November 29, 2009

9 May Street

I have to file this under "different rules for different people"... Here is what I can figure.

The sewer line in May Street is a combo sewer and drain line, which when it rains is near full capacity. As a result sewerage from 12 May Street can not enter the line and backs up into the basement and we have all seen the damage that has done.

On the other hand the sewer line on Main Street has capacity to handle the sewerage from 12 May Street. What to do? Just run a sewer line above ground through an abutting property that neither you nor the City of Worcester owns and tap into the Main Street line.

Imagine a private developer doing this?? The more I think about this, this really is incredible.

11 comments:

Jahn said...

From my limited exp. with thsi kinda stuff you need to get an easement from the abutter(s) to cross their property and the easement is recorded at reg. of deeds and you typically have to pay the abutter for the right to use (rent) their property

You hit the nail right on the head re if a private dev'er ever had to do this DPW and City council would run the guy over the coals and may not even allow it and the private dev'er would have had to pay the per bedroom hook up fee o 1320$ per bedroom on both od the hook ups.

ALos they got this approved quite radiply too.

Bill Randell said...

there is no easement. in fact the city of worcester never lets you run sideways to connect to sewer and water lines. You need to connect to the sewer and water line that your property fronts, although there is some latitude if you are on the corner lot.

All the rules on the books get tossed out for developers of low to mod income housing.

Anonymous said...

This should be a healine blog post on BA's Tales of the Shitty !!!

ROTFLMAO !!!!

http://talesfromtheshitty.blogspot.com

Harry T
Worcester,MA

signman said...

The question will be who will end up with the property on Main St.The house that burnt and was just torn down. Main South or WCG.. I say WCG should get it for better parking for 12 May St and run their sewer line through that property?? No? More low to mod? Lets see if the city goes with their study and ease the parking burden? I doubt it.

Jahn said...

I am going to tell you that is 100% contrary to DPW policy, the T&G reported awhile back that WCG and the city were working TOGETHER. to solve this problem. TOGETHER basically means the city will let WCG do whatever TF they want...!!!! I know develpers who have tried this on a much smaller scale , all underground for a single family house and were told by DPW ... no way Jose'.

I am wondering where in the zoning ord. a huge diameter above ground metal pipeline is is an allowed use? Accesory structure....??????? Wonder if Code dept was even involved in this structure???

If this was ever proposed by a private dev'er the 1st thing the city would scream about is public safety should the pipe ever fail or be accidentally struck by a motor vehilce or whatever kind of calamity could occur...esp in Main South.

Plus there's the unsightliness and lack of curb appeal of the thing. But hey it's just Main South so who cares....right??????

Additionally, the city or WCG doesnt even own the property and there is no recorded easement so it appears WCG is guilty of a continuous trespass and the dam city is complicit with WCG in this continuous trespass. When this was allowed by dpw years ago you had to produce evidence that was receodred at reg. of deeds that you had easement rights from the property owner.

Bill Randell said...

Jahn:

Don't get mad there are simply two different sets of rules in this city.

On one side you have the main private developers that have to pay all the fees repair their sidewalks with their own cash if they are broken. I have no problem with that, it it the way it should be.

On the other side, you have fees waived, rules bent and variances granted for developers of low to mod income housing.


Bill

Jahn said...

What the ++++......me get mad.........surely you jest......!!!!!!!!

you know the more I think about this the more questions arise

IF and I say If b/c I am guessing WGC will eventually own this site.........someone else come salong and wants to exacavte to dev. thsi site. How can you excavate anywhere near this pipe w/o affecting the underpinnings that support it? Thesre's got to be supports for it that I would think have to be at least 4 ft underground to meet code re: being below the frost line. did they call Dig safe first? Also if there are supports you have to excavte to install them and u cannot excavate without a building permit and an engineer stamped site & topography plan
unless you go before teh ZBA for a special permit to excavte only E.g. removing gravel or just leveling a site w./o doing any constr on it

Again I ask was code dept in volved in this structure b/c it is a structure and also code dept requires that you own or lease a site before you re allowed to constr. anything on it. ALthough I know Main South CDC can get multiple building permits for a site w/o owning or leasing a piece of land.

Also the line has to have req'd a sewerage pump and that runs by electrivity b/c for those of you that attended St Johns or come from Slummerville [g] sewerage does not naturally run up hill so Code electrial had to be involved???? and I tell u those sewerage pumps are not cheap. I knew a contractor 25 yrs ago who didnt get paid for his sewerage line work so they stole the sewergae pump from the site and it was worth over $100,000 20 years ago and thats at pawn shop type prices

I also have to wonder if it's only temporary and eventually they will bury the pipe or tie it in on May St.........agains it's a possilblity b/c WGC was under the ground to do something immdieately w/o regard to cost.

They also probbaly "stole" the sewer line tie-in that rightly accrues to the owners of the property.

ANd if it does become a WGC parking lot....again I see the possibly of the line being compromised in an accident. Maybe an errant, out of control Harley Davidson from across the street could jump the curb and smash into the pipe.

I wonder if the grafitti artists will tag this monstrousity

jahn said...

BIll I actually had city lawyers years ago ackonowledge that ...yup......and I quote............they said

"Jahn you're right (about 2 sets of rules) but nobody messes with Main South CDC"

BTW we can all hang thsi BS right on Jim Mcgovern b/c thats where the money comes from

signman said...

"Jahn you're right (about 2 sets of rules) but nobody messes with Main South CDC"


The city created this power house the RKG report s the city does not need them anymore and the city now cannot get control of it (CDC) so it calls it's own shots... The Chandler Business Association has changed it's name and added CDC to try to get some equal leverage... lets see if it works.

Jahn said...

Signman , as long as Havana Jim Mcgovern continues to send money from Washing ton to Worc for low income housign constr we are screwed. Please remember he's the catalyst behind all of this. Guess who low income voters vote for.

These CDC's are out of control and nothing is more expensive in the long run to teh city of Worc than free money for low income housing. Then the city ends up in the banking business with these darn Home Funds.

I still want to know what happened over at Canal District CDC as regards the alleged finacial improprieties.

Nick, Sean, Thomas??? Can you help me out or give Alan a call and finds what's going done in the Banal District.

Paulie's Point of View said...

just noticed a smaller width pipe running out onto May and into the ground