USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Arlington > Town of Arlington annual report 1926 > Part 2
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Article 3. To see if the Town will make an appro- priation for additional fire apparatus; determine in what manner the money shall be raised and expended; or take any action relating thereto.
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TOWN RECORDS
Article 4. To see if the Town will make an addi- tional appropriation for the purpose of constructing a building to be used as an engine house, upon the land situated in said Arlington and bounded southwesterly by Massachusetts Avenue, northwesterly by land of the Town acquired for park purposes, northeasterly by Broadway, and southeasterly by Franklin Street, includ- ing the cost of original equipment and furnishings ; determine in what manner the money shall be raised and expended; or take any action relating thereto. (Inserted at the request of the Committee on Additional Fire Accommodations )
Article 5. To see if the Town will make an appro- priation or appropriations for the payment of taxes assessed by reason of the ownership of land acquired or owned by the Town; or take any action relating thereto.
Article 6. To see if the Town will make an appro- priation for the foreclosure of all rights of redemption from any and all titles conveyed by a tax collector's deed or a taking of land for taxes; determine in what manner the money shali be raised and expended; or take any action relating thereto.
Article 7. To see if the Town will make an appro- priation for the registration by the Land Court of the Town's title to any and all lands or interests in land at any time now or hereafter held or claimed by it; deter- mine in what manner the money shall be raised and expended ; or take any action relating thereto.
Article 8. To see if the Town will appoint a com- mittee to procure plans and estimates for the construc- tion of a school building on land of the Town situated on Irving Street; make an appropriation therefor; or take any action relating thereto.
(Inserted at the request of the School Committee)
Article 9. To see if the Town will appoint a com- mittee to consider the condition of Spy Pond and the
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
report thereon by the State Department of Public Health under the provisions of chapter 19 of the Resolves passed by the General Court in 1925; make an appropriation for the use of such committee; or take any action relat- ing thereto.
(Inserted at the request of the Board of Health)
Article 10. To see if the Town will appropriate the sum of five hundred ($500) dollars to be expended under the direction of the Arlington World War Memorial Com- mittee.
(Inserted at the request of more than one hundred (100) registered voters)
Article 11. To see if the Town will authorize the conveyance of any and all parcels of land or parts thereof or interests therein, or the abandonment of any and all easements or rights or parts thereof, taken or acquired by the Town in connection with taxes or assessments ; or take any action relating thereto.
Article 12. To see if the Town will authorize the release of all the right, title and interest it may have under or by virtue of any deed or other instrument con- veying or purporting to convey or assign and transfer to it, any land, right, title or interest in land, sold for the non-payment of taxes or assessments; or take any action relating thereto.
Article 13. To see if the Town will vote to petition the General Court for authority to revoke the Town's acceptance of Chapter 635 of the Acts of 1912 entitled An Act Relative to Tenement Houses in Towns; or take any action relating thereto.
(Inserted at the request of the Committee on Revision of Town By-laws)
Article 14. To see if the Town will vote to petition the General Court for the enactment of a statute applica- ble to the Town of Arlington, relating to tenement houses
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as defined by Chapter 145 of the General Laws or to buildings and other structures; or take any action relat- ing thereto.
Article 15. To see if the Town will amend its Zon- ing By-law by altering the zoning map therein referred to so as to include in the Business District all or any portion of the area on the southerly side of Massachu- setts Avenue bounded easterly by Academy Street, southerly by the General Residence District as shown on said map, westerly by Newman Way, so-called, and northerly by Massachusetts Avenue; or take any action relating thereto.
(Inserted at the request of the Planning Board)
Article 16. To see if the Town will amend its Zon- ing By-law by altering the zoning map therein referred to so as to include in a Business District the premises numbered 792 on the southerly side of Massachusetts Avenue, now shown on said map as being included in a Single Residence District, and being Lot 16 as shown on pian entitled "Partition Plan of the T. H. Teel Estate in Arlington, J. O. Goodwin, Surveyor, dated April 18, 1884", recorded with Middlesex South District Deeds, plan book 42, plan 3, bounded and described as follows: Northeasterly by Massachusetts Avenue as now laid out, 72.82 ft., northwesterly by Lot 17, 128.24 ft., south- westerly by Lot 18, 67.11 ft., southeasterly by Lot 15, 151.31 ft., more or less, containing 9515 sq. ft., more or less ; or take any action relating thereto.
