1927-PLANNING BOARD p� A meeting of the Planning Board was held at City Hall on
Monday, January 17, 1927, at 7.45 o'clock P. M. All the members
were present except Mr. Wiswall. The Chairman presided.
On motion of Mr. Webber, it was voted to hold the regular
monthly meetings of the Board on the third Monday of the month
at 7.30 o 'clock P. 11.
On motion of Lir. Webber, it was voted to renew the study of
the proposed Sewall Street extension, with the cooperation of the
Mayor.
On motion of Mr. Perkins , it was voted that the members of
the Board attend the hearing to be given by the City Council on
the petition of Eastern Massachusettw Eledtric Company to extend
wires over certain streets in the city.
The Board adjourned at 10.20 o 'clock P. M.
Attest:-
Secretary
A regular meeting of the Planning Board was held at City
Hall on Monday, February 21, 1927, at 7.30 o ' clock P. M. All
the members were present except Mr. Webber and Mr. Gray. The
Chairman presided.
There was considerable discussion of the Sewall Street
extension project. The general opinion of the Board was that
it would not be feasible for this year.
The question of street lines was taken up, with particular
reference to Norman Street.
On motion of Mr. Perkins, it was voted that Mr. wiswall
be instructed to find out the process of establishing building
lines.
The Board adjourned at 8.30 P. 19.
Attest:-
Secretary
v
A meeting of the Planning Board was held at City Hall on
Monday, March 21, 1927 , at 7.30 o 'clock P. M. All the members
were present except Lir. Perkins and the Chairman presided.
The Chairman stated that a number of people had asked for
an opportunity to be heard by the Board in the matter of a pro-
posed amendment to the Zoning Ordinance, which would change the
Apartment House Zone on Lafayette Street between Roslyn and Han-
cock Streets and between Lafayette Place and Saltonstall Park-
way to a General Residence Zone . The following persons were
present and spoke in favor of the proposed amendment , and
requested the Board to go on record as being in favor of the
amendment: Miss Mary Cass , Mr. Louis Marden, Mr. Kevie Carman,
Mr. Simon Myers and Mr. J. H. Dupuis, and Mr. F. T. Johnson, Jr.
• The principal arguments were as follows: That the erection of an
apartment house at the corner of Roslyn and Lafayette Streets,
as now proposed, would cause depreciation of neighboring property,
and would constitute a specific encroachment on a general residence
zone. The Board heard all the . petitioners who then retired.
On motion of Mr. wiswall, it was voted to request the City
Council to notify the Planning Board of any proposed changes to
the Zoning Ordinance .
On motion of Mr. W swall, it was voted that the Board is
opposed to endorsing the proposed amendment to the Zoning L' dinance
on the general principles that it considers it inexpedient to
recommend an amendment in the interest of a limited number of
people in a small area in the central part of any established zone.
The Board adjourned at 10. 10 o ' clock P. M.
Attest:-
Secretary
I�
A regular meeting of the Planning Board was held at City
Hall, on Wednesday, April 20 , 1927 , at 7.30 o 'clock P. M. All
the members were present except Mr. Wiswall. The Chairman
presided.
The Board discussed the proposed amendment to the zoning
ordinance affecting the apartment house district on a portion
of Lafayette Street, which had been brought before the City
Council.
There was also some discussion regarding the erectinn of
overhead high tension wires by the Eastern Massachusetts Elec-
tric Company.
On motion of Mr. Perkins , it was voted to adjourn until
September, subject to the call of the chair.
• The Board adjourned at 8.30 o 'clock P. M.
Attest:
Secretary
A meeting of the Planning Board was held at City Hall on
Wednesday, October 26, 1927, at 7.45 o 'clock P. M. All the
members were present and the Chairman presided.
On motion of Mr.. Perkins , it was voted that Mr. Wiswall
be instructed to confer with Mr. Kinsella of the Board of Appeal
in the matter of drafting questions for the City Solicitor re-
garding the Zoning Ordinance.
On motion of Mr. Webber, it was voted that the following
letter be sent to the City Council:
"To the City Council,
Salem, Mass.
Gentlemen:
At a meeting of the Salem-iPlanning Board held on
Wednesday, October 26, 1927, at which all the members were
•. present, it was unanimously voted that the Board was opposed
to the proposed amendment, to the Building Ordinance permitting
the housing of three families in two and one-half story houses,
for the reason that it is a menace to health and a fire hazard.
Very trulytyours,
Chairman"
On motion of Mr. Wiswall, Mr. J. Asbury Pitman was elected
Chairman for the ensuing year.
