USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > West Bridgewater > Town annual reports of the selectmen, overseers of the poor, town clerk, and school committee of West Bridgewater for the year ending 1955-1959 > Part 3
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PROTECTIVE (ZONING) BY-LAWS for the TOWN OF WEST BRIDGEWATER MASSACHUSETTS
PURPOSE OF BY-LAW
Section I. This by-law is for the purpose of promoting the health, safety, convenience and welfare of the inhabitants of the Town of West Bridgewater, by dividing the town into districts and regulating the use, construction, and alteration of buildings and the use of premises within each district, with a view to conserving the value of buildings and encouraging the most appropriate use of land in the town, in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 40A of the General Laws.
NON-CONFORMING USES
Section II. Any legal use of land or of buildings, not consistent with the provisions of this by-law at the time of its adoption or amendment shall be deemed to be a non-conforming use.
Nothing in this by-law shall prohibit the continuation of a non-conforming use, but if such use is abandoned for a period of one year it may not be re- sumed unless authorized by the Board of Appeals.
Necessary repairs to, and rebuilding of a building or structure for a non-con- forming use after damage by fire, storm or similar disaster, are permitted provided they are accomplished without undue delay and do not substantially change the character or size of the building, nor the use to which it was put prior to such damage.
A non-conforming use may be changed, enlarged or extended on the premises, provided such change, enlargement or extension is not more detrimental and only if authorized by the Board of Appeals.
DISTRICTS
Section III. The town is hereby divided into three classes of districts:
General Residential
Business
Industrial
"General Residential" districts are defined as being all land in the town, not otherwise classified by this by-law.
"Business" districts are defined as being that land three hundred (300) feet each side of Main Street from the Brockton-West Bridgewater Line to the Bridgewater-West Bridgewater Line, three hundred (300) feet on each side of West Centre Street for a distance of six hundred (600) feet westerly from its
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intersection with Main Street, and three hundred (300) feet on each side of West Centre Street from the westerly side line of Hillside Avenue to the east- erly side of Amvets Memorial Highway.
"Industrial" districts are defined as being that land off Howard and Main Streets formerly comprising and known as "depot and freight yard," and that portion of land lying west of Amvets Memorial Highway on both sides of West Centre Street, and extending in a southerly direction for a distance of one thousand five hundred (1500) feet and in a northerly direction for a distance of three thousand (3000) feet to the Easton line.
These districts are defined and bounded on "Protective (Zoning) By-Law Map" dated February 8, 1955, which, with its notations, is hereby made a part of this By-Law.
GENERAL RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS
Section IV. In General Residential Districts no building or structure shall be constructed or altered and no building, structure or premises shall be used for any purpose except:
(a) A one-family dwelling and its accessory buildings including a garage for storage of not more than three automobiles.
(b) The conversion of a large single family dwelling, in existence at the time of the passage of this by-law, for the use of two or three families, or as a nursing home, provided that such conversion does not sub- stantially change the character and size of the building.
(c) Churches and other places of worship, parish houses and Sunday School buildings.
(d) Facilities necessary in connection with municipal or public utilities serving the town.
(e) Public or semi-public institutions of a philanthropic or charitable char- acter, hospitals, sanitaria and other medical institutions, but not cor- rectional institutions or places of detention.
(f) Farming, nursery, market garden or greenhouse, including the sale of natural products raised on the premises and the sale of milk and cream regardless of point of origin, provided all the usual and accepted good farming practices are observed. All expansion of such businesses, alter- ation of existing buildings, and new construction must conform to the building by-law and the rules and regulations of the Board of Health and be consistent with general public welfare.
(g) Clubs, not conducted for profit, excepting Golf or Country Clubs.
(h) Accessory uses customarily incident to a dwelling, including:
(1) The use of a room or rooms in the dwelling, by the resident, for the practice of a profession, or for the pursuit of a customary home occupation, provided that there be no visual evidence of said use other than the permitted sign.
