1939-08-25 - Laserfiche WebLink

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36 BOARD OF APPEALS MEETING August 25, 1939 A meeting of the Board of Appeals was held in the Selectmen's Room, Town Office Building, at 8:00 P. M. Messrs. Glynn, Ferguson and Locke were present. The Acting Secretary was also present. At 8:00 P. M. hearing was declared open on the appli- cation of Elizabeth P. Kenworthy for permission to construct a dwelling at 53 Wachusett Drive, Lexington, which would not have the required ten feet from the lot line. Mr. Locke, Clerk pro -tem, read the notice of the hearing. Mr. Frank H. Faulkner, the builder, appeared in favor of the granting of the petition. He stated that the houses that have already been built in the locality are all set back about 35 feet from the street, and they would like to keep this house in line with the other buildings. They could get the house on the lot in compliance with the reg- ulations if the house was only set back the twenty feet required from the street line, but they thought it would make a better appearance and that the neighbors would be more satisfied if the house was set back in line with the others, Mr. Glynn asked Mr. Faulkner how close the house would come to the lot line and Mr. Faulkner said it would be eight feet on one side and 91 feet on the other side. Mr. Longbottom, the Building Inspector, was present at the hearing and said that he thought the house would look better if it were set back in line with the other dwellings. He said he thought the petition should be granted. Mr. F. W. Pierce of 47 Vlachusett Drive asked why this hearing was necessary, and Mr. Glynn informed him that the Building Inspector could not grant a permit if the house came within ten feet of the lot lines and the owner could appeal to this Board. Mr. Pierce said that there was a vacant lot between his house and the house in question. He bought his property in good faith and felt he had been shamefully used by the owners of the development. He felt that anyone buying a lot now should be subject to the same restrictions he was. He felt that if the house could not be put on the lot in accordance with law, some other arrangement should be made. Mr. Glynn said that the quest-lon the Board of Appeals had to deal with was whether it would be better for the appearance of the neighborhood to have the house set back in conformity with the houses already built and make an exception of a foot or so on each side line, or to see that the town regulations were strictly enforced and have the house jut out beyond the other houses. 1 1 1