USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Rockland > Town annual report of the officers of the town of Rockland Massachusetts for the year ending 1959 > Part 2
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Article 13. Voted to pass over the appointing of a committee of five to study trends in elementary school population and possible school building needs.
Then at 11:05 P. M., Voted to recess this meeting until March 3rd, 1959, the meeting to reconvene in this same Auditorium at 7:30 P. M.
At 7:30 P. M., Tuesday, March 3rd, 1959 the meeting was again called to order by the Moderator.
The names of Five hundred sixty-five (565) regis- tered voters were checked on the Voting Lists as being in attendance at this meeting.
Article 14. Voted to raise and appropriate the sum of Five thousand dollars ($5,000.00) to be used by the School Committee to pay for the expense of installing fire alarm boxes in the public schools of the Town and con- necting them to the local fire alarm system.
Article 15. Voted to raise and appropriate the sum of Four hundred forty dollars ($440.00) to defray the ex- pense of sending two sergeants to the Local Police Officers Training School, sponsored by the Department of Public Safety, to be held in Framingham, Mass., for a period of two weeks advanced instruction.
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Eighty-sixth Annual Report
Article 16. A motion to pass this article over was voted in the negative and then it was:
Voted to raise and appropriate the sum of Two hun- dred and fifty dollars ($250.00) to be spent under the direction of the Chief of Police, to purchase a set of Annotated Laws of Massachusetts and a bookcase for the use of the Police Department.
Article 17. Voted to raise and appropriate the sum of Two hundred twenty-five dollars ($225.00) to be spent under the direction of the Chief of Police, to purchase a "Walkie-Talkie" radio for the use of the Police Depart- ment, provided that an equal amount is granted by the Federal Government for the same.
Article 18. Voted to authorize the Chief of Police to trade in the present station wagon type cruising car and to purchase a new station wagon type cruising car and to raise and appropriate the sum of Fourteen hundred dol- lars ($1,400.00) for this purpose.
Article 19. A motion to pass over this article was voted in the negative and then it was:
Voted to accept the provisions of Section 17A of Chapter 147 of the General Laws (Ter. Ed.) as in- serted by Chapter 268 of the Acts of 1952 which provides for an additional day off or an additional day's pay for any police officer who is required to work on January 1st, February twenty-second, April nineteenth, May thirtieth, July fourth, the first Mon- day of September, October twelfth, November elev- enth, Thanksgiving Day of Christmas Day or the day following when such days fall on Sunday.
Article 20. A motion to pass this article over was voted in the negative and after some lenghty debate a motion that the "Question be now put" was unanimously voted and then it was:
Voted to raise and appropriate the sum of Sixteen hundred dollars ($1,600.00) to be added to the bud-
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Town of Rockland
get of the Police Department in Article #3, for the purpose of paying for paid holidays for the Police Officers as provided for by the adoption of the pre- ceding article.
A motion to return to and reconsider Article #2 was voted in the negative by a counted vote as follows: Affirmative votes 29 Negative votes 369
Necessary two-thirds affirmative votes required for the reconsideration being 266 votes.
Article 21. Voted to accept the provisions of Sec- tion 57A of Chapter 48 of the General Laws (Ter. Ed.) as inserted by Chapter 640 of the Acts of 1953 which pro- vides for an additional day off or an additional day's pay for any permanent member of the fire fighting force who is required to work on January first, February twenty- second, April nineteenth, May thirtieth, July fourth, the first Monday of September, October twelfth, November eleventh, Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day or on the day following when such days fall on a Sunday.
Article 22. Voted to raise and appropriate the sum of Thirteen hundred dollars ($1,300.00) to be added to the Budget of the Fire Department for the purpose of pay- ing for paid holidays for permanent members of the fire fighting force as provided for in the adoption of the pre- ceding article.
Article 23. Voted to authorize the Moderator to appoint the elected Sewer Commissioners as a Committee for the purpose of studying the establishment of a Tri- Town Sewerage Control District, consisting of the Towns of Abington, Rockland and Whitman, said committee to investigate the availability of Federal and State Funds for the promotion of such project; this Committee to have no power to bind the Town in any way ; said Committee to report at a subsequent town meeting.
Committee : Frederick M. Delay, Neal J. Lioy and Joseph H. Hayes, Sr.
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Eighty-sixth Annual Report
Article 24. Voted to raise and appropriate the sum of Eight hundred and fifty dollars ($850.00) for a fire- works display for the observance of the Fourth of July in conjunction with the Annual Junior Chamber of Com- merce Fourth of July Celebration.
Article 25. Voted to raise and appropriate the sum of Four hundred eighty-five dollars and eighty cents ($485.80) to pay 1958 bills in the Veterans Benefits De- partment.
