The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-12-17
L. E. Holden Points Out
Sections Which He Does
Not Approve
ALSO SUGGESTS
CERTAIN CHANGES
Says Voters Should Not Adopt Pro-
posed Building Regulations Until De
fects Have Been Remedied - Some
Rulings Commendable.
Editor of The Reformer:

Rulings Commendable
Editor of The Reformer:
Dear Sir: For the enlightenment |
of the voters of the village of Brattle- |
boro, [ wish to point out a few facts |
in relations to the proposed building |
code which has been printed in your
paper for their adoption. While there |
are some very -commendahle- rulings in
this code, there are some others which |
to me seem entirely uncalled for in 4 |
town OF this size and which, if adopt |
ed, will make the cost of construction
so high that it win be impossible for
the ordinary laboring man to own or
build home of his own, or even toll
rent a desirable tenenens@~~ass 1T will
certainly tend to increase the rents
Section 3 says: 'This code shall ap-
ply to and he enforced within the linn
its Of the Inner Fire District, and in
all other portions OF the village, eN-
cept as hereinafter specified or modi-
fed by the building INSPECTOR In
other words, this means that if this
code is adopted it viii apply to the
whole village of Brattleboro. unless the
inspector modifies it in some degree. !
do not think that it should apply eX
eepting in the inner fire district. and
in some respects not even there.
Section II specifies that no tenement
house or apartment house shall he
erected on the rear of n lot so feet or
less in width where there is an apart
ment house or tenement house on the
front of said lot. npf upon the front
Of any such lot upon the rear Of
which there is such a house. think
that this is uncalled for. We will
take for instance the houses on Pine
street, where the depth of the lots is
from 200 10 500 feet, which leaves
plenty of room for other houses to be
constructed in the rear of these houses
without crowding in any way. 1t seems
to me that this section should be
stricken out entirely.
Section 81 says that all exterior
woodwork or wood cornices within the
fire limits that may now be or that
may hereafter become unsafe or rot
ten, shall be taken down, and if re-
placed shall be constructed Of some
ireproof material. and the building in.
spector may cause such exterior wood
work or wood cornices to he removed
or replaced with tircproof material
whenever in his Judgment the same
Shall be necessary for the prevention
/ of fire. ! propose that this section
/ should be amended TO apply to the IN
/ ner fire district.
| Section -: - Every huilding and the
4 tops and sides of every dOrmer window
thereon shall be covered and rooted
/ with brick, tide. slate. tin, copper or
. iron or some other incombustihle roof
4 ing rs the Inspector under his certih-
! cate NAV authorize. This means that
in building within the fire limits of
| Brattleboro no dormcr windows can be
/ clapboarded, no cornicc can he built
excepting of some incombustible ma
tcrial. which might apply very we'll to
the eongested district of Brattlcboro,
but for ruling for the entire fire
limits of the town, il seems to me
that it should not be adopted.
Section IS calls for FIRE appliances
fire escapes, freproof shutters and
doors, extinguishers and sprinkler sys-
TENS. other than those owned by the
fire department, shall be constructed
and arranged as and when ordered by
the inspector. This matter is talIe1
Il care of by the state inspector, wh(
4 makes his trips through all the town:
& and villages in the state once a YEA
i for the purpose of looking after these
4 things.
Section 81: Within the inner fire dis
\ trict of BrattleborO no frame building
u more than two stories IN height shall
4 hereafter be raised or altered to b
& used as a factory, warehouse or stable
] This, I claim, is going too far. w
will take for instance, a building lik
the s. A. Smith Mfg. Co.'S, which /
u we'll constructed and equipped with
4 first class automatic sprinkler system
4 and should they ever wish to build a
Isl 4t,1vr FA1ef
g not make it the same height as tn
q main building. unless they construct
ed it Of some material other than tina
\ OF which their present factory is bull
think that this section 81 shout
h read: - No frame building more tina
two stories high shall hereafter b
& raised or altered to be used as a fa'
4 tory, warehouse or stable, unless bull
n according to factory constructlo
4 rules and equipped with automati
4 sprinklers, or made. fire proof. >
& case the building is made fire proof,
q would not be necessary to equip Wit
n sprinIlers.
Section 16. [ would suggest this 4
be amended to read that = door miGt
D be hung between the bakery and Il
! store part, if made of Greproof m
teriais and hung on swing hinges,
this would enable the baker to hay
( access to the store without going o.
4 Of doors, where If complying with Il
4 present rulings of this. section
Z would prevent his having any acce
8 into the other parts of the buildir
q whatever.
l think that the sections of this co'
which / have called your attention
should certainly be amended before t
code is adopted.
Very truly yours,
u II0I DEN