HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Board Minutes 1990-11-28 PLANNING BOARD MINUTES
MEETING OF NOVEMBER 28, 1990
The meeting of the Lexington Planning Board held in Room G-15, Town Office
Building, was called to order at 7:05 p.m. by the Chairman, Mrs. Wood, with
members Domnitz, Grant, Klauminzer, Planning Director Bowyer, Acting Assistant
Planner Marino and Secretary Peters present. Mr. Williams was absent.
************** ADMINISTRATION OF LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS **************
RECOMMENDATIONS ON APPLICATIONS TO THE BOARD OF APPEALS
242. Lexington Ridge. Comprehensive Permit Mrs. Klauminzer reported on last
evening's meeting between the Board of Appeals and the developer, where dis-
cussion continued on the issues still to be resolved. the number of affor-
dable units to be required and held in perpetuity, and whether the units would
be rental in perpetuity. At that meeting, Town Manager White reported on a
meeting between the Town and the developer that afternoon. Mrs. Klauminzer
noted that the biggest problem appeared to be that, although the developer has
said he would keep the units rental, he wanted the right after 15 years to
convert to condominium and seemed to disagree philosophically with having to
obtain the Town's approval on this point.
Mr. Bowyer summarized the current situation there is no agreement on afford-
ability in perpetuity and keeping the units rental in perpetuity. The Board
of Appeals has continued its deliberations to December 6, 1990 and will render
its decision then. At the Board of Appeals' request, a draft of their current
draft of the conditions for the comprehensive permit has been forwarded to the
Town Manager and the Planning Director to draft language for the two un-
resolved issues. At this time it is planned that the Board of Appeals will go
forward and issue an approval of the comprehensive permit on the sixth of
December, with the conditions the Town wishes to have included. The developer
will then make a decision whether to appeal the Town's decision to the state
Housing Appeals Committee; the basis of that appeal has to be that the condi-
tions in the decision make the project uneconomical.
A final draft of the Town's position on the unresolved conditions will be
ready for the Planning Board's review at next Monday's meeting.
SUBDIVISION OF LAND
243. Woburn Street. Robert Cataldo. Presentation of Sketch Plan: Landscape
Architect Laurie Tarr Schultz, BSC - Bedford, introduced Roger Corbin, a
principal of BSC - Bedford, and Applicant Robert Cataldo, and presented the
sketch plan for a 7 unit cluster subdivision, consisting of a 7 lot proof
plan, a site analysis map, a conceptual property rights and dimensional
standard plan, and the conceptual site construction plan.
She noted they are proposing a seven unit cluster plan on a site consisting of
approximately 9.8 acres, shown on Assessors Map 47, as lots 164D & E, off
Woburn Street, directly opposite Vine Street. She pointed out Munroe Brook,
wetlands and a 20 foot sewer easement all existing on the property, and
Minutes for the Meeting of November 28, 1990 2
factors in the design process. She noted that the building site and roadway
in this plan would not cross the brook, and that land on the west side of the
Brook (approximately six acres) would be given to the Town as conservation
land, with public access to the conservation land through the subdivision.
Questions from the Board focused on whether the proof plan could use land on
the west side of the brook to demonstrate there was sufficient acreage and
frontage to have seven units, since there is some question whether the brook
can be crossed by a roadway, even for purposes of a proof plan that estab-
lishes the number of units possible; the amount of frontage (most around 100
feet) and the lot size (smallest 20,000 sq. ft. ) . Mr. Corbin noted that the
deadend road is approximately 350 feet long.
Mr. Cataldo said he hopes to build homes in the $200,000 range, containing
approximately 2,000 sq.ft. , with basements, if the subdivision can be built
with little delay, starting this spring. Mr. Corbin added they need to do an
on-the-ground topographical plan to confirm the location of the wetlands.
**************** ARTICLES FOR 1990 SPECIAL TOWN MEETING *****************
244. Preparation for Special Town Meeting The Board signed, for filing with
the Town Clerk, its Report on Article 2, the Pine Meadows/Meagherville Housing
Development, and the Board's Annual Report on Subsidized Housing Report for
1990. Mr. Domnitz moved that Town Meeting be informed that the Planning
Board's report was based on the original Site Development and Use Plan and
that the proposal to be voted on tonight at Town Meeting is a revision of that
document, which the Board has not reviewed. There was no second.
Mr Bowyer noted that much of the change between the October and November ver-
sions of the preliminary site development and use plan resulted from a review
by David Rodgers, at Palmer & Dodge. Rogers had noted that some of the
language was too specific and should be revised to state an intent. He also
said that some of the language in the October Site Development and Use Plan
was not appropriate language for a zoning document, and should be in the land
disposition agreement where the Selectmen convey property to the developer
*********************** REPORTS *****************************************
245. Planning Board Subcommittees
a. HATS Mrs Wood reported that Selectmen Eddison explained that the
money that the Air Force wishes to give to HATS is pinpointed for road
improvements, widening and traffic signalization for the corners of Wood
and Hartwell, Bedford and Hartwell and Mass. Avenue and Route 2A. ,
including the widening of Bedford and Wood Streets
The meeting was adjourned at 7 55 p.m. /
Eleanor H. Klauminzer, Vice Chairman