(2) The use of the premises and accessory buildings by a builder, car- penter, painter, plumber, tinsmith, upholsterer, machinist, or sim- ilar tradesman, resident on the premises, in connection with his trade, under a permit from the Board of Appeals, and on the
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condition that no manufacture or business requiring substantially continuous employment be carried on.
(i) Signs, as follows, but in no case luminous tube or flashing signs.
(1) One real estate sign advertising rental, lease or sale of the premises and not exceeding six (6) square feet in area.
(2) One sign or bulletin board incidental to a permitted use, not ex- ceeding six (6) square feet in area, unless authorized by the Board of Appeals, and in no case to exceed nine (9) square feet in area.
BUSINESS DISTRICTS
Section V. In Business Districts, no building or structure shall be constructed or altered, and no building, structure or premises shall be used for any purpose injurious to a neighborhood by reasons of the emission of odor, fumes, dust, smoke, vibration, industrial waste, noise, or other cause, nor for any purpose cxcept:
(a) Any use permitted in General Residential Districts.
(b) Retail or wholesale business, service or public utility, salesrooms and shops for custom work or making of articles to be sold at retail on the premises.
(c) Restaurants and other places for serving food.
(d) Theaters, halls, clubs and other places of entertainment.
(e) Public and semi-public buildings.
(f) Gasoline and oil stations, garages for storage and repair of automobiles.
(g) Hotels or lodging houses.
(h) Offices or banks.
(i) Newspaper or job printing.
(j) Signs advertising goods or services offered by an occupant of the prem- ises for sale, hire or use, not to exceed twelve (12) square feet in area.
(k) Signs other than the above or in addition thereto shall be permissable only if approved by the Board of Appeals after determination that the granting of such will not detract from the general attractiveness of the Town.
INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS
Section VI. In Industrial Districts no building or structure or part thereof, shall be erected, altered or used, nor shall any premise be used for any purpose except:
(a) Any use permitted in General Residential and Business Districts.
(b) Manufacturing, utilizing hand labor or quiet machinery and processes, not hazardous to the community, nor offensive nor objectionable be- cause of noise, vibration, smoke, gas fumes, odor or industrial waste, and only if authorized by the Board of Appeals.
AREA REGULATIONS
Section VII. In General Residential Districts no dwelling shall be erected upon a lot having an area of less than thirteen thousand five hundred (13,500) square feet and ninety (90)-foot frontage, except as herein otherwise provided.
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FRONT YARDS
Section VIII. In General Residential Districts no dwelling shall be erected or placed within thirty-five (35) feet of a street line, except as herein other- wise provided.
SIDE OR REAR LOT LINE
Section IX. In General Residential Districts no dwelling, garage, or accessory building shall be erected or placed within fifteen (15) feet of a side lot line or within thirty (30) feet of a rear lot line, except as herein otherwise provided.
BUILDINGS IN BUSINESS OR INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS
Section X. Buildings erected in a Business or Industrial District shall con- form to Section VIII of this by-law, excepting additions to existing buildings where sufficient land is not available or would seriously affect the appearance or use of the premises. (The intent of this paragraph is to provide adequate off-street parking.)
EXCEPTIONS TO AREA REGULATIONS
Section XI. If an area has been subdivided into lots with less than the min- imum requirements, and if the plan of such subdivision has been approved as required by law and recorded in the Plymouth County Registry of Deeds, prior to the date of the first advertisement of hearing of this by-law, dwellings with customary accessory structures may be erected on such lots. The provisions of Sections VIII and IX shall apply to these lots, except that dwellings con- structed prior to the adoption of this by-law, the original plans and specifica- tions for which provided for the future construction of breeze-way and/or garage, may be completed in accordance with such plans and specifications, provided such plans and specifications conform to the building by-law of the town.
One building and its accessory buildings may be erected on any single lot existing at the time this by-law is adopted which cannot be made to conform to the area requirements of Section VII. The provisions of Sections VIII and IX shall apply to these lots.
