HomeMy WebLinkAbout1958-04-07 Board of Public Works Minutes April 7, 1958
Regular meeting of the Board opened at 7 :30 P. M.
Present were Chairman Donahue, Messrs, Harrison, Florence, Zanni,
Kilgore and Superintendent Putnam.
Minutes of previous meeting -read and approved.
Signed vouchers and payroll for payment.
Received letter from Johnson Bros. , sewer contractors, requesting
That the Board of Public Works reduce the retained percentage on the
1957 'sewer contract from 15% to 2%, and to release 13% of the said re-
tained percentage. Moved, seconded and voted not to release any of the
retained percentages at this time, as much work remains to be done on
the 1957 sewer contract.
Reviewed 1958 sewer construction schedule, including Public Hearing
dates, as proposed by Superintendent. Moved, seconded and voted to
approve
the Following listed streets for Publice
Hearings on the dates
designated :
STREET SECTION LENGTH HEARING DATE
West Street NO-475-West St, to Selfridge Rd. 950 1pr 1 , 1958
' Summer Avenue Howard St. to 277 Summer Ave. 250 April 21, 1958
Virginia Road Indiana Ave. to Penn. Avenue 430 April 21, 1958
Intervale Terrace John Carver Road Westerly 300 April 21, 1958
Randall Road West St. to Coolidge Road 500 April 28, 1958
Coolidge Road Randall Rd, to Wescroft Rd . -380 April 28, 1958
Springvale Road Coolidge Rd, to Overlook Rd. 1200 April 28, 1958
Wescroft Road Woburn Bt. to County Road 1450 April 28, 1958
Overlook Road Wescroft Rpad Northerly 350 April 28, 1958
*Brande Ct. 170 Held in 1957
*Pleasant St.Ext. Manning St. Easterly 150 Held in 1957
*Michelini Lane Washington St. Southerly 150 Held in 1957
*Lowell Street Middlesex Ave.to Highland St. 150 Held in 1957
*Lowell Street Middlesex Ave , to Northerly 8o Held in 1957
*Virginia Circle Summer Ave. Westerly 335 Held in 1957
Lowell Street Intervale Terr.to Willow St. 160 May 5, 1958
Willow St. Lowell St, to near B. & M. R. R. 1050 May 5, 1958
Interceptor High School Sewer to Whittier Rd. 1350 May 5, 1958
Whittier Road Entire Length 1350 May 5 19 8
Tennyson Road Entire - y 5
Length
1440 May 5, 1958
(*Supt, says Dept. might do these.)
Received list of possible 1958 Storm Drain locations from Superin-
tendent, listing locations, estimated construction costs, and descriptive
date, to permit further study by Board.
Reviewed improvements .to the Municipal Water Supply System as voted at
the .1958 Annual Town Meeting,
Moved, seconded and voted to request Town Treasurer Preston F.
Nichols to float Bond Issues totaling $21Sr,000.00 dated May 15, 1958 for
a loan period of 15 years from date of. issue.
Moved, seconded and voted to authorize Weston & Sampson, Consulting
Engineers, to prepare plans and specifications for constructing Pumping
Stations, installing Pumping Station Equipment, constructing Booster
Pumping Station, installing 10" and 12" connecting and distribution water
mains and connections as voted at the 1958 Annual Town Meeting. Superin-
tendent instructed to .obtain time schedule on completion date of this
data from Weston & Sampson, and report to 'Board at next Board meeting. ,
Discussed briefly tentative land damage sums reported by Superinten-
dent for Revay Brook Water. improvement takings. Moved, seconded and voted
to instruct Superintendent to proceed with taking of land from, Ralph
Crosby of Lothrop Road for future standpipe' site, at reported land taking
amount of $1,000.00.
