USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Reading > Town of Reading Massachusetts annual report 1907 > Part 3
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Art. 15. To see if the Town will authorize their Treasurer, under the direction of the Selectmen, to hire money in anticipation of the taxes of the municipal year.
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Art. 15. Voted that for the purpose of procuring a temporary loan to and for the use of the Town of Reading, in anticipation of the taxes of the present municipal year, the Town Treasurer is authorized from time to time to borrow with the approval of the majority of the Board of Selectmen, a sum or sums not exceeding in the aggregate ninety-five thousand dollars and to execute and deliver the note or notes of the Town therefor, payable in one year from the time the loan is made.
Any debt or debts incurred by a loan or loans to the Town under this vote shall be paid from the taxes of the present municipal year.
Art. 16. To determine the compensation of the Collector.
Art. 16. Voted that the compensation of the Collector of Taxes be three-fourths of one per cent. on all collections and amount expended for postage in collecting same.
Art. 17. To see if the Town will raise and appropriate the sum of fifty dollars for the purpose of furnishing electricity for lighting Grand Army Hall on Haven street, or what they will do in relation thereto.
Art. 17. Voted to appropriate for electricity for Grand Army Hall fifty dollars from available assets.
Art 18. To see if the Town will raise and appropriate the sum of thirty-one hundred dollars to meet the interest on School House Bonds.
Art. 18. Voted to raise and appropriate for School House Bonds the sum of three thousand one hundred dollars.
Art. 19. To see if the Town will raise and appropriate the sum of fourteen hundred and fifty-five dollars to meet the interest on School House Notes.
Art. 19. Voted to raise and appropriate $1455 for School House Notes' interest.
Art. 20. To see what action the Town will take to meet the payment of the High School House Lot Note for two thousand dollars, due April 21, 1907.
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Art. 20. Voted to raise and appropriate for the purpose of paying the High School House Lot Note due April 21, 1907, $2,000.
Art. 21. To see what action the Town will take to meet the payment of the High School House Note for five thousand dollars, due November 1, 1907.
Art. 21. Voted to appropriate from available assets for the purpose of paying High School House Note due November 1, 1907, $5,000.
Art. 22. To see what action the Town will take to meet the payment of the High School House Note for one thousand dollars, due December 21, 1907.
Art. 22. Voted to appropriate from available assets the sum of one thousand dollars to pay High School House Note due December 21, 1907.
Art. 23. To see what action the Town will take to meet the payment of Haven Street Paving Note for one thousand dollars, due December 7, 1907.
Art. 23. Voted to appropriate from available assets the sum of one thousand dollars to pay Haven Street Paving Note due December 7, 1907.
Art. 24. To see if the Town will authorize the School Com- mittee to dispose of the school building at the junction of Haver- hill and Charles streets, or what they will do in relation thereto.
Art. 24. Voted that the School Committee be authorized to sell or dispose of the school house at the junction of Charles and Haverhill streets.
Art. 25. To see if the Town will purchase land for a Play- ground, and how much money they will raise and appropriate or otherwise provide for that purpose, or what they will do in relation thereto.
Art. 25. Voted to pass over.
Art. 26. To hear and act on the report of the Selectmen on the laying out of Kingston street, from Mt. Vernon street to
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Middlesex avenue, and to determine if the Town will raise and appropriate the sum of three hundred dollars for the purpose.
REPORT OF SELECTMEN ON THE LAYING OUT OF KINGSTON STREET, FROM MIDDLESEX AVE. TO MT. VERNON STREET
We, the subscribers, Selectmen of the Town of Reading, after giving due notice to all parties interested, have laid out for use of the Town as a public way described as follows: Beginning at the southerly side of Middlesex ave. at land of T. C. Fife thus the line runs south 6° 7' west against land of said Fife and others four hundred and sixty feet to land of Dora Black, then south 5º 14" west 223.5 feet against land of said Black to the division line of lands of said Black and Almira H. Mears, then south 3º 45' east along the westerly line of said Mears' land 137.38 feet to the northerly side of Mt. Vernon street. The above described line is. the easterly line. The westerly line is 45 feet distant at right. angles as far as opposite the first angle, then it decreases to 40 feet. to opposite the second angle, then it continues 40 feet distant till it. intersects said Mt. Vernon st. The above description is intended to conform to a plan of the same made by James A. Bancroft dated Dec. 19, 1906, which is to be considered a part of this report. We have estimated the cost of building said Town way at three hundred dollars. No damage being claimed we have allowed none. That any taken by the Town in the building of the same be taken under the provision of law authorizing the assessments of better- ments. We would recommend that the said way be named Kings- ton street and when the report is accepted and adopted by the Town the said way shall thereafter be known as a public Town Way.
