The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-08-15
MORE BEAUTIFUL BARRE
UNDER CONSIDERATION
Continued from fourth page.l

lost all interest in the property, and tn
innocent purchasers of lots find that
the city viii accept the streets at al
there is no prospect of the city eve
maintaining them unless they dig dow
and pay the cost OF working them them
selves.
In some places they have boards 0
survey, to which all plans of lots an
streets must be referred for approval be
fore any lots are sold. In other place
they 60 farther than this censorship am,
prepare street maps of the whole city
to which every property owner must con
form when he subdivides his property.
4 5. Blighted Districts. great dea
/ of discussion was had on the propert,
which is declining in value or stagnant
and ways and means of remedy. Ever
on this subject the street system figure
with much Importance for the cause 70
! the blight in many districts was givei
as insufficient transportation facilitie
! and lack of easy access to the mail
business part of the city. Bad conditions
| in the tenement districts were discusse,
at length.
4 "
given over for the study of the German
methods of city planning, as Germany
seems to be far ahead of all other coun
tries in this respect Most of the Ger
man cities are divided into zones or dis.
triets, some of which comprise the sec.
lions for trade, some are for factories
and manufacturing, Others are residen-
tial with buildings restricted to certain
kinds and values. in Others it is allow
able to erect two tenement houses OF
four tenement houses, and so on BY
this system, a person can buy lot and
build and know what kind OF surround.
irgs he is to have around him in the
future.
7. Legislation. Information was
brought out as to what was being done
in different states towards establishing
city planning systems, toward eompell-
ing land owners to work in cooperation
with the city authorities in laying out
their property, and in making assess
ment laws.
8. Recommendations To make the
sending of delegate to a conference of
more advantage to your board, it would
seem that some recommendations from
that delegate might be useful In think
ing over what one thing the Board of
Trade could do to make Barre better on
the line Of city planning, one thing,
stands out more prominently than any
thing else to me- And that Is the bad
system OF accepted streets which we
have here, which might have been better
IL the greed of land owners might have
been curbed and layout been adopted
which in the END would have made their
property more valuable than it now is.
Also the vast number of unaccepted
streets which we have that are in All
almost impossible if not dangerous con
dition, which aside from being very I'M
inviting to live upon and cause much in
convenience to citizens who much deliver
goods over them, are eyesores which
give bad impression of the town to out
siders who suppose they are regular city
streets. This condition of affairs can be
avoided in the future, and ! would recon-
mend that the committee ON municipal
affairs be instructed to take up the mat
ter with the city council with the idea
Of getting legislation which viii compel
land owners to build roads to a salts.
factory grade and width on a location
by some official who is competent in that
line OF work and to deed such streets
to the city before they sell their lots.
Or if such legislation is impossible or
ordinances could be passed
asking for reference of plans, and If they
are not referred, making il obligatory |
upon city officials 10 advertise to its citi- !
zens the condition which they may be in
Il they buy lots.
Another thing which | think might be
II advantage to Barre would be to add u
,ity beautiful committee to yonr list /
81 committees. The duties of this COM
mittee is suggested by the name. Among
the things that they might do would be
10 get owners of lots on new streets to 7
yet out trees all of the same kind and /
With definite system of setting them
,ut. They would also encourage street
associations, for the purpose of getting
he residents of certain street together
o talk over plans by which they might
make their streets more beautiful by Il
little planning and cooperation; to bring
o the attention of many householders
Who are keeping their lawns in fine
hape and vet letting the space between
he curb and gutter grow up to weeds
md tall grass.
This committee might also by little no.
ices in the newspaper and other meth
Ids bring the attention of the public
nd help to correct the very bad habit
which the people OF Barre have of cut
ing corners and spelling lawns, when
hey might just as well keep to the
aths know of two or three parties
rho to-day have unsightly barbed wire
eneing stretched from the corner of the
ouse to the street corner to protect
heir lawn from neighbors who want
o save few steps. The owners doubt
ass do not wish to make trouble for
heir neighbors, and what is everybody's
BUSINESS is nobody's business, so that
ublic opinion is not stirred up. A few
arrests ami fines for trespass
you'd perhaps caIl attention to the mat
er.
In closing, | wish to express my
hanks for the privilege of attending this
difference and there hearing reports and
iscussions by engineers and city off,
ials from all parts of the country