the Town will be served if the approaches are constructed.
We recommend that the work of constructing the approaches be under-
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TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
taken in accordance with the plan submitted by the Highway Commis- sioners to the Selectmen, and that $15,000 be appropriated, to be raised by notes or bonds of the Town. It is further recommended that the Select- men be instructed to obtain formal assurance from the Highway Com- missioners, the County Commissioners, the Metropolitan Park Com- mission, and the Bay State Street Railway Company of the work each will do, as outlined in the report of the Special Committee, before the bonds or notes are issued.
On account of the underestimate by the Engineers of the Highway Commission, the Town has been called upon to spend more than antici- pated, and it has been asked by citizens if the state could divert their unexpended appropriations to the Town, but we learn that the Selectmen have already taken this matter up with the Highway Commission, and have been informed that under the Act this could not legally be done. For this reason we recommend that $5,000 be raised by notes or bonds of the Town to cover the additional amount required for the Humphrey street widening, as recommended by the Special Committee.
We recommend that the following be fixed as the particulars of the notes or bonds to be issued by the Town for the purposes set forth in this report.
There shall be issued ten notes or bonds of the Town for $2,000 each. They shall be dated during the current year. The first note or bond shall be payable in not more than one year from the date thereof, and one note or bond shall be payable annually thereafter, so that the entire loan shall be extinguished in not more then ten years from the date of the first note issued therefor. Said notes shall bear the Town Seal, shall be signed by the Town Treasurer, and countersigned by a majority of the Selectmen, shall bear interest at a rate not exceeding four and one-half per centum per annum, payable semi-annually, and shall be certified by the director of the Massachusetts Bureau of Statistics. The principal and interest shall be payable at the office of the Town Treasurer or at such Bank or Trust Company as the Town Treasurer and the Board of Selectmen may determine. Said notes shall bear upon their face the words, "Humphrey Street Widening Additional Loan of 1914" and shall be sold under the direction of the Town Treasurer and the Board of Selectinen.
All other particulars as to form, issuance and sale of said notes or bonds, shall be determined by the Town Treasurer and the Board of Selectmen, but said notes or bonds shall not be sold for less than par and interest.
H. BALDWIN, D. C. LASH, E. HAROLD NEWHALL, WIEAR L. ROWELL, Ways and Means Committee.
SWAMPSCOTT, MASS., July 23rd, 1914.
Report of Committee on Humphrey Street Widening and Approaches.
SWAMPSCOTT, July 17, 1914. To the Citizens of Swampscott :
This report is submitted pursuant to action taken under Article 24 of the Special Town Meeting held July 10, 1914, which, with the above arti- cle was as follows :
"Article 24. To hear a report of the Selectmen upon the Humphrey street widening and approaches thereto, act thereon, and appropriate money for the same."
Report of Committee on Ways and Means on Above Article.
"While the report of the Selectmen on the Humphrey street widening and approaches has not yet been accepted by the Town, the Committee has received a copy and submits the following recommendation, provided the report is accepted :
1
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TOWN CLERK'S RECORDS.
1914]
"The question presented by the report of the Selectmen is one involving many important considerations aside from the fact of a large expenditure of money. It is now estimated that $21,000 will be necessary for the approach on the west end from the Lynn line and possibly this amount may be increased, as in the case of the Humphrey street widening.
"As the information now available is, in our opinion, not sufficiently definite and there has not been adequate time to give proper consideration to a matter of this magnitude ; and, furthermore, as the Selectmen have made no recommenda- tion or expressed an opinion in their report, we recommend that a special committee, consisting of the Selectmen and three other citizens of the Town, be appointed by the Moderator to thoroughly investigate the plans for the proposed approach and submit a report with their findings and recommendation to an adjourned meeting."
ACTION ON REPORT.
Voted, Article 24-To accept the report of the Selectmen as read.
Voted, Article 24-To accept and adopt the report of the Ways and Means Committee on this article with the amend- ment : That the Committee report fully in print to the Town four days before the time of the adjourned Town meeting.
Your Committee, realizing the importance of this subject, the amount of money involved, and also realizing that the matter is not generally understood by the vorers at large, have deemed it wise to at this time give a brief outline of the Humphrey street widening proposition from its inception to the present time, before reporting on the matter of approaches.
