USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Arlington > Town of Arlington annual report 1916 > Part 21
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3. Petition for the laying oui of streets. A blank form of petition for layout, stating the length, width, type of construction and estimated cost, will then be sent to the petitioner. This petition should also show names of all owners of land abutting and their addresses, together with the signatures of as many as possible of the parties desiring the layout. On receipt of this petition the Board will set a date for a hearing and all interested parties will be notified.
4. Action by the Board at first hearing. After this first hearing, if, in the opinion of the Board, common convenience and necessity require that the street in question be laid out as a public highway, they so vote and further vote that it is the intention of the Board to so lay out. A hearing is then set on the intention of the Board,
358
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
and all interested parties are notified by warrant served by a Constable of the date of said hearing.
5. Final hearing on intention of the Board to lay out. If after the second hearing the Board are still of the opinion that public convenience and necessity require that said street should be laid out as a public way a vote is passed laying the street out in ac- cordance with the plans approved by the Board and a record is made of the description of the street by meters and bounds.
6. Acceptance by the Town. After the vote by the Board to lay out it is then within the authority of the Board of Selectmen on petition to insert an article in the Town Warrant for the acceptance of the street. No street can be brought before the Town for acceptance until the foregoing rules have been complied with. The Board would remind all persons intending to petition for the laying out and acceptance of streets that appropriations for this purpose are only made at the March meeting of each year. The petitions should, therefore, be filed during the early fall months, in order to allow time for hearings before the drawing of the Warrant for the March meeting.
STREET BETTERMENT ASSESSMENTS.
During the year, thirteen new streets have been accepted by the Town and eleven have been constructed. Under the law creating the Board, and the vote under which these streets were accepted Betterment Assessments will be levied on the abutting owners on these streets during the coming year. As the Board has stated in previous reports the assessment of these better- ments is not an easy task, as the Board in its official capacity is sworn to serve the interests of all the citizens of the Town, as well as to accord the individuals directly interested fair and equitable treatment.
PERMANENT SIDEWALKS.
As stated in the report of the Board a year ago the subject of sidewalks in our Town is a very important one, on which the Board feels that a more liberal policy should be adopted than has been the custom in the previous years. With your many new streets being laid out and accepted it is but fair to the owners of buildings on these streets that sidewalks should be installed,
359
REPORT OF JOINT BOARD
and in most cases these sidewalks should be of a permanent charac- ter.
It has been the custom of the Board to grant permission for the installation of these sidewalks where the appropriation would allow the Town to bear its portion of the cost on the completion of the work. Owing to the small amount of the appropriation made for Permanent Sidewalks during the past few years, the Board has found itself in the rather embarrassing position of practically mortgaging the next year's appropriation in order to pay the reimbursement to which the petitioners are entitled. The Board would, therefore, recommend that the appropriation for 1917 be sufficient to make the reimbursements for sidewalks installed in 1916, and to allow the Board to grant the petitions for sidewalks in 1917 without figuring on the appropriation for 1918.
STREET LIGHTING.
The appropriation for street lighting for 1916 was $12,400. During the year 55 new lights were installed and 10 removed, making a total of 45 additional lights installed in 1916. The number of lights in service December 31, 1916, is as follows:
40 candle power, Tungsten incandescent. 398
60 candle power, Tungsten incandescent 11
80 candle power, Tungsten incandescent 5
100 candle power, Tungsten incandescent 1
600 candle power, Tungsten incandescent 81
100 candle power, Tungsten incandescent Multiple . 6
502
ORNAMENTAL STREET LIGHTING.
Thirty-nine 60 watt 56 candle power each burning until 12 mid- night.
Six 60 watt 56 candle power each burning all night.
Four 100 watt 98 candle power each burning all night. This makes a total 49 lights on this system.
On December 22, 1916, the Edison Electric Illuminating Com- pany made a proposition to the Board, agreeing to substitute Type C lamps for Type B lamps, as follows :
For 401 40 candle power, Type "B" lamps substitute 401 60 candle power Type "C."
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
For 11 60 candle power Type "B" lamps substitute 11 80 candle power Type "C."
For 5 80 candle power Type "B" lamps substitute 5 100 candle power Type "C."
The proposition included any additions that might be made on or before December 31, 1916. As this offer of the Company increased the candle power of all our lights without any additional expense to the Town, the offer was accepted by the Board, and the changes will be made as soon as possible.
SUMMER STREET EXTENSION.
