Brown Raps Absence Of Cooperation
SPEAKS FOR ITSELF—Nichols street awaits completion of heavy construction work in Westover before the Town will resurface. The auto at the center is parked on the median strip. Although it is an accepted Town Way, Norwood has posted Nichols street to warn motorists of driving dangers there. (McLean)
Tax bills were distributed this week, and in many instances blood pressures rose, especially in the Westover section where residents of this newly-developed, high-tax area feel that they're not getting a fair return for their money.
The loudest complaints heard pertained to the condition of the streets. The people there have beautiful homes, with well-landscaped yards that are meticulously groomed, but some of the streets are desperately In need of repair.
The thoroughfares serving the area have not yet been accepted by the town, a process that takes time. However, there are those quick to point out that it shouldn't take five or six years to go through the required steps.
Residents of the area who had contacted the office of the Town Manager regarding the condition of the streets to see if something could be done to alleviate the situation, said that they realize that the town had no obligation or even any right to do any work on the streets until they were accepted.
One person suggested that a Public Works Department street sweeper be sent in to clear the streets of loose debris. However, this was not possible because the only sweeper that could do this work was busy sweeping and cleaning streets in preparation for oiling.
Fred W. Carritte of 4 Inverness Road, president of the recently organized Westwood Associates, was away on a business trip and could not be reached yesterday. His organization had gone before the Selectmen about six months ago to air complaints about the condition of the streets and other matters. High on the list of improvements being advocated by this community group was the reconstruction of Nichols street which already is an accepted way, but is in as bad or worse condition than the other streets.
Reconstruction of Nichols Street is being delayed until heavy construction in the area is completed.
One of the worst streets is the entire length of Churchill Drive. Others are Mayfair, Marlboro and Dorset streets. At Churchill and Dorset streets, there are serious macadam heaves. Throughout the area gravel and large stones had worked up through the blacktop.
On Tuesday a private contractor was at work in the area patching some of the worst areas, but residents pointed out that other holes would soon develop.
One resident of Marlboro Street said that he was interested only in bringing up the appearance of the area. He suggested that it might be possible to organize community work crews, but this would offer only temporary relief.
Another Westover resident who lives on Churchill Drive expressed the hope that some way could be found to improve the streets. She said that dust was a particular nuisance in the dry weather.
Powerless to Act
Town Manager Walter A. Blasenak said that he sympathized with the residents there but that he was powerless to act. Any cleaning up of the streets would have to be done by the developers of the areas, he said. However, he said if he was directed by any other agency to go in and do the work, then he would have to do so.
At the Town Hall it was stated that the responsibility of seeing that a 'developer meets certain specifications preparatory to street acceptance rests with the Planning Board, after receiving information and advice as to the condition of the road and utilities from the Engineering Department.
Frederick F. Brown, chairman of the Planning Board, tossed the problem right back at Town administration, pointing out that the Planning Board has progressed as far as it legally may.
Brown charged a lack of cooperation on the part of the Selectmen and the Town Manager, stating that if this cooperation has been forthcoming, the streets in question could have been lined up for acceptance a long time ago.
He said that the Planning Board had requested the Town Counsel to take action against the developer by default of the bonds and that the Board was .now waiting for action in this regard. Brown explained that the situation is governed by the provisions of the Subdivision Control Law. This is all private property, he said, and the town has no right to go in and do any work. If it does, Brown continued, then the town assumes all the obligation of the developer.
In situations such as this, the Planning Board instructs the developer what to do, said Brown. If the developer fails to meet the specifications as laid, down by the board, then the Planning Board does not release the bonds and the developer must go on paying the premiums. If the developer still does not meet the specifications, then the Planning Board initiates steps to seize the bonds and uses the money to see that work is done properly, Brown related.
After the specifications have been met, Brown continued, then the matter goes to the Selectmen for a public hearing on the proposed acceptances, and then to the Town Meeting for final action.
Brown charged the Select-. ' men and the Town Manager with being "anti-planning."
"They even took our Planning Board engineer away from us after seven years," he exclaimed.
Want Own Engineer
Brown said that at its meeting Monday night, the Planning Board voted to hire its own engineer, and is now proceeding to determine what it will cost before going before the Finance Commission to request the necessary funds.
Referring to the fact that the Planning Board, after being deprived of the services of Assistant Town Engineer Walter Ryan, had been offered the services of the Town Engineer, Brown said that they "needed a civil engineer, not a chemical engineer."
"We haven't got the time to school the regular Town Engineer to do our work," Brown stated.
As an example of the antagonistic attitude on the part of the executive department, Brown said that the Planning Board had asked that Mr. Ryan appear at its last meeting in order to prepare a defense against litigation against the town, and that the Town Manager had forbidden Ryan to appear.
"And when we asked the Selectmen for a reason," Brown continued, "we received no answer."
"Things have got to come to a showdown," Brown concluded.
Failure of a developer to bring a street up to specifications so that acceptance procedures can begin, has long been a source of annoyance to residents of new developments. One possible solution offered is that when a person buys property on an unaccepted street, a certain amount of money be withheld from the developer to guarantee that the streets will be put In shape for acceptance by a certain time.
Not Always At Fault
However, it is pointed out that the developers aren't always the villians that they're painted. After a developer gets a street in shape for acceptance, the Town Engineering Dept, has to make surveys to make sure that everything is in order before the town can proceed further and, the work schedule of the Engineering Dept, does not always permit prompt attention to the matter.
During the resultant time lapse the street may deteriorate to the point where the town insists it be put in shape again. The developer insists at this point that if the engineers had inspected it when the street was ready he wouldn't have to do the additional work.
This may lead to a merry-go-round situation.
Town Counsel Walter Goto-vich, when contacted Tuesday by the Messenger, agreed that the people of Westover were not being ignored, that he was working on several problems, and that he had conferred only recently with the Planning Board on the overall picture. However, he was quick to point out that the Westover situation is "a picture of many colors" and that the Planning Board was embroiled with developer Leo Wolf on some ten fronts.
Just Wants Fair Deal
One resident of Harrow Road had another complaint — that of shabby treatment from a town employee. He said that his wife had called to discuss a flooding condition in the basement of her home (before Monday's flash flood) and that not only were the results of the discussion most unsatisfactory but that she was lectured about things irrelevant to the problem at hand.
This homeowner felt that a taxpayer is entitled to more considerate treatment, possibly even preferred treatment, in view of the fact that he had just received a tax bill for $724.
This gentleman insisted that he wasn't looking for an argument with anyone. All he wanted was a fair deal from the town.
Others felt the same way. One woman who lives on Marlboro Street said that she had two inches of water in her basement during Monday's downpour because the storm drains were not working properly. She said that her tax bill was the lowest on the street — $667.00 — but that most of her neighbors paid more than $800 and some of them had similar problems.
(All articles originally appeared in the Norwood Messenger unless otherwise noted)
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