Under Article 39 of the March meeting of 1911 the Selectmen were appointed a committee to consider the advisability of and formulate plans for increasing the width of Humphrey street between the Monument and the Fish House. A report of the work done by them can be found on page 181 of the 1911 Report, which shows that they petitioned the County of Essex to have the county widen the same, and then subsequently introduced a bill in the Legislature of 1912, so that the Town would have something to act upon if it were thought advisable.
The total result of the Legislative action in 1912 was a resolve, being chapter 135, to the following effect :
"Resolved that the Massachusetts Highway Commission is hereby directed to report to the next General Court what por- tion, if any, of the cost of widening Humphrey street in the Town of Swampscott, from Monument square to Second beach, so called, should be contributed by the Commonwealth, what portion by the County of Essex and what portion by the Town of Swampscott.'
The Highway Commission, acting under the above resolve reported to the General Court of 1913 (a report in detail being found on page 171 of Town Report for 1912) that the street was not wide enough for the traffic and should, in their opinion, be widened and that a fair division would be as follows :
"The County of Essex should lay out and pay the land and grade damage ; the Town of Swampscott should do the neces- sary grading to the finished sub-grade line, build the side- walks, curbs and retaining-walls, construct all necessary drainage, including which may be necessary in the present underground constructions and connections ; the Common- wealth should build the roadway above the finished sub- grade and pay for the same from a line eighteen inches out- side the car track to the sidewalk curb on each side; the Street Railway Company should be given a double track location and required to lay suitable girder rails and to place between its rails and track and eighteen inches outside thereof
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TOWN DOCUMENTS.
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for a total width of eighteen feet, some suitable pavement on a proper foundation."
Upon figures given them by the Highway Commission Engineers at that time, the Selectmen estimated that the cost to the Town would be in the vicinity of $25,000. This did not, however, include the cost of relay- ing pipes and underground connections belonging to the Swampscott Water Department, which was considered as a separate municipal enter- prise.
At the adjourned Annual Town Meeting on February 18, 1913, the Town voted unanimously to adopt the following resolution :
"Resolved, that it is the sentiment of the Town that Humphrey street should be straightened and widened to a uniform width of 70 feet, substantially in accordance with the plan submitted to the Highway Commissioners by the Selectmen of Swampscott, provided that the expense of said widening is divided among the Commonwealth of Massachu- setts, the County of Essex, the Bay State Street Railway Company and this Town, upon a basis of cost to the Town not to exceed that proposed by the Highway Commission in its report to the Legislature, as set forth in the Town Report.
" Be it further resolved that the Selectmen be instructed to urge the passage of appropriate legislation for this purpose."
Action under above instructions the then Town Counsel was instructed by the Selectmen to introduce a bill to cover the recommendations of the resolve. The result of the Legislative action upon the matter in the year 1912 was the passage of Chapter 778 of the Acts of 1913. Under this Act the Massachusetts Highway Commission has the complete supervision of the work after the plans of the layout have been approved by the County Commissioners and the Selectmen of the Town. All land damages and the cost of the original survey are borne by the County of Essex. To do this work the County was authorized to borrow sums not exceeding in the aggregate $100,000, and its work is now practically completed, the awards being $90,130. The act further provides an appropriation by the Com- monwealth of $75,000, to pay for the Commonwealth's share of the work, and gave the Town of Swampscott authority to borrow $50,000.
For the purpose of this report we quote Sections 5, 6 and 7 of said Act. SECT. 5. Upon the completion of the layout of said Humphrey street as aforesaid, the Massachusetts Highway Commission shall construct said street to the finished sub- grade line, and shall construct sidewalks with curbs, the necessary retaining walls, and all necessary means of drain- age, including any changes which may be necessary in the present underground structures and connections, and shall build a roadway above the finished subgrade of wood block pavement upon a cement base, or some other suitable mate- rial, from a line 18 inches outside car tracks to the sidewalk curb on each side, in accordance with said plans and specifi- cations.
SECT. 6. The Bay State Street Railway Company shall do the work within the double track location to be granted to it under the direction and to the satisfaction of the Massa- chusetts Highway Commission.
