1957-06-10 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

ington. However, if this should happen, all the traffic would not be converging on one point in Lexington. At the present time, the proposed shopping center has only one assured means of access, i.e. from Spring Street. The proposed traffic pattern at the entrance to the shopping center presents the problem of traffic to and from the center having to cut across through -traffic on Spring Street. This is not a desirable situation from a long-range planning standpoint. 2. General Office Building Use. The proposed amend- ments, if adopted, would permit the erection of one or more non-professional office buildings as part of the center provided permission is granted by the Board of Appeals. The Planning Board believes that a decision on whether the area involved actually should be used for a non-professional office building should be made by the town meeting members and not by the Board of Appeals and that such a decision should be made only when the facts on the specific project are known. 3. Size of Proposed Shopping Center. The proposed shopping center, if developed to its maximum capacity, be- cause of its large size and the number of separate stores, shops and other facilities presents the problem of whether it is in the Town's interest to have such a large scale development of this type in the area involved. In this connection, the Board wishes to point out that the proposed Zoning By -Law amendments do not give the Town control over the number of separate stores, shops and other facilities which might be operated in the center. The shopping center could develop into a business area having more stores and shops than now exist in our general business district in the center of town without any other facilities in the center. In view of the foregoing, the Board makes no request to you at this time to call a special town meeting to take action on the proposed amendments to the Zoning By -Law. It may be that by a further study of the t raffic problems, a reduction in the land area involved and changes in some of the uses proposed, a solution of the above problems can be obtained. The Board is sending a copy of this letter to William Filene's Sons Company and will be glad to discuss the shop- ping center matter further with them if they desire to do so. Respectfully submitted, LEXINGTON PLANNING BOARD /s/ Thomas S. Grindle, Chairman