At a Town meeting held September 18, 1914, the Town voted to accept as a Town way the way known as Summer Street and Summer Street Extension, extending from Mystic Street to the Lexington Line, under the provisions of Jaw authorizing the assessment of betterments. An appropriation was made at that time for the payment of land damages incurred by the layout of this street. The physical work of constructing this street or boulevard was done under the direction of the Board of Public Works, and appropriations for the construction were made at various times, making the total amount appropriated for the construction of the street, and the payment of land damages about $42,500. In September, 1916, the State Highway Commission took over the street as a State Highway, the Town having brought the roadway to a grade satisfactory to the State Highway Com- missioners. On the completion of the work and a certificate from the Board of Public Works, informing the Joint Board that the street had been completed, the duty devolved upon the Joint Board to assess betterments, in accordance with the vote of the Town in accepting the street. In assessing these betterments the Board acted as they considered for the best interests of all the Town, believing that the construction of this street would be of greater benefit to the adjacent owners than to the general public. Accordingly assessments were levied on these amounting to $29,441. Many hearings were given by the Board to parties who felt themselves aggrieved at the amount of the assessments. A special Town meeting was called on the petition of other parties who had been assessed, and the Board has consulted with various parties relative to these assessments. After a full consideration of the sentiments expressed at the Town Meeting, the various
361
REPORT OF JOINT BOARD
hearings, and the numerous consultations had, the fact developed that in the opinion of a great many of our citizens the construction of Summer Street and Summer Street Extension was of a great benefit, not only to the citizens of Arlington, but to the traveling public throughout this whole section of the State, relieving Massa- chusetts Avenue, as it does, of the immense traffic occasioned by these automobiles and other vehicles, and providing a continuous thoroughfare from the present Medford Boulevard to points north of us. With these facts in mind the Board has ordered an abate- ment, amounting to two-thirds of the original assessment.
STREET CAR SERVICE.
As reported by the Board last year the Boston Elevated Railway Company continues to give our citizens good transportation facili- ties, if the service is to be judged by the number of complaints received by the Board. During the latter part of the summer the Company requested to be allowed to try out a plan which they claimed would ultimately result in an improved service to the whole Town. This plan was to operate a six and seven-minute service between Arlington Heights and Harvard Square, and a seven and eight-minute service between Arlington Centre and Sullivan Square, making a point at the junction of Massachusetts Avenue and Broadway a transfer station for passengers going to and from Arlington Heights via Broadway line. This plan pro- posed the taking off of all Broadway cars, between the Monument and Arlington Heights. Permission was given the Company to make the change suggested, and a cross-over switch was in- stalled on Broadway at the Soldiers Monument in October. After giving the plan a trial of two months the Board were con- vinced from complaints received, and from personal observation, that the plan did not work to the advantage of the citizens of Arlington Heights, and the Company were, therefore, requested to remove the switch and to restore the running of Broadway cars to Arlington Heights on a fifteen-minute basis. This latter schedule has been put in operation, and the switch will be removed as soon as the frost leaves the ground.
DEVELOPMENT OF NEW TERRITORY.
The Board continues to receive petitions for the approval of plans for the development of new territory. The policy of the
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
Board is and has been to carefully examine these petitions, and to determine the bearing the granting of the petition would have on surrounding territory, in order that the best interests of the whole Town may be served. Unfortunately many of these peti- tions are presented by persons, whose interests are purely personal and with apparently no thought of being a benefit to the Town. If some of the petitions presented were approved by the Board and after accepted by the Town it would entail a very great ex- pense to the Town, and a detriment to a further good develop- ment in the immediate vicinity. The Board are of the opinion that a good class of development should be encouraged, and that the newcomer who selects Arlington as his future home should at least be made to feel that no unnecessary obstacles are placed in his way, but that on the contrary a compliance with the re- quirements of the Board will work to his own immediate advantage and the better future development of the locality he selects for a home. In order that prospective purchasers of land in un- developed parts of the Town may know what rights and privileges they are entitled to, notices calling attention to the provisions of the Board of Survey Act have been posted in those parts of the Town yet undeveloped.
NEW STREETS ACCEPTED AND BUILT IN 1916.