SECT. 7. The cost and expense incurred under the pro- visions of this Act shall be borne as follows : The County of Essex shall pay the cost of the layout of said street, and the cost of all land and grade damages. The Town of Swamp- scott shall pay the cost of the necessary grading to the finished subgrade line, of the sidewalks, of all curbs and retaining walls and of all necessary means of drainage, including any changes which may be necessary in the present underground structures and connections. The Commonwealth shall pay the cost of the remaining work, which shall include the con-
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TOWN CLERK'S RECORDS.
1914]
struction of the road above the finished subgrade from a line 18 inches outside the car tracks to the sidewalk curb on each side.
Acting under this Act, the Massachusetts Highway Commission pre- pared plans, specifications and contracts and the work was duly advertised. Of II bids submitted the M. McDonough Company was chosen to do the work, being the lowest bidder. This work is being done on the unit basis, that is to say, the contractor receives a certain price for each cubic yard of earth excavated, each cubic yard of cement wall built, etc., as the case might be, the Massachusetts Highway Commission engineers reserv- ing the right to increase or decrease the quantities as thought necessary as the work progressed.
The estimated cost of construction of the original layout, under Chapter 778 of the Acts of 1913, using contract prices and making an allowance for the sewer and water works, together with quantities now estimated with excesses over quantities originally estimated, are as follows :
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TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
MASSACHUSETTS HIGHWAY COMMISSION
BOSTON Resident Engineer's Estimate of Balances and Excesses
Items
Prices
Preliminary Estimate of Quantities Cost
Res. Engineer's Esti- mate of Cost Quantities
Excess
Excavation
$ .50
7900 cu. yds.
$3950
10000 cu. yds.
$5000
$1050
W. P. Trench
.60
2700
2040
Granolithic
1.50
4500 sq. yds.
6750
4500
66
275
Concrete Boulder
7.00
1000
66
66
66
10500
3500
Excavation ( ledge)
2.00
850
66
1 700
900
66
66
1 800
100
Exc. W. Pipe ( ledge)
6.00
130
780
300
66
66
1800
1020
Masonry (concrete) 1-2-4
12.00
60 “
720
66
I200
480
Broken Stone
2.00
165 tons
330
250 tons
500
1 70
Bituminous Surface
.IO
1300 gal.
130
2000 sq. yds.
200
70
Io-inch. Clay Pipe
.50
900 feet
450
1000 feet
500
50
12-inch. Clay Pipe
1.00
220 feet
220
500 feet
500
280
15-inch. Clay Pipe
1.00
620 feet
620
620 feet
620
18-inch. Clay Pipe
1.50
20 feet
30
20 feet
30
Guard Rail
2.00
530 feet
1060
600 feet
I200
140
Edgestone
1.00
200 feet
200
3000 cu.yds.
3000
2800
Edgestone Curved
1.00
250 feet
250
250
250
Old Edgestone reset
.20
4250
850
2000
400
Catch-Basins
50.00
26
1300
26
1300
12-inch. Iron Pipe
2.00
24
48
16-inch. Iron Pipe Manholes
2.50
I2
30
200
4
200
Edgestones Inlet
10.00
26
260
26
260
Plank Walk
1000
1000
Light Oil
500
500
Sewer Work
1500
1500
Water pipe and labor
9500
9500
Misc. unforeseen extras
2987
2987
$55000
$27187
.25
1100
60
275
7000
1500
6
660
4500 “
6750
Borrow Gravel
1100 “
BOSTON, June 26, 1914.
.
50.00
4
$27813
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TOWN CLERK'S RECORDS.
1914]
The cost over and above the original estimates by the Highway Com- mission as shown by the above columns of figures can, in the opinion of your committee, be explained in every case by the fact that certain unfor- seen difficulties arose during the process of construction. For instance, taking some of the larger items of increase : the increase in the cost of building the retaining wall on Fisherman's beach is because at the time of the survey when the estimates were made the level of the beach was two feet higher than at the time when they came to construct the wall, with the result that the foundations had to be laid deeper into the beach. Also it was found necessary to extend the retaining wall further west along the line of the beach, all of which resulted in a considerable larger num- ber of cubic yards of wall to be built and paid for.
The curbstone was found to be of uneven depth, on account of which a larger number of feet had to be rejected than was originally estimated, which accounts for the excess in this item. The other excess quantities are easily explained by examination of the preceding estimates.
