HomeMy WebLinkAbout1958-01-23 Board of Public Works Minutes January 23, 1958
Special Meeting of the Board opened at 7 :30 P. M .
Present were Chairman Donahue, Messrs. Zanni, Kilgore and Superin-
I tendent Putnam.
Minutes of previous meeting read and approved.
Joint meeting held at 7 :30 P. Ps. with Personnel Board, which included
Chairman William Murphy, Messrs, Ralph Sias and Lawrence MacLeod.
A discussion of the Board of Public Works Proposed 1958 Salary Sens-
dule then took place, with the result that a mutual understanding was arrived
at regarding several classifications, and additional information is to be
obtained regarding other classifications.
Received letter from the Board of Selectmen to which was attached a
petition signed by Twenty-Five (25) property owners on various streets in
Glen Meadows housing development seeking relief from a dangerous water con-
dition existing at the corner of Arcadia Avenue and Shelby Road. A verbal
report was given by the Superintendent re:-:arding this petition, and a resume
of the cause. The Superintendent also exhibited a copy of a letter to Realty
Construction & Engineering, Inc., from The Thompson & Lightner Co. , Inc.,
which hereby becomes a part of these minutes:
December 10, 1957
Realty Construction and Engineering, Inc. -
340-West Street, -
Reading, Massachusetts
Re : Roadway Embankment Slippage
Adjacent to Lots #54 & #55
Arcadia Ave . , Reading,Mass.
Gentlemen:
On November 27, 1957 the undersigned reviewed the above embankment
failure with your Mr. Roger Vinson at the site and noted the following con-
ditions:
"1. A marked settlement and slippage of the aarth fill adjacent to and south
of the paved roadway opposite No. 61 Arcadia Ave. has taken place. This is
evidenced by a continuous soil fissure starting; in the last 3o feet of the
asphalt sidewalk and extendin- westerly roughly parallel to the roadway for
2
approximately 100 feet and then continuing at an angle of approximately 750
away from the roadway for another 5G feet roughly parallel to fill line in
this area.
2. No cracking of the paved surface or other evidence of settlement of the
roadway itself was noted in the area adjacent to the above failure.
3. Sanitary and storm sewer lines are near the center of the roadway and
can be considered undisturbed at the present with respect to the nearby
earthwork failure.
4. A peat marsh condition exists at the toe of the subject embankment, a-
long with a depth of approximately four feet of surface water directly ad-
jacent. This marsh area is found only in the north end of lots #54 & #55.
After reviewing the above noted conditions, it is our opinion that
the earthwork failure resulted from a combination of both lateral and ver-
tical consolidation of the peat as well as slippage of the permeable fill
downward over the impervious peat layer.
We concur with your proposed method of stabilizing the embankment by filling
the low area up to the level of the roadway provided that in addition to this
a gravel surcharge of at least three feet in height is placed above this
level. It is probable that future settlement by consolidation of the under-
lying peat in the filled sections of Lots #54 and #55 will take place, thus
the need for the surcharge to avoid future settlement of the fill below the
level
n piece inefnitely
andshould hberperiodicallyschecked rand shouldremain
if i ssttlementdisiobserved.
The above procedure will not stabilize the peat sufficieptly in our
opinion for future building on these lots, but should prevent the type of '
lateral and vertical movement that has now taken place.
Very truly yours,
AD'W:bc THE THOMPSON & LIGHTNER CO . , INC.
3C - - Albert D. Wilber
Moved, seconded and voted to accept the recommendations contained in
the report of The Thompson &Lightner Co. Inc. , relative to the method re-
commended by them in stabilizing the roadway embankment of Arcadia Avenue
to prevent further slippage.
Board adjourned at 10:30 P. M.
Respectfully submitted:
Secretary