USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Swampscott > Town annual report of Swampscott 1931 > Part 15
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Roy street at Euraka street: ledge removed, sidewalk built, stone wall rebuilt and street resurfaced with tar mixed stone.
Commonwealth avenue: no work done on this street, caused by the abutters not signing waivers.
All streets where curbstones were laid this year the gutters and sidewalks have been resurfaced with either gravel or tarred mixed stone.
Shoulders to Essex street and Atlantic avenue have been shaped five times during the year.
The usual work of patrolling street surfaces has been done.
The following streets have been sealed or oiled in whole or in part: Salem street, Puritan road, Burrill street, Monument avenue, Bristol avenue, Farragut road, Crossman avenue, Stanley road, Bellevue road, Beach Bluff avenue, Clarke road, Marston road, Eulow road, Stan- wood road, Pine street, Superior street, Huron street, Orchard road, Orchard Circle, Neighborhood road, Esterbrook road, Hawthorne road, Nason road, Cedar road, Atlantic road, Plymouth avenue, Bates road, Lodge road.
Repairs on sidewalks have been done where needed, the following amounts of material being used: 469 tons of stone dust, 181 loads of gravel, 15 loads of cinders.
Number of loads of sand used for sanding icy sidewalks and streets 204.
Tar concrete sidewalks repaired on the following streets in part or whole: Bay View Drive, Bradlee avenue, Crescent street, Jessie street, Elliott street, Roy street, Hillside avenue, Foster road, Barnstable road, Suffolk avenue, Phillips avenue, Bristol avenue, Superior street, Minerva street, Greenwood avenue, Essex street, Banks road, Essex terrace, Eastman avenue, Rockland street, Roy street at Euraka and Jessie street, Redington street, Ocean View road, Humphrey street. This work has been done by the men of the department.
Some 212 yards of granolithic sidewalks were repaired and 190 yards of asphalt sidewalk laid this year.
Wood block pavement on Humphrey street has blown up 39 times this year.
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REPORT OF SURVEYOR OF HIGHWAYS
1931]
Three catch basins were built and the following drain pipe was laid: 28 feet 6-inch pipe, 20 feet of 10-inch, 60 feet of 16-inch; manholes brought to the surface of streets, 9.
All catch basins and gutters in all streets have been cleaned when needed. About 1,700 yards of tar and mixed stone have been laid in gutters to prevent washing out. Fifty-four driveways were lowered, some 324 feet of curbstone reset; 1,547 feet of new curbstone laid and 125 feet of cement curb laid.
Nine hundred forty-one feet of guard rail fence have been repaired and snow fences placed on Salem street, Crossman avenue and Dennison avenue.
The stone wall on Danvers street at Arthur Ventre estate has been repaired and pointed.
There were 52,783 gallons of asphalt road oil and tar used on the streets, the same being purchased under contract. The prices paid were Cold Patch at town yard and put in barrels .1325 cents; Barrett Com- pany, Number 3, road oil, 6 cents; Number 6, .0469 cents applied to town streets by Standard Oil Company. All oil or tar applied on streets was covered with sand. Asphalt winter patch, Barber Company, .13 cents at their plant; Tarvia Lithic, $6.35 per ton at their plant. Prices paid for crushed stone: 1/2-inch, $1.25 per ton; 3/4-inch, $1.15 per ton; 1-inch, $1.00 per ton; 2-inch, $1.00 per ton.
Price paid for sand delivered at town yard, 95 cents; teamed by town trucks, 75 cents per ton.
The working force of the department remains the same as last year. No equipment has been added to the department this year.
Streets that ought to be resurfaced the coming year: Buena Vista street, where ledge was removed; Forest avenue, Aspen road, Arbutus road, Magnolia road, Humphrey terrace and Ingalls terrace.
Respectfully submitted,
MICHAEL J. RYAN, Surveyor of Highways.
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[Dec. 31
Town Counsel
To the Board of Selectmen:
Gentlemen :- Following is my report for 1931:
A large number of minor matters were handled during the year. legal opinions furnished to town officials and departments, and various legislative and other hearings attended.