(Inserted at the request of more than one hundred (100) registered voters)
Article 17 To see if the Town will further change the map entitled "Town of Arlington, Massachusetts, Zoning Map, prepared under the direction of the Zoning Committee by John P. Fox, Consultant on Zoning, March 1924" which map showing the districts of classes was adopted at the adjourned meeting held May 15, 1924, of
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
the Annual Town Meeting of 1924, by including in the fourth or Business District, the land on the southerly side of Massachusetts Avenue between Newman Way and Churchill Avenue to a depth of one hundred seventy (170) feet from the southerly side line of said Massachu- setts Avenue; or take any action relating thereto. (Inserted at the request of more than one hundred (100) registered voters)
Article 18. To see if the Town will further change the map entitled "Town of Arlington, Massachusetts, Zoning Map, prepared under the direction of the Zoning Committee by John P. Fox, Consultant on Zoning, March 1924" which map showing the districts of classes was adopted at the adjourned meeting held May 15, 1924, of the Annual Town Meeting of 1924, by including in the fourth or Business District, the land on the southerly side of Massachusetts Avenue between Churchill Avenue and Lockeland Avenue to a depth of one hundred ten (110) feet from the southerly side line of said Massa- chusetts Avenue; or take any action relating thereto. (Inserted at the request of more than one hundred (100) registered voters)
Article 19. To see if the Town will further change the map entitled "Town of Arlington, Massachusetts, Zoning Map, prepared under the direction of the Zoning Committee by John P. Fox, Consultant on Zoning, March 1924" which map showing the districts of classes was adopted at the adjourned meeting held May 15, 1924, of the Annual Town Meeting of 1924, by including in the second or General Residence District, the land bounded northeasterly by Gloucester Street, northwesterly by Highland Avenue, southwesterly by Gray Street, south- easterly by Lockeland Avenue; or take any action relat- ing thereto.
(Inserted at the request of more than one hundred (100) registered voters) 1
Article 20. To see if the Town will amend its Zon- ing By-law by altering the zoning map therein referred
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TOWN RECORDS
to so as to include in a Business District all or any portion of a certain lot of land containing seven thousand, four hundred (7,400) square feet, more or less, situated at the corner of Massachusetts Avenue and Jason Street in said Arlington, and bounded and described as follows: Beginning at a stone post at the intersection of Massa- chusetts Avenue and Jason Street, S. W. on Jason Street one hundred sixteen and 43.100 (116.43) ft .; thence turning at a right angle and running N. W. seventy and 99.100 (70.99) ft. to centre of line of an eight-foot drive- way; thence turning at a right angle and running north- westerly on the centre line of said driveway ninety-two and 13.100 (92.13) ft. to Massachusetts Avenue; thence turning and running southwesterly on Massachusetts Avenue, seventy-five and 4.100 (75.04) ft. to point of beginning.
(Inserted at the request of more than one hundred (100) registered voters)
Article 21. To see if the Town will amend its Zon- nig By-law by altering the zoning map therein referred to so as to include in the Business District, all or any portion of the area on the northerly side of Massachu- setts Avenue, bounded southerly by Massachusetts Avenue, westerly by the High School lot, northerly by the Industrial District and the Semi-Residence District, as shown on said map, and easterly by Court Street; or take any action relating thereto.
(Inserted at the request of the Planning Board)
Article 22. To see if the Town will amend its Zon- ing By-law so that the lines as shown upon the map adopted by the adjourned Town Meeting held May 15, 1924 as a part of the Zoning By-law of the Town of Arlington be modified and amended by striking out the present restriction on the hereinafter described property and substituting therefor the following: "That the sec- tion bordering on Massachusetts Avenue on the Northerly side thereof at the Southeasterly corner of Mill Street
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
from the Westerly corner of the property known as the Colonial Garage to the corner of Mill Street and having a frontage on Massachusetts Avenue of eighty-four and 85.100 (84.85) feet be changed from a Single Residence District to a Business District"; or take any action re- lating thereto.