During the year the following new streets were accepted by the Town and constructed: Newcomb Street, Grafton Street, from Raleigh Street to Broadway ; Randolph Street; Egerton Road; Thorndike Street; Raleigh Street, from Grafton Street to Harlow Street; Florence Avenue, from Claremont Avenue to Renfrew Street; Albermarle Street; from Walnut Street to Mt. Vernon Street; Falmouth Road, from Mystic Street to Langley Road; Langley Road, from Falmouth Road to Upland Road; Upland Road, from Falmouth Road west five hundred feet; and Wyman Terrace, from Massachusetts Avenue to Massachusetts Avenue.
These streets have been constructed under the direction of the Board of Public Works. For detail of the cost of said construc- tion see the report of said Board.
GRAY STREET CONSTRUCTION.
During the year the Board has caused to be sent to the various abutters of Gray Street the following letter:
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REPORT OF JOINT BOARD
Dear Sir:
A number of the owners of property upon Gray Street Extension have signified their desire to the Joint Board of Selectmen and Board of Public Works to. pay the assessment which would have been levied against them, if the same were legally possible for the construction of Gray Street.
The Treasurer has been authorized to receive and receipt for such payments and the same will be duly credited and turned into the Treasury account for the purposes of the Town, and at the request of some of the owners a statement has been sent to them and it seemed that possibly others might also be desirous of pay- ing, if the matter were brought to their attention. Therefore, a statement of the amount which was assessed as betterments upon your lot is herewith given to you, to wit, Dollars.
In sending this letter to you the Board wish it made clear that there is no legal liability upon you to pay this, but many of our public-spirited citizens feel that the moral obligation is quite as binding as their legal obligation and are so making these pay- ments.
Very truly yours,
THOMAS J. ROBINSON, Clerk.
Up to this date the Treasurer has received $6.31 from Julian G. Corson.
RESIGNATION OF HENRY S. ADAMS.
In December Mr. Henry S. Adams tendered his resignation as a member of the Board of Public Works, the same to take effect January 1, 1917.
By this action Mr. Adams ceased automatically to be a member of the Joint Board.
The Board desires at this time to record its appreciation of Mr. Adams' services to the Town, while a member of the Board. His thorough knowledge of all sections of the Town, his technical training as an engineer, and his clear, sound judgment made him a particularly valuable member of the Board, one to whom his colleagues were accustomed to look for guidance and advice.
364
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
In his retirement to private life Mr. Adams has the sincere wishes of the Board for a successful and prosperous future. .
APPOINTMENT OF CHARLES H. GANNETT.
On the resignation of Mr. Adams, as a member of the Board, Mr. Charles H. Gannett was elected by the remaining members to fill the vacancy until the annual March meeting of 1917.
PROPOSED NEW STREET FROM MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE TO
MYSTIC STREET AND THE ABOLITION OF GRADE CROSSING AT MILL STREET.
At the March meeting of 1916 the Town passed the following vote :
Voted: That the Board of Selectmen be given permission to use their discretion in petitioning the Superior Court for the appointment of a Special Commission for the elimination of the grade crossing at Mill Street.
Acting under the authority of the foregoing vote the Board of Selectmen, for the Joint Board, has petitioned the Superior Court for the appointment of a Commission as outlined on the vote.
The causes leading up to the petition were the petitions received for track connections at Massachusetts Avenue and Mystic Street by the Boston Elevated and the Bay State Street Railway Com- pany. The granting of such a connection would, in the opinion of the Board create a most dangerous situation, and one that no effort should be left untried to avoid.
With this in mind the Board has caused a series of studies to be made of proposed outlets from Massachusetts Avenue to Mystic Street, one of which, if adopted, will provide a thoroughfare of ample width to properly care for car lines between these points, and will also eliminate the dangerous conditions existing at the head of Mystic Street and the grade crossings at Water and Mill Streets.
A report on the proposed new street will be made at the annual March meeting of 1917.
THOMAS J. DONNELLY, ARTHUR BIRCH
HORATIO A. PHINNEY, HENRY S. ADAMS
WILLIS P. HOWARD, ROBERT W. POND
Joint Board of Selectmen and Board of Public Works.
REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON REVISION OF BUILDING LAWS.
FEBRUARY 10, 1917.
To the Town of Arlington:
The Committee appointed at the Town Meeting of June 29, 1916, to revise the Building Laws of the Town, has carefully' examined the existing laws, and has consulted with the Building: Inspector and other Town officers, as well as with other citizens,, and after considering all suggestions made both by members of the. Committee and others, has prepared and submits herewith for- the consideration of the Town a set of Building By-Laws, which it believes will best suit the conditions now existing, and the: Committee recommends that they be adopted by the Town.
