HomeMy WebLinkAbout1988-10-31 PLANNING BOARD MINUTES
MEETING OF OCTOBER 31, 1988
The meeting of the Lexington Planning Board held in Room G-15, Town Office
Building, was called to order at 7 37 p.m. by the Clerk, Mrs. Klauminzer, with
members Sorensen, Williams, Assistant Planner Nordby and Secretary Peters pre-
sent. Mrs. Uhrig was absent. Mrs. Wood arrived during the continued discussion
of Item 280.
278. Review of Minutes The Board reviewed the minutes for the meetings of
October 3 and 13, 1988. On the motion of Mr. Sorensen, seconded by Mr. Wil-
liams, it was voted 3-0 to approve the minutes, as written.
The Board reviewed the minutes for the meeting of October 17, 1988, making
corrections. On the motion of Mr. Sorensen, seconded by Mr. Williams, it was
voted 3-0 to approve the minutes, as amended.
************ ADMINISTRATION OF LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS *******************
279. Acceptance of Streets in Pheasant Brook I Subdivision Lawrence Smetana,
Calla Jean Adams and Lawrence Litwak, representating the Pheasant Brook Neigh-
borhood Association, voiced concerns relating to the completion of the roads in
the Pheasant Brook subdivision. They want the roads to be accepted at the 1989
Annual Town Meeting. They asked that the Town take over the process of complet-
ing the construction of the roads if the developer does not start work within
the next few weeks.
Mr. Smetana said the residents have had many problems with the developer. They
asked that a reasonable deadline be set for the work to be completed. Mrs.
Adams asked who should be consulted to get stop and speed limit signs installed.
Ms. Nordby reported that the Engineering Department had received all the neces-
sary information from the developer, and that completion of the roads had been
scheduled to begin this past week. She will have a status report on completion
of the roads for the residents in the next two weeks .
***************** COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING AND POLICIES ************************
280. National Park Service Plan for Minuteman National Park The Board discus-
sed a draft of the Planning Board position on the National Park Service's plan,
dated October 27, 1988, which showed two revisions from the previous draft,
dated October 17, 1988. On the motion of Mr. Williams, seconded by Mrs. Klau-
minzer, it was voted 2-0-1 (Mr. Sorensen abstained) to approve the revised
paragraph 6 to read "6. Should the Draft General Management Plan Proposal not
be feasible, the Planning Board prefers the 'String of Pearls' alternative over
the other two alternatives proposed."
At 8 10 p.m., the Planning Board recessed its meeting to join the Selectmen in
the Selectmen's Meeting Room for a joint discussion of Item 280. Mrs. Smith,
Chairman of the Selectmen, reported they had approved the draft Planning Board
Position on Draft General Management Plan, dated October 27, 1988.
Meeting of October 31, 1988 -2-
Mrs. Klauminzer reported the Planning Board had reached agreement on the change
in paragraph 6, but had not completed their deliberations on the change in
paragraph 11 a., and that following the joint meeting, they hoped to complete
these deliberations and reach consensus.
At 8 30 p.m., the Planning Board reconvened its meeting in Room G-15, Town
Office Building. Mrs. Wood arrived at 8 35 p.m. during the continued discussion
of Item 280.
280. National Park Service Plan ... (continued) The Board resumed their dis-
cussion of the revision to 11.a. in the Planning Board Position .. , dated
October 27, 1988. Also present were Nancy Engels, 21 Hayward Ave. ; Robert
Bates, 12 Hayward Ave.; Peter Osborne, 31 Hayward Ave. and Laura Persily, 19
Hayward Ave.
Mr. Sorensen said he preferred the language of paragraph 11.a. contained in the
Planning Board Position .. ., dated October 17, 1988, which contained a third
sentence saying "Consideration should be given to the voluntary and 'friendly'
acquisition of these residential properties, over time, as the owners decide to
sell them."; which has been eliminated from the October 27, 1988 Planning Board
Position . .. draft. On the motion of Mr. Sorensen, seconded by Mr. Williams, it
was voted 3-1-0 (Mr. Sorensen voting in the negative)
to approve the language in paragraph ll.a. of the Planning Board Position
.. ., dated October 27, 1988, which reads
"a. Residents , the neighborhood and the Town of Lexington must not realize
adverse results from this action. The NPS should seek to better the situa-
tion for the residents of Marrett Street and the Hayward Pond neighborhood
rather than a mere "hold harmless" or "no net change" effect.";
and to accept, as written, the Planning Board Position on the Draft General
Management Plan of the Minute Man National Park, dated October 27, 1988.
