Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-06-03
FAIR DEAL GARAGE
MAY Be RESTORED
Aldermen Visit Scene and Find
That Less Than 40 Per Cent
Of Building Was Destroyed in
Collapse of Toy Factory
Chief Engineer Protests

A special meeting Of the Board OF
Aldermen was held Friday evening for the
purpose OF considering several matters,
brought to Its attention by Mayor j.
Holmes jackson in tho following COM
munication:
MAYOR JACKSON'S COMMUNICATION
Burlington, VT. May q 1870.
To the Honorable Board of Aldermen, of
the City Of Burlington, Vermont.
Gentlemen
have called you together at this time
to consider the subjects stated in the
call.
hack ordinance was adopted t,y your
board at your last regular meeting. At
ter considering the same and consulting
the city attorney canO to the conclusion
mat few changes should be made.
therefore, ask you to recall from the mayor
that ordinance and adopt the one the city
attorney will present as substitute, as
think this will more fully carry out the
purposes desired.
The matter of sprinkling the streets,
whether with water or with oil, and the
method Of handling the business. should
receive careful and immediate attention
10 confer with the street commissioners
and report to the board at an early date,
as to the whole subject matter. The city
clerk has some letters from citizens which
he will present for your consideration in
connection with this matter. I will cali
a special meeting Of tho hoard as soon
as the committee is ready to report.
The recent collapse Of the building on
st. Paul street has forced my attention to
the building ordinances. I think there
should be a new ordinance, or possibly
an amendment to the present one, maxi
ing provisions for the construction and
Reconstruction of certain buildings for
business and manufacturing purposes, es-
pecially. I suggest that you appoint a
committee to take this matter up with the
city attorney. and it would seem to me
to be advisable to see what ordinances on
this subject other small cities have adop-
ted 1t would seem to me that some val
liable information might be obtained from
building contractors who have had ex-
perience in such matters
Application has been made by Mr.. Max
l.. Powell to repair the building on ST.
Paul street. recently collap sed. In this con-
nection would call your atten1 ION to chap
ter 80 Of the city ordinances and especial
ly to sections and 4. and suggest that
ruins so as to better inform yourselves
as to what action you should take. Ger
tainly an action taken should be suffi-
GENTLY restrictive to protect adjoining
property.
AS the automobile traffic is greatly in
creasing. would suggest that you give
consideration to the purchase Of one or
two motorcycles for the police depart
mont also the purchase Of several needed
traffic signs.
The custom has been to make an appro-
priation towards meeting the expenses
Of the Grand Army in connection with
Memorial Day services. Respectfully.
j. HOLMES JACKSON. Mayor.
GARAGE MAY BE REPAIRED
Among other things the board decided
that 1t was lawful for Max L. Powell to
restore the Fair Deal" garage. which
was partially destroyed by the collapse
of the factory of w. C. Hoag & Co. The
matter OF purchasing motorcycles for the
police department, sprinkling the streets,
making slight alterations in the hack
ordinances. revising the building ordi-
nances and granting petitions for cement
walks we're also considered.
1t was claimed that Mr.. Powell's pro-
posed repairs to his garage do not com
ply with the requirements for a new
building to be erected within the inner
fire district. Building Inspector. Langevin
had granted permit allowing him to
restore the building when the work was
stopped at he instigation of City Attorney
Hopkins, who was requested by Mayor
jackson to look into the matter. The
present law is that a building may be
restored. which has not been destroyed
more than 40 per cent above the founda-
tons The whole question hinged on how
much was destroyed and the board
visited the scene to investigate. 1t was
found that one side and half of the roof
was gone and as this is not 40 per cent
Of the building. Mr.. Powell was allowed
to go ahead.
Chief Engineer Stockwell appeared be-
fore tho board and objected to grant
ing permission on the grounds that II
was a big fire hazard He said that he
didn't want to send men in there to be
blown To pieces by the explosion of gaso-
line which would be around tho auto
mobiles. He said that Burlington had
been mighty lucky in the past with fires
| which had started in the inner fire dis
trict. but he .did not believe any more
hazards ought to be accepted. Mr.. Powell
, said that he didn't want to increase
fire hazards as he was the person most
Interested, with the hotel and the build
ing next to the garage He wanted to do
what was right and was willing to abide
by the decision Of the board. He wanted
when conditions were right, to put up a
good building there. but this was impos-
sible with present costs If he could not re-
pair the building, he would be out the
rent and the occupant would have no
place to conduct his business. He could
not see that anyone was being imperled.
yhe board voted that the damage did not
exceed IN per cent, after hearing from
the building inspector and the Kiesich
Construction company. both OF whom
placed the loss at about &c per cent. The
opinion of the aldermen on the matter
was divided.
It was explained that the alterations to
the hack ordinances did not change them
materially. They we're simply presented
in a more explicit form and were read
/ and passed by title.
Regarding the sprinkline OF streets, it
developed that there have been a num-
her of complaints made regarding dust
and still more complaints against the use
Of oil in sprnkling the streets The oil
for sprinkling has not got arrived Alder
man Beecher. who presided in the alb
scnce OF Alderman Woodbury., appointed
a committee consisting of Alderman
Caisse. Patrick and Wilson to confer with