(Inserted at the request of more than one hundred (100) registered voters)
Article 23. To see if the Town will amend its Zon- ing By-law by altering the zoning map, prepared under the Zoning Committee's direction with John P. Fox, Con- sultant on Zoning, March, 1924, so as to include in the Business District all that portion of land standing in the name and title of the Heirs of Bridget Ahern, situated at No. 213 Broadway, Arlington, bounded and described as follows: Northerly by land now or formerly of John H. Myers, John Joseph Sexton, and Ada D. Allen, a distance of 99.96 ft., thence easterly by land now or formerly of John Coughlin a distance of 58.6 ft., then southerly by land now or formerly of Charlotte A. O'Neill 90 ft., and westerly by land now or formerly of Heirs of Bridget Ahern on a line parallel with, and distant 100 feet east- erly from the easterly line of Broadway a distance of 63 feet; or take any action relating thereto.
(Inserted at the request of more than one hundred (100) registered voters)
And you will notify and warn the voters of the Town of Arlington to meet at the time and place herein speci- fied by leaving at every dwelling house in the Town a printed copy of this Warrant, and also by posting a copy of the same at the doors of the Town Hall, and in a con- spicuous place in each of the seven precincts of the Town, seven days at least prior to the time of said meeting.
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Hereof, fail not, and make due return of this war- rant, with your doings thereon, to the Town Clerk, on or before said day and hour of meeting.
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TOWN RECORDS
Given under our hands, at said Arlington, this twenty-first day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and twenty-five.
CHARLES B. DEVEREAUX FREDERICK W. HILL NELSON B. CROSBY
Selectmen of the Town of Arlington
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
CONSTABLE'S RETURN
Arlington, Mass., January 4, 1926
Middlesex County :
By virtue of this warrant I have notified and warned the legal voters of the Town of Arlington to meet at the time and place and for the purposes herein named by causing a printed attested copy of the same to be left at every dwelling house in the Town, and by posting an attested copy at the doors of the Town Hall seven days at least before said day of meeting and by posting attested copies in two or more conspicuous places in each voting precinct in the Town. A notice of the time, place and objects of the meeting was published in the local paper.
(Signed)
DANIEL M. HOOLEY
Constable, Town of Arlington, Mass.
Arlington, January 14, 1926.
Pursuant to the Warrant of the Selectmen, served according to law upon the inhabitants of the Town of Arlington by a Constable of said Town, and sent by mail by the Town Clerk seven days before the day of meeting to the Town Meeting Members duly elected and qualified to act in Town Meetings in Arlington, the Town Meeting Members met in the Town Hall, in said Town on Thurs- day, January 14, 1926, at eight o'clock in the evening. Notices of the Special Town Meeting were published in the local paper.
The check lists as filed with the Town Clerk at the close of the meeting showed that one hundred and sixty- six members attended the meeting, Messrs. Philip T. Rob- inson and Albert Peirce acting as checkers.
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TOWN RECORDS
The meeting was called to order at ten minutes after eight o'clock in the evening by the Moderator, John G. Brackett.
The Clerk read the call and the Constable's Return of the Warrant, the reading of the remainder of the Warrant being waived by unanimous consent of the meeting.
On motion of Charles B. Devereaux :
Voted: That if the business in the Warrant calling this meeting is not disposed of on this date, the meeting adjourn to meet on Thursday evening, January 28, 1926, at eight o'clock.
On Motion of Hollis M. Gott, Chairman of the Fi- nance Committee :
Voted : That Article 1 be taken up. (Reports of Committees).
Edward N. Lacey presented the following partial report of the Committee on Revision of the Town's By- Laws.
"TO THE TOWN OF ARLINGTON:
Your Committee appointed to revise the Town's By- Laws particularly those with regard to buildings, find themselves unable to proceed further with their work without knowing whether the Town desires to have the laws in regard to tenements changed.
The Town accepted in 1912 the State law now Chap- ter 145 of the General Laws relative to tenements in Towns and it now finds itself unable to make any changes.
After careful investigation your Committee is of the opinion that at present little development along Mas- sachusetts Avenue can take place except by the building of one story stores and these of only limited number.
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
One and two story dwellings can be built but the land is too valuable to encourage this class of buildings.
Apartments or a combination of apartments and stores are made almost prohibitive by the present tene- ment house law which calls for first class construction and allows only 50% of the lot to be covered by buildings.
These two requirements add greatly to the cost of the building and prevent the land being used to the best advantage.
Some of the larger towns, for example Brookline, never accepted this State law but have incorporated much of that law in their By-Laws as have the Cities of Boston, Cambridge, Malden, etc., but with more liberality in regard to areas and type of construction.
