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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Board minutes 06-10-1996 PLANNING BOARD MINUTES MEETING OF JUNE 10, 1996 The meeting of the Lexington Planning Board held in Room G-15, Town Office Building, was called to order at 7.39 p.m. by Chairman Davison, with members Canale, Colman, Davies, Planning Director Bowyer, and Assistant Planner Marino present. Mr Merrill was absent. **************************** COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING **************************** 117 Land Use Element, Site Analyses: Before beginning discussions about the three sites on the agenda, and for the benefit of Mr. Colman, the newest member of the Board, the Board reviewed the reasons for undertaking the site analyses and the process they are following to assess the undeveloped sites left in Lexington. Considered for each site are appropriate uses, where it fits into the overall land use picture, the Town's needs, and potential public benefits. As the sites are considered, the Planning Board's discussions help to formulate general attitudes toward development, or nondevelopment, that will create a framework on which to draft a comprehensive land use plan. a. Burlineton Street/Route 128. The Board agreed that if development does occur, cluster development is most desirable for the properties that make up this "site" While several lots were defined for the staff analysis, the Board's attitude could apply to any of the group of lots along Burlington Street that back up to Route 128. Low density residential development is preferred. Commercial development or more intensive residential development is not desirable because of the limited access through an established neighborhood. Cluster development will allow housing to be located a greater distance away from the noise of Route 128. Mr 1 Canale thought this was a good opportunity for a trade-off- development clustered in one part of the site in exchange for protection of wet lands and open space at the rear of the site. He thought this was not a site that ranked high enough in priority for the Town to spend money to protect. The protection can be obtained through cluster developments. Mr. Davies added that there are steep slopes and upland that need to be protected as well. h Lincoln Street: The Board agreed that this land should have a high priority for protection or public ownership. Beside hosting a variety of wildlife, it has "rural" characteristics like the Town of Lincoln. Mr Canale observed that the single most important feature is its close proximity to the Cambridge Reservoir The Board believes the current use of the site, a body shop and a sawmill, is very inappropriate. The Board concluded that the City of Cambridge Water Board should be encouraged to purchase the site if possible, but at the least, to monitor activity there to assure that the environment and the reservoir are not being harmed. c. Elks/Sellars Land: This site is a combination of two properties. A parcel owned by John Sellars on Concord Avenue is the subject of frequent development inquiries but is undevelopable by itself because it has only 27 feet of frontage. When combined with the Elks Club property, access could be obtained from Waltham Street. Mr. Canale commented on the changing character of the strip of Waltham Street between Concord Avenue and the Waltham City line. While much of it is zoned single family, there are very few single family houses and due to the high traffic volumes and other land use characteristics, the strip is not a good location for new single family housing. He urged that the Board develop a land use plan for the whole strip. In general, the Board thought that multi-family housing, commercial development, or institutional development may be an appropriate use of land in the strip and of this site. When the Town looks for places for tax generating uses, this may be a location to look at. Mr Davies suggested regional institutional uses that are not appropriate for single family neighborhoods might locate here. The Board thought the combined site might have a mixed use with residential in the rear of the site near the Concord Avenue neighborhood with more intensive use at the front oriented to Waltham Street. 2 Minutes for the Meeting of June 10, 1996 1 Mrs. Davison raised a concern about the older small neighborhood strip commercial developments throughout town, particularly the one at Marrett Road and Waltham Street. She advocated constructing a second story to provide an economic incentive for their improvement. 118. Fiscal Considerations: Distributed with material for this meeting were several articles dealing with Proposition 21 from the Municipal Advocate, published by the Massachusetts Municipal Association. In the light of this reading, the Board discussed how "fiscal considerations" affect policies in the various elements of the Comprehensive Plan. Mr Bowyer explained that the objectives of the Proposition 21 tax law are antithetical to land use regulation. Proposition 21 places a premium on new growth because it allows the tax levy limit to be increased. Mr Colman said that it is possible to achieve the same objective by enhancing the value of existing property Taxpayers are willing to pay for the increased quality/value that they see. Open space does not provide more taxes but it increases the value of the housing near it. The owner pays more taxes but he sees the benefits from the presence of the open space. - Some uses increase value that more than offset their impact. It is important to determine which uses have what kinds of impacts in relation to their value. Which should the Town encourage, discourage? An accurate evaluation of the impact is key So far Lexington has held the balance between commercial and residential zoning. It is not Burlington with its enormous commercial tax base and it is not Lincoln or Weston that have practically no commercial development. Members discusses how higher land values and tax rates might affect the ability of younger households to move into town. It was agreed that the point of entry for nearly all households is existing housing rather than new construction. Mr Bowyer noted that one important point in the articles was that annual operating expenses are preempting the available tax levy limit. That shrinks the amount available for capital expenditures like the purchase of land. One of the principal means of implementing a comprehensive plan is capital expenditures. 119 Middlesex County Hospital Reuse: The Board discussed an article in the Boston Globe Northwest Weekly about six known responses to a Request for Proposal for the Middlesex County Hospital site, which the County would like to sell to cover the Hospital's debt. Mr Bowyer said that County was proceeding in a strange way because any use of the property for other than the public hospital use or single family housing would require a change in zoning district for the site. Since the municipal boundary runs right through the property, rezoning would have to be approved by both the Waltham City Council and the Lexington Town Meeting. The County has not made contact with either Waltham or Lexington to build support for a change in use. 120 Hanscom Field. Mr Canale and Mr Bowyer said the same requirements for approval of a change in zoning district by the municipalities affected applied to MassPort's consideration of non-aviation uses at Hanscom Field. A planning process involving the HATS planning boards is beginning. ************ ADMINISTRATION OF LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS ************* RECOMMENDATIONS ON APPLICATIONS TO THE BOARD OF APPEALS '-J 121 Annlications To Be Heard on June 13 1996: Mr Davies gave an oral review of the following applications. The Planning Board made the following recommendation: I Minutes for the Meeting of June 10, 1996 3 Pi 27 Percy Road, Timothy and Carol Counihan, variance to add a two-story addition The Planning Board believed that the proposed addition could be redesigned so that it does not require a variance. The Board agreed to make no comment on the following petitions, also scheduled to be heard on June 13 20-22 Cliffe Avenue, Julie-Ann and Eric Shapiro, variances to add one-story addition 28 Slocum Road, Param and Anne Singh, variance to add front entrance portico 17 Sutherland Road, Bruce and Lauren MacNeil, special permit to expand second floor of dwelling 58 Oak Street, Jon and Myla Kabat-Zinn, variance to add a bay extension to dwelling 4 Summit Road, Kenelm Loomis, appeal of the Zoning Officer that it is possible to access the lot at 4 Summit Road to build a single family dwelling /� The meeting was adjourned at 10:45 p.m. L� \ 944,A4P Frederick L. Merrill, Jr , Clerk II