Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1891-12-11
THE SPECIAL VILLAGE MEETING.

A special meeting of the voters of
Mlddebury village was held at the town
hall on Tuesday afternoon, beginning at
2 o'clock. 1t was called to order by
Col. r. NJ. Chapman, the moderator, who
read the warning,
The first article. ''To see If the village
will pass an ordinance regulating the
erection of buildings, was taken up.
Mr. Joseph Battell thought it hardly
necessary to pass such an ordinance
All The property holders in the burned
district were disposed to do the best
they could in the way of building and
that was all that could fairly be asked
of them. For himself, he should put up
Il solid brick block, as it would cost but
! little more than one of wood and would
be worth much more. Others who were
to build proposed, he understood, to do
the same. W. II. Bliss, Esq, spoke to
substantially the same effect, and on his
motion the article was laid on the table.
The second article read: ''To see If
the village will pass an ordinance regu-
lating the grade of Merchants Row and
Main street.. President Brainerd eX-
planned map Of Main street, from the
Y. NJ. c. y. building to the railroad
bridge, which he had prepared. On it
he had drawn two lines of grades high
er than the present grade. If the first
were followed, the grade from the creek
bridge to the railroad bridge would be
one foot in 294 feet and the deepest fill
would be about five and half feet at
the lowest point of the present roadway.
The other plan suggested on the map
would make the south end of the creek
bridge start at the level of the floor in
the Dyer block and rise two feet IN the
lGl feet of its length thence the grade
would uniform to the railroad bridge.
This would bring the north end of the
creek bridge four and Il half feet above
its present level. Tie grade from the
north end OF the creek bridge to the
railroad bridge under this scheme would
be one foot in 81; and the deepest fill
would be about eight feet. The ques
ton of the cost of the proposed fill was
discussed at some length. Mr.. Burke
of the Rutland engineering firm of
Chappell & Burke figured it out to be
about Sli00. Hon. j. W. Stewart sub
mitted this ordinance, which was sec
onded by Mr.. Bliss and passed:
1t is hereby ordained by the village OF Mid
dlcburV astOllOws:
The grades OF The streets in said village
from the railroad bridges ON the northcriy
side OF Ottei creek. to the creek bridge is
the northerly end of the creek bridge shall
be raised tour and II half feet above the pres
ent level of the road at that point and from
thence the roadway to both OF said bridges
shall be made OF II uniform grade from the
said four and half feet grade at the bridge.
Mr.. Stewart called attention to the
fact that under the village charter the
power to discontinue and lay out high
ways in the village Is given to the trus-
tees. But, he said, they would probably
not care TO act with reference to the
driveway between the Smith and But
tolph blocks without instructions from
the voters. 1t was desirable to close this
up if access could be had to the rear of
the Merchants Row stores by some other
way. The driveway was given to the
village by Gamaliel Painter, who made
the college his residuary legatee; so if
ITS use as highway were given up it
would become the property of the col
lege. 1t would be well to have some one
find out about these matters and see
what arrangement for another driveway
could be made. Mr.. Bliss moved, and
it was voted, 'that the present trustees
as individuals be Il committee to inquire
into the title to the highway leading
from Merchants Row to the creek and
see what arrangements can be made
with the property-owners and what is
eXpedlent to be done in respect to said
highways and byways, and report at the
annual meeting
There being no other business, the
meeting adjourned.