1956-03-15 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

PLANNING BOARD MEETING ' March 15, 1956 A public meeting was held in Cary Hall, Cary Memorial Building on. March 15, 1956 at 8:00 p.m. for Town Meeting Members HrSTORIC and other interested persons to discuss the article the Planning DISTRICTS Board had placed in the Warrant for the Annual Town Meeting to MEETING authorize the town to petition the State legislature for an enabling act to permit the establishment of historic districts in Lexington and the creation of an historic districts commission to administer the act. In addition to the article in the March 15 issue of the Lexington Minute -man the Board on March 8, 1956 had sent to all own Meeting Members a letter informing them of the meeting, enclos- ing a copy of the proposed legislation and explaining some of the purposes and background of said proposal. The Chairman opened the meeting by amplifying upon the Board's letter and discussing the method of conducting the meeting. Pointing to a map outlining the proposed historic districts, he described these in more detail and asked if there were any questions about the districts as proposed. Rev. Harold T. Handley, 1888 Massachusetts Avenue wished to know if the boundaries were arbitrary lines and why, in the Battle Green district, the Hancock School and the Raymond house on Clarke Street were not included and the houses on the corner of Meriam and Oakland streets. Mrs. Helen E. Ryan of 13 Bedford street wanted the northerly boundary of the district extended to the A & P store. One individual wanted to know why the southeasterly boundary Was located through the general business district. Another individual mentioned there was a plaque in front of the Boston Edison Company's sub- station commemorating the first house in Lexington. Both Chairman Adams and Mr. Jaquith discussed the import. ante of having approach areas to the Green but of not extending these approaches in this and other districts to include too many buildings of no historic significance in themselves. It was also pointed out that the proposed act might not be constitutional as it applies to a particular case if the district boundaries were not within reasonable limits of the actual historic buildings or sites. Rev. Handley read part of a 1917 agreement which he felt pro- tected the area around the Green. Mr. Jaquith said that he had read a copy of the agreement and that it pertains primarily to land use and that it was a private agreement between certain of the owners facing the Green. He said that there is nothing in the agreement that states a person could not change his dwelling as long as he doesn't change its use and nothing which endeavors to preserve the property for the pub- lic. Mr. Jaquith also stated that behind the agreement is a desire of ' persons entering into it to retain the area around the Green substan- tially as it is but that the agreement will terminate in time. He pointed out that it was the feeling of the Board that the agreement did not accomplish what the Board thought the Town ought to have in way of protecting, as it is now, the area around the Green.