JAMES W. KILLAM, Selectmen OLIVER L. AKERLEY, of
GEORGE L. PRATT, Reading
Reading, Mass., Jan. 12, 1906.
Voted to accept report and adopt the recommendations of the Board of Selectmen, and that the sum of $300 be raised and ap- propriated for the laying out and building of Kingston street.
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Art. 27. To hear and act on the report of the Selectmen on the laying out of High street from a point near the Closson property to Lowell street, and to determine if the Town will raise and appro- priate the sum of one hundred dollars for the purpose.
REPORT OF SELECTMEN ON THE LAYING OUT OF HIGH STREET FROM A BOUND ON THE EASTERLY SIDE OF HIGH STREET BETWEEN LAND OF JANE V. BISHOP AND MARION A. CLOSSON TO LOWELL STREET.
We, the subscribers, Selectmen of the Town of Reading, after giving due notice to all parties interested, have laid out for use of the Town as a Public Way, described as follows : Beginning at a bound on the easterly side of High street between lands of Jane V. Bishop and Marion A. Closson, then the line runs north 17º 33' west over land of said Closson and along the line of the lands of George W. Crowther and John H. Robinson, and over land of Frederick Bancroft and Harriett G. Hartshorn 918 feet to the southerly side of Gould ave., then north 21° 33' west over said avenue and along land of said Hartshorn 175 feet, then north 28º 3' west along the line of said Hartshorn 200 feet ; then north 29º 45' west along the line of said Hartshorn's land 1602 feet, then by a curve to the right with a radius of 8.93 feet to the south-westerly side of Lowell st. The above is the easterly line. The westerly line begins at a stone bound on the west side of High street between the land of Charles B. Harkness and Arthur H. Cook ; then the line runs along the line of lands of said Cook, Emma H. Cook, J. Wood- ward Manning, Benjamin F. Manning, George W. Hunt and across the end of Highland ave., then runs along the line of lands of Martin B. Hartshorn and Harriett G. Hartshorn to a point opposite the Station on the easterly line of High street at Gould avenue and 40 feet distant at right angles, then along and over land of said Harriett G. Hartshorn and land of George W .. Hunt and 40 feet distant from the easterly line until it intersects the southwesterly line of Lowell street, the whole to conform to the lines shown in red on a plan of the same made by James A. Bancroft, dated Feb. 21,
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1907, which is to be considered a part of this report. We have estimated the cost of laying out said Town Way at $100. Damages being claimed we have allowed Harriett G. Hartshorn the sum of $25, and to Frederick Bancroft $10. That any action taken by the Town in the laying out of the same be taken under the provisions of Law authorizing the assessments of betterments, we recommend that when the above report is accepted and adopted by the Town the said way shall thereafter be known as a public Town Way.
JAMES W. KILLAM, Selectmen OLIVER L. AKERLEY, of
GEORGE L. PRATT, Reading
Reading, Feb. 23, 1907.
Voted to accept report of Selectmen on the laying out of High st. and adopt their recommendations, and voted to raise and appro- priate the sum of $100 for the expenses of same.
Art. 28. To see if the Town will raise and appropriate the sum of fifty dollars for the purpose of constructing a sidewalk on High street, from a point near the residence of Melvin R. Batchel- der to a point near the residence of John H. Robinson, or what they will do in relation thereto.
Art. 28. Voted to refer to the Board of Selectmen.
Art. 29. To see if the Town will authorize the Board of Selectmen to dispose of the Swan property, or what they will do in relation thereto.
Art. 29. Voted to authorize and direct the Board of Select- men to sell and dispose of the Swan property, so called.