Unanimous vote
Article 26. Voted to raise and appropriate the sum of One hundred fifty dollars ($150.00) to be spent under the direction of the Town Clerk, for materials to repair and replace with plywood the torn burlap coverings on the old voting booths, the labor to be performed by the Industrial Arts Classes at the Rockland High School.
Article 27. Voted to raise and appropriate the sum of Five hundred dollars ($500.00) for the use of the In- dustrial Development Commission as provided by Section 8A of Chapter 40, General Laws, the Town having estab- lished said Commission at the Annual Meeting of March 1956.
Article 28. Voted to approve for burial purposes and as an extension of the Mount Pleasant Association the following tract of land :
A certain parcel containing 4.947 acres commencing at a point 388 feet more or less from Liberty Street, being the southwest corner of the premises; thence proceeding northeasterly 280.70 feet by land of John J. Hackett and Elizabeth R. Hackett to a drill hole in the stone wall; thence proceeding easterly by said stone wall 418.91 feet by land of Thomas H. Hannaford ; thence turning and pro- ceeding southerly by land of the Mount Pleasant Associ- ation 545.62 feet to a stone post; thence southwesterly from said stone post by land of the Mount Pleasant Ceme- tery 87.98 feet; thence northwesterly by a stone wall and land of Harold G. and Hazel Joyce 247.24 feet; thence
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Town of Rockland
continuing along said line by land of Daniel and Catherine Lenoci 450.29 feet to the point of beginning, as set forth in plan entitled "Plan of land off Pleasant Street surveyed for the Mount Pleasant Cemetery Association on January 9, 1959 by the Perkins Engineering Associates", said plan being on file with the Board of Selectmen.
Article 29. Voted to authorize the Board of Select- men to enter into agreements with the County and State for Chapter 90 Maintenance and Construction work.
Article 30. Voted to raise and appropriate the sum of Two thousand dollars ($2,000.00) for Chapter 90 road maintenance work provided the State and County award their share.
Article 31. Voted to appropriate from available funds the sum of Four thousand dollars ($4,000.00) to be used for Chapter 90 Maintenance to be used in conjunc- tion with money appropriated under the preceding article.
Article 32. Voted to raise and appropriate the sum of Four thousand dollars ($4,000.00) to be used for Chap- ter 90 Construction on Plain Street provided the State and County award their share.
Article 33. Voted to appropriate from available funds the sum of Twelve thousand dollars ($12,000.00) to be used for Chapter 90 construction on Plain Street in con- junction with money appropriated under the preceding article.
Article 34. Voted to pass over appropriating $750.00 for the installing of a drain, under Chapter 90 Construction, across Centre Avenue at the junction of Central Street.
Article 35. Voted to pass over the appropriating from available funds $2,250.00 for installing a drain, un- der Chapter 90 Construction, on Centre Avenue in con- junction with money appropriated under preceding article.
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Eighty-sixth Annual Report
Article 36. Voted to pass over the accepting of the laying out of an extension of Moncrief Road, approximate- ly 681 feet, as a town way extending from Brooks Road to the further end of Josh Gray Road.
Article 37. Voted to pass over the accepting of the laying out of an extension of Levin Road, approximately 1666 feet, as a town way extending from Brooks Road to Summer Street.
Article 38. Voted to pass over the accepting of the laying out of a street as a town way extending from Levin Road in a circular direction to Levin Road, a distance of approximately 2214 feet and the naming of said street Josh Gray Road.
Article 39. Voted to pass over the accepting of the laying out of a street as a town way extending from Dowd Road to Brooks Road, a distance of approximately 830 feet, and the naming of said street as Huggins Road.
Article 40. Voted to accept the laying out of a street as a town way extending from Pierce Road to Dowd Road, a distance of approximately 920 feet, as laid out by the Selectmen and in accordance with plan filed in the office of the Town Clerk and name said street Huggins Road.
Voted to take up Article #42 before taking up Arti- cle #41.
(see article #42 for action taken)
Article 41. A motion to raise and appropriate $5,900.00 for the purpose of this article was voted in the negative and then it was :
Voted to raise and appropriate the sum of Thirty-six hundred dollars ($3,600.00) for the purpose of installing drainage and re-surfacing Durbeck Road provided Dur- beck Road is accepted as a Town Way in Article #42.
Article 42. A motion to pass this article over was voted in the negative and then it was:
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Town of Rockland
Voted to accept the laying out of a street as a Town Way extending from Dowd Road to Brooks Road, a dis- tance of approximately 850 feet, as laid out by the Select- men and in accordance with plan filed in the office of the Town Clerk and name said street Durbeck Road.
