HomeMy WebLinkAbout1940-01-26T 0
' BOARD OF' APPEALS MEETING
Jan. 26th, 1940.
A meeting of the Board of Appeals was held in the Select-
men's Room, Town Office Building, at 8:00 P.M. Chairman
Maddison and Messrs. Ferguson, Glynn, Kimball and Associate
member Bowker were present. The Secretary was also pre-
sent.
At 8:00 P.M. hearing was declared open upon the peti-
tion of Haskell Reed, Executor, for permission to remove
excavated fill from the land in the rear of 72 Lowell Street,
Lexington. Tixe notice of the hearing, was reaC, by Mr. Glynn,
who acted as Clerk Pro -tem. Mr. Haskell Reed appeared in
favor of the granting of the petition.
Mr. Reed said that there was a ridge running from the
'adheeler property through his property. There are a lot of
small hills which he calls "camel humps". Looking from
Lowell Street, his land lies between the Great Meadows and
Lowell Street. M=°. Reed said that this ridge was some 500
yards from the road. He said it was not his intention to
' dig up the farm so that there would be an ugly scar, but
he intended to start at grade and come down through those
knobs and come out even on the other side of the ridge.
Hothing has ever been grown there although the place used to
be used as a pasture.
The Chairman asked if there was just a growth of weeds
there. Mr. Reed said that in hot weather there were just
rocks. There is no loam whatsoever. Mr. Glynn asked if Mrl.
Reed was going to have a shovel excavate the material and then
have it taken off the premises and he replied In the affirma-
tive. Mr. Glynn asked if Mr. Reed •,vas planning to put up any
structures and he said that he was not. He said the material
would be taken out vaith a steam shovel. Mr. Kimball asked
if there would be any screening and he replied in the negative.
Mr. Reed said that he did not know who was going to take the
excavated fill. He had had several offers for it in the past
and now he wants to.be able to remove it if he gets another
offer. The Chairman said there was no telling where they
would stop if some concern got in there with a steam shovel.
Mr. Reed said it was not his intention to strip the property.
He said his people had lived on the farm for a great many years
and he hoped to continue to live there. He said that his
people had always taken fill from this ridge in years gone
by. Mr. Kimball asked how large a farm he had. Mr. Reed
said there were 68 acres more or less and there are between
' 40 and 50 on the Lexington side of Lowell Street. There are
about 18 or 20 acres on the northerly side of Sumner
Street. Mr.
'
Reed said that what he wanted to do was nothing
more than what viould have to be done when the property was
developed. Mr. Reed said that the Ryders had a shovel on the
other side of the knoll. He thought it was further to the
ridges on his property from Lowell Street than to the Ryders'
sand pit from Maple Street. The Chairman said he did not know
how the Board of Appeals stood in view of the Supreme Court's
decision on loam removal, although of course this is apparently
not a matter of loam stripping. Mr. Reed said the reason
he was particularly anxious to get a -oermit at this time
was that he was not doing much business now and he would like
to sell this fill if he had an opportunity to do so. The
Chairman told Mr. Reed that the Board woul consider his
petition and he retired at 8:20 P.M.
The Chairman said that he would talk to the Town Counsel
on the subject to see if the Board of Appeals had any right
to act on the petition. It was decided to hold the matter
over and to meet on Feb. 2, 1940, at 7:30 P.M.
The records of the meeting held Dec. lst, 1939 were de-
clared approved.
The meeting, adjourned at 8:55 P.M.
A trae record, Attest:
Cl k, ro-tem.
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