USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Arlington > Town of Arlington annual report 1926 > Part 10
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(g) (Permanency of Yards and Courts.) No tene- ment house shall be hereafter enlarged or its lot so diminished, and no building of any kind shall be here- after so placed upon the same lot with a tenement house, as to decrease the minimum depth of yards or the mini- mum size of courts or yards required by this By-law for tenement houses hereafter erected.
(h) (Rear Tenements.) No building hereafter erected, converted, or placed shall be used as a tenement house unless it faces on a public street or has the use of a way or place not less than forty feet wide leading to a public street.
(i) (Frontage on Street.) Every tenement house shall have an unobstructed frontage upon a street, not less than twenty feet wide. No tenement house and no other building shall hereafter be erected, enlarged, or placed on the same lot with a tenement house in such manner that any tenement house shall be left without an unobstructed frontage upon a street, less than twenty feet wide.
ROOMS, LIGHTING AND VENTILATION OF
(8) In every tenement house hereafter erected every room, including water closet compartments and bathrooms, shall have at least one window opening directly upon the street or upon a yard or court of the dimensions specified in paragraph (7) of this By-law and the window shall be so located as properly to light all parts of the room.
WINDOWS IN ROOMS
(9) In every tenement house hereafter erected the total window area in each room, including water
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closet compartments and bathrooms, shall be at least one-tenth of the superficial area of the room, and the top of at least one window shall be not more than eight inches below the ceiling, and the upper half of it shall be made so as to open the full width. At least one such window in rooms other than bathrooms and water closets shall be not less than twelve square feet in area between the stop beads; and in water closet compart- ments and bathrooms at least one such window shall be not less than six square feet in area between the stop beads.
ROOMS, SIZE OF
(10) In every tenement house hereafter erected there shall be in each apartment at least one room con- taining not less than one hundred and twenty square feet of floor area. All rooms shall be in every part not less than eight feet six inches from the finished floor to the finished ceiling, except that an attic room need be eight feet six inches high in but one-half of its area.
Alcove rooms shall be considered a portion of the room from which they open.
CHIMNEYS AND VENTS
(11) In every tenement house hereafter erected there shall be adequate chimneys running through every floor for properly venting all gas appliances.
PRIVACY
(12) In every tenement house hereafter erected, in each apartment access to every living room and bed- room, and to at least one water closet compartment, shall be had without passing through a bedroom or bathroom.
PUBLIC HALLS
(13) In every tenement house hereafter erected every public hall extending more than 20 feet from a
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stair hall shall have at each story at least one window opening directly upon the street or upon a yard or court of the dimensions specified in paragraph (7) of this By-Law. Such windows shall be at the end of said hall with the plane of the window at right angles to the hall's axis. Any part of a public hall which is in any way shut off from any other part of the hall shall be deemed a separate hall within the meaning of this Section.
WINDOWS FOR PUBLIC HALL, SIZE OF
(14) One at least of the windows provided to light each public hall or part thereof shall be at least two feet six inches wide and five feet high, measured between stop beads, and the top of the window shall be not more than eight inches below the ceiling. In every such tene- ment house there shall be in the roof, directly over each stair well, a ridge ventilator having a minimum opening of forty square inches and with movable louvres.
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WINDOWS FOR STAIR HALLS, SIZE OF .
(15) In every tenement house hereafter erected there shall be provided for each story at least one window to light and ventilate each stair hall which shall be at least two feet six inches wide and five feet high measured between the stop beads, provided, how- ever, that no windows shall be required when there shall be, within the space enclosed by the stairways and its landings from the second floor upward, an open well for light and ventilation whose least dimension shall be, 3 feet for a three-story building, and one foot additional for each additional story, and with a skylight directly over the well with an area equal to the area of well, but not less than 20 square feet in any case. Such skylights shall have ridge ventilators of not less than 40 square inches, or shall have louvres giving a clear area of 40 square inches. Glazing at the entrance of at least 5 square feet shall be considered adequate for the lighting
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of the entrance hall between the entrance and stairs. A sash door shall be deemed the equivalent of the win- dow specified in this paragraph and the two foregoing paragraphs, provided that each door contains the amount of glazed surface prescribed for such windows.
