USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Arlington > Town of Arlington annual report 1931 > Part 13
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(Inserted at the request of the Board of Public Works.)
Article 4. To see if the Town will sell, convey or otherwise dispose of all or any of the buildings on the land of the Town known as the Old Town Yard on Summer Street; will construct a building for use as a wagon shed or otherwise on the land of the Town, known as the Town Yard on Hobbs Court; make an appropriation or appro- priations for the purposes aforesaid; determine in what manner the money shall be raised and expended; or take any action relating to all or any of the foregoing.
(Inserted at the request of the Board of Public Works.)
Article 5. To see if the Town will make an appro- priation for the extension of the Sewerage System from the corner of Appleton Street and Wollaston Avenue, through private land, through George Street, Florence and Wachusett Avenues to Park Avenue, and the ex- tension of a surface water drain in Florence and Wachusett Avenues; determine in what manner the money shall be raised and expended; or take any action relating thereto.
(Inserted at the request of more than one hundred (100) registered voters.)
Article 6. To see if the Town will make an appro- priation for the partial grading of the High School lot;
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determine in what manner the money shall be raised and expended; or take any action relating thereto.
(Inserted at the request of the Building Committee of the New High School.)
Article 7. To see if the Town will increase the mem- bership of the Committee appointed under vote of the Town passed May 26, 1930, to investigate and study the Public Library Accommodations at Arlington Heights, by adding thereto the Chairman of the Library Trustees and the Inspector of Buildings; will authorize said Com- mittee to procure plans and estimates for altering, repair- ing, or adding to the building on the land of the Town situated at the corner of Park Avenue and Paul Revere Road, and/or for constructing a new building on said land; appropriate the sum of three hundred ($300) dollars or any other sum for the use of said Committee, deter- mine in what manner the money shall be raised; or take any action relating to all or any of the foregoing.
(Inserted at the request of the Committee appointed to investigate Library accommodations at Arlington Heights.)
Article 8. To see if the Town will amend Section 2 of Article 8 of the Town's By-Laws, relating to the Finance Committee, by inserting after the words "town office" the words "other than town meeting member- ship," so that said section shall read: "No person holding either elective or appointive town office other than town meeting membership and no town employee shall be eligible to serve on said committee"; will amend said section in any other manner; make an appropriation for the publishing and/or printing of said section as amended and/or said article; 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
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same at the doors of the Town Hall, and in a conspicuous place in each of the fourteen precincts of the Town, seven days at least prior to the time of said meeting.
Hereof, fail not, and make due return of this Warrant, 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 twenty- second day of June, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and thirty-one.
HOLLIS M. GOTT, WILLIAM O. HAUSER, ARTHUR P. WYMAN, Selectmen of the Town of Arlington.
CONSTABLE'S RETURN
Arlington, Mass., July 7, 1931.
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 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 object of the meeting was published in the local paper.
(Signed) JOHN A. EASTON, Constable, Town of Arlington, Mass.
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
SPECIAL MEETING
Arlington, July 15, 1931.
Pursuant to the Warrant of the Selectmen served according to law upon the inhabitants of the Town of Arlington, by a constable of the 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 at the Robbins Memorial Town Hall in said Town on Wednesday, July 15, 1931, at eight o'clock in the evening.
Lists of the duly qualified Town Meeting Members were used at the entrances of the meeting place and were in charge of Albert K. Peirce and James E. Sweeney.
The check lists filed with the Town Clerk at the close of the meeting showed that 149 members attended the meeting.
James C. Carr, stenographer, was sworn by the Town Clerk to impartially and correctly report the proceedings of the meeting to the best of his ability.
The Moderator called the meeting to order at 8.15 o'clock P.M.
The Moderator swore to the faithful performance of their duties the Town Meeting Members who had not already been sworn.
On motion of Hollis M. Gott:
Voted: That if all the business of the meeting as set forth in Warrant is not disposed of on this date the meeting adjourn to Wednesday, July 22, 1931, at eight o'clock.
