USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Arlington > Town of Arlington annual report 1930 > Part 10
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(Inserted at the request of the Board of Public Works)
Article 18. To see if the Town will vote to endorse Senate Bill No. 476 now pending in the United States Senate, and House Bill No. 2562 now pending in the House of Representatives, both known as the 50-50 bill; viz; to give to the Veterans of the Spanish-American War who have attained the age of fifty (50) years, a pension of fifty (50) dollars per month; or take any action relating thereto.
(Inserted at the request of 100 registered voters)
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Article 19. To see if the Town will change the name of that portion of Trent Street, between Highland Av- enue and Coleman Road to Wildwood Avenue; or take any action relating thereto.
And you will notify and warn the voters of the Town of Arlington to meet at the time and place herein specified 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 conspicuous place in each of the seven precincts of the Town, seven days at least prior to the time of said meeting.
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.
Given under our hands, at said Arlington, this third day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and thirty.
LUKE A. MANNING ARTHUR P. WYMAN HOLLIS M. GOTT Selectmen of the Town of Arlington.
CONSTABLE'S RETURN
Arlington, Mass., March 31, 1930.
Middlesex County :
By virtue of this Warrant I have. notified and warned the legal voters of the Town of Arlington to meet at the times and places 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 at- tested copy at the doors of the Town Hall seven days at
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least before said day of meeting and by posting attested copies in two or more conspicuous places in each vot- ing precinct in the Town. A notice of the time, place and objects of the meeting was published in the local papers.
(Signed) DANIEL M. HOOLEY Constable, Town of Arlington, Mass.
SPECIAL MEETING
Arlington, April 9, 1930.
Pursuant to the foregoing Warrant the Town Meeting Members met in the Town Hall, Arlington, April 9, 1930 and were called to order at 8:30 o'clock in the evening by the Moderator, Curtis H. Waterman, Warrants having been sent by mail by the Town Clerk seven days before the day of meeting. Notice of the Special Meeting was published in the local paper.
One hundred and eighty-four members attended the meeting.
The Clerk read the Call and the Constable's Return of the Warrant, the reading of the rest of the Warrant being waived by the unanimous consent of the meeting. On motion of Arthur P. Wyman :
Voted : That if all the business of the meeting as set forth in the Warrant is not disposed of on this date, the meeting adjourn to Wednesday evening, April 16, 1930, at 8:30 o'clock.
On motion of Arthur P. Wyman :
Voted : That at 8:37 P.M. the Special Meeting be recessed until the business of the annual meeting is com-
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pleted ; and that in no event shall the recess of the special meeting extend beyond the time at which the annual meeting adjourns.
On motion of G. Bertram Washburn:
Voted : That Article 1 be taken up.
Article 1 taken up. (Reports of Committees)
On motion of G. Bertram Washburn:
Voted : That the report of the Finance Committee be received.
On motion of G. Bertram Washburn:
Voted : That Article 1 be laid on the table.
On motion of G. Bertram Washburn:
Voted : That the remaining articles in the Warrant be now taken up and that the recommendations of the Finance Committee under the various articles as pre- sented in their printed report be considered as now be- fore the meeting, to be voted upon without further motion respectively and in the order in which they appear in said Warrant.
The hour of 8:37 having arrived the meeting re- cessed in order to take up the business of the Adjourned Town Meeting.
A True Record, Attest :
E. CAROLINE PIERCE, Town Clerk.
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ADJOURNED MEETING
Arlington, April 9, 1930.
Pursuant to the vote of recess the Adjourned An- nual Meeting was called to order at 8:37 o'clock in the evening by the Moderator, Curtis H. Waterman.
Article 38 taken up. (High School Building)
Further discussion by several Town Meeting Mem- bers on this article followed.
William C. Drouet offered a substitute motion, and on a rising vote, Messrs. Hortter, Bixby, and Fitch acting as tellers, the motion was lost.
On motion of Frank A. Woodhead :
Voted : To refer this matter to the School Building Committee with instructions to study the manner of an addition to the present High School Building and to re- port at a special town meeting and that the sum of One Thousand Dollars be appropriated for use of this Com- mittee.