SANITATION
(16) Basement and cellar rooms. a. In new tenement houses. In tenement houses hereafter erected or converted or altered for such use, no room in the cellar or in the basement with floors below the level of the ground shall be constructed, altered, converted, or occupied for living purposes without a written per- mit from the Board of Health. Such room shall be at least eight feet six inches high in every part from the floor to the ceiling, and shall have a window or windows opening upon the street or upon a yard, court, or area at least five feet wide. The total area of windows in such rooms shall be at least one-eighth of the super- ficial area of the room, and each window shall be made to open at least one-half its full area, and the top of each window shall be within six inches of the ceiling. The ceiling of such room shall be at least four feet six inches above the surface of the street or ground outside or adjoining the same. In such basement or cellar there shall be provided a water supply and water-closet ac- commodations. All walls and floors of such rooms shall be thoroughly drained on the outside and provided with dead-air space.
CELLARS, DAMP PROOFING AND LIGHTING OF
(17) Every tenement house hereafter erected shall have the walls below the ground level, and the cellar floor damp-proof. All cellars and basements in such tenement houses shall be properly lighted and ventilated in all their parts to the satisfaction of the Board of Health.
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SPACES UNDER FLOORS
(18) In any tenement hereafter erected, under any part of which there is no cellar, the first or ground floor shall be at least two feet above the ground beneath and that adjacent thereto, and the space beneath such floor shall be kept free and clear, and shall be enclosed to prevent the accumulation of rubbish, but provided with ample ventilation and adequate drainage.
COURTS, AREAS AND YARDS
(19) In every tenement house hereafter erected all courts, areas and yards shall be properly graded and drained; and when necessary in order to keep such premises in a sanitary condition such courts, areas or yards, or such part thereof as the Board of Health shall order, shall be properly concreted.
SINKS
(20) In every tenement house hereafter erected there shall be provided in each apartment a proper sink with running water.
WATER CLOSETS
(21) In every tenement house hereafter erected there shall be within each apartment a separate water closet, located in a bathroom or in a separate compart- ment. Each such water closet shall be completely separated from every other water closet. Said com- partment shall be not less than three feet wide, and shall be enclosed with plastered partitions which shall extend to the ceiling. Every such compartment shall have a window opening directly upon the street or upon a yard or court of the minimum size prescribed by this By-Law. Every water closet compartment hereafter placed in any tenement house shall be provided with proper means of lighting the same at night. The floor of every such water closet compartment shall be made waterproof with asphalt, tile, stone, or some other non-
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absorbing waterproof material; and such waterproof- ing shall extend at least six inches above the floor so that the floor can be washed or flushed out withoui leaking. If the water closet is in a bathroom, it shall be sufficient to waterproof the floor directly beneath the fixture and extending one foot beyond it in each direction. No drip trays shall be permitted. No water closet fixtures shall be enclosed with any woodwork. No water closet shall be placed in the cellar.
PLUMBING .
(22) In every tenement house hereafter erected no plumbing fixtures shall be enclosed with wood work. All plumbing pipes shall be exposed except as otherwise permitted by the Board of Health. Wherever plumbing or other pipes pass through floors or partitions the openings around such pipes shall be sealed or made air- tight with plaster or other incombustible materials, so as to prevent the passage of air or the spread of fire from one floor to another or from room to room. All plumbing work shall be sanitary in every particular and, except as otherwise specified in this By-Law, shall be in accordance with all plumbing regulations. Pan and long hopper closets shall not be used.
WATER CONNECTION
(23) In every tenement house hereafter erected all sinks and water closets shall be provided with an adequate supply of running water at all times as ap- proved by the Board of Health.
PRIVIES, PRIVY VAULTS AND CESSPOOLS
(24) No privy or privy vault shall be permitted on the same lot with any tenement house hereafter erected. No cesspool shall be permitted in the cellar or court of any tenement house nor within 15 feet of any wall of said tenement house:
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SEWER CONNECTION
(25) Every tenement house hereafter erected on a street in which there is a public sewer, or in which a public sewer shall hereafter be placed shall be con- nected therewith.
