Waterbury Democrat., 1901-03-12
BOARD OF ALDERMEN
Had Long Session Last Night and
 Discussed Many Matters.

DlScuSSou MdHS AhdtlSlos
 The board of aldermen held meet Ing last night, there being present Chairman Hall, Aldermen Kane, Ma haney, Boylan, Morris. White, Blakes- lee. Cross, Goss, Walker and City Clerk M J. Ryan. The session was devoted to discussion of school sites, abatements of city taxes and the cleo ton of a member of the bureau of as- sessment to succeed James A. Knox, resigned.
 Aldermen Kane. and Blakeslee, the committee appointed to report rela- tive to the matter of school lots, sub- mitted the following report:
 Waterbury. March 9, 1901. To the Honorable Board of Aldermen:
 The present school lot. corner Of Lo- cust and Walnut streets. is 100 rect on Walnut street and 2Go feet on Lo- cust street Dr Crane owns a house and lot south of the above property that we are informed can be bought for S4 J00. and that the house can De sold for 1900. The above lot Is oo feet front on Walnut street. loO rect deep. There is another lot at the rear of the Dr Crane property. and on the south side of the school property which is about GO feet Wide ana loo feet deep that we are informed can De bought for S1.0O0. If the above IS true this would make additional prop erty cost S4.O0O. and would make the lot 15O feet front on Walnut street ,na oc, f.at on J.ocust street. The rear of the lot will be about 10 feet wider than the front. The wall now standing on Locust street has to be ;t ic- n some two feet If the school grounds are left at the present grade it will be necessary to build q wall 2Go feet long: 12 feet high at one end to noth- ing at the other end. The petitioners say that thn ward can be cut down three feet at tho west end (which we think is correctl. That would make the wall feet high at one end and nothing at the other. The lot would then be nearly level. There is sewer and water both on Locust and Walnut streets The walk is laid on Walnut street, but not on Locust street There is. however. some curb set. and some on the ground ready to be set. but not enough to finish Locust street side The proposed lot is situated between Ashley and Dikeman streets and has 200 feet frontage on each street. and is 23O feet deep. We understand that the proposed school is to have q base ment We are also informed that the city engineer says that a wall four feet high. the entire frontage of Ashley street (which is 200 feet will be as high aS necessary if the building is located midway between Ashley and Dikeman streets. There is sewer and water on Dikcman street: no sewer on Ashley street and only q small wrought iron water pipe.
 There is not q walk on either street The Locust street lot contains about 39.I5o square feet after the additional property has been bought. The net cost of the additional property as stat ed by the petitioner will be S4.OOO. Tho proposed site will contain 4G.Oo0 square feet. which is about 6,250 square feet more than the Locust street lot contains. and will cost S4.S00 If the Locust street property should he sold d the price the petitioner says it will bring, which is $3.O00. without the school buildings. that would make tine Locust street property SIOOO as against S4 SHn for the Ashley street property. We understand that the present school is on the north edge of the district, and the Ashley street lot is on the south edge of the same dis trict. We are informed. however. that the board of education proposes to eX- tend the district still further south so as to take in CoSSet street and possibly Walnut street. This extension is made with the idea of closing the rooms in the South Elm and Clay street schools. In making this report your committee has been careful to get the views not only of the petitioners. but also of the board of education, which we think is fairly given in the report.
 RALPH N. D- EFSLEE
 THOMAS KANE.
 Committee on School Sites. Alderman Goss moved that the re- port be accepted. and the committed discharged. This brought out a long debate during which Alderman Walk CT said:
 T am satisfied that the proper course for this board to pursue in this case is to act favorably upon the mo- ton now before us. I think the board of education is competent to decide which of the two pieces of property is the more desirable and whether it is wise to change the school lines in that district. When this question was first
 
 some truth in the allegation of the re monstrants, and in order to find out l called up there and after looking over the ground. concluded that the board had given the matter of sites the attention it demanded and chose one where they felt it would be most con venient. Besides. I don't think we have any right to interfere in this matter. It Is the work of the depart ment of education and it is but fair te assume that they are competent te deal with it
 Alderman Cross: t'I take exception to the statement that this board has no rights in the premises. I submit that it has the right to inquire into the conduct of any and all city boards Usually reports having the endorse ment of departments are adopted by the aldermen, but it must be remem bered that this is not an ordinary case. The board of education says the site is what we need, and here art fifty or sixty residents of the distric Nr- : Al.