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Home My WebLink About1976-03-29-AC-MIN.pdf 217 APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE DATE: March 29, 1976 TIME: 7:30 P.M. PLACE: Carey Hall PRESENT: Edward E. Furash, Chairman, Donald B. White, Vice-Chairman, Schools, J. H. Blaisdell, Secretary, Martin Gilman, Peter Hall, Mitzi Kutchin, John Campbell, Patricia Hagedorn, Howard L. Levingston, Richard M. Perry, Ex-officio I . CONSERVATION It has been moved and seconded to approve the Conservation Supplementary Report and have it placed on file . SO VOTED II . CITIZEN'S ARTICLE Tennis Courts - Mr. Theadore a) land to be leased to group. b) fence needed - must meet Boston Edison specifications. Does not have htese specs on hand but can easily be obtained. c ) courts will be available to any citizen who will be willing to pay for construction. d) $30,000 for 3 courts e) parking facilities across the street - will not be paved. f) will be used during school year by Estabrook. g) this is Conservation land. Meeting adjourned at 8 :00 P.M. Next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 31, 1976. Respectfully submitted, ( / 2< H. Blaisdell/mo'b Secretary March 29, 1976 SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT OF THE --APPROPRIATIONA IT iE_ COVIrRVATIC'l ARTICLES The Town presently has or is soon to obtain control of 500k acres of conservation land. The Commission's proposed acquisitions on Waltham Street would add over 40 acres on the westerly side of Waltham Street between Marrett Road and Route 2 (Articles 45, 47 and 48) of mostly open land. Articles 49 and 50 include some of the prettiest open land remain- ing in Lexington between the Diamond Junior High School and Coolidge Avenue. If only a portion (Article 49) is acquired, without the four acres in Article 50, there will be no access from Coolidge Avenue, as Diehl Road does not. extend Co the Article 49 land. The larger problem of expenditure policy under last year's general bonding authorization still remains, however. The Commission has a meaningful opportunity, since the Town Meeting gave it the bonding tool last year, to present a comprehensive package for Town Meeting consideration as soon as possible. Aside from a few lots here and there throughout the Town, not much remarkable land remains. The frontage land of the Grey Nuns on Massachusetts Avenue and the open land in the super-block between Woburn Street and Maple Street have been discussed by the Commission but no proposals have been prepared, it would be our hope that next year the Commission will bring to the Town Meeting those and any other remaining large parcels it has in view for acquisition so that a suitably large bond issue may follow. This year's proposals must be reviewed in the light of the bonding authority voted last year and upon individual merit. We applaud the Commission's efforts to assemble two large tracts for consideration. The assorted smaller parcels proposed reflect various opportunities throughout the town as perceived by the Commission and not all are • suitable for purchase by bonding. Indeed, the Appropriation Committee recommends that some be purchased for general town purposes. Our recommendations are as follows: ARTICLE 44: Recommended - $28,000 ARTICLE 45: Recommended - $8 000 (for general town purposes) ARTICLE 46: Indefinite postponement ARTICLE 47: Recommended - $93,500 ARTICLE 48: Recommended - $198,700 The high price of this parcel is apparently based on the contingent possibility of developing house lots, serviced from Waltham Street and accessed also from Valleyfield Road In contrast to the frontage lots along Waltham Street on the adjacent Ricci land (Article 48), these lots would require rip landfill permission ARTICLE 49: Recommended - $81,000 ARTICLE 50: Indefinite postponement ARTICLE 51: Indefinite postponement ARTICLE 52: Favorable action - no funds requested ARTICLE 53: Favorable action - no funds requested ARTICLE 54: Favorable action - no funds requested ARTICLE 55: Recommended - $22,000 (for general town purposes) ARTICLE 56: indefinite postponement - insufficient information regarding E.A.T. land Favorable action - no funds requested (Moore land) ARTICLE 57: Unfavorable action - $73,000 requested Our opposition is based primarily on price, secondarily on the fact that this parcel consists of essentially buildable frontage lots. In considering the financial impact of land acquisitions, one of the criteria of the Appropriation Committee is the impact of any expensive frontage land proposals. Impact may be visual or in opening ut, access to town land or in protecting a valuable town resource. We believe none of these tests of impact is met; the justi- fication is limited to the non-availability of other conservation land nearby in Precinct 8. This, too, is an important test of impact, but insufficient for the price. ARTICLE 58: Recommended - $16,000 ARTICLE 61: Recommended - $500 (for general town purposes) ARTICLE 62: Recommended - amount to be determined and contingent upon approval of preceding articles. The recommended Articles total $447,700 of which $30,500 are recommended not as Conservation purchases but as taking for general town purposes. Respectfully submitted, Edward E. Furash, Chairman Donald B. White, Vice Chairman-Schools J. Harper Blaisdell, Jr. , Secretary John R. Campbell Martin A. Gilman Patricia R. Hagedorn Harry A. Hall III Maxine Rutchin Howard L. Levingston Richard M. Perry, Ex-Officio (Non-Voting)