FIRE PROTECTION FIREPROOF TENEMENT, WHEN REQUIRED
(26) No tenement house shall hereafter be erected exceeding two and one-half stores in height, nor shall it be occupied, nor intended, arranged or designed to be occupied, by more than two families, unless it be of first or second class construction.
STAIRS
(27) Every tenement house hereafter erected shall have at least two independent flights of stairs with' separate entrances leading from the entrance floor to the top story, said flights of stairs being at two points as far apart as is possible in the opinion of the Building Inspector and one of said flights shall connect with roof. Said stairs shall be directly accessible from each apartment, without passing through any other apart- ment. One of said flights of stairs may consist of out- side, open stairs and balconies. All stairs and balconies and all public halls shall be at least three feet wide in the clear. Winders shall not be permitted in any stair- case. All stairways shall be left entirely open beneath same without closets or similar enclosed spaces.
Cellar Entrance. In every tenement house here- after erected there shall be an entrance to the cellar or other lowest story from the outside of the building.
ROOFING MATERIALS
(28) Every tenement house hereafter erected shall have the roof in all parts and the sides of all dormer windows covered with incombustible material satisfactory to the Building Inspector.
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WOODEN TENEMENT HOUSES
(29) In no wooden tenement houses hereafter erected shall any story or part thereof above the second story be rented, leased, let or hired out to be occupied for housekeeping, nor shall it be intended, arranged or designed to be occupied for housekeeping, nor shall any provision be made for cooking nor shall any cook- ing be done above the second story.
REQUIREMENTS FOR EXISTING TENEMENT HOUSES
ROOMS, LIGHTING AND VENTILATING OF
(30) No room in a tenement house erected prior to this By-Law taking effect shall hereafter be occupied for living purposes unless it shall have a window open- ing directly upon the street, or upon a yard not less than ten feet deep, or above the roof of an adjoining building, or upon a court of not less than thirty square feet in area, open to the sky without roof or skylight.
PUBLIC HALL, LIGHTING AND VENTILATING OF
(31) In every tenement house erected prior to this By-Law taking effect, the public halls and stairs shall be provided with sufficient light to permit the reading of twelve point type in the day time in any part thereof. Light and ventilation in such halls shall be to the outer air except when in the opinion of the Building Inspector it is impracticable, in which case the lighting and venti- lation shall be such as to meet the approval of the Board of Health. All new skylights hereafter placed in such houses shall be provided with ridge ventilators having a minimum opening of forty square inches, and also with either fixed or movable louvres or with mov- able sashes and shall be of such size as may be deter- mined to be practicable by the Building Inspector.
SINKS
(32)
In every tenement house erected prior to this
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By-Law taking effect, the woodwork enclosing sinks lo- cated in the public halls or stairs, shall be removed and the spaces underneath shall be left open. The floors and wall surfaces beneath and around the sink shall be put in good order and repair, and if of wood shall be well painted with light-colored paint.
WATER CLOSETS
(33) In every tenement house erected prior to this By-Law taking effect, the woodwork enclosing every water closet fixture shall be removed, and the space underneath the seat shall be left open. The floor or other surfaces beneath and around the closet shall be put in good order and repair, and if of wood shall be well painted with light-colored paint.
BASEMENTS AND CELLARS
(34) The floor of the cellar or lowest floor of every tenement house shall be free from dampness, and, when necessary, shall be concreted with four inches of concrete of good quality and with a finished surface. The cellar ceiling of every tenement house shall be plastered, when so required by the Building Inspector, except where the ceiling is aleady well sheathed with matched boards or well covered with a metal ceiling, or where the first floor above the cellar is constructed of iron beams and fireproof filling.
SHAFTS AND COURTS
(35) In every tenement house there shall be, at the bottom of every shaft and court, a door giving sufficient access to such shaft or court, to enable it to be properly cleaned; provided, that where there is al- ready a window giving proper access to such shaft or court, such window shall be deemed sufficient.