Art. 30. To see if the Town will raise and appropriate the sum of five hundred dollars for the purpose of fixing Prescott street, from Washington street, westerly as the street runs, a distance of about five hundred and fifty feet, the top of the street to be taken away and replaced with macadam, or what they will do in relation thereto.
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Art. 30. Voted to refer the subject matter of this article to the Board of Selectmen.
Art. 31. To see if the Town will authorize the Board of Selectmen to purchase a ballot box, and raise and appropriate the sum of fifty dollars for that purpose, or what they will do in rela- tion thereto.
Art. 31. Voted to appropriate the sum of fifty dollars from amount raised for miscellaneous expenses to purchase a new ballot box.
Art. 32. To see if the Town will raise the sum of fifteen hun- dred dollars, either in the tax levy of the present year or by author- izing the Treasurer to borrow the same under the direction of the Selectmen, and appropriate said sum to meet unpaid bills on account of the new High School building, or what they will do in relation thereto.
Art. 32. Voted to appropriate the sum of twelve hundred dollars ($1200) from available assets to meet the unpaid bills on the new High School.
Art. 33. To see if the Town will lay pipe and extend the town water from Village street to Elliott street on Washington street, or what they will do in relation thereto.
Art. 33. Voted to refer the subject matter of this article to the Board of Water Commissioners.
Art. 34. To see if the Town will adopt a By-Law which will require all peddlers of meat, fish, fruit or vegetables to be licensed, or what they will do in relation thereto.
Art. 34. Voted that Solon Bancroft be a committee of one to bring before some future Town Meeting suitable By-Laws for the licensing of all peddlers of fish, meat, fruit or vegetables.
Art. 35. To see if the Town will purchase one thousand feet of hose, and how much money they will raise and appropriate for that purpose, or what they will to in relation thereto.
Art. 35. Voted to raise and appropriate the sum of six hun- dred dollars ($600) to purchase hose for the Fire Department.
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Art. 36. To see if the Town will raise and appropriate the sum of two hundred dollars for the purchase of a sixty-foot exten- sion ladder, or what they will do in relation thereto.
Art. 36. Voted to raise and appropriate the sum of two hun- dred dollars to purchase a sixty-foot extension ladder.
Art. 37. To see if the Town will authorize the Board of Fire Engineers to establish a fire alarm box at the junction of Salem and Pine streets, and how much money they will raise and appropriate for that purpose, or what they will do in relation thereto.
Art. 37. Voted to appropriate the sum of two hundred dollars from available assets to establish a fire-alarm box at the junction of Salem and Pine streets.
Art. 38. To see if the Town will raise and appropriate the sum of one hundred dollars toward defraying the expenses of band concerts for the coming summer, or what they will do in relation thereto.
Art. 38. Voted to appropriate from available assets the sum of one hundred dollars toward paying the expenses of band con- certs the coming summer.
Art. 39. To see what action the Town will take with regard to claims for damages by the owners of land on the north side of Green street through which the County Commissioners have ordered a ditch to be constructed and forever maintained by the Town.
Art. 39. Voted to refer the subject matter of the article to the Board of Selectmen with full powers.
Art. 40. To see if the Town will raise and appropriate the sum of three hundred and fifty dollars to widen the sidewalk oppo- site No. 240 North Main street, and about one hundred feet in length, or what they will do in relation thereto.
Art. 40. Voted to refer the subject matter to the Board of Selectmen with instructions to do and to take the money necessary to do the work from the regular highway appropriation.
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Art. 41. To see if the Town will vote to furnish creosote free to citizens of the Town to paint Gypsy Moth nests, or what they will do in relation thereto.
Art. 41. Voted that the Town furnish free to its citizens creosote to paint Gypsy Moth nests.
Art. 42. To see if the Town will adopt the report of the Committee on Building Laws which was appointed at the annual Town Meeting, March, 1901, or what they will do in relation thereto.
BUILDING LAWS OF THE TOWN OF READING.
SECTION I.
APPOINTMENT OF INSPECTOR.
The Board of Selectmen shall, within 30 days after the adop- tion of these ordinances and thereafter annually in April, appoint an Inspector of Buildings, who shall hold office for the term of one year or until such time as another is appointed in his place.
He shall be a man who is either a skilled mechanic, versed in some of the building trades, or an experienced architect or civil engineer.