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On motion of Ernest W. Davis:
Voted (unanimously) : That the report of the Finance Committee as presented in printed form be received.
On motion of Ernest W. Davis:
Voted (unanimously): That Article 1 be taken up (Reports of Committees).
F. Leo Dalton offered the following report:
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON TOWN YARD
On March 24, 1919, the Town passed the following vote:
"That the Town discharge the present Committee on Town Yard and that the Moderator appoint a permanent Committee consisting of three members, two members of which shall be respectively a civil engineer and a con- tractor, and the third the Chairman of the Board of Public Works, ex-officio. This permanent committee shall report to the Town not later than the annual meeting of March, 1920, its recommendation for a permanent Town Yard. Following the selection of a location the said committee shall report its recommendation from time to time, as to any construction required.
All construction authorized for this purpose by the Town shall be under the charge of said committee until the plant is completed, unless they may be relieved of their duties by vote of the Town. Any vacancies in the committee shall be filled by appointments by the Moderator.
And further, that the sum of fifty dollars shall be appropriated by the Town to defray any necessary expenses of the committee.
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The Moderator appointed W. S. Fairchild, W. F. Robinson, and T. D. Kennedy, to serve on this com- mittee.
It would seem, therefore, that it was the intention of the Town at that time to not only select a site for a new central Town Yard, but to develop such and concentrate within it all the Yard activities of the Board of Public Works. This is shown by the various steps taken in that direction since the appointment of the original committee consisting of Mr. Walter F. Robinson, civil engineer, and Mr. William S. Fairchild, contractor, as required by the vote, together with the various Chairmen of the Boards of Public Works, ex-officio.
March 22, 1908, the Town voted to purchase the land for a Town Yard at Hobbs Court, consisting of about three and one half acres.
April 7, 1927, under Article 56 of the Town Warrant, the Town voted to construct a building or buildings to be used for the purposes of the Board of Public Works upon the land of the Town known as the Town Yard at Hobbs Court. For this purpose the sum of $32,000.00 was appropriated, same to be expended under direction of the Committee on Town Yard. On June 9, 1927, the con- struction of a Garage Building and Garbage Receiving Building was started, the Garage Building being sixty- five feet in width by one hundred forty-two feet in length. The type of construction was of concrete blocks with wooden roof.
March 28, 1928, under Article 21 of the Town War- rant, the Town voted to construct a building or buildings to be used for the purposes of the Board of Public Works, upon the land of the Town, known as the Town Yard at Hobbs Court. For this purpose the sum of $15,000.00 was appropriated, same to be expended under direction
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of the Board of Public Works. With this appropriation a building known as the Water shop was constructed to care for the work of the Water Department. The building was of concrete block and wooden roof construction, one story high, eighty-five feet in width by forty-four feet.
All of this work was done at the request of the Com- mittee on Town Yard as originally appointed, except for the different Chairmen of the Board of Public Works from year to year, the entire construction of the Garage and Garbage Receiving Building being under its direction. However, in December of 1928, Mr. Fairchild moved from Town, leaving the committee without a Chairman.
That it has always been the intention of the com- mittee to house all the Yard activities of the Board of Public Works at the Hobbs Court Yard and abandon the Summer Street Yard is a fact, as the original appointees testify, and past Chairmen of the Board of Public Works agree.
Since the erection of the Water Shop nothing has been done to further this program, as it was the belief of the Committee that building prices were high and that the schools and other construction work was taking most of the available funds of the Town. Hence at considerable inconvenience and considerable yearly expense for main- tenance and upkeep, the use of the old yard at Summer Street was continued.
On May 29, 1931, a disastrous fire occurred in the stable on Summer Street, destroying not only the stable and part of another building adjoining, but thirteen horses and much property of the Town housed therein. What was to be done? The three horses left, together with other horses hired as a temporary measure, have been housed the past several weeks in an open wagon shed.
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At the time of the fire Messrs. Walter F. Robinson and F. Leo Dalton comprised the Town Yard Committee, and were members of the Board of Public Works as well.