On motion of Mr. Perkins , Mr. Henry T. O 'Donnell was elected
Secretary for the ensuing year.
On motion of Mr. O'Donnell, it was voted that the regular
meetings of the Board be held on the first Monday of each month
at 7 .45 o 'clock P. M.
The Board adjourned at
• Attest:-
Secretary/I/
A meeting of the Planning Board was held at City Hall on
Monday, November 7 , 1927, at 7.45 o 'clock P. M. All the members
were present except Mr. Wiswall and Mr. Webber. Mr. William M.
Osgood, Inspector of Buildings, was also present. The Chairman
presided.
Mr. Pitman gave an account of the visit made by the Mayor
and others to inspect residences which are being occupied in
violation of the building ordinance, having three families in
two and one-half story house.
There was considerable discussion about the matter. Mr.
Osgood explained the inspection which is made of all dwellings,
and stated that no inspection is made after a house is occupied.
He said that plumbing permits were issued which aided in the
• violation of the building law, but were never so reported by
the Plumbing Inspector. Mr. Pitman said that. Mr. Longley :ofd.
theiRe-Building Commission had stated that when the Commission
went out of existence in 1917 they only knew of two such viola-
tions of the building laws. Now there are several hundred.
Mr. Osgood said he thought there were more than two before 1917.
On motion of Mr. Perkins , it was voted to secure informa-
tion on this subject , with reference to building laws and re-
quirements , from a. number of other cities in the state.
The Board adjourned at 9.30 o 'clock P. M.
Attest.-
Secretary
• A regular meeting of the Planning Board was held at City
Hall on Monday, December 5, 1927, at 7.95 o ' clock P. M. All
the members were present except Mr. O 'Donnell. The Chairman
presided.
The Board discussed the proposed amendment to the Building
Ordinance which would allow the housing of three families in
two and one-half story dwellings.
On motion of Mr. Wiswall, it was voted that the Board
arrange to meet with the Mayor for a conference in regard to
this matter.
It was suggested that- Mr. Wiswall consider what means
might be taken to care for the situation without amending the
Zoning Ordinance.
. The Board adjourned at 8.30 o 'clock P. M.
Attest :-
Secretary
v
On December 19, 1927, at 7 .45 o'clock P. M. , a meeting was
held at City Hall, attended by the Mayor, members of the Planning
Board, the Chamber of Commerce Committee on Traffic, the City
Engineer, the Chairman of the Committee on Traffic Rules of the
City Council and Traffic Sergeant Hyde of the Police Department.
Mr. Pitman, Chairman of the Planning Board, explained the
purpose of the meeting, which was .to consider the problems of
traffic conditions at the Mill Street and Norman Street Railroad
crossings. He then introduced Mayor George J. Bates, who presided.
Mayor Bates explained the various. remedies which had been
suggested, namely:- the installation of .gates at Norman Street with
extension of tunnel wall twenty feet southerly; closing up the
• Norman Street crossing altogether , (which he believed inadvisable ) ;
a new station, to be located preferably on the southerly side of
Mill Street.
Mr. Fitzgerald, Chairman of the Committee on Traffic Rules of
the City Council, answering questions asked by those present, said
that in the opinion of the Committee the installation of gates is
po-
the only solution. These would 4electrically controlled by an
operator, not by the train, and are worked in conjunction with
automatic "stop" signals.
Mr. Pitman said that the Boston & Maine Railroad would like
to close the Norman Street crossing, in exchange for a strip of
land on P:Targin Street, which would mean a saving of $9, 500. per
year for the Railroad.
• Mr. Wiswall of the Planning Board spoke at some length on the
danger to pedestrians and the need of an immediate remedy. He did
� J
not think that the City should bargain with the Railroad while
delaying protection. He believed that it. would be better to
close Washington Street 'Jest than Norman Street,.
Mr. Friend, of the Chamber of Commerce Committee explained
a plan which he recommended. This would close Norman Street,
take the building at the corner and widen Margin Street,, put a
bridge over Mill Street crossing and continue Broad Stree.t. .through
to Margin Street.
Aar. Pitman moved that the Engineering Department of the
City of Salem be requested to co-operate with the Engineering
Department of the Boston & Maine Railroad in making a preliminary
sturdy toward a permanent solution of the crossing problem and
report back to this conference. •
Mr. Fitzgerald moved that the motion be amended "and that
the i:4ayor be requested to make an appropriation for the survey, if
necessary" .
The amendment was accepted, and the motion was unanimously
voted.
The meeting adjourned at 10.30 o 'clock P.. Aa. �