Article 43. Voted to accept the laying out of a street as a town way extending from Huggins Road to Durbeck Road, a distance of approximately 85 feet, as laid out by the Selectmen and in accordance with plan filed in the office of the Town Clerk and name said street Dowd Road.
Article 44. Voted to pass over the raising and ap- propriating of $1,794.00 to build a sidewalk and curb on the southerly side of Dowd Road from Huggins Road westerly to Moncrief Road.
Article 45. Voted to establish a Committee to be known as the Drainage Committee consisting of the Plan- ning Board, Board of Selectmen, Board of Health, High- way Surveyor and the Finance Committee for the purpose of correcting drainage problems in such locations as may be deemed advisable, locations of corrective or construc- tion work to be determined by joint consultation of the Planning Board, Board of Selectmen, Board of Health, Highway Surveyor and the Finance Committee, each Board to cast one vote in the final determination of work locations, including all drainage on road construction, and the Chairman of the Board of Health to serve as Chairman of this Committee, with responsibility of calling meetings as advisable.
Article 46. Voted to pass over the raising and ap- propriating of $7,500.00 for the purpose of correcting drainage problems under direction of the Drainage Com- mittee after the meeting was advised by the Finance Com- mittee that there was a substantial balance of funds left over from 1958 which were available for 1959 for such purposes.
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Eighty-sixth Annual Report
Article 47. Voted that the Town appropriate the sum of Fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) to be ex- pended under the direction of the Drainage Committee for the purpose of installing an original drain on East Water Street from Union Street to a point at the brook which runs southerly from East Water Street at a place formerly called Cushing's Pond and to meet said appro- priation the sum of Five thousand dollars ($5,000.00) be transferred from the Stabilization Fund and that the Treasurer, with the approval of the Selectmen, is author- ized to borrow, under the provisions of Chapter 44 of the General Laws, the sum of Forty-five thousand dollars ($45,000.00) and to issue bonds or notes of the Town therefor so that the whole loan shall be paid in not more than ten (10) years. Any amounts expended under this article to be on contract after advertised bids.
Unanimous vote
Article 48. Voted to accept Chapter 427 of the Acts of 1957 which provided for an increase in pensions of certain retired police officers and fire fighters.
Article 49. Voted to raise and appropriate the sum of Eleven hundred dollars ($1,100.00) for the purpose of granting an annuity to the surviving spouse of former Chief of Police, George Popp in accordance with Section 95A of Chapter 32 of the General Laws as inserted by Chapter 559 of the Acts of 1958.
Article 50. Voted to authorize and direct the As- sessors to take the sum of Forty thousand five hundred dollars ($40,500.00) from available funds to reduce the tax levy for the current year.
Article 51. Voted to establish the rate of pay for unskilled labor at One dollar and seventy-cents ($1.70) per hour retroactive to January 1, 1959.
A motion to return to and reconsider Article #3 was voted in the negative by a counted vote as follows:
Affirmative votes 14 Negative votes 281
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Town of Rockland
Necessary two-thirds affirmative votes for reconsid- eration being 198 votes.
A motion that Department Heads be instructed to bring in to the next recessed meeting the amounts neces- sary to meet the new $1.70 hourly rate for unskilled labor was voted in the negative.
Then at 11:10 P. M. Voted to recess until Wednes- day evening, March 4th, 1959, the meeting to reconvene in this same Auditorium at 7:30 P. M.
At 7:30 P. M. Wednesday, March 4th, 1959, the meeting was again called to order by the Moderator.
The names of Three hundred eighty-nine (389) re- gistered voters were checked on the Voting Lists as being present at the meeting.
A motion to return to and reconsider Article #51 was voted in the negative by a counted vote as follows :
Affirmative votes 113 Negative votes 97
Necessary two-thirds affirmative votes required for reconsideration being 140 votes.
Article 52. Voted to transfer and appropriate the sum of Two thousand five hundred sixty-seven dollars ($2,567.00) received in dividends, to the Group Life In- surance Account, to be used in conjunction with the sum appropriated under Article #3 for premiums for Group Life Insurance.
A motion to return to and reconsider Article #50 was voted in the negative by a counted vote as follows :
Affirmative votes 20 Negative votes 188
Necessary two-thirds affirmative votes required for reconsideration being 140 votes.
Article 53. Voted to pass over the raising and ap- propriating of the sum of $700.00 for increased service cost for improving the lighting of Union Street from North Avenue to Vernon Street.
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Eighty-sixth Annual Report
Article 54. Voted to pass over the raising and ap- propriating of $3,200.00 to replace the traffic lights at Webster and Liberty Streets.
