USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Wilmington > Town of Wilmington Annual Report 1956-1957 > Part 6
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NEW "MACHINE ROOM" in Town Hall Basement (left to right) Mrs. Marjorie LaRivee (multigraph), Mrs. Esther Russell (addressograph), Mrs. Sylvia Stanley (graphotype)
SAFETY CAR gives added authority to traffic safety program
SAFETY CAR
CITIZENS TALK UP - Selectmen and Town Manager frequently visit with neighborhood and civic groups such as Shawsheen Improvement Associa - tinn meeting shown here
industrial development
Success Story of Bay State Towi
The Providence Journal, Monday, June 25, 1956
By DUDLEY HARMON
This is the "success story" of a small New England town that is converting from a purely "bed- room community" to selective in- dustrializatioon.
It is this year's most impressive demonstration of how good plan- ning and efficient local adminis- tration can be made to pay big dividends. In this case, the divi- dend is the decision of a great industrial corporation to build in this town a $5,000,000 structure to house its research and develop- ment laboratories and personnel. This figure of $5,000.000 is equal to more than one-third of the town's present assessed valuation.
The town is Wilmington, 10- cated 15 miles northwest of Bos- ton. Its present population is 10 .- 000, double that of 1940 It has an area of 17.5 square miles, of which less than 20 percent has been developed for residential. commercial and industrial uses. It is estimated that it can, with continued good planning and con- trols. accommodate a population of 35,000-40,000 without sacrifice of its desirable features.
Despite its growth, Wilmington still retains many of the charac- teristics for which New England small towns were justly famous 50 years ago. Wide, tree-shaded streets, fine old houses, create the impression that there is still both room and time in Wilmington for the good life. Ninety percent of its homes are occupied by their owners. The median age of the population is 29 years, and the 200 houses being built each year are being purchased mostly by young couples.
But Wilmington, ' like many other communities, is feeling the pressure of population growth and increased highway traffic through- out the Metropolitan Boston area, also that of rising costs. Hence its decision to plan for and to welcome suitable industrial es- tablishments.
Record of Accomplishments
It began by adopting the town manager system in 1951. In his less than three years in office, the present town manager, Joseph F. Courtney, has led in the accom- plishment of the following:
1. Adoption of a modern zoning ordnance, and completion of the zoning map formally approved by the town meeting in November last year.
2. Re-appraisal of all taxable property in the town, thus assur- ing equitable distribution of the tax burden, and assuring no dis- crimination in the future. This work was done by one of the na- tion's most eminent specialists in in this field.
3. Adoption of rigorous building, subdivision and health regulations, by means of which the town re- tains full control of every type of new development and growth.
Wilmington
28
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128
38
Boston
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חזח
128
B
4. Employment on full time of well qualified men to serve re- spectively as town engineer. as- sessor and sanitarian, along with the full-time town manager. This is most exceptional in Massachu- setts towns of Wilmington's size. 5. Publication of "An Introduc- tion to the Town of Wilmington." which succinctly sets forth the es- sential facts and other facilities. It is a modest but straight-forward presentation, needing no embel- lishment from the professional promoter or publicity man.
6. Holding the tax rate in 1956 to the same figure as that of 1950. At the same time, Wilmington has successfudly met the requirements of the growing school population, with the result that it not only has not had to establish "double ses- sions," but it even has empty class- rooms in reserve.
"Knows Where It's Going"
All these things establish the fact that Wilmington, in the terms of industrial executives charged with selection of plant sites, is a town that "knows where it is go- ing." It is in position to assure incoming industry of stability and controlled development. It is not surprising, therefore, that Wil- mington won out among all the other communities considered by Avco Manufacturing Corporation for the relocation and expansion of its research laboratories.
Avco employed not one, but two, engineering firms in its search for a suitable location. One .firm studied the Wilmington site in terms of its physical aspects. The other studied the community it- self, the nature of its population, the quality of its local adminis- tration, its school and other cul- tural facilities and, of great im- portance, the attitude of officials and citizens toward industry.
Wilmington easily demonstrated that it could meet Avco's specifica- tions for the new site, which in- cluded the following:
1. Adjacent or near to one or more express highways.
2. Within easy access of an air- port-this for the convenience of company executives and customers traveling in company planes.
