Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1910-06-17

Definite propositions have been passed
between the committee representing the
town and the Central Vermont Railway
company which enable the committee 10
now place before the people OF the town
definitely what can be done and what VIII
he required of the town. The negotia-
tions have been going on more than
year A year ago last March, at the an
nual town meeting, L. z. Holden, c. y.
Robbins and Charles r. Crosby were
elected a committee to represent the
town in undertaking to bring about the
abolition Of the grade crossing on Bridge
street the erection Of a new passenger
station west Of the railroad and a new
highway in place Of the present vernon
street, in order to largely do away with
the grade and make the approach to the
town from the south and access TO the
freight station what they should be.
Attorney c. c. Fits has acted as cOun-
sci for the committee in conjunction with
Attorney A. p. Carpenter, the agent ana
attorney for the town. The committee
made very thorough preparations in the
way of surveys, procuring estimates and
plans, and the successful outcome Of their
work is largely due to the very thorough
way in which they have handled 1t from
the start. The definite plan upon which
the railroad and town substantially agree
now is:
l. To cut out the rock to the proper
level to meet the requirements herein
after stated. so that from the Brattleboro
House to the proposed station there will
be a level tract of a depth Of 100 feet or
more.
Q A passenger station is to be erected,
the building, exclusive of platforms, foun-
dations and excavation, to cost not less
than 10000. The location Of the pas
senger station will be west Of the track,
and the northerly end Of the station will
be few feet southerly Of the present
south line Of Bridge street al about the
point where the red building occupied by
George f. Fox stands. Entrance to the
main room of the passenger station will
be at about the level OF the Brattleboro
House and there will be stairways from
the station room to the platforms, the
platform being on level IL or IA feet
lower than the floor of the main room.
Platforms extending across the founda-
tion Of the old mill north of Bridge street
and thence southerly to a point about op-
posite the middle Of the present passenger
station will be provided, the platform be-
ing approximately 500 feet long.
3. Bridge street will be closed by a
wall or fence al the west line Of the track.
The grade Of the lower end Of Bridge
street viii be raised to the level Of the
platform. A sidewalk will be provided so
that persons desiring to reach the plat
form without going through the depot
may do so by coming down a sidewalk
located at about the point Of the present
sidewalk on the south side OF Bridge
street and so get upon the platform Bag
gage and express will be handled in the
basement of the station and the lower
end Of the present Bridge street will be
utilized for team room for baggage and
express teams.
4. Rock excavation will be made and
the necessary filling done and retaining
walls made to provide a new highway
from the Brattleboro House along easterly
of the present Vernon street, going up a
grade of three per cent to a point about
opposite the present passenger station,
thence descending by a six per cent grade
to a point about 100 feet north of the
present freight station. the Travelled part
of the roadway to be 25 feet wide
3. The present Vernon street will be
discontinued as a street from a point
about opposite the so-called Frank Reed
place, owned by f. B. Barrows, south
erly to the northerly line Of land of Mrs
Griffin, and the conditions in front Of the
seven houses on Vernon street which are
on General Vermont railroad land will be
greatly improved by providing a private
driveway about 10 feet in width along
the western portion Of the present Yer
non street to serve the houses and keep
the general traffic with consequent dust
and dirt away from there. A slope will be
made from about the middle of the pres
ent Vernon street down to the new pro-
posed roadway in front of those houses
with sufficient retaining wall at the bot
tom of the bank to hold It in shape
6. An over pass will be built in the
place Of the present grade crossing. The
over-pass will go over the tracks and
across al about the site OF the present
passenger station; a descent to be made
from the over pass northerly on the east
side Of the track al a location to be Sc
lected and furnished by the railroad COM
pany This ramp will be on a six per
cent grade, which will bring the north
erly end Of the ramp a about the pres
ent line Of Bridge street. This will give
very greatly improved facilities in the
freight yard for access to cars and for
the use of teams having business there
I. The Central Vermont Railway COM |
pany is to furnish without charge all the |
land which IT owns and which is required
for the proposed changes The railway |
company owns all the land between the /
present Vernon street and the railway
tracks and all the land that will be used |
for the purpose OF the bridge and the |
ramp on the east side The line of the |
highway at the Brattleboro House goes |
somewhat into the rock ledge east of |
the hotel. and excavation will be made to |
the highway line at that point The |
bridge over the tracks Is to be Of steel
Very careful estimates have been made |
as to the expense OF all these changes, |
and they foot up from 355, 900 to s60, 900.
The public service commission have in |
dictated that the state of Vermont will |
contribute S12.500.
1t is expected that an appropriation for |
permanent highway improvement can be |
procured out Of state funds TO be used in |
conjunction with the town toward the ex- |
pense Of the proposed highway
The committee have asked the select |
men to call a special town meeting and |
the selectmen will issue a call Monday for |
such a meeting, The committee will |
ask the passage OF a resolution APP |
propriating a sum which shall in no event |
exceed $4,000. as the towns contribution |
for the work. Under the state law the |
town would be assessed 10 per cent to- |
ward the expense of abolishing the grade |
crossing without any vote OF the town, |
The adjustment OF the grade crossing |
would not necessarily involve the build |
ing of the new highway from the point of |
the over-pass southerly to the freight |