Mr. Robinson has been a member of the Committee on Town Yard since its organization March, 1919, and is serving his sxith year as a member of the Board of Public Works. Mr. Dalton, present Chairman of the Board of Public Works, is serving his third year as a member of the Board. Both men having kept in close touch with the workings of the Public Works Department, are fully aware of its needs.
These two felt it inadvisable to rebuild the stable on the present site for two reasons: First, it was always intended to concentrate all yard activities on the Hobbs Court site; second, all of the buildings at Summer Street Yard are old third-class wooden buildings and fire hazards, and a new stable at that location, even if of first class con- struction, eould be liable to fire from without, and the cost of such a building would be money ill spent, when the ultimate move to Hobbs Court was made.
Therefore, the two members of this committee here- inbefore mentioned notified the Town Clerk of the vacancy existing in the committee and asked the Select- men for a Special Town Meeting, that the matter might be presented to the Town, and employed Mr. G. Bertram Washburn, Architect, to prepare sketches of a proposed building on Hobbs Court site, to take care of all the remaining Public Works activities at Summer Street Yard. After various consultations with the Architect at the Yards and elsewhere, the site of the proposed building and the needs of the Department were agreed upon and sketches were prepared which, after several changes, were approved.
In the meantime, the Town Clerk failing to find any
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written resignation from Mr. Fairchild, the contractor member of the committee, communicated with him and received this, then in accordance with the specific pro- vision in the original vote regarding vacancies, the Moderator was requested to fill said vacancy.
Mr. John E. Mitchell was appointed on June 22, 1931, to fill the vacancy, and the committee met Wednesday, June 24, 1931, as a full committee, at which time a new Chairman was elected, and the blueprint sketches which have been displayed in the foyer of this Hall tonight were shown. The committee held another meeting Thursday, June 25, 1931, at which time Mr. Mitchell was shown both Summer Street and Hobbs Court Yards.
On Friday, June 26th, the committee met with the Finance Committee, filing with them a set of sketches and specifications, together with a request for an appro- priation.
The report of the Finance Committee is before you. We, the undersigned members of the Committee on Town Yard, propose presenting a substitute motion for that of the Finance Committee asking for an appropriation to build this building.
The following is a detailed statement of expendi- tures made under the direction of your committee.
In the construction of the Garage Building and the Garbage Receiving Building the committee engaged Mr. Eugene T. Nolte of Boston as architect.
June 9, 1927, the contract for the construction of a Garage Building and Garbage Receiving Building was awarded to D. F. & W. G. Burns of Boston, they sub- mitting the low bid of eight bidders.
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The following is a statement of expenditures:
Construction of buildings
$25,696.66
Architect .
917.08
Plans and engineering .
238.38
Removal of old building
100.00
Insurance .
154.00
Sewer and water connections .
220.13
Excavation for roadway and retaining wall. .
1,687.50
Bridge .
1,608.07
Retaining wall .
776.13
Grading and miscellaneous labor
543.22
Total cost .
$31,941.17
As regards to the expenditure for the construction of the building known as the Water Shop, report of expendi- ture will be found in the Town Report of 1928.
In the year 1930 a metal building to be used for the purpose of filling lanterns with oil was erected upon the land of the Town, known as the Town Yard at Hobbs Court.
The plan of the Town Yard Committee to consolidate all divisions of the Public Works Department in one yard not being completed, your committee wishes to report progress.
F. LEO DALTON, WALTER F. ROBINSON, Committee on Town Yard.
The Moderator asked Mr. John E. Mitchell, a mem- ber of the Town Yard Committee, if he had refused to sign the report as presented by Mr. Dalton, Chairman. Mr. Mitchell stated that he had refused to sign the report.
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TOWN RECORDS
On motion of Ernest W. Davis:
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 before the meeting, to be voted upon without further motion respectively and in the order in which they appear in said Warrant.
Article 2 taken up. (Building in Town Yard at Hobbs Court.)