3. Also within easy access of Harvard University and Massachu- setts Institute of Technology, not only because of their unexcelled research and instruction facilities, but also because of the opportunity they would afford for Avco re- search personnel to know and be associated with others of their own kind.
4. Adequate housing and schools suitable for Avco personnel and their families.
In Lawrence Temporarily
Avco intends to move to Law. rence, Mass., temporarily until its new building in Wilmington is completed, officials of the company said in New York. While in Lawrence, the company will occupy part of the Wood- Ayer mill, giant worsted divi- sion of former American Woolen Co
Took Photos of 50 Houses
The Wilmington site selected by A.vco is within a few minutes driving time of circumferential Route 128, giving quick access to points north, west and south of Boston. When the relocated Route 28 is completed, it will permit Avco personnel to drive to Boston in 20 minutes. From the Avco site, Bedford Airport is only 11 minutes distant by car.
To satisfy Avco's inquiry con- cerning housing. Alfred Cala- brase, the full-time assessor, took pictures of some 50 houses avail- able for purchase in some half a dozen communities in the Wil- mington area. On each photograph he noted the price-ranging from $12,000 to $30,000-and also the driving time from the house to the Avco site.
The community attitude toward incoming industry was amply demonstrated at a recent special town meeting. The meeting was necessary because Avco desired to include in its 80-acre site a- par- cel of land not zoned for industry. Not only was the attendance at this meeting larger than at any re- cent regular meeting, but when Robert F. Ryan, executive vice president of Cabot, Cabot & Forbes, explained the need for the change in zoning, a unanimous, affirmative vote was forthcoming immediately. This is in sharp con- trast, to experiences of industrial developers with some other New England town meetings.
Not Limited to Poorest Land
To date. Wilmington has zor 1340 acres for industry, of wh only 150 acres are in use. C., trary to the practice in some co munities, it did not limit ind. trialization to its poorest land. : 1952 the town's industrial payı 1 was only $335,000 a year. In 11 this figure reached $2,460,000, al provided employment for people. Avco employment is pected to be more than double latter figure.
A further word needs be !! about the present town gove . ment of Wilmington. In a 11 years it has been transforr ! from the typical New Enghi part-time and volunteer organ . tion to "the most completely [ . fessionalized administrative a ! of any town in Massachusetts v 1 less than 20,000 population." ". three full time officials mentlo i above, work as a team, with Toa Manager Courtney as its capt I. Their activities are completely . ordinated. and their joint con 1 is complete, subject, of course, o approval of the town meeting 1 the board of selectmen.
In view of the unpleasant sto s going the rounds about some t the municipally-financed inc . trial development commissions n Massachusetts cities and towns, e Wilmington story is indeed freshing and stimulating. 0 often, it is stated, the person :l of these commissions show git ignorance of what really is need to attract industry to their cle munities. As Massachusetts C . merce Commissioner Preston d New England realtors last "w ", "To attract, you must first be :- tractive."
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AVCO comes to wilmington
VICE-PRESIDENT Robert Ryan of Cabot, Cabot and Forbes discusses possible AVCO move to Wilmington with Town Manager Courtney
WATER DEPT.
COLLECTOR
SELECTMEN AND PLANNING BOARD review plans for proposed facility (left to right) J. Robert Evans, Selectman DeFelice, Assessor Alfred Calabrese, Chairman of Selectmen Wavie M. Drew, Selectman Bliss, William Irwin, Town Engineer George Winters, Robert Ryan of Cabot, Cabot and Forbes, Selectman Hagerty, Daniel Gillis, and Town Manager Courtney
ABUTTING PROPER - TY OWNERS discuss proposed re - zoning for AVCO with Town Manager and Robert Ryan of Cabot, Cabot and Forbes at public hearing
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AVCO comes to wilmington
UNANIMOUS VOTE by Town Meeting approves necessary re-zoning and welcomes AVCO to Wilmington
HELPING TO SOLVE problem of relocating hundreds of AVCO families from Connecticut, the School Committee provided space in High School for office to serve as information center on residential housing staffed by AVCO personnel shown here
AT ANNOUNCEMENT DINNER, Finance Committee Chairman Herbert C. Barrows inspects architect's model of new AVCO science center
N
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AVCO comes to wilmington
...
