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217 <br /> The Planning Board recommends to the Town Meeting that this <br /> petition be denied. <br /> While the Board sympathizes with the desire of this petitioner <br /> to benefit from a change of her area to a business zone, it believes <br /> that the interests of the Town, of property owners along the entire <br /> length, and the users of the Cambridge-Concord Turnpike, would be <br /> adversely affected by establishment of such business areas at this <br /> time. <br /> The following considerations have led the Planning Board to its <br /> recommendation: <br /> The Cmabridge-Concord Turnpike is a high-speed, through- <br /> traffic artery and any developments along its way should be <br /> carefully located to avoid congestion and to maintain safety. <br /> To this end the Planning Board has had the Town Engineering <br /> Department working for some time to ^design an overall layout <br /> for an-attractive and safe development of Property along this <br /> highway. <br /> This new turnpike has opened un a large new area for <br /> residential development. With a well-worked-out plan of <br /> parallelling streets to provide safety and to give sufficient <br /> set-back, we may hope for development of attractive residen- <br /> tial areas. If unattractive, uncontrolled business areas <br /> develop, however, such residential developments are likely to <br /> be hindered and safety to travellers endangered. <br /> The project is a complicated one, calling for careful <br /> study of the topography of the land, the alignment of the <br /> road, intersecting streets, future sewer and water require- <br /> ments , etc. , and it is the hone of the Planning Board that a <br /> plan may be developed which will prove economical to the Town <br /> and satisfactory to the abutting owners . <br /> The petitioner asks for a business zone not directly on <br /> the highway, but any business conducted in the area evidently <br /> will cater to automobiles travelling on the highway. Accord- <br /> ingly it should be viewed-as part of the highway development <br /> and should be subjected to the same considerations as pe- <br /> titioners located on that road. Action on one such petition <br /> in the Town Warrant, that of Mr. Ernest De Vincent, has been <br /> postponed at his counsel's request. Informal approaches have <br /> been made to members of the Planning Board by some six <br /> additional property owners . Accordingly we know that there ' <br /> will be requests for C.1 zones at many points along the high- <br /> way. <br /> The Planning Board call s to the attention of the Town <br /> Meeting Members that control over property use is virtually <br /> lost when once a pieceofland has been changed to a business <br /> zone, except in so far as control can come through building <br /> regulations . <br /> We have all seen the unsightly development along Marrett <br /> Road in the vicinity of the Lincoln-Lexington line. We have <br /> seen such developments as the White Spot on Woburn Street be- <br /> yond the Lexington line. The Board believes it would be highly <br /> detrimental to Lexington ever to have such a condition in this <br /> attractive and historic neighborhood. <br /> A year ago the Town gave its support to activities of the <br /> Planning Board in its efforts with Boards of neighboring towns <br /> to maintain_ the Cambridge-Concord Turnpike as a scenic and safe <br /> highway and to prevent an unsightly, unsafe development of road- <br /> side stands, gasoline stations, and the like. A bill was pre- <br /> sented to and passed by the legislature. Unfortunately the <br />