A bill in equity brought against the town seeking to have the zoning by-laws declared void as to the Knowlton property on Humphrey street was argued before a single Justice of the Supreme Court in October and a decree entered sustaining the demurrer filed by the town.
Yours respectfully, H. D. LINSCOTT. Town Counsel.
Inspector of Wires
To the Board of Selectmen:
Gentlemen: The following report covers activities and inspection program by the wire inspector for the town of Swampscott from Jan- uary 1 to December 31, 1931:
Inspection of twenty-six new houses, including the rough wiring and fixture installation, with the subsequent approval of the same.
Inspection of six old houses where roughing in and fixtures were being installed, with the subsequent approval of the same.
Inspection of forty-five buildings where additions were being made to old wiring, and the approval of the same.
Inspection of seven locations where corrections were ordered due to existing hazardous conditions. Corrections were made in accordance with recommendations and subsequently approved.
One electric service was ordered removed on account of hazardous conditions created by fire on the premises. Repairs were made and approved, and the building was then reconnected for electric service.
All inspections of wiring were made in accordance with the 1930 edition of the National Electrical Code.
Respectfully submitted,
J. A. COOK, Inspector of Wires.
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REPORT OF BY-LAW COMMITTEE
1931]
Report of the By-Law Committee
The By-law Committee presents herewith a partial report to the town. The work of the committee requires considerable time and necessarily moves rather slowly. The committee plans to report to the town from time to time as it finishes consideration of different chapters of the by-laws.
To date the Committee has completed consideration of the build- ing by-laws, the plumbing by-laws, and of Chapter 2, which deals with the town meeting.
The principal parts of the present building by-laws have been retained, but various additions have been written in and changes made. The purpose is to strengthen the present laws, facilitate the work of the building department and create a code more nearly meeting the needs of the town.
Relative to the annual town meeting the present by-laws were passed before the representative town meeting form of government went into effect. Our purpose has been to strengthen the present by- laws and make them conform more nearly to the practice required by the representative town meeting system.
The committee recommends that the present building by-laws be amended by striking out the same and substituting the by-laws hereto annexed and marked "A."
The committee recommends that Chapter 2 of the present by-laws, relative to town meetings, be amended by striking out the same and substituting therefor the by-laws hereto annexed and marked "B."
The committee recommends that Chapter XII, the plumbing by- laws, be amended as follows:
By adding to Section 2 thereof the sentence: A fee shall be re- quired for all plumbing permits in the sum of five dollars for all new work and two dollars for all alteration work, the same to be paid to the plumbing inspector.
By adding after Section 23 thereof the following new section:
23A. No domestic boiler shall be installed without having con- nected therewith some approved automatic device to prevent the water in the boiler exceeding a temperature of 220 degrees Fahrenheit, or which by automatically releasing hot water will prevent a temperature in the boiler in excess of 220 degrees Fahrenheit.
CLARENCE B. HUMPHREY, CHARLES I. PORTER, GUY N. CHAMBERLIN, CONRAD P. RICHARDSON, H. D. LINSCOTT.
TOWN OF SWAMPSCOTT BUILDING BY-LAWS
1931 CHAPTER "A" ARTICLE I Building Department
Section 1. There shall be a department known as the Building Department, which shall be furnished at the expense of the town with office room and such supplies as are necessary for the transaction of its business.
Section 2. The Board of Selectmen shall, in the month of April, appoint an Inspector of Buildings for the term of one year from the
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first day of May following, and until another is appointed in his stead; and may by appointment fill any vacancy in said office. He shall be either an architect, builder or civil engineer. He shall receive such salary as may be determined by the Board of Selectmen subject to the provisions of General Laws. He may, with the approval of the Select- men and within such appropriation as may be provided for his depart- ment, employ such assistants as may be necessary for the performance of the duties of his office. If the Inspector should have any interest in the doing of work, or the furnishing of materials, for the construction, repair or alteration of any building in this town, or in the making of plans or specifications therefor, then the application shall be referred to the Board of Selectmen who shall appoint a competent person to act as Inspector in his stead and may fix the compensation to be paid said person.
Duties of the Department
Section 3. The Inspector shall keep a record of the business of the department, and submit to the Board of Selectmen a yearly report of such business, and such other reports as they may call for.