If the Town revokes its acceptance of the State law, your committee plans to recommend that the Town adopt as part of its By-laws 53 of the 63 sections of the present law so far as applicable. The remaining ten sections we would have changed substantially as follows :
Section 10. We recommend that the percentage of lot covered be increased from 50% to 60% with a further allowance in case the lot is less than 80 ft. deep, its per- centage increases, as the lot decreases in depth, to a limit of 70% which would be for a lot 60 ft. or less in depth.
Section 11. While this section will call for tene- ments to be built of first class (or fireproof) construc- tion, it provides that buildings not over 3500 sq. ft. in area to be constructed of second class construction (Masonry wall and wood floor construction), with certain restrictions in regard to fire-proofing basement and stair- ways and with further restrictions to still further protect from fire in cases where the building is over three stories high.
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TOWN RECORDS
Section 13. Reduce the rear yard of three story tenements from 25 ft. to 20 ft. with a still further reduc- tion where the lots are less in depth than 100 ft.
Section 17. Garages of first class construction are allowed on the same lot with a tenement house without the necessity of maintaining an open space across the entire width of lot.
Section 20. This section to be amended so that the area of windows will be at least 1/10 of the superficial area of the room instead of 1/7 in the present law.
Section 21. This section to be amended to allow 120 sq. ft. in floor area instead of 150 sq. ft. as the mini- mum size of at least one room in an apartment and the minimum height to be 8 ft. 6 inches instead of 9 ft.
Section 30. Reference to water closet in the base- ment to be omitted.
Section 34. To be amended to allow first or second class as previously allowed in Section 10.
Section 35. To be amended by leaving out the exact limit as to the rise and tread of stairways.
Section 36. To be omitted as this section is covered by Section 10.
The committee recommends that the Town petition the Legislature for permission to revoke its acceptance of the Act Relative to Tenement Houses in Towns (now Chapter 145 of the General Laws), namely favorable action on Article 13 of the Warrant.
Respectfully submitted. FREDERIC F. LOW GEORGE W. KENTY EDWARD N. LACEY WALTER F. ROBINSON"
January 14, 1926
Voted: That the Report be received.
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
On motion of Elliott R. Barker, Chairman of the Committee on Cutter School Addition.
Voted: That the following report be accepted and the Committee be discharged.
"January 8, 1926.
Mr. Moderator and Town Meeting Members :
The school building committee having in charge the construction of the Cutter School addition beg leave to present the following final report:
At the Town Meeting of March 24, 1924 the sum of $109,000 was appropriated for this project, of which $13,000 was levied in the taxes of 1924 and the balance of $96,000 was to be raised in the form of notes of the Town. This amount of $96,000 was reduced to $90,000 in the Town Meeting of February 13, 1925 when it was found that this sum was sufficient to complete the project.
Your Committee was appointed by the Moderator, obtained plans of the proposed eight-room addition from the architectural firm of Gay and Proctor, of which Mr. Proctor is our Townsman, and proceeded to let the con- tracts for the various parts of the work. Through the hearty co-operation of the architects and contractors the work progressed rapidly during the summer and fall and the building was occupied in November 1924.
Our duties in connection with this building are now completed and we render the following accounting :
Original appropriation of March 25, 1924
$109,000 00
Expenditures
General Contract-Joseph S. Greenwood $75,402 15
Architect-Gay and Proctor 5,500 00 Heating and ventilating 7,173 08
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TOWN RECORDS
Plumbing
3,384 00
Misc. charges
360 35
Furnishings
5,221 36
Hardware
700 00
Insurance
1,346 25
99,087 19
Total balance returned to Town
$ 9,912 81
Reduction of Borrowing as voted in Town Meeting of Febru- ary 13, 1925
$ 6,000 00
Net balance now in Town Treas-
ury
3,912 81 $
Respectfully submitted,
FOSTER P. DOANE
THOMAS J. DONNELLY, Jr.
CHARLES B. DEVEREAUX
CHARLES A. HARDY, Secretary ELLIOTT R. BARKER, Chairman"
On motion of Hollis M. Gott:
Voted: That the report of the Finance Committee as presented to this meeting in printed form be received.
On motion of Hollis M. Gott:
Voted: That Article 1 be laid upon the table.
On motion of Hollis M. Gott :
Voted : That Articles 2 to 14, both inclusive, in the Warrant with the respective recommendations of the Finance Committee as contained in the printed report be taken up and that the same be considered as now before the meeting and voted upon separately and in the order given without further motion.
Article 2 taken up. (Appropriation for Sealer of Weights and Measures.)