Voted : That we do not make at this meeting any appropriation for the construction of a building upon the land described in Article 38 of the Warrant.
On motion of G. Bertram Washburn:
Voted : That Article 3 be taken from the table.
On motion of William A. Muller :
Voted: That the following report be received.
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Report Of The Committee To Procure Plans And Estimates For Repairs And Additions To The Robbins Library Building
To Town Meeting Members :-
At the Adjourned Town Meeting, April 10, 1929, under Article 53 of the Warrant calling the Annual Town Meeting of 1929, it was Voted :
"That a committee of five, including one member of the Board of Trustees of the Robbins Library and the Building Inspector, be appointed by the Moderator to procure plans and estimates for repairs and additions to the Robbins Library Building or make other recommen- dations, such committee to have the power to fill vacan- cies, and to report to the Town not later than the annual meeting of 1930; that the sum of $500 be and hereby is appropriated for the use of the Committee; said sum to be raised by general tax."
On June 20, 1929, the following were appointed by the Moderator to serve on this committee :
WILLIAM A. MULLER, Chairman WILLIAM GRATTO EDITH M. FOX HENRY C. GUERNSEY ANGUS P. MacDONALD
The first duty of your committee was to select an architect for the proposed work. During the last few years, it has been the custom in Arlington to select archi- tects for public buildings by so-called competition. The committee therefore first sought information from the best known sources as to the desirability of the selection of an architect by this method. The American Institute
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of Architects, under an article entitled "Functions of the Architect," make the following statement:
"Except for certain forms of public and semi-public work 'competition' is not considered by the American Institute of Architects the best means of making such a selection. The custom of asking for preliminary sketches before making a selection and therefore before serious study of the problem can take place, is deplored and con- demned. An architect should be selected with the same careful consideration of his work and reputation as an attorney or physician. When this is done, those who build reap the benefit by actually receiving full value for the funds they expend and the public at large is benefited in more beautiful and more useful buildings."
Your committee communicated with Mr. Frank C. Baldwin, the Secretary of the American Institute of Architects at Washington, requesting additional informa- tion as to the forms of public work which should be open to competition in making the selection of an architect. Your committee was referred by the Secretary's office to Mr. Arthur Wallace Rice of 177 State Street, Boston, who is the Chairman of the Committee on Competitions for the American Institute of Architects. Mr. Rice kindly conferred with the chairman of your committee, and then wrote the following letter:
"Confirming my conversation with you today in reference to your letter of November 13th to Mr. Frank C. Baldwin, Secretary of the American Institute of Archi- tects, I am taking the liberty of writing you a few lines in regard to the selection of an architect for a building.
The Institute feels that the direct selection of an architect is almost always preferable to a competition. In certain cases of Federal or State buildings of mag- nitude, or some classes of monumental work, on account of Legislative or legal reasons, a competition may be
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necessary. In such cases where a competition is ad- visable, it should be carefully safeguarded to protect the interests of the owner, and the three conditions accep- table to the Institute are:
First: That there shall be a professional adviser.
Second : That there should be a jury of at least three members, one of which is a prac- ticing architect.
Third : That the program should contain a contract for architectural services in accordance with good practice.
I have personally been on the Standing Committee on Competitions of the American Institute of Architects for some ten years and am glad to say that from my obser- vation there are fewer and fewer competitions each year, even for large projects and the competition for the smaller class of work is rapidly dying out.
In my own Town of Milton, Massachusetts, we have in the last few years built several schools, a small public library and various other town buildings and monuments, and in no case has a competition been held but a direct selection has been made by the committee appointed by the Moderator of the town, and I know of no case where dissatisfaction among the architects has occurred and I feel sure that the best interests of the Town have been properly protected.
If there is any further information that I can give you, I should be only too glad to do so."
The above, therefore, seem to clearly set forth the position of the American Institute of Architects as to
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the selection of an architect for such work as we con- templated.