Section 4. The Inspector shall examine all buildings in the course of erection or alteration, or repair, in this town as often as practicable, and make a record of all violations of law, with the street and number of the premises where such violations are found to exist, the name of the owner, architect and builder, and all other matters relative thereto. He shall perform all duties incumbent upon him under the provisions of sections 6 to 12, inclusive, of chapter 143 of the General Laws.
Section 5. The Inspector shall pass on all applications for the erection, alteration, enlargement, repair, moving and demolition of all buildings.
Section 6. The Inspector shall furnish the Board of Assessors with a record of all permits as granted, with data on cards as furnished by the Assessors, and when the building or buildings are completed shall place upon cards their outlines, with dimensions, area covered and cubical contents, together with such other data as may be required by said Board of Assessors.
ARTICLE II Application for Permits
Section 1. Every person intending to erect any building or to raise, move or make additions, repairs or alterations in any building or its foundations, already erected, or hereafter to be built, except minor repairs not affecting the foundations, external, partition or party walls, roofs, chimneys or stairways, shall, before commencing the same, or the foundation thereof, file an application for a permit with the In- spector of Buildings, on forms furnished by him, giving a description of the building or the additions, alterations or repairs proposed; and shall also submit plans and specifications of such work or buildings, for examination and approval. The Inspector may also require, in his discretion, a plan of the lot on which any proposed building is to be erected to be filed with the application. If the requirements of law and of the by-laws of the town have been complied with, the Inspector shall thereupon issue such permit to the applicant and shall furnish a card which shall be posted in a conspicuous place on the premises visible from the sidewalk.
Section 2. No person having obtained such a permit shall proceed with any work without first notifying the Inspector as to the time such work is to begin and no permit issued, whether for a new building or for alterations, shall be in force for a period longer than one year.
Section 3. The Board of Health shall have an opportunity to ex- amine all plans and specifications filed with the Building Inspector. Whenever the use to be made of such building, or the plumbing, ventila-
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tion or sanitary arrangements therein, shall require the obtaining of a permit from another official or board, the Building Inspector, before issuing a building permit, may require the applicant to obtain such per- mit from such other official or board.
Section 4. No permit to erect or alter a building used or intended to be used as a garage shall be issued by the Building Inspector until plans for the same and the location thereof have been approved by the Chief of the Fire Department.
Fees
Section 6. The applicant for a building permit shall at the time of filing an application therefor, pay to the town a deposit of one dollar for each $1,000 of the cost of the proposed work, but in no case shall such deposit exceed $1000.00 for any one application or permit. The minimum fee shall be one dollar. In case the Inspector, after an ex- amination, refuses to issue such permit then the amount deposited shall be refunded. No fee shall be required for a building erected by the town.
Section 5. A complete set of plans and specifications of any public building, or structure to be used by the public, must be filed in the office of the Inspector of Buildings. A complete set of plans and spe- cifications bearing the approval of the Inspector of Buildings must be kept on the premises during the process of construction.
ARTICLE III Requirements for Buildings
Section 1. Definitions of words and terms unless otherwise defined by Statute
In the construction of these by-laws, if not inconsistent with the context, the following terms shall have the respective meanings assigned to them.
Alteration-Any change or addition to a building.
Basement-The ground floor, beneath the principal story, but which in the average is at least one-half above the mean grade of the ad- joining ground.
Cellar-An underground room more than one-half below the mean grade of the adjoining ground.
Dwelling-A building used, or constructed, or adapted to be used, for human habitation.
External Wall-Every outer wall or vertical enclosure of any building other than a party wall, and shall include piazzas, bay windows, porches and other projections.
Foundation-That part of a wall below the level of the street curb; or, where the wall is not on a street, that portion of the wall below the level of the ground next to the wall; but foundations of party or partition walls may be construed by the Inspector to mean that portion below the cellar floor.
Half-Story-A story included in the roof of which the floor area of the rooms is not more than seventy-five per cent. of the area of the ground floor.
Public Building-A building used or constructed, or adapted to be used in whole or in part as a church, school, hospital, theatre, hotel, or place of public assemblage.
Party Wall-A wall that separates two or more buildings and is used or adapted for the use of more than one building.