AVCO officials discuss handsome new home of Research and Ad- vanced Development Division at announcement dinner (left to right) Dr. Arthur Kantrowitz, Director of AVCO Research Laboratory, Victor Emmanuel, President of AVCO Manufacturing Corporation, and Dr. 'Lloyd P. Smith, President of the Research and Advanced Development Division
AVCO
NOW UNDER CON - STRUCTION, this facility will provide substantially over 400, 000 square feet of floor area on a ninety acre site on Route 129 near the Route 28 interchange
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REPORT OF ADDITIONAL SCHOOLS ACCOMMODATIONS COMMITTEE
At the start of the year we enumerated the tasks that we wanted to accomplish during the year. They are listed below, as well as the action taken on each:
1. Acquire approximately 12 acres in North Wilmington for a future elementary school. At the annual town meeting in March 1956, we were authorized to obtain an option on twelve acres of land at the corner of Salem and Ballardvale Streets in the Signore Develop- ment. Final purchase of this site was made at a special town meeting in October 1956.
2. Make survey of the older school buildings in town with the thought of abandonment of same in the near future. It was the opinion of this committee that as long as these buildings passed State and Town requirements, the town could not afford to give them up.
3. Look over available sites in the western and southwestern sections of town for future school needs. Numerous field trips were made after pinpointing possible areas on the town map, and one location, agreeable to the school committee and superintendent, was decided upon. Before final judgment can be passed, test borings must be made, and work cannot be done until the ground is frost free.
4. Analyze and project available data on school enrollment and population increases. With the kind cooperation of Mr. John Collins, Superintendent of Schools, work on this is underway and will be presented at the annual town meeting in March, 1957.
It is estimated that by 1962 there will be nearly thirty-six hundred (3600) pupils enrolled in Wilmington Schools, and we will need approximately one hundred and twenty-two classrooms. At the present time, there are 2491 pupils in 76 classrooms.
· REPORT OF THE GLEN ROAD SCHOOL BUILDING COMMITTEE
The Glen Road School Building Committee was appointed by the Town Moderator as a result of the mandate of the last annual Town Meeting, viz:
Article 27: To see if the Town will vote to appropriate any sum of money for the preparation of plans for an elementary school building on Town property off Glen Road and determine how the appropriation shall be raised, whether by taxation, by transfer of available funds, by borrowing, or otherwise, and provide for the expenditure by the appointment of a building committee or otherwise, or do anything in relation thereto. On a motion by Alanson Platt, Jr. it was voted and approved to raise by taxation $1000 for the above purpose, a committee to be appointed by the moderator. At a special town meeting held June 1, 1956, this amount was increased by $5000, making the total amount $6000. On April 13. 1956, the following were appointed by the Moderator in accordance with this article:
Charles Baldwin Leo O'Connell Allick Epstein Edward Driscoll
Arthur Ahern Erwin Hanke, Secretary David Elfman, Chairman John J. Collins, Supt. Schools, Advisory Member
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Your committee has visited ten schools located in the following cities and towns:
Andover Bedford Billerica
Burlington Lexington Medway
Quincy Tewksbury Wilmington (High School) Wilmington (Wildwood School)
The committee has interviewed nine architects. Two meetings were held with the State Building Assistance Commission in Boston relative to duties with regard to the proposed school. Since its organi- zation, your committee has held twenty-two meetings, and the school committee has been in close contact with them, having been present at two meetings to date. Most of these meetings have been held at the Roman House in Wilmington. The following appointments were made by your committee:
Mrs. Eleanor F. Day, Clerk Donaldson Ray McMullin, Architect
With regard to the aforesaid architect, contracts have been drawn up between the Town of Wilmington and said architect for his services. After approval by the Town Counsel, these contracts have been signed by the architect, the building committee and the town manager. The preliminary plans and specifications will be ready for presentation at the next annual Town Meeting.