HOUSE TRAILERS
Section XII. No trailer, put in place upon any land in town, except in an authorized trailer coach park, shall be occupied for living or business purposes for a period exceeding fourteen (14) days, and in any case shall be subject to the regulations of the Board of Health.
BOARD OF APPEALS
Section XIII. A Board of Appeals is hereby established as provided in Sec- tion 14 of Chapter 40A of the General Laws, with all the powers and duties thereof, consisting of five (5) members appointed one for one year, two for two years, and two for three years respectively; and thereafter, as terms expire, appointments shall be made for terms of three years. There shall also be appointed two associate members, one for two years and one for three years, who, when designated by the Chairman, will act in case of vacancy, inability to act or lack of interest on the part of a member, and thereafter, as terms ex- pire, appointments shall be made for a term of three years.
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The Selectmen shall, within thirty (30) days after the adoption of this by-law and thereafter as terms expire or vacancies occur, make appointments to the herein-established Board of Appeals in accordance with provisions of Section 14 of Chapter 40A of the General Laws.
The Board of Appeals shall have, exercise, and enjoy all of the rights and powers delegated to it by Section 15 of Chapter 40A of the General Laws.
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Section XIV.
Enforcement. This by-law shall be enforced by the Building Inspector. Validity. The invalidity of any section or provision of this by-law shall not affect the validity of any other section or provision thereof.
Effective Date. So much of this by-law as is approved by the Attorney General shall take effect upon its publication as required by law.
Moved: in order to promote the health, safety, convenience and welfare of the inhabitants of the Town of West Bridgewater, by dividing the town into districts and regulating the use, construc- tion, and alteration of buildings and the use of premises within each district, with a view to conserving the value of buildings and encouraging the most appropriate use of land in the town, in ac- cordance with the provisions of Chapter 40A of the General Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, I move that the Town adopt the "Protective (Zoning) By-Laws for the Town of West Bridgewater, Massachusetts," exactly as set forth in Article 4 of the warrant for this meeting, now under consideration.
Mr. Frank Sanborn, chairman of the Zoning Committee gave his report on the changes made since the original brochure had been sent to the townspeople, of the public meetings and hearing which had been held and the reasons for the changes.
It was moved to amend the motion by taking up the by-laws section by section. Upon vote motion to amend was passed.
Motion made to amend the original motion by striking out part of H-2 under Section IV beginning with the words-Under a permit from the Board of Appeals, and on the condition that no manufacture or business requiring substantially continuous employ- ment be carried on.
Upon vote of Yes 72 and No 74 amendment not carried.
A vote by ballot on accepting the protective by-laws as pre-
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sented was taken with the following results: Yes 61 and No 142. Motion passed.
Tellers were: Herbert Holmes, Charles Hill, Richard Keith, Edward Asack.
Article 5. To transact any other business that may legally come before the meeting.
Moved the meeting be adjourned. So Voted.
ANNA E. BROWN Town Clerk
Special Town Meeting December 8, 1955
A meeting of which the inhabitants of West Bridgewater, qualified to vote in election were duly warned, was called to order at 8:40 p.m. instead of the schedule time of 7:30 because of lack of a quorum, by the Moderator, John Eldridge. The Warrant was read by the Town Clerk.
The following articles were acted on:
Article 1. To see if the Town will vote to transfer sums of money from Items I, II, II, and IV, to Item V of the School De- partment Budget.
Moved: that the Town vote to transfer the sum of $200.00 from Item I, $1,000.00 from Item II, $1,500.00 from Item III, and $400.00 from Item IV to Item V of the School Department Budget for 1955.
Upon vote motion carried.
Article 2. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropri- ate, or transfer from available funds in the Treasury, a sum of money to Item V, School Department Budget, for Transportation.
Moved: that the Town vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $900.00 to Item 5 of the 1955 School Department Budget and to meet said appropriation that the sum of $900.00 be transferred from available funds in the Treasury.
Upon vote motion carried.