The following substitute motion was made by F. Leo Dalton:
Moved:
That the sum of twenty-two thousand three hundred ($22,300.00) dollars be and hereby is appropriated for the construction of a building to be used for the purposes of the Board of Public Works upon the land of the Town, known as the Town Yard at Hobbs Court and for pro- viding for a heating plant for such building with neces- sary connections and including the cost of original equip- ment, grading and furnishings of such building and plant, substantially in accordance with sketches and data filed with the Finance Committee June 26, 1931, marked "Proposed Town Yard Building, Arlington, Mass."; that of said sum thirteen thousand, nine hundred and seventy ($13,970.00) dollars be taken from available funds now in the Treasury and the balance, eight thousand, three hun- dred and thirty ($8,330.00) dollars be raised by general tax; and that the said sum hereby appropriated shall be expended under the direction of the Permanent Com- mittee on Town Yard under vote passed March 24, 1919, which shall have full authority so to construct said building within the sum herein appropriated.
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G. Bertram Washburn, by consent of the Meeting, was permitted to explain the plan made by him for a building to be constructed at the Hobbs Court Yard. After a lengthy discussion of the subject on a substitute motion of Mr. Dalton put before the meeting by a rising vote, 52 voting in favor and 72 in opposition, the Modera- tor declared the substitute motion lost.
The original motion as set forth in the recommenda- tion of the Financial Committee being put before the meeting it was
Voted: That the Town do not construct a building or buildings to be used for the purposes of the Board of Public Works and/or any other Town boards or officers, or for any municipal purpose or purposes, upon the land of the Town, known as the Town Yard at Hobbs Court; nor alter or add to the present building on said land; nor provide for one heating plant for such buildings with the necessary connections, and further that the Town do not make an appropriation or appropriations for such con- struction, including the cost of original equipment and furnishings, and/or such alteration, addition and pro- visions.
Article 3 taken up. (Equipment for Board of Public Works.)
On the substitute motion of Mortimer H. Wells it was
Voted (unanimously): That the additional sum of eight thousand ($8,000) dollars be and hereby is appro- priated for Highway Maintenance and Expenses; for the purchase of equipment, tools, materials and/or horses for the department of the Board of Public Works, and/or for the use of said Board; said sum to be taken from available funds in the Treasury and expended under the direction of the Board of Public Works.
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TOWN RECORDS
Article 4 taken up. (Disposal of Property Damaged by Fire.)
On the substitute motion of Mortimer H. Wells it was
Voted (unanimously): That the Board of Public Works be and hereby is authorized to raise and dispose of all or a part of the old building or buildings situated in the Old Town Yard on Summer Street and recently damaged by fire, and enclose such remaining portion of said building or buildings as may need to be protected; and that for said purposes the sum of one thousand ($1,000) dollars be and hereby is appropriated, said sum to be taken from available funds in the Treasury and expended under the direction of the Board of Public Works.
Article 5 taken up. (Extension of Sewerage System and Storm Drain.)
Mr. William A. Muller requested that information be given explaining the reason why extension of sewerage system appropriation should be made other than at the Annual Meeting. M. Edward Gaddis explained to the meeting that it was an emergency case.
Voted: That the sum of twenty-seven thousand ($27,000.00) dollars be and hereby is appropriated for the extension of the Sewerage System from the corner of Appleton Street and Wollaston Avenue, through private land, through George Street, Florence and Wachusett Avenues to Park Avenue; and that the sum of three thousand ($3,000.00) dollars be and hereby is appro- priated for the extension of a storm drain in Florence and Wachusett Avenues; and that said sums be raised by general tax and expended under the direction of the Board of Public Works.
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Article 6 taken up. (Partial Grading of High School Lot.) $
Voted (unanimously): That the sum of seven hun- dred ($700) dollars be and hereby is appropriated for the partial grading of the High School lot, said sum to be raised by general tax and expended under the direction of the Board of Selectmen.
Article 7 taken up. (Library Accommodations at Arlington Heights.)