In conclusion, your committee wishes to call to your attention that under the mandate of the last annual town meeting, its authority and duties come to an end, upon the presentation of the preliminary plans and specifications at the next annual town meeting. It is, therefore, earnestly suggested that in order to ascertain whether or not it is the wish of the town to continue further with the final plans and speci- fications for the construction of the proposed school building, that there be prepared for insertion in the warrant for the next annual town meeting the following articles:
A. An article for the continuance of the life of the present committee.
B. An'article for the financing of such a project, whether the same be from taxation, borrowing through authority given under a bond issue, or otherwise.
REPORT OF THE FIRE ALARM SYSTEM COMMITTEE
Several meetings were held by the committee with the majority attending. At the first meeting there were a great many questions asked about the electrical sequence of operation, type and construction of materials to be used, field construction and equipment within the fire station. In order to answer the above questions, the committee called on Mr. Hugh Eames, Chief of the Reading Fire Department. Mr. Eames supervised the construction and maintenance of the system used in Reading and has full charge of the system to date. Mr. Eames gave freely of his time and information which has been a great asset in compiling the budget for 1957.
The committee has agreed on the following directions the system shall run in order to cover the town temporarily and be in contact with its neighboring towns and connect with schools now built and those to be built in the future.
1. A line from the fire station to the Reading line via Main Street and Lowell Street.
2. A line from the fire station to the Tewksbury line via Main Street.
3. A line from the fire station to the Burlington line via Burlington Avenue.
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circuits. These would be the main lines of the system and future branches would be connected to these The following branch circuits have already been figured in this year's budget:
1. A branch circuit from Main Street via Grove Avenue to the Mildred Rogers School.
2. A branch circuit from Main Street to the new school to be built on Glen Road via Harnden Street.
3. A branch circuit from Church Street to the Wildwood School via Wildwood Street.
Mr. Arthur Boudreau furnished the committee with the proper mileage for the above main lines and branch circuits. There will be fifteen (15) alarm boxes, thirteen (13) miles of wire, cross arms, insulators, braces, etc. installed for $9,000.
This committee acting for the best interests of the town and the people therein believes the people will vote to have the above system installed, and to have the present committee continue its efforts to protect the people from loss of life and property through the fire alarm system.
Arthur J. Boudreau, Chairman Edward F. Page, Secretary Alden S. Eames
Adrian A. Durkee Edward J. Sullivan
John E. Murphy John H. Tautges
REPORT OF THE YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL
For over a year now members of the Clergy, and representatives of the Police, School, State Youth Council and Recreation have held periodic meetings to discuss problems that exist or might arise involving the youth of our town.
To date these round table discussions have been valuable through an interchange of information as to the legal aspects involved, and enlightenment as to techniques and methods recommended for referrin problems and individuals through the proper channels.
Since its organization, the council has operated on the theory that the less publicity given to this group the better, and for obvious reasons much of what transpires cannot be made public. However, recent steps have been taken to make known the workings of this group; through contacts with the student body and a public approach through a meeting of the P. T. A. In addition to this, future education in this area may be passed along to interested civic groups so that all working together may provide a better under standing and as a result thereof contribute something worthwhile.
At the present time, a town wide survey of activities is being made that there might be a better understanding of programs available, and determining whether there is a lack of activities in some areas or an overlapping in other areas.
Rev. Stanley Cummings - Clergy Rev. Richard Harding - Clergy Rev. Fr. John Regan - Clergy Rev. Fr. Joseph Leahy - Clergy John J. Collins - Supt. of Schools
Chief Paul Lynch - Police Sgt. John Imbimbo - Police Bernard McMahon - Principal Edward Nichols - Youth Service Lawrence Cushing - Recreation
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INSURANCE COMMITTEE REPORT
The Wilmington Insurance Committee was appointed by the Town Manager, Joseph F. Courtney, on April 22, 1955, with the objective of providing the Town Manager with recommendations and guidance in carrying out the town's insurance program on a sound and economical basis.
At the inception of the committee's work it was planned, at the suggestion of Mr. Courtney, to cover in detail the basic problems involved in each type of insurance required by the town. This would provide the Town Manager with an insurance guide to enable him to properly administer the town's insur - .nce. At the outset it was obvious that much confusion existed in the town's insurance program. A multi- licity of policies was found and several meetings were required to determine what insurance coverage the own actually had.