Repairs-The renewal of any part of a building or of its fixtures or appurtenances, and not made, in the opinion of the Inspector, for the purpose of converting the building, in whole or in part, into a new building.
Solid Wall-A wall without openings of any kind therein.
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Underpinning-The brick, stone or concrete wall above the founda- tion to the under side of the sill.
Wooden Building-Any building of which an external wall is con- structed wholly or partly of wood. Wood frames covered with metal shall be deemed to be wood structures.
Approval of Buildings
Section 2. No building hereafter erected, altered, added to or re- paired, that is to be finished in whole or in part, shall be lathed. plastered and sheathed, until the owner or builder shall have notified the Inspector of Buildings, and shall have received from said Inspector a notice in writing that the work is satisfactory.
The Inspector of Buildings on receipt of a notice from the owner or builder that any building, or alterations, additions or repairs to any building are ready for inspection shall as soon as possible inspect the premises, but shall not accept the building until all the requirements of the by-laws and of law as to frames, chimneys, firestops, furnace or steam pipes, and all other parts of the construction have been complied with, and no building shall be occupied until approved by the Inspector.
The Inspector shall also require that all permanent piers or columns needed under girders, trimmers, etc., shall be in place before he accepts the building.
Location
Section 3. No external wall of any building hereafter erected or moved upon any lot, except as hereinafter provided, shall be built or placed nearer than three feet to the line of any adjoining lot, excepting. however, that on property contiguous to a railroad right of way such external wall may be built upon the property line provided that said wall is constructed of brick or concrete or other recognized fire proof construction; nor shall any external wall of any building hereinafter built, or moved upon the same lot upon which there is another build- ing, except a garage, be built or placed nearer to said other building then six feet, and if such building is to be used as a garage then the external wall adjacent to any other building shall be constructed of a . recognized fire proof construction. Within a business district as set, forth in the zoning by-laws, buildings may be erected on property lines. provided that side walls are of brick or concrete or other suitable fire- proof material, but where a business district lies adjacent to a residential district then no part of any building above the grade of the premises shall be erected within three feet of the dividing line between such business district and such residential district.
Height of Buildings
Section 4. No dwelling house, except as described in Chapter 145 of the General Laws, shall be constructed more than two and a half stories high, nor of a height exceeding 35 feet. The height is defined as the perpendicular distance from the top of the masonary foundation to the highest point of the roof beams in the case of flat roofs and to the average height of the gable in the case of pitched roofs. Where there is more than one level of roof or foundation wall, the measure- ment shall be taken from the average level of the top of the foundation wall, on that side of the building which faces the street upon which the building fronts, to the average level of the roof.
Wooden buildings for industrial or commercial purposes shall not exceed two and a half stories in height.
Garages in Dwellings
Section 5. When a garage is located beneath a dwelling or attached to it, the walls and ceiling shall be of fire resistive construction approved by the Building Inspector. When a garage is located beneath a dweil- ing, all doors and windows with the frames and sash shall be of standard fire resistive construction, and glazed with wire glass.
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1931]
Foundations
Section 6. Foundation walls for wooden or masonary buildings shall be of stone, brick or poured concrete of the following minimum thickness :
Stone-16 inches or 4 inches thicker than the wall it supports.
Brick-12 inches or 4 inches thicker than the wall it supports.
Concrete poured in place-10 inches or 4 inches thicker than the wall it supports.
Stone walls shall have the first course extend clear through the wall, and above the first course shall be thoroughly bonded. Stone walls laid dry, that is, with stones not bedded in mortar but merely pointed with mortar on the outside, shall not be permitted.
Brick walls both for foundations and upper stories shall be bonded by a header course every eighteen inches. Bricks and tiles used for exterior work shall have a burned face suitable for exposure to the weather.
All foundation walls shall extend at least 3 feet 6 inches below the ground and more when necessary to be substantially below the frost line. Foundations shall not be laid on frozen ground. Foundations shall have suitable footings to keep the load distribution within the carrying capacity of the soil. If suitable natural soil cannot be reached by reasonable excavation, piles of wood or concrete may be employed.
Section 7. Underpinnings for wooden construction shall extend at least eight inches above the adjacent ground surface.
