1941-01-23 - Laserfiche WebLink

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504 SELECTMEN'S MEETING January 23, 1941 ' A special meeting of the Board of Selectmen was held in the Selectmen's Room, Town Office Building, at 8:00 P. M. Chairman Giroux, Messrs. Locke, Rowse, and Sarano were pre- sent. The Clerk was also present. The Town Counsel, Town Engineer, Supt. of Public Works, the Building Inspector, and the Chairman of the Planning Board were present. There were also about a dozen builders, con- tractors, real estate men, etc. at the meeting. The Chairman said that the meeting was called in an attempt to clarify the Sub -Division Regulations of the Board of Survey which were written under the instructions of the Board and in accordance with Section 81-F to J of Chapter 211 of the Acts of 1936, adopted by the Town on March 28, 1938. The Chairman said that the Regulations were within the scope of the law and that the purpose was excellent but apparently some parts of them were considered a hardship on some of the builders. He asked those who had found the Sub -division re; Sub- Regulations a hardship to explain their difficulties. IIn ,.division Mr. N. L. Knipe, Jr., of the Lexington Lumber Co., said Regulations that the Regulations called for the completion of streets and ' utilities before any building can be undertaken. He said that was not the customary way to go about developing a tract of land. He said that if it was necessary to wait to have the streets approved, they would lose materially on the develop- ment feature. He said he would like to see something worked out so that the streets and houses could be built simultaneously. He said if the streets were built first, they were apt to be damaged by construction, made dirty, etc. He thought the main difficulty was to get around the provision that one cannot do anything to the development until the streets are built and accepted by the Town. . The Chairman asked if the question of the bond bothered him. Mr. Knipe said that the wording "shall require an agree- ment by the subdivider, binding on his successors in title, to construct the ways and/or utilities in the manner and location shown on said plat as finally approved" bothered very much as such an agbeement constitutes a lien on the property and would prevent anybody from buying lots for future home building. He thought the wording prevented the developer from selling any of the lots during the life of the bond. Mr. Wrightington said he hoped Mr. Knipe realized that he was dealing with a Town By -Law and that the Selectmen had no power to change it as long as that By -Law was in affect. He said of course the Selectmen could recommend to the next ' Town Meeting that the By -Law be amended.