It was found that when the Water Department went upon the ground to to relay its underground pipes it was necessary to do a great deal more work than was originally planned for.
The expenses of laying new pipes and making changes in the under- ground construction of the Swampscott water system, which not only consists of material, labor of laying the pipes (which is done by men in their own employ), but also includes excavating of trenches, which is being done under the general contract, were not originally intended to be paid for by the Town out of the loan authorized under Chapter 778 of the Acts of 1913 ; the Water Department should have paid for this directly, as this department is conducted as a separate municipal enterprise, and all its expenses are paid for from the water revenue. Anticipating, however, that $50,000 would be more than sufficient to pay for the Town's portion of the original layout, and estimating that the cost to the Water Depart- ment would be about $7,500, it was arranged, under Section 4 of Chapter 398 of the Acts of 1914, hereinafter referred to, that this work be paid for from the original appropriation. As a result of this the cost of improving Humphrey street within the limits of the original layout will be increased by about $13,000, which also increases the Town debt by a like amount and is a saving to the Water Department of this sum. This ordinarily would have been raised under their special act whereby they borrow money for water improvements, the principal and interest being paid for fromthe receipts of the water revenue.
From an analysis of the above it will be seen that the cost to the Town for their share of the original layout, under Chapter 778 of the Acts of 1913, will be more than $50,000. The excess as estimated by the engineer of the Highway Commission, and which we have carefully gone over with him, will not exceed $5,000, which the Town will have to meet to com- plete the work under construction to which the Town is committed.
We therefore recommend that the sum of $5,000 be appropriated, the same to be raised by bonds or notes of the Town.
APPROACHES.
It was the intention that the whole of Monument square be included in the layout under the first act, but it being the interpretation of the High- way Commissioners that from "Monument square to the Fish House" excluded the square itself and that the line on its west end began at the estate line between Ames and Holden, and as changes in grade would necessitate reconstruction of the approaches at each end to meet these new conditions, and having no authority to do this work out of the money originally appropriated, it became necessary to seek additional authority from the Legislature to complete the approaches, with the result that Chapter 317 of the Acts of 1914 was enacted, a copy of which is as follows :
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TOWN DOCUMENTS.
[Dec. 31
[CHAPTER 398, ACTS 1914.]
AN ACT RELATIVE TO THE LAYING OUT AND CONSTRUCTION OF HUMPHREY STREET IN THE TOWN OF SWAMPSCOTT. Be it enacted, etc., as follows :
SECTION I. The Massachusetts Highway Commission is hereby authorized and directed to prepare forthwith or to include in its plans and specifications for the layout and con- struction of Humphrey street in the Town of Swampscott, in accordance with the provisions of chapter seven hundred and seventy-eight of the acts of the year nineteen hundred and thirteen, plans and specifications for such suitable approaches at either end of said Humphrey street as it may deem proper. Copies of said plans and specifications shall be filed by the said commission with the County Commis- sioners of the County of Essex and the Selectmen of the Town of Swampscott, and shall be subject to the approval of said County Commissioners and said Selectmen or a majority thereof.
SECTION 2. Upon the approval of the plans and specifica- tions provided for in section one, the County Commissioners of said County are authorized and directed to lay out said approaches in accordance with said plans and specifications and subject to the provisions of said chapter seven hundred and seventy-eight. All rights and powers conferred on the County Commissioners by said chapter seven hundred and seventy-eight are hereby conferred on said County Commis- sioners for the purpose of doing any and all things required to be done by them by the provisions of this act.
SECTION. 3. Upon the completion of the layout of said approaches, the Massachusetts Highway Commission shall construct the approaches in accordance with said plans and specifications, and the expense of such construction shall be divided as provided for in said chapter seven hundred and seventy-eight ; the parties in interest paying for the cost of work of the same kind and character that they are required to pay for under the provisions of said chapter seven hundred and seventy-eight. Expenses incurred in making the approaches provided for in this act shall be paid out of the loans authorized by chapter seven hundred and seventy-eight of the acts of the year nineteen hundred and thirteen.
SECTION 4. The terms "underground structures and con- nections" used in said chapter seven hundred and seventy- eight shall include any and all pipes or mains connected with the water system of the Town of Swampscott.