In considering the overall problem involved the committee felt that the best initial approach would e to investigate thoroughly each line of insurance coverage required with the view of recognizing the pre - nium size and date of expiration in determining the order of consideration. With this in mind, the committee egan its study with a thorough review of the Workmens'Compensation Coverage.
It was found that in 1913, shortly after its adoption by the State Legislature that the Town of Vilmington accepted Chapter 807 of the Acts of 1913 by town meeting vote. This acceptance of the Town s on file with the Massachusetts Department of Industrial Accidents.
By the acceptance of Chapter 807, the town elected to provide Workmens' Compensation enefits to workmen, mechanics and laborers employed to provide the necessary town services Until 936 towns were legally allowed to provide workmens' compensation benefits only to workmen, mechanics nd laborers. With the enactment of Chapter 403 of the Acts of 1936, a town was authorized to enlarge pon the words "Workmen, Mechanics and Laborers" to such extent as the qualified voters in a town voted nd recorded in writing with the Department of Industrial Accidents. This resulted in towns being able to rovide benefits to employees such as school teachers, inspectors, assessors, certain types of clerical
yorkers, etc. According to information obtained by the Insurance Committee, no action had been taken y the Town of Wilmington to enlarge upon the meaning of "Workmen, Mechanics and Laborers" to include ny of the aforementioned types of employees.
In order to provide all town employees with workmens' compensation benefits in the event of njury and to eliminate questions of coverage, the committee recommended, and the Town Manager inserted n Article in the Warrant for the 1956 Annual Town Meeting to extend the meaning of the terms, "Laborers, Vorkmen and Mechanics" to include all employees of the Town. This article was voted unanimously by he Town Meeting.
In addition to the above, the committee considered several alternatives in order to satisfy the yorkmens' compensation obligation of the town. This consideration included the possibility of the adoption f a self insurance plan whereby the town would pay for certain workmens' compensation losses out of its wn treasury. A thorough study of the advantages and disadvantages of a self insurance plan was made by the ommittee. Although on the basis of the past experience of the town, a limited self insurance plan would ave proven quite profitable, the committee felt that the town was not yet of sufficient size to warrant the doption of a self insurance plan.
It is the committee's opinion that in order to make a self insurance plan feasible and attractive o the town, an annual workmens' compensation premium of at least $20, 000 should be realized. To adopt uch a plan at present, when the town is still growing and is beset with heavy financial obligations, would e unwise.
For the above reasons it is the committee's recommendation, that the town continue to purchase orkmens' compensation insurance under a guaranteed cost plan whereby the workmens' compensation remium for the year is guaranteed regardless of the losses incurred.
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The workmens' compensation policy in force in the Fall of 1955 was to expire on Jan. 1, 1956. It was noted that the Public Liability Policy covering the town was also expiring on this same date. Since it is the normal practice of casualty companies in Massachusetts to write not only the workmens' compensa - tion insurance but also the public liability coverage of a town in a so-called "package", it was the recom- mendation of the committee that bids be submitted on both the workmens' compensation and the public lia - bility policies effective January 1, 1956 to January 1, 1957. This procedure was followed and resulted in both coverages being placed with one insurance carrier.
Under the standard provisions of a workmens' compensation policy, the employees of any uninsure subcontractor are provided with compensation benefits prescribed by law by the insurance carrier writing coverage for the insured prime contractor. There are penalty provisions contained in Chapter 152 of the Massachusetts General Laws which also allow the insurance carrier to recover from the prime contractor any losses sustained by the carrier due to injuries incurred by the employees of an uninsured subcontra ctor. Although in many cases the Town would undoubtedly not be considered to be a prime contractor, neverthe - less the committee feels that it is extremely important for town officials and departments heads, when awarding contracts for any work to be done on town property, to insist that the contractor awarded such work provide the town with a certificate of insurance, proving that the contractor's employees are covered by a workmens' compensation policy. This procedure is followed in many municipalities in Massachusetts.
With respect to the general liability insurance, the committee considered the advisability of drop- ing such coverage on the basis of the immunity of a municipality from suit under common law. It was determined that all departments of the town with the exception of the Water Department have such immunity.
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