Voted (unanimously): That the membership of the committee appointed under the vote of the Town passed May 26, 1930, to investigate and study the Public Library Accommodations at Arlington Heights be increased by adding thereto the Chairman of the Library Trustees and the Inspector of Buildings and that said committee be authorized to procure plans and estimates for altering, repairing or adding to the building on the land of the Town situated at the corner of Park Avenue and Paul Revere Road, and/or for constructing a new building on said land; that the sum of three hundred ($300) dollars be and hereby is appropriated for the use of said com- mittee, said sum to be raised by general tax.
Article 8 taken up. (Amendment to Town's By- Laws; re Finance Committee.)
Voted (unanimously): That Section 2 of Article 8 of the Town's By-Laws, relating to the Finance Com- mittee, be amended by inserting after the words "town office" the words "other than town meeting member- ship," so that said section shall read:
"No person holding either elective or appointive town office other than town meeting membership and no town employee shall be eligible to serve on said com- mittee;"
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that the sum of fifty ($50) dollars be and hereby is appro- priated for the publishing and/or printing of said section as amended and/or said article, said sum to be raised by general tax and expended under the direction of the Board of Selectmen.
On motion of Roger W. Homer:
Voted: That Article 1 be taken from the table. There being no further business under Article 1 the Moderator declared the same disposed of.
On motion duly seconded it was
Voted: To adjourn.
The meeting adjourned at 9.55 P.M.
A True Record, Attest:
E. CAROLINE PIERCE, Town Clerk. .
TOWN WARRANT
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Middlesex, s.s.
To the Constables of the Town of Arlington, in said County :
Greeting:
In the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, you are hereby required to notify and warn the legal voters of the Town of Arlington, to meet in the Town Hall, in said Town on Wednesday, the 4th day of November, 1931, at 8 o'clock P.M., at which time and place the
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
following articles are to be acted upon and determined exclusively by town meeting members, in accordance with, and subject to the referenda provided for by Chapter 642 of the Acts of 1920.
Article 1. To hear and act upon the reports of the Finance and other committees heretofore appointed.
Article 2. To see if the Town will accept a gift by the Misses Ida F. Robbins and Caira Robbins of the parcel of land with the buildings thereon bounded north- easterly by the Robbins Library site, southeasterly by the cemetery, southwesterly by land now or formerly of Swan, of the parsonage and of John Field, later of Myron Taylor, and northwesterly by land formerly of George Croome, now or formerly of Cousins, and other land of the Town sometimes called the "town hall site," being a portion of the homestead estate of the late Nathan Rob- bins, and of a certain other parcel of land about twenty (20) feet wide extending from said first mentioned parcel to Maple Street; authorize the Board of Selectmen to agree as to the provisions of the deed of said parcels in- cluding restrictions; or take any action relating thereto.
Article 3. To see if the Town will appropriate the additional sum of six hundred ($600) dollars or any other sum, to carry on the work relating to employment of the poor, the same to be expended under the direction of the Board of Selectmen; determine in what manner the money shall be raised; or take any action relating thereto.
Article 4. To see if the Town will make an additional appropriation of one thousand fifty ($1,050.00) dollars or of any other sum for the Health Department and/or for the eradication of mosquitoes by the Board of Health; determine in what manner the money shall be raised and expended; or take any action relating thereto.
(Inserted at the request of the Board of Health.)
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Article 5. To see if the Town will dedicate to, and use for, park and/or playground purposes the land of the Town on the westerly side of Grove Street known as the "Gravel Pit Lot"; determine by whom shall be exercised the powers conferred by Chapter 45 of the General Laws; or take any action relating thereto.
(Inserted at the request of the Planning Board and Board of Park Commissioners.)
Article 6. To see if the Town will name the tract of land consisting of the land given to the Town by the Arlington Gas Light Company and accepted by vote of the Town at the annual meeting of 1930, and the land of the Town heretofore known as the "Gravel Pit Lot" adjacent thereto, or any part of said tract, the "Ethel Wellington Memorial Playground" or take any action relating thereto.
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