SECTION 5. This act shall take effect upon its passage. [ Approved April 22, 1914.]
A perusal of Section I of this act will show that the Highway Com- mission has authority to build approaches as far as in their opinion it is necessary and advisable.
The plans for the approach on the west as now contemplated and tentatively sketched by the Highway Engineers propose to lower the grade of Monument square itself; readjust the line around the Monument ; relocate and straighten the present north side line of Humphrey street between Monument square and the Lynn line; relay curbstone and build new sidewalk adjacent to same; widen the street on the south by extend- ing same into the Metropolitan Park Reservation (which has signified its intention to allow the Town to use this land for highway purposes), so that the south curb as reset will be fifty-two (52) feet from and parallel to the north curb, being the same distance as between the curbstones on Humphrey street proper ; and also to provide for a double track location for the Bay State Street Railway Company.
The cost to the Town for its portion of this work as estimated by their
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TOWN CLERK'S RECORDS.
1914]
engineers is $15,000, which includes resetting curb; building granolithic sidewalks ; work around the monument; underground connections, and all necessary grading to bring the street to the finished subgrade exclusive of that within the eighteen foot way to be granted the Bay State Street Railway Company. We have gone over this work with the engineers and this amount would seem to your Committee a conservative estimate which would not be overdrawn. The cost to the Commonwealth for paving this same portion on a concrete base, as per original specifications, will be about $20,000.
We have examined the surface of this street and find that it will be necessary to resurface it within a very short time. The estimated number of square yards which the Town would have to resurface, provided a single track was left, there would be about 5,000 square yards, which at $2.00 per square yard, which is the lowest estimate that we could do this work for, would be $10,000. The estimated number of square yards which the Town would have to resurface, provided a double track location was granted and we finished up the work after the same was completed, would be about 3,500 square yards, which at $2 per square yard, would be $7,000.
Considering that the life of the roadway as laid by the Highway Com- mission, would be at least five times the life of the ordinary macadam road as usually constructed, your committee is of the opinion that the investment of $15,000 which the Highway Commission says it will cost the town to build to the Lynn line, will be an outlay by the Town in the nature of a capital investment against which the Highway Commission is going to make an outlay of $20,000, which will make an additional capital investment for the Town.
On the east end we find that the Bay State Street Railway Company is about to present a petition asking for a double track location to Roberts' turnout, which, if granted them would be laid in the same way and manner as that now under construction, with granite block on a concrete basis eighteen feet wide, down through the middle of the street. This street being fifty feet wide and allowing 74 feet for sidewalks would leave a strip 8₺ feet wide on each side of the track location for a distance of 1,300 feet. The resurfacing of this portion would necessarily have to be done by the Town of Swampscott immediately after laying of tracks. This portion estimated to contain 2,400 square yards of surfacing, if the same pavement as laid by our surveyor of highways on Burrill street, being of tarvia construction at a cost of $2.00 a square yard, would cost the Town $4,800. The excavation of this same portion to the sub-grade proposed by the Highway Commission at fifty cents per cubic yard, would cost the Town only $400, which amount is covered by contingencies on the west end. The cost to pave this same portion at $3.00 a yard, with the same material being used as on the balance of the improvement as done by the State, would be $7,200. Here again your committee sees an opportunity for the Town by a capital outlay of $400 to avail itself of the offer of the Highway Commission to expend $7,200 and secure a per- manent roadway.
We have consulted with the Massachusetts Highway Commission and are assured that if the Town votes the additional appropriation of $15,000 and grants the Bay State Street Railway Company a double track location to Roberts' turnout that they will work in conjunction with us and pave this same territory with same suitable form of pavement upon a concrete base.
The estimated cost of these approaches to the State will be $27,200, and the estimated cost to the Town of Swampscott will be about $15,000, showing that for every $1.00 expended by the Town the State expends $1.81.
When one considers that under the small Town Act, Towns are willing to contribute dollar for dollar to get the assistance of the State to build highways within their limits and that the Town has been refused such assistance this year on Humphrey street at the Marblehead end, which the Highway Surveyor will have to construct and pay for out of his special appropriation of $6,000 and we now have the opportunity to expend $1.00 to the State's $1.81, all of which will be an expenditure in the nature of a
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