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
Voted : That the sum of $170 be and hereby is appropriated for the purchase of equipment for the de- partment of Sealer of Weights and Measures; said sum to be raised by general tax and expended under the direc- tion of the Board of Selectmen.
Article 3 taken up. (Additional Fire Apparatus.)
On substitute motion of Hollis M. Gott:
Voted : That the sum of $12,500 be and hereby is appropriated for the purchase of additional fire appara- tus, for the use of the Fire Department; said sum to be raised by general tax and expended under the direction of the Chief of the Fire Department subject to the approval of the Board of Selectmen.
Article 4 taken up. (Additional Appropriation for Central Fire Station.)
Voted : That there be and hereby is appropriated the additional sum of $11,811.75 for the purpose of con- structing a building to be used for an engine house upon the land situated in said Arlington and bounded south- westerly by Massachusetts Avenue, northwesterly by land of the Town acquired for park purposes, northeast- erly by Broadway, and southeasterly by Franklin Street, including the cost of original equipment and furnishings ; said additional sum to be raised by general tax and expended under the direction of the committee appointed under vote of the Town passed March 28, 1923, to procure plans and estimates for the construction of a Fire De- partment building and the installation therein of fire alarm apparatus.
Article 5 taken up. (Appropriation for Payment of Taxes on Town Land.)
On substitute motion of Hollis M. Gott:
Voted: That the Town do not appropriate any sum for the payment of taxes assessed by reason of the ownership of land acquired or owned by the Town.
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TOWN . RECORDS
Article 6 taken up. (Appropriation for Foreclosure).
Voted: That the sum of $1,500 be and hereby is appropriated for the foreclosure of all rights of redemp- tion from any and all titles conveyed by a tax collector's deed or a taking of land for taxes; said sum to be raised by general tax and expended under the direction of the Board of Selectmen. .
Article 7 taken up. (Appropriation for Registration by Land Court.)
Voted: That the sum of $3,000 be and hereby is appropriated for the registration by the Land Court of the Town's title to any and all lands or interests in land at any time now or hereafter held or claimed by it; said sum to be raised by general tax and expended under the direction of the Board of Selectmen.
Article & taken up. (School Building on Irving Street.)
Voted : That a committee of five be appointed by the Moderator to procure plans and estimates for the construction of a school building on land of the Town situated on Irving Street, said committee to have the power to fill vacancies and to report to the Annual Meet- ing 1926; and that the sum of $750 be and hereby is appropriated for the use of said committee.
Committee named on Irving Street Schoolhouse:
ELLIOTT R. BARKER CHARLES B. DEVEREAUX WALTER F. ROBINSON CHARLES A. HARDY M. ERNEST MOORE
Article 9 taken up. ' (Spy Pond.)
Voted : That a committee of five be appointed by the Moderator to consider the condition of Spy Pond and the report thereon by the State Department of Public
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
Health under the provisions of chapter 19 of the Resolves passed by the General Court in 1925; said committee to have the power to fill vacancies and to report to the Annual Meeting 1926; and that the sum of $100 be and hereby is appropriated for the use of said committee.
Committee named :
ALFRED LOMBARD WARREN A. PEIRCE ROGER W. HOMER J. HOWARD HAYES CHARLES L. FITCH
Article 10 taken up. (World War Memorial.)
Before taking any action on this article Mr. Gott explained to the meeting that the Finance Committee recommended that no appropriation be made on account of the fact that it would not be legal for the Town to appropriate money to be expended by a self-appointed committee.
Voted: That the Town do not appropriate the sum of five hundred ($500) dollars to be expended under the direction of the Arlington World War Memorial Com- mittee.
Article 11 taken up. (Conveyance of Land or Aban- donment of Easements.)
On the substitute motion of Hollis M. Gott:
Voted: (Unanimously) That the present and each future Board of Selectmen be and hereby is authorized in the name and behalf of the Town to sell at public auc- tion or private sale any and all parcels of land or parts thereof at any time taken, acquired or held by the Town under or by virtue of a tax collector's deed or a taking in connection with taxes or assessments, after the title of the Town has become absolute; to convey such land, and to execute, acknowledge and deliver a proper deed or
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TOWN RECORDS
deeds for that purpose, all for the minimum amount of one dollar for each such conveyance.
Article 12 taken up. (Release of Right, etc., for Non-payment of Taxes or Assessments.)
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