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Article 3. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropri- ate or transfer from available funds in the Treasury, the sum of $500.00 to the Tercentenary Fund, for preliminary expenses.
Moved: that the Town vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $500.00 to be used as preliminary expenses for observance of the 300th Anniversary of the settling of the Town and to meet said appropriation, that $500.00 be transferred from available funds in the Treasury to the Tercentenary Account.
Upon vote motion carried.
Article 4. To transact any other business that may legally come before the meeting.
Moved: that the present Building and Zoning Laws Commit- tee be discharged; and that the Moderator and the Board of Select- men be authorized to appoint a new Building and Zoning Laws Committee of five members, said committee to bring in their rec- ommendations at the next Annual Town Meeting.
Upon vote motion carried.
Moved: Meeting be adjourned. Motion carried.
ANNA E. BROWN Town Clerk
BOARD OF ASSESSORS
Total appropriations at Annual Town Meeting,
March 14, 1955
$605,438.90
Other amounts to be raised
87,401.63
Total Appropriations since 1954 Tax Rate was fixed
692,840.53
State Parks and Reservations Tax
707.20
State Audit of Municipal Accounts
706.01
County Tax, 1955
15,801.92
Tuberculosis Hospital Assessment
7,184.85
717,240.51
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Overlay 9,701.14
Total Amount to be raised
726,941.65
Less: Total Estimated Receipts
227,447.26
499,494.39
Less: Amounts taken from Available Funds
127,404.78
Net Amount to be Raised by Taxes on Polls and Property
$372,089.61
TABLE OF AGGREGATES
Number of Persons, Partnerships, Corporations, etc.
assessed:
On Personal Estate only
41
On Real Estate only
1275
On both Personal and Real Estate
163
Total number assessed
1479
Number of Polls assessed
1410
Value of Assessed Personal Estate:
Stock in Trade
$ 47,550.00
Machinery
48,000.00
Live Stock
115,335.00
All Other Tangible Personal Property
458,150.00
Total Value of Assessed Personal Estate
$669,035.00
Value of Assessed Real Estate:
Land
$ 920,582.00
Buildings
4,888,775.00
Total Value of Assessed Real Estate
$5,809,357.00
Total Value of All Assessed Property
$6,478,392.00
Tax Rate per $1000
57.00
Tax for all purposes spread as follows:
On Polls
2,820.00
On Personal Property
38,135.08
On Real Estate
331,134.53
Total Taxes Assessed
$372,089.61
Number of Horses assessed
30
Number of Cows assessed
768
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Number of Yearlings, Bulls and Heifers assessed
152
Number of Swine assessed
39
Number of Sheep assessed
69
Number of Fowl assessed
45,770
Number of Chinchillas assessed
58
Number of Acres of Land assessed
8,610.17
Number of Dwellings assessed
1,169
EXEMPTED PROPERTY
Real Estate
Trustees of the Howard Funds
51,350.00
Old Bridgewater Historical Society
15,500.00
Baptist Society
7,250.00
Methodist Society
13,200.00
Roman Catholic Archbishop of Boston
35,300.00
Unitarian Society
13,500.00
Cemeteries (Privately owned)
4,540.00
Town Hall and Lot
15,500.00
Fire Station & Police Station
42,000.00
Highway Garage and Lot
9,500.00
Forestry Garage
2,000.00
Library
3,400.00
School Department (Land and Buildings)
481,800.00
Parks
8,800.00
Water Department
22,000.00
Cemeteries (Town owned)
600.00
Various Lots owned by the Town
5,645.00
Property of the Commonwealth
4,798.00
Total Value of Exempted Real Estate
$736,683.00
Personal Property
Old Bridgewater Historical Society
8,000.00
Trustees of the Howard Funds
5,000.00
Town of West Bridgewater:
Water Department
297,500.00
Fire Department
30,000.00
Library
8,000.00
School Department:
Junior-Senior High School
8,000.00
All Other Schools 7,000.00
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Highway Department
4,000.00
Town Hall and Offices
3,000.00
Moth Department
2,000.00
Police Department
1,500.00
250.00
Sealer of Weights and Measures Tree Warden
100.00
Total Value of Exempted Personal Property
$374,350.00
Total Value of All Exempted Property
$1,111,033.00
MOTOR VEHICLE EXCISE - 1955
No. of Cars Value
Excise
Fifteen Commitments
2384 $1,024,370.
