1924-Annual Report - Laserfiche WebLink

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TOWN OF LEXINGTON 97 haphazard developments of their business and residential areas, the Legislature of our Commonwealth in 1920, by Chapter 40, Section 25 to 30 inclusive of the General Laws, passed an Enabling Act for the establishment of residential and business zones by all cities and towns, as a protection in the respects above pointed out. The general purposes of this zoning act are very clearly set forth in the opening Section 25 thereof, which reads as follows:— "A city or town may by ordinance or by-law restrict buildings to be used for particular industries, trades, manufacturing or commercial purposes to specie ecl parts of the city or town, or may exclude them from specified parts of the city or town, or may provide that such buildings, if situated in certain parts of the city or town, shall be subject to special regulations as to their construction or use. A city or town may also by ordinance or by-law provide that certain kinds of dwelling houses and tenement houses shall be restricted to specified parts of the city or town, or shall he excluded from specified parts of the city or town, or that dwelling houses or tenement houses situated in specified parts of the city or town shall conform to certain regula- tions in respect to their construction or use which do not apply to such buildings in other parts of the city or town. For the above purpose the city or town may be divided into districts or zones, and the construction and use of buildings in each district or zone may be regulated as above provided. The provisions of this section shall be carried out in such manner as will best promote the health, safety, convenience and welfare of the inhabitants, will lessen the danger from fire, will tend to improve and beautify the city or town, will harmonize with its natural development, and will assist the carrying out of any scheme for municipal improvement put forth by any municipal planning board on board of survey or other like authority. Due regard shall be paid to the characteristics of the different parts of the city or town and the ordinances, or by-laws established hereunder in any city or town shall be the same for zones, districts or streets having substancially the same character." Responding to requests by many of our townspeople and knowing that many other cities and towns of Mass- achusetts were already at work upon sirniliar preiects, the Lexington Planning. Board some months ago took up the work of drafting a Zoning By -Law to present for adoption by the town if in the minds of its citizens it shall he found 98 ANNUAL REPORT to furnish what is needed and desired. The Planning Board has met regularly for many weeks and has given careful and conscientious study to the subject. It was at fust thought that the Board could canvas the subject and draft the necessary- By -Law without going to the expense of retaining a technical assistant, but it early be- came evident that professional assistance was required and Mr. Edward T. Hartman, formerly of Lexington, was en- gaged. 111.. Hartman has had much experience in this line and is Consultant on Town Planning for the Common- wealth. The expense of retnining Mr. Hartman has been guaranteed by members of the Planning Board and a few others in confidence that when this report shall have been presented to the town the necessary amount will be appro- priated to reimburse them. The work of preparing and presenting the zoning scheme has also been much handicapped by lack of an adequ- ate map. Notwithstanding these li„nclicaps, it is hoped that a fairly clear and understandable report 'is here presented. Generally stated, the design of the Zoning By -Law is to define the areas where business buildings may be erect- ed and to prohibit the erection of such buildings in any other area; also to define the extent to which double houses and two-family apartment houses may be built within the residential areas, which latter are to be restricted mainly to single family houses. Three 7uc:b1ic, hearings have been given, the first to owners of oierties north of Massachusetts Avenue, Elm, i]ancock ar:1 Adams Streets; the second to property owners between the above section and the dividing line between voting Precincts one and two of the town; and the third to property owners in voting Precinct one. At thee,' hearings a tentative plan was presented and explained, r'uestions were answered and suggestions re- ceived and the plan now submitted incorporates the ideas and suggest' ins gathered from these hearings. It should be made clear at the outset that it is not the purpose of the Planning Board to seek to impose upon the town anything the town does not wish. The Board be-