FIRE ESCAPES
(36) All non-fireproof tenement houses erected prior to this By-Law taking effect, which are three or
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more stories in height, which do not have fireproof stairs and stair halls or adequate fire escapes, as hereinafter re- quired, shall be provided either with fireproof outside stairways or with fireproof fire escapes directly accessible from each apartment without passing through a public hall.
No existing fire escape shall be deemed adequate un- less the following conditions are complied with :
(a) In every tenement house each apartment above the ground floor shall have a fire escape balcony directly accessible from it.
(b) All balconies shall be properly connected with each other by adequate stairs or stationary ladders with opening's not less than twenty-four by thirty-six inches.
(c) All fire escapes shall have proper ladders from the lowest balcony of sufficient length to reach a safe landing place beneath.
(d) All fire escapes not on the street shall have a safe and adequate means of egress from the yard or court to the street or to adjoining premises.
(e) Prompt and ready access shall be had to all fire escapes, which shall not be obstructed in any way.
No existing fire escape shall be extended or have its location changed except with the written approval of the Inspector of Buildings.
All fire escapes hereafter placed on tenement houses erected prior to this By-Law taking effect shall be located and constructed as follows: All such fire escapes shall open directly from at least one room or private hall in each apartment at each story above the ground floor, other than a bathroom or water closet compartment, and
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such room or private hall shall be accessible to every room thereof without passing through a public hall. Access to fire escapes shall not be obstructed in any way. Fire escapes shall not be placed in any court. Fire escapes may project into a public street, but not more than four feet beyond the building line. All fire escapes shall con- sist of outside fireproof balconies and stairways. All balconies shall be not less than three feet in width, and shall include at least one window or outside door of each apartment at each story above the ground floor.
All fire escape stairways shall be placed at an angle of not more than forty-five degrees, with flat open steps, not less than nine inches in width and twenty-four inches in length, and with a rise of not more than nine inches. The opening's for stairways in all balconies shall be not less than twenty-four by thirty-six inches, and shall have no covers of any kind. When tenement houses upon which fire escapes are placed have flat roofs the balcony on the top floor, except in the case of a balcony on the street, shall be provided with stairs or with a goose-neck ladder leading from the balcony to and above the roof and properly fastened thereto. A drop ladder or stairs shall be provided from the lowest balcony of sufficient length to reach to a safe landing place beneath. All fire escapes shall be constructed and erected to sustain safely in all their parts any reasonable load. In addition to the foregoing requirements, all fire escapes hereafter erected upon tenement houses shall be constructed in accordance with such supplementary regulations as may be adopted by the Building Department.
MEANS OF EGRESS
(37) Whenever a tenement house is not provided with sufficient fire escapes or with sufficient means of egress in case of fire, the Building Inspector shall order such additional fire escapes and other means of egress as may be necessary.
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ALTERATIONS GENERAL PROVISIONS
(38) No tenement house erected prior to this By- Law taking effect shall at any time be altered so as to be in violation of the requirements of this By-Law, except as hereinafter provided.
(a) Any additional room or hall that is hereafter constructed or created in a tenement house shall comply in all respects with the provisions of this By-Law, except that such rooms may be of the same height as the other rooms in the same story of the house.
(b) All shafts shall be fireproof throughout; with fireproof self-closing doors at all openings, at each story ; and, if they extend to the cellar, shall also be enclosed in the cellar with fireproof walls and fireproof self-closing doors at all openings. In no case shall any shaft be con- structed of materials in which any inflammable material or substance enters into any of the component parts. But nothing in this paragraph shall be so construed as to require such enclosures about elevators or dumb-waiters in the wellhole of stairs where the stairs themselves are enclosed in brick or stone walls, and are entirely con- structed of fireproof materials as provided in this Section.
(c) No wooden tenement house containing more than two apartments shall hereafter be enlarged or ex- tended ; except that a wooden extension not exceeding in total area seventy square feet may be added to an exist- ing wooden tenement house, provided that such exten- sion is used solely for bathrooms or water closets.