$47,939.60
Average Value assessed per car
429.69
Average Excise assessed per car
20.01
1955 Rate per Thousand
53.37
WILLIAM W. PHILLIPS HERBERT A. HOLMES
ELMER L. ANDERSON Board of Assessors
TREASURER
The financial transactions of the Town for the year 1955 may be briefly summarized as follows:
Cash on hand December 31, 1955:
General Fund $224,324.67
High School Construction Fund Balance 4,781.47
Elementary School Construction Account
173,872.05
Receipts from Tax Collector
463,951.39
Receipts from Other Sources
662,537.66
Payments of Selectmen's Warrants
1,112,486.24
Tax Title Account, December 31, 1955
4,746.54
Tax Title Redemptions in 1955 845.34
The report of the expenses of the Treasurer's Office, and a detailed account of the New School Construction Fund, School
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and Water Bonds, Library Trust Funds, Scholarship Funds, Reha- bilitation and Stabilization Funds, Federal Withholding Taxes and Plymouth County Retirement Deductions may be found in the Town Accountant's Report.
Respectfully submitted,
ORVIS F. KINNEY Treasurer
COLLECTOR OF TAXES
Following is a list of unpaid Taxes and Water Rates as of December 31, 1955.
1953 Personal Taxes $ 4,356.00
1954 Motor Vehicle Taxes 184.16
1954 Personal Taxes 1,646.40
1954 Real Estate Taxes
5.40
1954 Poll Taxes
4.00
1955 Motor Vehicle Taxes
2,988.14
1955 Personal Taxes
6,143.18
1955 Water Liens
386.29
1955 Real Estate Taxes
19,216.67
1955 Poll Taxes
28.00
Total
$ 34,958.24
Water Rates Unpaid
$5,203.91
Total gross collections 1955
$464,333.59
CHAPTER 487, SECTION 2, GENERAL LAWS. Approved May 26, 1954; Which reads in part; Any water charges remaining unpaid after due date shall on the following day become a lien, which may be collected through any legal means including shutting off of water.
WALTER C. DUNBAR Tax Collector
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INSPECTOR OF ANIMALS AND SLAUGHTERING
The annual barn inspection of 1955 was made, with the fol- lowing results:
Barns Inspected
50
Cattle
779
Heifers (2 years old)
105
Heifers (1 year old)
95
Bulls
9
Horses
26
Goats
23
Sheep
46
Swine
110
There were nine visits for Interstate Cattle Inspection.
There have been 14 dogs quarantined for routine checks for rabies after instances of dog bite.
Respectfully submitted,
O. PHILIP PEARSON Inspector of Animals and Slaughtering
DOG OFFICER
To the Board of Selectmen:
I hereby submit my report of the work done by me as Dog Officer for the year 1955.
Number of dogs hit by cars 7
Number of chickens killed by dogs 13
Number of persons bitten by dogs 14
Number of stray dogs picked up 44
Number of calls answered 56
Number of stray dogs returned to owners 14
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All dogs that we have a record of are licensed for 1955. There are several dogs that we have no record of, that are not licensed and I am taking action against the owners as I come across them. The number of stray dogs is increasing every year and if everyone would take care in properly securing the tag on their dog's collar or get a new one from the Town Clerk if the tag is lost, I would be able to return many more dogs to their owners.
Respectfully submitted,
JOHN L. DOWNS, JR. Dog Officer
FIRE DEPARTMENT
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen:
I herewith submit the Annual Report of the West Bridgewater Fire Department for the year 1955.