The Selectmen were informed of the decision.
****************** ARTICLES FOR THE 1989 TOWN MEETING ************************
281. Subdivision Streets for Acceptance at the 1989 Town Meeting The Board
discussed a memo from Town Engineer Frank Fields, dated October 27, 1988, which
stated that the following street might be included for acceptance at Town Meet-
ing next spring. On the motion of Mr. Sorensen, seconded by Mr. Williams, it
was voted 4-0
to recommend acceptance by the 1989 Town Meeting of at least the following
streets
South Ringe Avenue
Clematis Road
Hampton Road
Valley Field Street
Dover Lane
as proposed in the Engineering Department Memo dated October 27, 1988.
Meeting of October 31, 1988 -3-
**************** ADMINISTRATION OF LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS **************
SUBDIVISION OF LAND
1
282. Development Guidelines (prepared by the Engineering Dept.) The Board
agreed to invite George Samaha to meet with them on November 28, 1988 to discuss
the guidelines, explaining where and why changes were made in the procedures.
RECOMMENDATIONS ON APPLICATIONS TO THE BOARD OF APPEALS
283. Hearings scheduled for November 10, 1988.
39 Bedford Street, Bank of Boston, Revision of SP, substituting a bank ATM
for the automotive repair portion of the gas station; determination of
whether the revision is a minor revision. The Board was concerned about
what effect this combination of uses , the sale of gasoline for automobiles
with a bank ATM on a small commercial lot, would have on an area already
congested with traffic. They felt a traffic study as well as a landscape
plan should be required and this could best be done as part of the special
permit process. On the motion of Mr. Williams, seconded by Mrs. Wood, it
was voted 4-0 to recommend a special permit be required for the new use
proposed for the property.
315 Woburn Street , Just Chicken, Inc., SP, to operate a take-out food
service in the Countryside Plaza. The Board felt that potential exterior
problems , such as offensive cooking odors and internally lit signs that are
visible from the outside, could prove objectionable to the area. On the
motion of Mrs. Wood, seconded by Mr. Sorensen, it was voted 4-0 to recom-
mend the special permit be granted, if there will be no offensive cooking
odors found outside the building, or internally lit signs visible from the
outside.
40 Hartwell Avenue, MIT Lincoln Labs, SP, to locate a modular unit of four
trailers as temporary structures behind the building. The Board questioned
whether the allowable FAR would be exceeded with this addition, and if
other parking spaces would be provided to replace those lost to the tempor-
ary structure. The Board felt that the building should be of a permanent
nature, to discourage any proliferation of temporary-type structures in the
area. On the motion of Mrs. Wood, seconded by Mr. Williams , it was voted
4-0 to recommend the special permit be denied.
On the motion of Mr. Sorensen, seconded by Mrs. Wood, it was voted 4-0 to make
no comment on the following applications
69 Oak Street, William & Mary Mitropoulos, Variance, to replace an existing
front porch.
2 Sherman Street , Linda Pritzker & Nicholas Vonenac, to allow a cante-
levered addition.
284. Grace Chapel , Forest Street , SPS and SP• The Board reviewed, for the
first time, the revised applications that have been filed with the Board of
Appeals on October 25, 1988 by Grace Chapel. Joining the discussion were Peter
Kelley, Julian Bussgang and David Hoadley, representing the Forest Street
Neighborhood Association. The Board noted there was no landscaping plan.
Meeting of October 31, 1988
Concerns were also expressed with the size of the building, inadequacey of the
parking, buffers and setbacks shown on the plans , and potential traffic impacts
on the neighborhood.
The Board agreed to begin their November 7 meeting at 7 00 p.m.
The meeting was adjourned at 10: 20 p.m.
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Eleanor Klauminzer, Clerk