Your committee then wrote to Mr. Edward H. Prichard, the Secretary of the Boston Society of Archi- tects. We advised him that we were interested in se- curing plans for an addition to our Public Library, that recently architects for new buildings in Arlington had been secured by the so-called competitive method, and requested the position of the Boston Society of Architects in the method of selecting an architect. Our communi- cation to Mr. Prichard was referred to the President, Mr. Robert P. Bellows, and Mr. Bellows wrote us the following letter :
"Your letter of November 13th to Mr. Prichard con- cerning an addition to the Arlington Public Library has been referred to me for reply.
In work of this nature I can see no advantage in holding a competition unless you feel obligated to choose several architects of equal standing and are unable to make a choice otherwise.
The best thing to do in your case, I feel strongly, as you do, is to select an architect of high standing outright. I do not know who was the architect of your present fine Library. There are certain advantages in continuing with the same architect if he has given satisfaction in the past work and is still available."
Your committee, having secured the opinion of the American Institute of Architects and the Boston Society of Architects in this matter, then turned to Mr. Charles A. Coolidge of Coolidge, Shepley, Bulfinch & Abbott, un- doubtedly the outstanding firm of architects in this Com- monwealth. Mr. Coolidge was very kind, and gave the committee the benefit of his advice in the following letter :
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"In answer to the question which you asked me the other day as to my opinion in regard to architectural com- petitions, I wish to say that if you wish to have the best men go into a competition it will be necessary to conduct it with an architectural adviser who will draw the terms of competition and advise the committee during the com- petition. It will also be necessary for you to appoint three judges to decide on the architect who has sub- mitted the best plans and aid you in the selection of the architect of the building. All these things are expensive as all these people should be reimbursed for their ser- vices. It seems to me, therefore, that it would be very much better for you and your committee to decide on the architect yourselves. To aid you in making up your minds as to whom you wish to employ, it is permissible to see the architects you have in mind and also to ask them to show you photographs of their work and go to see the work which they have done which is available, but not to ask them-and they would not be allowed ac- cording to rules of the American Institute of Architects- to make you any drawings for your contemplated building until you had decided which architect you wish to employ.
I am going away for ten days and on my return if there are any further questions in regard to the matter which you wish to ask me, I shall be at your service."
Your committee therefore felt warranted in coming to the conclusion that the method of selecting an architect for buildings in Arlington by competition was undesirable, and the committee consulted with the following firms of architects before making their selection :-
Howard B. S. Prescott, 12 Pearl St., Boston Derby, Barnes & Champney, 3 Joy St., Boston William Chapman, 15 Ashburton Pl., Boston Ralph Harrington Doane, 60 Batterymarch St., Boston Gay & Proctor, 248 Boylston St., Boston
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and after careful consideration of all that was learned from these various gentlemen, your committee determined on December 6, 1929, on the selection of Messrs. Gay & Proctor as architects.
Mrs. Spofford, our Librarian, as well as the Trustees of the Library, had given the matter of an addition to the library building a great deal of study during the past two years, and the needs of the Library were well crystallized in their minds. At first it had seemed best to make the proposed addition in the direction of the Town Hall. Later, however, plans were changed and the addition made to extend west and south towards the Robbins homestead. Before making a definite conclusion, sketches of the proposed changes were sent to the Misses Robbins in Switzerland, and later your committee received the fol- lowing communication from them:
"We like the plans very much and think Mr. Proctor has been most successful in keeping the general style and outline of the main building. As for extending the li- brary in the direction of our house, that is quite all right. We hope that you will succeed in getting your appropriation for the work and be able to complete the addition as quickly as possible."
Plans were then completed by Messrs. Gay & Proctor in order that they could be submitted to the contractors and estimates secured for the completion of the proposed children's room, adequate work rooms, hall with a seating capacity of 250, and necessary repairs and improvements on the present building. Figures submitted by the con- tractors gave the estimated cost at $136,635. The Joint Board of the Trustees and the Building Committee, to- gether with the Librarian, then appeared before the Finance Committee, showed the plans for the proposed addition, and requested an appropriation of $135,000. The Finance Committee, as you know, recommended an appro-
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priation of $90,000, which recommendation has been adopted by the Town, and this amount will be sufficient to carry out all the plans contemplated by the Building Committee and the Trustees with the exception of the Hall Building. The new reading room will be so con- structed that the hall may be added at the minimum ex- pense when the Town is willing to make the necessary appropriation, and a new heating plant will be installed which will be sufficient to care for the new reading room and the proposed hall when completed.