Moved, seconded and voted to invite the Municipal Light Board and
departmental officials, to. attend a ,joint meeting with the Board of Pub-
lic Works on April 14, 1958 at 8:30 P. M. for the purpose of discussing
and underground power cable installation to Hundred Acres Water Pumping
Stations and Revay Brook Pumping Stations, as well as known present and
estimated future electric power requirements of the pumping stations.
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Received letter from Chairman of the Fair Committee of the First
Congregational Church of Reading, Mr. Albert C. Jones, 45 Hancock Street,
' Requesting permission to close off $anborn Street between Woburn Street
and Lowell Street Friday Evening, June 6, 1958 and all day Saturday, June
7, 1958 for the purpose of holding a, Street Fair.
Moved, seconded and voted to grant said permission but to only close
Sanborn Street from Woburn Street to the Southerly side line of the Read-
ing Community Center driveway.
Moved, seconded and voted to authorize Superintendent to issue per-
mits on all cellar drain connection requests, with approval of the Chair-
man, without formal action by the Board as a whole.
Moved, seconded and voted to permit Ross Madden, Builder, to in-
stall storm drain abutting Lot 6, Grove Street, and thence through a
drain easement along. the div#Olon property line between Lots 6 and 7
' Grove Street, entirely at his own expense for labor and materials, to
Town specifications, excluding necessary legal and engineering work,
which is to be furnished by the Town.
Received the following letter from T. F. Hanron, District 4 Highway
Engineer for the Commonwealth, which hereby becomes a part of these min-
utes:
March 17, 1958
Mr. James T. Putnam
Superintendent of Public Works
16 Lowell Street
Reading, Massachusetts
Dear Sir:
John B. Steele, Resident Engineer, Reading-Woburn-Wilmington highway
project, has asked me to write to you concerning your request for infor-
mation regarding the new construction on West Street in the vicinity of
property owned by Mr. Joseph Sheehan near the Reading-Wilmington Town Line.
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A new bridge, about 1,200 feet west of the Sheehan property, is to
be built on West Street over the new highway. Many engineering studies
_ were made in relation to line and grade from this bridge to West Street.
- and It was determined that the line and grade as shown on the plans would
best suit all the present and future conditions encountered in this area. ,
. I, therefore, regret that I am unable to recommend any change in the
present construction plans.
(signed) Very truly yours,
NMG/wvs T. F. Hanron
cc: Chief Engineer District Highway Engineer -
Received written report from Superintendent regarding discharge of
three (3) employees, for cause, on Marc11 28# 1958. Report noted:
Approved, for signature of Superintendent, the following Registry of
Deeds Plans, under the Subdivision Control Law:
OWNER LOCATION SURVEYOR STATUS
ab�nb-orn Bros.Realty Trustowl-street Dana Perkins Approved
Ernest W. Boyd Frankllm Street E. W. Watson Approved
Leslie Jollymore Mark Avenue F. R. Bean Approved
John L. Jasmin Mark Avenue F. R. Bean Approved
George M. McSheehy Franklin Street F. R. Bean ' Approved
George M. ricSheehy Grove Street F. R. Bean Approved ,
Received the following letter from Charles E. Goodhue, Trustee o£
Wang Realty Trust, concerning an additional fifteen (15) foot strip of
land for widening of Robin Crest (Private) Road, said letter hereby be-
coming a part of these minutes:
March 27, 1958
Town of Reading
Reading
Massachusetts
Attention of Mr. Putnam
Gentlemen:
Refenence is made to certain premises of Stanley C. Brown et ux sit-
uated on the Westerly side of Route 28 and the Southerly side. of Robin-
crest Road in Reading, Middlesex County, Massachusetts and to the premises
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adjoining the same to the West naw owned by our client, the Trustees of
Wang Realty Trust.