His compensation shall be regulated by the Selectmen, unless determined by a vote of the Town at the annual March meeting preceding his appointment.
He shall not be interested in any contract or the furnishing of materials for any building.
SECTION II.
DUTIES OF INSPECTOR.
He shall keep a record of all business of the department, which record and all other books and papers relating to the transactions of the department shall be open at all times to the inspection of the Selectmen, and he shall submit to them a yearly report of such business and such other special reports as they at any time may require.
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He shall receive applications and issue permits for the erection and alteration of buildings as hereinafter described, and shall keep detailed and sufficient records of such applications and permits.
He shall not give a permit for the erection or alteration of any building until he shall have carefully inspected the plans and speci- fications of it, if a new building, and also the premises if an altera- tion, and ascertained that the building as proposed will have sufficient strength, proper means of ingress and egress, and that it will con- form to the laws.
He shall, as often as practicable, inspect all building work for which a permit may have been issued and shall make a record of all violations of these By-laws, with the name of the owner, occupant, architect and master mechanic, and of any other matters pertinent thereto.
He shall examine all buildings reported dangerous or damaged by accident or fire and make a record of such examination, the nature and amount of damage, the location of said building, for what pur- pose occupied, the names of owner and occupant, and shall report the facts to the Board of Selectmen without delay.
He shall require to be furnished and shall keep a copy of the plans and specifications of every building used for public purposes, and of such other buildings as may be hereinafter so required.
All records and papers pertaining to this Department shall be the property of the Town.
The Inspector of Buildings may, so far as is necessary for the performance of his duties, enter any building or premises within the Town at any reasonable hour.
SECTION III.
BUILDING LIMITS.
The Selectmen may, after a hearing of which public notice shall be given at least seven days prior to said hearing, by posting a a written notice in at least fifteen public places in town, and by caus . ing the same to be published in some newspaper published in the
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Town, one day at least prior to the time of holding said hearing, pass a vote defining building limits within the Town, and upon the acceptance of said vote by the inhabitants of the Town, at a Town Meeting, called as provided by law, said building limits shall be established.
Said building limits may comprise the whole or any specified part or parts of the territory of the Town.
SECTION IV. PERMITS.
No building shall be erected, enlarged, altered, raised, moved or torn down, nor shall any work be done upon any structure within the building limits, except necessary or ordinary repairs, until an application therefor shall have been filed in writing to the Inspector of Buildings, nor until plans and specifications of such work shall have been submitted to him, and not until a written permit shall have been issued by said Inspector of Buildings.
The plans and specifications, above stated as requisite to obtain a permit, shall be deposited temporarily with the Inspector, who shall be permitted to make without unreasonable delay, such memo- randa therefrom as may be necessary for record, and who shall then return them to the applicant.
No building designed to be used in whole or in part for mer- cantile or manufacturing purposes, or as a hotel, apartment house or tenement house, shall be erected in any part of the Town, whether within or outside the building limits, until plans and specifications shall have been deposited with the Inspector of Buildings, who shall require a copy of such plans and specifications to be kept perma- nently as records.
A copy of plans and specifications of every building to be used for public purposes, or of any alteration of such building, shall be deposited permanently with the Inspector.
All plans, specifications and descriptions deposited, temporarily or permanently, shall be dated and signed by the Inspector as soon as received by him.
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The conditions hereinafter required having been complied with in said plans, specifications or descriptions, the Inspector shall forth- with issue a permit.
No permit issued by such Inspector shall be in force for more than twelve months, provided the work proposed shall not have been actually commenced within that time.
SECTION V.
No building to be used as a factory, or for the manufacture of explosives, or for chemicals or rendering works, shall be erected, and no engine, dynamo or boiler for motive power shall be set or erected, and no building to be used for a stable, in which more than four horses are to be kept, shall be erected, altered or moved, without a permit from the Inspector of Buildings, countersigned by the Board of Selectmen, and such permit shall not be granted until after a public hearing before the Selectmen, who shall give notice of such hearing by posting written notice in at least fifteen public places in Town, and by mailing a copy of the same to all the owners of prem- ises within five hundred feet of the proposed location of the build- ing, addressed to their last known residence or place of business, and by publishing the same in the newspaper published in the Town.
