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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1988-12-12 PLANNING BOARD MINUTES MEETING OF DECEMBER 12, 1988 The meeting of the Lexington Planning Board held in Room G-15, Town Office Building, was called to order at 7 33 p.m. by the Chairman, Mrs. Uhrig, with members Klauminzer, Sorensen, Wood, Planning Director Bowyer, Assistant Planner Nordby and Secretary Peters present. Mr. Williams was absent. 316. Review of Minutes The Board reviewed the minutes for the meeting of November 28, 1988. On the motion of Mr. Sorensen, seconded by Mrs. Wood, it was voted 4-0 to approve the minutes, as written. ************************** REPORTS ******************************************** 317. Planning Director a. Pheasant Brook. Mr. Bowyer reported a representative of the Pheasant Brook Neighborhood Association, presented a petition to the Selectmen for a warrant article to have the streets in the Pheasant Brook subdivision accepted at the 1989 Town Meeting. Mr. Bowyer outlined the procedure usually followed by the town for street acceptance, and recommended he ask Town Counsel to review their article, prior to filing the petition. b. Turnburry Hill Mr. Bowyer read a letter from the Robinson Hill Asso- ciation, dated December 10, 1988. They have requested an informal meeting with the Planning Director during the week of December 12 - 16, 1988, to discuss a number of issues and concerns they have, prior to the public hearing on the definitive plan filed for the Turnburry Hill subdivision. The Board agreed this should be done, on the condition that substantive issues be reserved for discussion at the public hearing, and this meeting deal with technical issues only. ****************** ADMINISTRATION OF LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS ************ PLANS NOT REQUIRING APPROVAL UNDER THE SUBDIVISION CONTROL LAW 318. Form A/88-18, Hill Street, Wingate and Childs Roads Attorney Thomas Taylor and Richard Cook, BSC - Bedford, representing the applicant, made the presentation. Mr. Taylor explained that the division of the property was to facilitate estate planning. He noted that all the newly created lots meet the frontage and lot area requirements of the RS residental district in which they are located. On the motion of Mr. Sorensen, seconded by Mrs. Wood, it was voted 4-0 to endorse the plan (consisting of four sheets) entitled "Plan of Land in Lexington, Mass. (Middlesex County)", dated November 7, 1988, and a fifth sheet, dated November 3, 1988, to be filed with the Land Court, by The BSC Group - Bedford, Inc., certified by Roger M. Corbin, Registered Land Sur- veyor, with Form A/88-18 by applicant Arthur C. Ruge, as it does not re- quire approval under the Subdivision Control Law. With the Board's permission, Mr. Cook also presented a sketch plan showing a proposed two-lot subdivision off the end of Child Street, and asked if the Board thought the applicant could proceed to filing a definitive plan. The Board did Minutes for December 12, 1988 -2- not see any problems with this request. Mr. Sorensen stated that in the future, the Board might require that there be an easement to provide access to the to the lot not directly abutting the cul-de-sac. 319. Form A/88-20, Grove Street The Board reviewed a plan showing the combi- nation of lots 5 and 5A (in Lexington), with Lots 4, 4A, and 4B (in Bedford); and the combination of Lot 6 (in Lexington) with Lot 7 (in Bedford). Only lots 5, 5A and 6 are located in Lexington, with lot 5A having 22.09 feet of frontage on Grove Street. Combined Lots 6 and 7 will become part of a subdivision in Bedford. The Bedford Planning Board endorsed the plan on December 5, 1988. On the motion of Mrs. Wood, seconded by Mrs. Klauminzer, it was voted 4-0 to endorse the plan entitled "Land Court Plan of Land in Bedford and Lex- ington, Mass. , dated November 17, 1988, by The BSC Group - Bedford, Inc., certified by Roger M. Corbin, Registered Land Surveyor, with application Form A/88-20 by Roger M. Corbin, as it does not require approval under the Subdivision Control Law. ********************* ARTICLES FOR 1989 TOWN MEETING ************************* 320. CD Rezoning, 12-18 Hartwell Avenue, Hilton Corporation. The Board reviewed and revised a draft letter to Steven Colangelo of Lexington Management, Inc., dated December 12, 1988, which provided the Board's response