Article 55. A motion to establish the salaries of the Call Firemen at One hundred dollars ($100.00) each per year was voted in the negative and then it was:
Voted to establish the salary of the Call Firemen at Fifty ($50.00) dollars each per year and that the sum of One thousand dollars ($1,000.00) be raised and ap- propriated and added to the Call Men, Salaries, Item in Article #3 to pay the additional cost of same.
Article 56. Voted to pass over authorizing the Moderator to appoint a committee of three to investigate the advisability of building a new Police Station and the recommending of a site.
Article 57. Voted to authorize the Moderator to appoint a committee of seven (7) to investigate the ad- vantages and disadvantages of a Public Works Depart- ment, and alternate plans, and to make a report at the next Annual Town Meeting.
Committee : Robert W. Bowker - Gerald J. DelPrete Francis Burbine - George T. Joy Arthur W. Casey - James B. Gallagher James P. Kane
Article 58. Voted to raise and appropriate the sum of Three thousand eight hundred fifty dollars ($3,850.00) to re-surface Norman Street and install approximately 867 feet of 12" drain pipe with three (3) catch basins.
Article 59. Voted to raise and appropriate the sum of Seven thousand and twenty dollars ($7,020.00) to ex- cavate and rebuild Salem Street from Union Street to Greenwood Street and install approximately 300 feet of 12" drain pipe with four (4) catch basins.
Article 60. Voted to pass over the raising and ap- propriating of $1,950.00 to construct a sidewalk and curb
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Town of Rockland
on the southerly side of Oregon Avenue from Union to Greenwood Street.
Article 61. A motion to pass this article over was voted in the negative and then it was :
Voted to raise and appropriate the sum of Two thou- sand four hundred fifty dollars ($2,450.00) to construct a sidewalk and curb on the southerly side of John- son Terrace from Plain Street a distance of approximately 1075 feet.
Article 62. A motion to raise and appropriate $1,000.00 for the purpose of this article was voted in the negative and then it was:
Voted to repair and re-surface where necessary the sidewalk on the easterly side of Union Street from Park Street to Union Square the cost of same to be paid from Sidewalk Repairs Fund appropriated in Article #3.
Article 63. Voted to raise and appropriate the sum of One thousand dollars ($1,000.00) for legal fees and expenses in connection with the petition for assessment of damages by Mr. and Mrs. McNulty relative to taking of land on the northerly side of Taunton Avenue under Article 10 of the Special Town Meeting of October 10, 1957 for the purpose of public parking.
Article 64. Voted to raise and appropriate the sum of Seven thousand dollars ($7,000.00) for the purpose of correcting drainage, clearing, grading and black-topping the lot of land acquired on Taunton Avenue under Article 10 of the Special Town Meeting of October 10, 1957 for the purposes of public parking; this sum to be used in conjunction with the sum of $5,000.00 appropriated under Article #11 of the same meeting for grading and black- topping.
Article 65. Voted to raise and appropriate the sum of Six hundred twenty-five dollars ($625.00) to place ap- proximately 260 feet of curbing and black top gutter on
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Eighty-sixth Annual Report
the westerly side of Union Street from #154 to Payson Avenue.
Article 66. Voted to discontinue as a public way that portion of Ward Avenue which extends westerly ap- proximately 29 feet from the westerly side of Lavina Avenue.
Article 67. Voted to authorize the Selectmen to sell to Albert H. Woodward 3rd and Rita R. Woodward, for the price of Five dollars ($5.00) and cost of legal fees, a parcel of land containing 406 square feet situated on the west side of Ward Avenue, Rockland, Massachusetts, shown on Assessor's Plan as Block E5, bounded and de- scribed as follows :
Northerly ; By land of Albert H. Woodward 3rd and Rita R. Woodward, 29 feet.
Westerly ; By land of Albert H. Woodward 3rd and Rita R. Woodward, 14 feet.
Southerly ; By Ward Avenue, 29 feet.
Easterly ; By Ward Avenue, 14 feet.
Article 68. Voted to pass over the amending of Article Three (3) Section Eight (8) of the By-Laws of the Town of Rockland to provide for the taking of secret bal- lots at the business sessions of town meetings.
Article 69. Voted to raise and appropriate the sum of six hundred dollars ($600.00) to black-top and partial curb the sidewalk on the southerly side of East Water Street an approximate distance of 268 feet from Union Square.
Article 70. Voted to transfer a balance of Two hun- dred and seventy dollars ($270.00) received in settlement from the Peerless Insurance Company for Pine Haven Circle and appropriate the same for legal fees and ex- penses in connection with recovery of settlement.
