HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Board Minutes, 1991-12-02 PLANNING BOARD MINUTES
MEETING OF DECEMBER 2, 1991
The meeting of the Lexington Planning Board held in Room G-15, Town Office
Building, was called to order at 7 35 p.m. by the Chairman, Mr Williams, with
members Davison, Grant, Wood and Planning Director Bowyer present. Mr.
Domnitz arrived during Item 225.
225. Review of Minutes The Board reviewed and corrected the minutes for the
meeting of November 18, 1991. On the motion of Mrs. Wood, seconded by Mrs.
Davison, it was voted 5-0 to approve the minutes, as amended.
226 Garfield Street Extension Subdivision: Joyce Miller, Chairman of the
Conservation Commission, requested time under Public Participation to discuss
a proposal from the owner of a parcel of land located on the non-street
portion of Garfield Street. She reported the owner had approached her with
questions, since there are wetlands around the lot that would be affected if
the construction of a road were required. She thought the Commission and the
Board should work together on land use issues such as this, and asked what
procedure the landowner should follow to be able to build on such a lot.
The Board agreed the lot could not be developed without constructing a road to
Town standards including a cul-de-sac, but with possible waivers if requested
and approved by the Board, along the lot frontage. The Board and Mr Bowyer
outlined the procedures that needed to be followed and noted that is was
necessary to have basic information about the site before the Board could give
direction. The Board suggested the landowner seek professional assistance
from 1) a lawyer to research any rights the ownere has in the Garfield
Street right-of-way; and 2) an engineer or landscape architect to prepare
plans for developing the lot The owner should then discuss, in a pre-
application meeting with the staff, the filing of a sketch plan for a one lot
subdivision as outlined in the Board's Development Regulations.
******************** PLANNING DIRECTOR'S REPORT *****************************
226. Recent Activity• Mr. Bowyer reported that the Town Report Committee has
contacted him to schedule a time to take pictures of the Board for the 1991
Town Report The Board agreed to schedule the picture-taking at its meeting on
December 9, 1991.
************** ADMINISTRATION OF LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS ***************
227. Hearings Scheduled for December 12 1991 Mr. Grant gave an oral review
of the following applications scheduled to be heard by the Board of Appeals
Vacant Lot on Vallevfield Street (Lot 31) David Hamilton, appeal of the
decision of the Building Commissioner that a lot on Valleyfield Street
is not a buildable lot The Board concurred with the reasons stated by
the Building Commissioner in his letter of September 20, 1991, in which
he determined that the lot was not a legal building lot since it had no
frontage on a "street" as defined in the Zoning By-Law, and suplemented
by the list "Non-Streets That Do Not Appear on the Zoning Map" prepared
Minutes for the Meeting of December 2, 1991 2
by the Planning Board. Mr Grant noted that even if frontage were
created by the extension of Valleyfield Street, the lot would not be a
building lot becuase it has neither the frontage or area required by
current zoning regulations. On the motion of Mr Grant, seconded by
Mrs. Wood, it was voted 5-0 to recommend that the decision of the
Building Commissioner be upheld.
20 Charles Street, Warren Hutchins, SP to enclose a nonconforming
portion of an existing deck at the rear of a dwelling with no increase
in site coverage. On the motion of Mr Domnitz, seconded by Mrs. Wood
it was voted 5-0 to make no comment on the application if the deck
conformed to zoning at the time of its construction, and a building
permit had been obtained; if no building permit had been obtained for
the deck, the Board is opposed to granting the special permit.
The Board also agreed to make no comment on the following applications
727 Marrett Road, The Flatley Company, SP, to remove an existing free-
standing sign and replace it with a wooden, externally-illuminated free-
standing sign at the main entrance to the Sheraton Tara Lexington Inn.
1640 Mass. Ave. , Alan Cohen, SP, to install a projecting sign to
indicate the entrance to a new establishment, in a retail building in
the CB district
********************* ARTICLES FOR THE 1992 TOWN MEETING ********************
228. Letter to Selectmen. Insertion in Warrant The Board reviewed and
edited a draft letter to the Board of Selectmen asking that space be reserved
for three Planning Board articles in the Warrant for the 1992 Town Meeting.
Mrs. Davison suggested that a minor revision to Section 13, Signs, of the
Zoning By-Law also be included. She will draft an article containing the
changes she proposes for discussion at the Board's next meeting On the
motion of Mrs Wood, seconded by Mrs Davison, it was voted 5-0 to send the
letter to the Board of Selectmen, as amended, with Article D, Adjustments,
Signs added
******************************** REPORTS ************************************
229 Planning Board Subcommittees
a. Metropolitan State Hospital Land Use Task Force Mr. Williams
reported the Task Force had a wide ranging discusssion at its recent
meeting and that a site visitation has been scheduled for Wednesday
December 4.
b. HATS. Memorandum of Agreement Mr. Grant reported that there is a
( new draft, as of November 15, 1991 Included in the draft memo-
randum is a provision stating that if a project is located in one of
ii
i
Minutes for the Meeting of December 2, 1991 3
the member towns, that town has a veto over the
project. A draft of
the memorandum will be available for discussion at the Board's next
meeting.
*********************** PLANNING BOARD REGULATIONS **************************
230 Revision of Development Regulations, Subdivision Regulations The Board
continued its review and editing of the August 20, 1991 draft of Section 7,
Implementation, Construction of an Approved Subdivision
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Plan.
The meeting was adjourned at 10 15 p m.
Edmund C Grant, Clerk