Brick underpinnings for buildings not over two stories high shall not be less than eight inches thick, and under buildings three or more stories in height shall not be less than twelve inches thick for their entire height.
Concrete blocks may be used for underpinnings provided that 8 inch blocks are laid not more than 5 courses high and that 12 inch blocks are laid not more than 8 courses high.
Mortar Proportions
Section 8. The mortar for foundations, piers and chimneys of stone, brick, cement-block, or tile shall have a strength not less than that of a mortar composed of one part Portland cement to not more than three parts of clean, sharp sand, proportioned by volume, with an allowable addition of hydrated lime not to exceed twenty-five per cent. of the cement by volume.
Masonry walls above the underpinning shall be laid in mortar com- posed of one part Portland cement, one part hydrated or properly slacked lime to not more than six parts of clean, sharp sand.
Concrete Proportions
Section 9. Concrete for bearing walls and piers shall be at least of the following proportions by volume; one part Portland cement, three parts clean, sharp sand, and five parts coarse aggregate, free from loam, organic matter or other deleterious substances. Other mixtures of fine and coarse aggregate giving equivalent strength and density are per- mitted.
Concrete Block Proportions
Section 10. Concrete blocks used for underpinnings or exterior wall shall have a composition not leaner than one part of Portland ce- ment to seven parts of fine and coarse aggregate combined.
Building Supports
Section 11. Buildings more than one story in height, and with a floor area of over 500 square feet, that do not rest on foundation walls, shall be supported on suitably driven piles, or piers of hard brick, stone or concrete; corner piers shall be not less than twelve inches square
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and intermediate piers not less than eight inches square. Wooden posts extending into the ground shall not be used for the support of buildings. All footings of piers shall be started at least three feet six inches below the surface of the ground exposed to frost.
Piers
Section 12. Building floors shall be supported in cellars and base- ments as required in Section 15 by suitable brick or concrete piers or cement-filled iron columns on proper footings. Stone piers shall not be used for the support of girders or walls in cellars or basements. Porches and piazzas shall be supported by concrete, brick or stone piers. Stone piers shall be at least sixteen inches square and the unsupported height of brick or concrete piers either in basements or under piazzas shall not exceed ten times their least dimension.
Exterior Walls
Section 13. The minimum thickness of exterior masonry walls for dwellings shall be as follows:
Brick-8 inches up to 20 feet in height.
Concrete block or hollow tile-8 inches up to 10 feet in height; 12 inches up to 20 feet in height.
Stone-16 inches up to 20 feet in height.
When gable construction is used, the same thickness is permitted up to the peak.
Exterior bearing or party walls of brick, concrete, hollow tile or concrete-block for commercial and industrial buildings shall have a minimum thickness of eight inches in one-story buildings not exceeding twelve feet in height. In multi-story buildings, the exterior walls shall have a minimum thickness of eight inches in the top story, with an in- crease of four inches in thickness for every successive story below.
No vertical chases (i. e. grooves for pipes, flues, wires, etc.) shall be permitted in 8 inch walls.
Brick veneer-walls shall be provided with metal ties embedded in mortar points at least 16 inches apart vertically and 24 inches hor- izontally.
Floor and roof timbers shall be attached to masonry walls by suit- able metal ties.
Corner posts shall be continuous. Girts shall be four by six inches. No stairway shall be constructed in a two family house less than three feet in the rough.
Sills, Girders, Timbers, Headers
Section 14. All wooden buildings, and their projections over one story in height, used as dwellings, stores, stables, or for manufacturing purposes shall have sills not less than four by six inches.
There shall be girders not less than six by eight inches under the main partitions, and floor joists doubled or their equivalent, under all cross partitions in the first floor of all dwellings.
Headers and trimmers of all openings over four feet in first floor of dwellings shall be floor joists doubled or their equivalent and in any other floor, if deemed necessary by the Inspector.
Floor Supports
Section 15. All beams carrying main partitions on the first floor shall be supported on piers or columns as described in Section 12 not more than seven feet apart; trimmers in the first floor over twelve feet in length shall be supported by a pier or post. All buildings shall be properly braced at the angles.
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