Notice of hearings required under this section shall be sent by the Selectmen to the Board of Health.
SECTION VI.
The Selectmen may, in their discretion, after a hearing as pro- vided in the previous section, instruct the Inspector of Buildings not to issue the permit asked for at such hearing, and in such case no such permit shall be issued.
SECTION VII.
In case the owner of any building or other structure, or an applicant for a permit to erect or alter a building or other structure, is dissatisfied with any order or decision of the Inspector of Build- ngs, and shall file with said Inspector an objection in writing, the
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matter shall be referred at once to the Selectmen who, within one week from said reference, shall hear the parties, and, after taking such expert opinion as may seem to the Selectmen to be necessary, give their decision. In case the decision of the Inspector of Build- ings be affirmed, the expense of such expert opinion taken by the Selectmen shall be paid to the Town by the owner or applicant, on demand; otherwise such expense shall be borne by the Town.
SECTION VIII.
No wooden building within the building limits shall be placed within two feet of the line of an adjoining lot, unless the complete external walls next said line shall be built of brick and shall be at least eight inches in thickness, or of stone not less than eighteen inches in thickness, nor shall any wooden building be placed nearer than three feet in any part thereof to a building already erected, used for dwelling purposes, unless it be an addition to the existing building.
SECTION IX.
All wooden buildings within the building limits intended to be used as dwelling houses, if built in blocks of two or more, and if three stories in height, shall have brick party walls separating each dwelling or each single vertical set of dwellings from the next adjoining.
In blocks two stories high, there shall not be more than two dwellings or vertical sets of dwellings together without the inter- vention of a similar brick wall.
These party walls shall be not less than eight inches thick and shall be carried to the roof boarding.
SECTION X.
In all tenement houses each set of tenements shall have a stair- case from street level to roof, and, if more than two stories in height, shall have an additional stairway on the opposite side or end of the
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tenement, or in default of this, a suitable fire escape on the exterior easily accessible from each floor above the first.
SECTION XI.
All buildings other than single dwellings, and all buildings over two stories high, shall have permanent and convenient means of access to the roof from the inside. The openings in the roof shall be not less than twenty by thirty inches.
SECTION XII.
UNSAFE CHIMNEYS, ETC.
If any chimney flue or heating apparatus shall, in the opinion of the Inspector of Buildings be unsafe, he shall at once notify in writing the owner, agent or other party having an interest in the premises, who upon receiving said notice shall make the same safe to the satisfaction of the Inspector.
SECTION XIII.
FIRE-STOPS.
All buildings used for dwellings, offices or public purposes here- after erected within the building limits shall have fire-stops in the interior composed of cement, plaster, mortar, or some incombustible material set solid in mortar, in the following manner :-
In brick and stone buildings the spaces between all furring on walls and between the studding of all partitions shall be filled solid and flush to a height of six inches above the floor joists in each story.
The spaces between such parts of floor joists as rest upon par- tition head shall also be filled to the same width as studding above.
In wooden buildings the spaces between the floor joists under and over partitions and also between the studs of each exterior wall, and of partitions at top and bottom of each story, shall be stopped sufficiently to check effectively any draught from one story to another or from the horizontal spaces between floor joists to the vertical spaces in walls and partitions.
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In all buildings the spaces between stringers of stairs and joists of landings, unless unceiled, shall be fire-stopped sufficiently to pre- vent the passage of air.
The spaces around chimneys inside of studding or furring making air ducts are to be thoroughly fire-stopped with suitable incombustible materials.
SECTION XIV. BUILDING GRADES.
The Selectmen may, after a hearing of which public notice shall be given at least seven days prior to said hearing, by posting a written notice in at least fifteen public places in town, and by publishing the same in the newspaper published in the town, and by giving personal notice to the owners of the land to be affected by delivering to such owners a copy of said notice, or by depositing the same in the post office post-paid, and addressed to them at their last known residence or place of business, pass a vote establishing a building grade or building grades for any part or parts of the town, and on acceptance of such vote by the inhabitants of the Town at a Town Meeting, called as provided by law, said building grade or building grades shall be established.
Said building grade or building grades may be at different heights above the level of the sea, in different parts of the town, as the nature of the ground may require.
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