PERSONNEL
One Chief, One Deputy Chief, Twenty-eight members, One Alarm Operator, One Master Electrician, Five Deputy Forest Wardens.
APPARATUS
Combination No. 1. Chevrolet Truck with 600 gallon water tank. Front end pump, also small portable pump mounted on side, ten years old.
Engine No. 1. Seagrave Combination with 750 gallon pump built to specifications, three years old.
Engine No. 2. Buffalo Diamond T. Combination with 500 gallon pump, seventeen years old.
Emergency Truck 1. Built by members of Fire Department, materials and labor donated by individual citizens at no cost to the town. It is fully equipped for first aid and rescue work.
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One 2500 Watt U. S. Generator lighting plant.
One G. E. Main Radio station.
Three G. E. Mobile Radio receivers and transmitters mounted on Fire Apparatus.
One Portable Radio receiver and transmitter mounted on Emergency Truck.
One New Type B. Fire Alarm Air Horn.
One twelve foot boat equipped, presented to the Department by the American Legion for emergency use.
ALARMS ANSWERED
Grass & Woodland (311/4 acres)
37
Resuscitator calls
7
Aid out of Town Fires
5
Aid call - out of Town drowning
1
Automobiles, trucks and tractors
10
Frame Buildings
20
Aid to Police Automobile Accidents, etc.
5
Electric Power wires
3
Dumps and Rubbish
14
False
1
Total Alarms 103
In performing its duties in the year 1955 the Fire Apparatus has traveled 769 miles, operated at fires a total of 2041/2 hours, laid out a total of 6,775 feet of Booster hose, 18,150 feet of 11/8" Fores- try hose, 1,550 feet of 11/2" hose, 3,750 feet of 21/2" hose and raised a total of 285 feet of ladders.
PERMITS ISSUED
Open Air Fires 967
Oil Burners and Oil Storage 267
Bottle Gas, Explosives and Miscellaneous
117
Complaints
197
Investigations 236
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BUILDING FIRES
Assessors Value on Buildings
$68,500.00
Insurance Carried on Same
114,950.00
Estimate Loss on Building
5,950.00
Insurance Paid on Same
7,770.00
CONTENTS IN BUILDING FIRES
Estimate value of contents
$27,850.00
Insurance carried on same
36,800.00
Estimate loss on contents
795.00
Insurance Paid on same
1,112.00
Bell alarm is tested daily at 7 P.M. New Air Horn is tested daily at 6 P.M., except Sundays.
INSPECTIONS
Inspections on Schools, Public Buildings and Private Enter- prises are made periodically. Recommendations of alterations in various buildings were made, and these carried out. Also “No Smoking Signs" posted where required by Law.
Board of Fire Prevention Regulations Rules and Regulations of Department of Public Safety Chapter 148 - Section 10
It is required by law that any installation or alteration of fuel oil burners of any type shall not be made by any person or firm unless in possession of a certificate of competency.
No oil burner of any type, or oil tanks, shall be installed with- out first filing an application for permit with the head of the Fire Department.
After installation of oil burners and tanks, a completion cer- tificate must be filed with the head of the Fire Department for in- spection work.
No person or firm shall use or store liquified petroleum gas (known as bottle gas) used for cooking and heating purposes, with- out first filing an application and obtaining a permit from the head of the Fire Department.
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NOTICE
Permits must be obtained from the Fire Department for all open air fires.
ATTENTION
To keep your fire loss small, CALL YOUR FIRE DEPART- MENT IMMEDIATELY upon discovering a fire in a building, grass or woodland.
I am recommending in the 1956 appropriation the purchase of a new fully equipped rescue boat to replace the one donated years ago by the American Legion and also, recommending the purchase of a Forest Fire Truck with four wheel drive known as a Brush Braker Truck for a better protection of our woodland. This truck is designed to drive through woodland, as we all know 1954 hurri- cane left a lot of timber down which has dried and is becoming a fire hazard.
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