The Trustees have a written agreement whereby they have the right
to purchase said Brown premises and are desirouB of assisting in obtain-
ing the installation of the proposed water main in Robinorest Road. To
accomplish this result, they are willing, if and when they acquire title
to said Brown land, to grant to the Town a strip o£ .said land 15 feet
wide abutting Robincrest Road on the Southerly side thereof, for the pur-
pose of widening said Robincrest Road to 40 feet, and release all claims
for damages resulting from any taking of said strip on the condition
that no betterments be assessed as a result of the installation of said
water pipe.
Very truly yours,
(signed) Charles E. Goodhue
CEG:KMB Trustee of Weng Realty Trust
Received the following letter from the Personnel Board concerning
wage and salary increases, said letter hereby becoming a part of these
minutes:
March 26, 1958
Mr. Coleman J. Donahue, Chairman
Board of Public Works
Municipal Building
Reading, Mass.
Dear Mr. Donahue:
The Personnel Board approves the proposed wage and salary increases
As outlined in your schedule dated December 26, 1957 with the following
exceptions as outlined in your letter on March 4, 1958:
Effective April 1, 1958 PER week
J017111 F`.Tormey a13_.T0_
William Fennelly 108.00
Many Publicover 46.00
It (May 1) 48.50
Jacqueline Selfridge 48.5o
if It (May 1) 45.00
We appreciate your cooperation in our efforts to coordinate wage
increases in the various town departments.
Very truly yours,
PERSONNEL BOARD
( signed) William T. Murphy
Chairman
u.
Received petition signed by six (6) abutting property owners for
acceptance of Winthrop (Private) Avenue as a Public Town Way under the '
Bettqrment Act. Petition accepted, and placed on file for processing
in the usual manner.
Chairman Donahue reported to Board on a meeting he had attended on
this date as a member of the Law Committee, concerning a suit against the
Town resulting from an accidental fall allegedly caused by a defect in
a cement concrete sidewalk. Moved, seconded and voted to instruct the
Superintendent to have hard-surfaced sidewalks perambulated semi-annually
by a responsible employee, to observe defects in side sidewalks, and to
repair said defects immediately, within the annual budget. This survey
to be started at once, and a report of findings and estimated cost of
repair made to the Board.
Received letter from Charles R. Ketchum, 594 Summer Avenue, Reading
again reviewing the surface water drainage situation at Sumner Avenue and '
Brook Street, near the Reading-Wakefield Town Line, and requesting action
by the Board in proper storm drain installation. Letter noted by Board.
Discussed award of bid for Chapter 718 Construction of Summer .Avenue,
from Main Street to Woburn Street. On recommendation of Superintendent,
it was moved, seconded ,and voted to award said construction contract to
George Brox, Inc., of Dracut, Mass, on Alternate 1 for the bid price of
$38,317.50, subject to ,posting of proper bonds.
- Moved, seconded and voted to permit the "ORIENTALS", a group of
teen-age boys interested in regulated "Rot Rod" activities, to occupy
the Engine Room of the old Mill Street Water Pumping Station, provided,.
that the "ORIENTALS" are properly supervised at all times by responsible
adults, and the Town Counsel approves the legal and insurance aspects of '
the proposed occupancy.
,m`
Moved, seconded and voted to permit Simi Gregory to remodel entrance
' to drug store at intersection of Harnden Street and Pleasant Street, by
raising the cement concrete sidewalk one (1) inch at the said entrance,
this work to be accomplished by the remodeling contractor under Town in-
spection and specifications.
Received letter from J. Warren Killam, Jr. , attorney for Mr. Jacob
N. Zeytoonian, requesting that the name of Jacob Way be changed to "Zey-
toonian Road." Request taken under advisement by the Board.
Received letter from Robert U. Channonhouse, 46 Middlesex Avenue,
signed by representatives of eight (6) Reading service clubs, requesting
use of 1. Memorial Park, 2, the "Stump Dump" on John Street as a location
for a six-day June Carnival. Moved, seconded and voted to grant use of
the "Stump Dump" off John Street.
Board adjourned at 10:35 P. M.
' Respectfully submitted :
Secretary