to the CD rezoning proposal for 12-18 Hartwell Avenue, presented at the December 5, 1988 Planning Board meeting. The letter stated the Board agreed that a hotel, at a suitable density, would be a desirable reuse of the property, but that an FAR of .32, which is more than double what is permitted in the CRO district, is much too intense a use of the site. The Board also expressed concern about what effect any increase in traf- fic from additional development on Hartwell Avenue would have on the traffic carrying potential of Bedford Street, since none of the planned improvements to alleviate excessive traffic there have been started. The letter concluded it is very unlikely the Board will give a favorable recommendation to the Town Meeting on the proposal, as presented. On the motion of Mrs. Wood, seconded by Mr. Sorensen, it was voted 4-0 to send the letter, as revised. 321. CD Rezoning, Marrett Road, Sheraton The Board reviewed and amended a draft letter to James O'Neil of the Flatley Company, dated December 12, 1988, which provided the Board's response to the CD rezoning proposal for the Marrett Road property, presented at the November 28, 1988 Planning Board meeting. The letter said the Board saw some merit in the proposal to upgrade the existing hotel. It also listed the Board's concerns, dealing mainly with traffic, land- scaping, parking and the amount of the proposed increase in the number of rooms and the floor area ratio. The letter concluded that if these concerns could be resolved, the Board might make a favorable recommendation to the Town Meeting. On the motion of Mrs. Wood, seconded by Mrs. Klauminzer, it was voted 4-0 to send the letter, as revised. Minutes for December 12, 1988 -3- 322. Planning Board Articles The Board continued their discussion, begun at their 12-5-88 meeting, of what Planning Board articles should be presented to the 1989 Town Meeting. They discussed the recommendations for zoning revisions prepared by Ephraim Weiss, and agreed to file a minor revision under "Technical Corrections" dealing with a clarification of the terms Certificate of Occupancy and Occupancy Permit, that had been included in his recommendations. It was also agreed not to make substantive changes in the parking factors, but only to correct, under "Technical Corrections", any discrepancies that have occurred between the types of uses, under 11.3. 1, and the new Use Table approved in 1987. The Board agreed to file separate articles dealing with 1) changes to the dimensional standards, landscaping and screening require- ments, and off-street parking requirements for institutions located in the RO, RS and RT one-family and two-family zoning districts; 2) a clarification of the provision adopted in 1988, to set a minimum size for an accessory structure which may be used for an accessory apartment (proposed by Julian Bussgang); 3) a change in the definition and provisions that deal with a half story in a building; and 4) acceptance of Chapter 236 of the Acts of 1987, which is a local option statute, authorizing the Planning Board to spend, with the approval of the Board of Selectmen, up to $25,000 of surety funds on deposit with the town, for the completion of a street or other public facilities in a subdivision in the event of the default of the developer. ************************** REPORTS ******************************************* 324. Planning Board, Subcommittees a. Air Force Expansion Mrs. Wood reported that Senator Carol Amick has filed, and is looking for support for legislation that provides towns surrounding Hanscom Field with more input into the review process for non- governmental development there. The Board agreed, that in general, they support anything that makes other development not undertaken by the federal government at Hanscom Field more accountable to local zoning regulations. b. Board of Appeals Hearing - St. Pauls Church Mrs. Klauminzer reported on the hearing held on December 8, 1988. She said the public portion of the public hearing had been closed; and the deliberation portion of the meeting had been continued until January 12, to give the Planning Board sufficient time to review the revised plans and to prepare their recommend- ation on the application. She added the applicant has eliminated the 110 foot steeple and added space for the transition area. The meeting was adjourned at 9 58 p.m. Eleanor Klauminzer, Clerk