1958-01-07 - Laserfiche WebLink

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PLANNING BOARD MTNUTF.S I . January 7, 1958 A special joint meeting of the Lexinmton Planning Board and the Board of Selectmen was held in the Town Engineer's Room, Town Office Building, on Tuesday, Janu- ary 7, 1958 at 7:L;5 n.m. Present were Chairman Grindle, Members Burnell and Jaquith of the planning Board and Chairman James, Members Maloney, Morey and Tucker of the Board of Selectmen. The combined Boards met with Mr. Gummere of Filene's and Mr.Cox of 1111bur Smith € Associates, traffic engineers, rind consultants retained by Filene's. One of the nrincinle matters discussed was that of obtaining from Snring Street a satisfactory means of access to the site of Filene's nronosed regional shopping; center. Members of the Planning Board presented plans for two solutions which they had nrenared as alternatives to the Wilbur Smith plan. The first solution was a nronosal that traffic to and from the center be confined to roads located under the nroposed relocation of Spring; Street; the second that access to the center be via a separate bridge over Route 2. 'Ir. Gummere wished to know where matters stood in regard to the overall F lene's proposal for a shopping center. He said Filene's had options on two sites for a center, preferred the Lexington site, but that Filene's could not continue to retain options on both sites and had to decide on which one to forfeit. The question was raised as to whether or not an amendment to the zoning by-law for a regional shopping center would be voted upon favorably at a town meeting. Mr. Gummere said that Filene's was reluc- tant to spend the time and funds necessary for further studies in connection with the Lexington site when so many felt sure of the defeat of a oronosed amendment to rezone the Lexinr<ton site for a regional shopping center. Previous to meeting with Mr. Gummere the Board of Selectmen and the Planning Board had discussed informally the petition which the Selectmen had received requesting that the Board of Selectmen call a special town meeting to consider whatever might be ac'_visable in relation to the rerri.onal shopping center nronosal and also that the Plan- ni.ng Board hold the necessary heari.ng—orior to a special town meetinrr. (See minutes of Board of Selectmen meeting of November 25, 1 57.) 1,lith reference to said petition the Boards considered the possibility of placing a question on the ballot for the l 58 Annual Town He" eti_n" to obtain an ex- pression of opinion from the voters as to whether or not they were in favor of amending the zoning by-law to change land bounded by Snring "treet and Routes 2 and 128 from a