MAINTENANCE
PUBLIC HALLS, LIGHTING OF, IN THE DAYTIME
(39) In every tenement house where the public halls and stairs are not in the opinion of the Board of Health sufficiently lighted, the owner of such house shall
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keep a proper light burning in the hallway, near the stairs, upon each floor, as may be necessary, from sunrise to sunset.
PUBLIC HALLS, LIGHTING AT NIGHT
(40) In every tenement house occupied by more . than two families a proper light shall be kept burning by the owner in the public hallways, near the stairs, upon the entrance floor and upon the second floor above the entrance floor of said house, every night from sunset to sunrise throughout the year, and upon all other floors of the said house from sunset until ten o'clock in the eve- ning.
WATER CLOSETS IN CELLARS
(41) No water closet shall be permitted in the cel- lar of any tenement house, except as hereinafter provided.
WATER CLOSET ACCOMMODATIONS
(42) In every tenement house existing prior to this By-Law taking effect there shall be provided at least one water closet for every two families.
BASEMENT AND CELLAR ROOMS
(43) In existing tenement houses. Hereafter, in any tenement houses existing at the date this By-Law takes effect, no room in the basement or cellar shall be occupied for living purposes without a written permit from the Board of Health, such permit to be conspicu- ously placed and permanently kept in said room. No such room shall hereafter be occupied for living purposes nor shall the written permit be issued unless all the fol- lowing additional conditions are complied with. Such room shall be at least seven feet six inches high in every part from the top of the floor to the ceiling, shall have sufficient light, shall be well drained and dry, and shall be fit for human habitation. The ceiling of such room
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shall be in every part at least two feet above the surface of the street or ground outside of or adjoining the same and, with the floor and walls, shall be made and kept damp-proof and waterproof. In such basement or cellar there shall be provided a water supply and water-closet accommodations. There shall be outside of and adjoin- ing such room, and extending along the entire frontage thereof, an open space of at least two feet six inches wide in every part, unless such room extends for more than one-half of its height above the curb level.
CELLAR WALLS AND CEILINGS
(44) The cellar walls and ceilings of every tene- ment house shall be thoroughly whitened or painted a light color by the owner, and shall be so maintained. The whitening or paint shall be renewed whenever necessary, as may be required by the Board of Health.
WATER CLOSETS AND SINKS
(45) In all tenement houses the floor or other sur- face beneath and around water closets and sinks shall be maintained in good order and repair, and if of wood shall be kept well painted with light-colored paint.
REPAIRS
(46) £ Every tenement house and, all the parts there- of shall be kept in good repair, and the roof shall be kept so as not to leak, and all rain water shall be so drained, and conveyed therefrom, as to prevent dampness in the walls, ceilings, yards or areas.
WATER SUPPLY
(47) Every tenement house shall have water fur- nished in sufficient quantity at one or more places in each apartment.
The owner shall provide proper and suitable tanks, pumps, or other appliances to receive and distribute an
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adequate and sufficient supply of water at each apart- ment in the said house, at all times of the year, during all hours of the day and night. But a failure in the general supply of water by the town authorities shall not be con- strued to be a failure on the part of the owner, provided that proper and suitable appliances to receive and dis- tribute the water have been provided in the house.
CLEANLINESS OF BUILDINGS
(48) The owner of every tenement house shall cause every part thereof to be kept clean and free from any accumulation of dirt, filth and garbage or other ref- use matter in or on the same, or in the cellars, halls, passages, rooms, areas, yards, courts, and spaces ap- purtenant thereto. The owner shall thoroughly cleanse every part of the tenement house, whenever ordered so to do by the Board of Health.
WALLS OF COURTS
(49) The walls of all courts, unless built of a light- colored brick or stone, shall be thoroughly whitened by the owner, or shall be painted a light color by him, and shall be so maintained. The whitening or paint shall be renewed whenever necessary, as may be required by the . Board of Health.
WALLS AND CEILINGS OF ROOMS
(50) In all tenement houses, the Board of Health may require the walls and ceilings of every room that does not open directly on the street to be whitened or painted with white paint when necessary to improve the lighting of such room, and may require this to be re- newed as may be necessary.
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