Respectfully submitted,
FRANK W. HODGDON, S. FRED HICKS, PETER SCHWAMB, HENRY S. ADAMS, WILLIAM PROCTOR, Committee on Revision of Building Laws.
Copies of the proposed Laws may be obtained at the Town Clerk's office in the Town Hall.
365
TOWN ENGINEER'S REPORT.
ARLINGTON, Mass., January 1, 1917.
To the Joint Board of Selectmen and Board of Public Works.
Gentlemen: Herewith is respectfully submitted the annual re- port of the Engineering Department for the year ending December 31, 1916.
The Engineering Department furnishes all the Town depart- ments and committees with such information, plans, designs, estimates and data of an engineering nature as they may require on work being done, or contemplated, also keeps careful notes, measurements and locations of new work, additions, changes, and extensions as they may occur and properly records the same for future reference by maps, plans or profiles.
The engineering cost for the year is classified as follows:
Engineering Appropriation: Comprising Town Engi- neer's salary and cost of preliminary surveys, plans, designs, sketches, etc., and general engineering work for all departments $2,999.99
New Street Construction: Comprising plans, contracts and specifications, estimates, lines, grades, etc. 496.16
Highway Division: Comprising surveys, estimates, profiles, lines, and grades, and all other engineering work relating to the department 436.54
Sewer Division: Comprising surveys, estimates, pro- files, lines, grades, titles, plans, assessments and in- spection on contract work, and all engineering work relating to sewers 1,135.61
Water Division: Comprising lines, grades, locations, and plans of mains, gates, hydrants and services, and other matters relating to the water department 183.12
Storm Drains: Comprising surveys, plans, lines and grades, inspection and supervision of contract work 369.56
366
367
TOWN ENGINEER'S REPORT
Summer Street Extension Appropriation: Comprising surveys, plans, profiles, estimates, lines, grades, con- tracts, specifications, and supervision of the work done by the contractor $1,310.19
Topographical Survey: Comprising surveys, studies, plans, etc., for proposed new streets in accordance with topographical plan 38.53
Board of Survey: Comprising plans, etc.
88.80
Fire Department; Comprising plans, etc.
6.44
Cemeteries: Comprising surveys, estimates, plans, etc.
57.37
Appleton Street Construction: Comprising lines,
grades, etc.
13.76
STREETS ACCEPTED AS PUBLIC HIGHWAYS IN 1916 UNDER THE BETTERMENT ACT.
Width Length
Date
Name of
in
in
of
Street
From
To
feet
feet
Acceptance
Albermarle St. Walnut St.
Mt. Vernon St.
40
392
Mar. 20, 1916
Egerton Rd.
Mass. Ave.
Southwesterly
40
420
Mar. 20, 1916
Falmouth Rd.
Mystic St.
Langley Rd.
40
950
Mar. 20, 1916
Florence Ave.
Claremont Ave.
Renfrew St.
50
792
Mar. 20, 1916
Grafton St.
Raleigh St.
Broadway
40
752
Mar. 20, 1916
Langley Rd.
Upland Rd.
Falmouth Rd.
40
584
Mar. 20, 1916
Newcomb St.
Lake St.
Barnes Lane
40
875
Mar. 20, 1916
Raleigh St.
Grafton St.
Harlow St.
40
453
Mar. 20, 1916
Randolph St.
Lake St.
Barnes Lane
40
940
Mar. 20, 1916
Thorndike St.
Mass. Ave.
Lake Ave.
40
1057
Mar. 20, 1916
Upland Rd.
Falmouth Rd.
Westerly
40
525
Mar. 20, 1916
Wyman Ter.
Mass. Ave.
Mass. Ave.
40
751
Mar. 20, 1916
Total.
8,491 ft.
For cost and details of construction see Board of Public Works Report.
Plans and specifications were prepared and bids obtained from contractors for constructing Egerton Road, Grafton Street, New- comb Street, Raleigh Street, Randolph Street, Thorndike Street, and Wyman Terrace; also lines and grades were given and stone bounds set to define and preserve the street lines; taking plans were made and the betterment assessments are being computed.
On Summer Street Extension lines and grades were set for its construction, and the contract work was supervised; also speci- fications were prepared for the removal of 1623 cubic yards of ledge on Summer Street on the northerly side, near Bloomfield
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
Avenue. Thi; work was awarded to the lowest bidders, Hunter & Maloney, and completed by them.