Article 71. Voted to amend Part 1 of the Building Code By-Laws of the Town of Rockland as follows:
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Town of Rockland
a. By striking out the present Section 101 and sub- stituting therefor the following :
Section 101 Title
These regulations, adopted under the authority of the General Laws, Chapter 143, Section 3, shall be known as Building Code By-Laws, and are hereinafter referred to as this code.
b. By striking out Section 105-1, Section 105-2.1 and Section 105-2.3 and substituting therefor the fol- lowing :
Section 105-1 New Buildings
This code shall apply to all buildings and struc- tures which may hereafter be constructed, al- tered, removed, moved into or moved within the town, and to the equipment for the operation and use of such buildings, structures and premises.
Section 105-2.1 Dwellings and Accessory Struc- tures.
This Code shall apply to any addition, altera- tion or repair of an existing dwelling or its accessory structures, the cost of which exceeds ten (10%) per cent of the assessed value of a dwelling or twenty (20%) per cent of the as- sessed value of such an accessory structure, or which increases the number of dwelling units.
Section 105-2.3 Business, Commercial, Industri- al and Mixed Occupancy Buildings.
This code shall apply to any addition, alteration or repair of an existing business, commercial, in- dustrial and mixed occupancy building or acces- sory structure, the cost of which exceeds five (5%) per cent of the assessed value of such a building or ten (10%) per cent of the assessed value of such an accessory structure, or which increases the number of dwelling units.
Unanimous Vote
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Eighty-sixth Annual Report
ACTION TAKEN ON ARTICLES 72-73-74-75 and 76 OF THE WARRANT FOR THE ANNUAL TOWN MEET- ING OF MARCH 2nd, 1959 AT THE RECESSED MEET- ING ON MARCH 4th, 1959, RELATIVE TO ZONING BY-LAW AMENDMENTS. ALSO ZONING MAP A- MENDMENTS TOWN OF ROCKLAND
Article 72. John J. Burke, Chairman of the Planning Board, read the Report of the Planning Board, on this article, to the meeting and then it was :
Voted to amend Section III paragraph 4a of the Zoning By-Laws of the Town of Rockland to read as follows.
Use of a room or rooms in a dwelling for customary home occupations, conducted by resident occupants, such as dressmaking, candy making, hairdressing, etc., or for the practice, by a resident, of a recog- nized profession.
Unanimous Vote
Article 73. John J. Burke, Chairman of the Plan- ning Board, read the Report of the Planning Board, on this article, to the meeting and then it was :
Voted to amend the Zoning By-Law and Zoning Map to exclude the area located on the southerly side of Centre Avenue, from the Town of Abington line east- erly a distance of approximately 1,181 feet, and mea- suring southerly 300 feet from the southerly street line, and the area located on the northerly side of Centre Avenue from the Town of Abington line a distance easterly of approximately 1,111 feet, and measuring northerly 300 feet from the northerly street line, from the Residence District and to include the same in the Business or Industrial District.
Unanimous Vote
Article 74. John J. Burke, Chairman of the Plan- ning Board, read the Report of the Planning Board, on this article, to the meeting and then it was :
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Town of Rockland
Voted to lay this article on the table until article No. 75 is disposed of. After disposing of article No. 75 it was voted to take this article off the table and the following action was taken.
Voted to pass over the amending of the Zoning By- Law by changing the classification on the map entit- led "Rockland, Massachusetts - Zoning District Map 1958" to change from residence to business and in- dustrial area the land on Hingham and Pond Streets shown on the Assessors Plans as 139/140 E 148/149 Plot 1: 137/138 E 146/147 Plot 19: 112/113 E 131/131 Plots 20, 21 and 22.
Article 75. A motion that the Moderator be excused from reading this article to the meeting was voted in the affirmative.
John J. Burke, Chairman of the Planning Board, read the Report of the Planning Board, on this article, to the meeting.
Mr. Robert W. Bowker moved that the provisions of article No. 75 be amended as follows :
Firstly, that in Section 3 C, paragraph numbered 1, relat- ing to permitted uses in Industrial Park Districts, the period at the end of the sentence be stricken out and a comma be substituted therefor, and there be added the words "and only under permit issued by the Zoning Board of Appeals, subsequent to a public hearing, and upon such conditions as it may deter- mine reasonably necessary to promote the purpose and intent of this by-law"; so that Section 3 C-1 will read as follows :
1. Any legally authorized manufacturing, whole- saling, warehousing or other commercial non-retail activity, all of which must be enclosed, and uses of land and buildings customarily incidental or acces- sory thereto, including the business office of such ac- tivities, provided that such activity will not be injur-
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