New Britain herald., 1925-01-16
Wexler, Viets, Quin- Gvan and HinchGfe Decide To Quit And Bring To End Eric ton With Paonessa.
in City Govern- ment Follows Row Over Commissions Judgment in Issuing Permits for New Buildings.

Israel Wexler, chairman and Thomas J. Quinlivan, Richard Vets and Thomas W. Hinch- Htte, commissioners on the building board which for the past month has been the storm center of attacks by council building contractors. applicants for permits and re- monstrants against the issu- ance of permits resigned to- day.
 By appointment, Chairman WexIer and his two colleagues met late this afternoon and after a brief discuss sion decided unanimously to quit.
 Object To Being "Rubber Stamps"
 The consensus of opinion among the commissioners is that Mayor Paonessa wishes to use his building commissioners as rubber stamps" and they decline to be so used. Chairman Wexler said in exclamation of the decision reached by the thres officials.
 That Mayor Paonessa was not completely satisfied with the opera- uons of the building department has been an open secret in municipal circles and q request for resignations has been momentarily expected for several days.
 Dissatisfaction with the cofnmis- sion dates back to an application made by John w. Hagearty several months ago for permit to build a garage on property adjoining land owned by Landers, Frary & Clark on South High street. After q series of hearings, the commissioners reject- ed the application. The case is now in the courts on an appeal taken by Hagearty through Judge William F. Mangan. Although Mayor Paonessa did not agree with the ruling made by his appointees at that time, he refused to be drawn into the discuss sion.
 New Ordinance Root of Trouble.
 A recently enacted ordinance giv- ing the building commission broad discretionary powers seems to have been the downfall of the commission and besides resulting in the requests for resignations was directly respon- sible for a resolution now being pre- pared calculated to put that board out of existence.
 The ordinance permits the cons mission to refuse permits for build- ings which, in their opinion, will cause a deterioration of other prop critics in the neighborhood; and should they so desire, they are al- lowed to hear owners of adjoining property after which, should they wish, they may grant a permit,
 Claims Two Errors.
 Mayor PaoHessa claims his ap- pointnes have made at least two re- cent mistakes. The first was in their refusal 10 grant a permit to Julia Naples for a two family house on Hart street, while the second was in the issuance Gf a permit for store on Pennington avenue, the eXecu- tive charges
 Monday evening at a special meet- ing Of the common council. Councils man Davld l.. Nair attacked the budding commission for alleged par- taHty in the issuance of permits with failure 10 exercise good judg- men.. During the course of the dis- crls.Si0n. Chairman WcNler admitted that permits arc being refused with uo legal backing and on pretenee. Councilman Arthur x. Rutherford has also taken up the attack on the commission. At tho last common council meeting he characterized tha present system Of issuing permits as rotten" and nc attacked the sys- tenn of referring applications to the zoninE commission. whose ordinance has not yet received tho common councils sanction.
 Mayor Reads 'liiOt ACt' Mayor TIon"ssa attended d meet ling of tlo nntdins commission last night and roa the riot act". de- , man1inS arIou On the Naples csss and th" Farmlnston avenue build- ttrG + is understood that he urged steps to revoke the latter permit and i to give Miss Naples permission to i proceed al once. The commissioners : were steadfast and refused to budga i fro mjhcir original stand. This morning another conferences was held and there was much talk : Of resjEnatiOns and or changes in the hoard and although the cons
 uIssioners wcresnot told their serv-
 tcvs were to he termiuaied this aft-
 ernoon's action was not a complets
 surprise.
 Commissioner Hinchlihe, one of
 he three the three Is a member of
 the democratic town committee and
 served in that capacity during the
 two campaigns in which Paonessa was eelcted ss mayor. Wexler, ouln-
 livan and Niets are republicans.