Plans and specifications were prepared for constructing surface water drains in private lands, from Mystic Street to Lower Mystic Lake through the Langley and Niles property; Mystic Street from opposite Falmouth Road 586 feet southerly, Falmouth Road and Upland Road. The contract was awarded to, and the work done by Daddario & Booth, under the supervision of the Engineering Department.
During the year a total length of 12,195 feet of main sewers was constructed and 199 house connections were made. Sewer assess- ment plans of the work are all completed and assessments levied.
Plans and specifications were prepared for sewers in Section No. 13, compricing Hamlet Street, Medford Street from Hamlet to Parallel Street, Orchard Terrace from Medford Street to Webcowet Road, Glen Avenue, Farrington Street, Rangeley Road and Pearl Avenue, and the work was done by the lowest bidders, Hunter & Maloney; also Section No. 14, comprising pri- vate lands, from Massachusetts Avenue to Woodbury Street, Woodbury Street from Private Lands to Hibbert Street, Hib- bert Street private way between Hibbert and Sylvia Streets, Sylvia Street, Arnold Street, from Hibbert Street to Williams Street, and Williams Street and the work was done by the lowest bidder, W. B. Bryne.
For details of the cost of this work see Board of Public Works Report.
Lines and grades were given for laying 7055 feet of water mains «and record plans made showing the location of new mains, hy- «.drants, gates, etc.
A Board of Survey study was made for new streets on land owned by Brown and Stackpole on Mystic Street, opposite Fal- mouth Road and bordering on Lower Mystic Lake; also on land owned by Richard Kelley on Highland Avenue adjoining Menot- omy Rocks Park.
Plans of Alpine Street (from 259 feet southwest of Branch Avenue to Summer Street), Blossom Street (from Summit Street to Lennon Road), Branch Avenue (from Alpine Street to Park Avenue Extension), Daniel Street, Fairview Avenue, Lakehill Avenue (from Lake Street 601 feet northerly), Morris Street (from
369
TOWN ENGINEER'S REPORT
Alpine Street to Park Avenue Extension), Orient Avenue (from Summit Street northerly), Park Avenue Extension (from Branch Avenue to Summer Street), Summit Street (from Churchill Park to Summer Street), and Surry Road (from Daniels Street westerly), were verified by this department and approved by the Board of Survey after stone bounds had been set in accordance with the data shown on the plans.
Street numbering plans of all new streets have been made and numbers have been assigned to all new buildings.
An accurate survey and plan was made for the proposed widen- ing of Massachusetts Avenue from Academy Street to Lowell Street, and this matter is now being considered by the Board of Survey and the Planning Board.
Plans have been made by the various companies and corpora- tions and filed in the Town Engineer's office, showing the locations of gas mains, poles, tracks, and conduits in this Town, permits for which have been granted by the Joint Board during the year; and the work of placing overhead wires in underground conduits and removing all poles from the streets should be extended as rapidly as possible.
The Metropolitan Park Commission graded a large portion of the boulevard, from Medford Street along the shore of Lower Mystic Lake to Mystic Street, with gravel excavated from Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, to lines and grades given by the Town Engi- neer, and I understand that the work is to be completed this year.
I again recommend that building lines be established on Med- ford Street from Massachusetts Avenue to the Medford line, and also on Massachusetts Avenue from Academy Street to the Lex- ington town line.
I am of the opinion that some definite action should be taken in regard to the proposed street, from Massachusetts Avenue across Summer Street to Mystic Street, for which plans and esti- mates have been made by this department.
Annexed to this report is a table giving the names of all streets in the Town, public and private, lengths, widths, and total mileage; also a table of general statistics pertaining to the Town.
Respectfully submitted,
GEORGE E. AHERN,
Arlington, Mass.
Town Engineer.
TABLE SHOWING THE LOCATION, LENGTH AND WIDTH OF ACCEPTED AND PRIVATE STREETS.
Length
Name
Location
Width
Date of Acceptance
Accept.
Private
Aberdeen Road .
Dundee Road, easterly .
40
730
Academy Street.
Massachusetts Avenue to Irving Street ..
40
1520
Acton Street.
Appleton Street, southerly .
51
510
Addison Street.
Pleasant Street to Spy Pond.
40
800
Aerial Street.
Forest Street, easterly .
40
450
Albermarle Street.
Walnut Street, to Mt. Vernon Street ..
40
392
March 20, 1916.
Alpine Street.
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