Respectfully submitted,
WILLIAM A. MULLER ANGUS P. MacDONALD HENRY C. GUERNSEY WILLIAM GRATTO
Building Committee
The Moderator declaring that all business in the Warrant calling this meeting having been disposed of, the meeting was adjourned at 9:50 P.M.
A True Record, Attest :
E. CAROLINE PIERCE, Town Clerk.
SPECIAL MEETING
Arlington, April 9, 1930.
Pursuant to the vote of recess the Special Town Meeting was called to order at 9:52 o'clock in the even- ing by the Moderator, Curtis H. Waterman.
Article 2 taken up. (Exterior Lines from Haw- thorne Avenue)
Voted (Unanimously) : That the establishment of
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exterior lines of a way from Hawthorne Avenue as made and reported by the Joint Board of Selectmen and Board of Public Works and more particularly de- scribed in Article 2 of the Warrant, be and hereby is accepted, said lines established and said Joint Board authorized to take land for the purpose; that the sum of three hundred (300) dollars be and hereby is appro- priated for the purpose, including damages; and that said sum be raised by general tax and expended under the direction of said Joint Board.
Article 3 taken up. (Exterior Lines-Massachu- setts Avenue to Brooks Avenue)
Voted (Unanimously) : That the establishment of exterior lines of a way from Massachusetts Avenue to Brooks Avenue as made and reported by the Joint Board of Selectmen and Board of Public Works and more par- ticularly described in Article 3 of the Warrant, be and hereby is accepted, said lines established and said Joint Board authorized to take land for the purpose that the sum of three thousand (3,000) dollars be and hereby is appropriated for the purpose, including land damages and that said sum be raised by general tax and expended under the direction of said Joint Board.
Article 4 taken up. (Exterior Lines from Wollaston Avenue)
Voted (Unanimously) : That the establishment of exterior lines of a way from Wollaston Avenue north- easterly as made and reported by the Joint Board of Sel- ectmen and Board of Public Works and more particularly described in Article 4 of the Warrant, be and hereby is accepted, said lines established and said Joint Board authorized to take land for the purpose; that the sum of seven hundred (700) dollars be and hereby is appropriated for the purpose, including land damages; and that said
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sum be raised by general tax and expended under the direction of said Joint Board.
Article 5 taken up. (Exterior Lines from Upland Road)
On substitute motion of Arthur P. Wyman :
Voted: That the establishment of exterior lines of a way from Upland Road southeasterly as made and re- ported by the Joint Board of Selectmen and Board of Public Works and more particularly described in Article 5 of the Warrant, be not accepted.
Article 6 taken up. (Exterior Lines from Dow Av- enue)
Voted (Unanimously) : That the establishment of exterior lines of a way from Dow Avenue southeasterly as made and reported by the Joint Board of Selectmen and Board of Public Works and more particularly de- scribed in Article 6 of the Warrant, be and hereby is ac- cepted, said lines established and said Joint Board author- ized to take land for the purpose; that the sum of six hundred (600) dollars be and hereby is appropriated for the purpose, including land damages; and that said sum be raised by general tax and expended under the direction of said Joint Board.
Article 7 taken up. (Exterior Lines from Amsden Street to Teel Street)
Voted (Unanimously) : That the establishment of exterior lines of a way from Amsden Street to Teel Street as made and reported by the Joint Board of Selectmen and Board of Public Works and more particularly described in Article 7 of the Warrant, be and hereby is accepted, said lines established and said Joint Board authorized to take
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land for the purpose; that the sum of five hundred (500) dollars be and hereby is appropriated for the purpose, in- cluding land damages; and that said sum be raised by general tax and expended under the direction of said Joint Board.
Article 8 taken up. (Exterior Lines from Medford Street to Mystic Street)
A substitute motion was offered by John J. Sullivan which being placed before the meeting was lost, forty- three voting in favor and eighty-two in opposition, Messrs. Hortter, Bixby, and Fitch acting as tellers.
The total number, 125, having voted on this question, at the request of Thomas F. Good the number of Town Meeting Members present was counted. The result showed that at this time there were 153 members present, more than a majority of the total membership.
The recommendation of the Finance Committee being placed before the meeting, it was
Voted : That the establishment of exterior lines of a way from Medford Street to Mystic Street as made and reported by the Joint Board of Selectmen and Board of Public Works and more particularly described in Article 8 of the Warrant, be and hereby is accepted, said lines es- tablished and said Joint Board authorized to take land for the purpose ; that the sum of five thousand (5,000) dollars be and hereby is appropriated for the purpose, including land damages ; and that said sum be raised by general tax and expended under the direction of said Joint Board.
Article 9 taken up. (Exterior Lines from accepted end of Wollaston Avenue)
Voted (Unanimously) : That the establishment of
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exterior lines of a way from the present end of acceptance of Wollaston Avenue southeasterly as made and reported by the Joint Board of Selectmen and Board of Public Works and more particularly described in Article 9 of the Warrant, be and hereby is accepted, said lines es- tablished and said Joint Board authorized to take land for the purpose; that the sum of three hundred (300) dollars be and hereby is appropriated for the purpose, including land damages ; and that said sum be raised by general tax, and expended under the direction of said Joint Board.
Article 10 taken up.
(Building Lines-Mystic Street)
On substitution motion of G. Bertram Washburn:
Voted (Unanimously) : That the establishment of building lines along the easterly and westerly sides of the way known as Mystic Street respectively beginning at Garden Street and on "land of Mary A. Payne" ad- jacent to Russell Street and extending to the Mystic Valley Parkway and Summer Street substantially par- allel with and distant seven (7) feet from the easterly side of said way, and substantially parallel with and distant eight (8) feet from the westerly side of said way, as made and reported by the Joint Board of Selectmen and Board of Public Works and more particularly described in Article 10 of the Warrant, be accepted; that said building lines be established, and that, as provided in said estab- lishment, steps, windows, porticoes and other usual pro- jections appurtenant to the front wall of a building may be erected and maintained between said building lines and said way, and buildings or parts of buildings, struc- tures, embankments, steps, walls, fences and gates existing at the time of establishing of said building lines between said building lines and said way may be per- mitted to remain and to be maintained; and that said Joint Board be authorized to make any necessary taking's
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for the purpose; that the sum of one thousand (1,000) dollars be and hereby is appropriated therefor and that said sum be raised by general tax and expended under the direction of said Joint Board.
Article 11 taken up. (Alteration of Ways-Franklin Street and Lewis Avenue)
Voted (Unanimously) : That the alteration of the ways known as Franklin Street and Lewis Avenue from a point on said Franklin Street, distant forty-seven and forty-three one hundredths (47.43) feet southerly from its junction with said Lewis Avenue to a point on said Lewis Avenue distant fifty-one and forty-seven one hun- dredths (51.47) feet northwesterly from its junction with said Franklin Street in said Town and more particularly described in Article 11 of the Warrant, as made and re- ported by the Joint Board of Selectmen and Board of Public Works, be accepted, said way as so altered es- tablished and said Joint Board authorized to take land for the purpose; that the sum of four hundred and seventy-five (475) dollars be and hereby is appropriated for the alteration and construction of said ways including land damages and the cost of any pavement and sidewalks laid at the time of such alteration and construction, all under the provisions of law authorizing the assessment of betterments; that said sum be raised by general tax and expended under the direction of the said Joint Board.
Article 12 taken up. (Menotomy Way)
Voted (Unanimously) : That the laying out of a foot way from Menotomy Road to School Street, sub- stantially in the location of the private way known as Menotomy Way, as more particularly described in Article 12 of the Warrant, as made and reported by the Joint Board of Selectmen and Board of Public Works, be accepted, said way established and said Joint Board
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