HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Board Minutes 1992-02-18 PLANNING BOARD MINUTES
MEETING OF FEBRUARY 18, 1992
The meeting of the Lexington Planning Board held in Room 111, Town Office
Building, was called to order at 7 35 p.m. by the Chairman, Mr. Williams, with
members Davison, Domnitz, Wood, Planning Director Bowyer, and Assistant
Planner Marino present. Mr. Grant arrived after item 17.
**************ADMINISTRATION OF LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS *****************
17. RECOMMENDATIONS ON APPLICATIONS TO THE BOARD OF APPEALS
Hearings scheduled for February 20, 1992 On the motion of Mrs. Davison,
seconded by Mrs. Wood, the Planning Board voted unanimously to make the
following recommendations on the applications described below.
443 Lincoln Street Albert R. Piantendosi, The members noted that this
property is very close to the Cambridge Reservoir and that contaminants
may pollute the water supply. The current condition of the site is
extremely haphazard which suggests that oil and other hazardous materi-
als, both from the automobiles stored on the property and the body shop,
could be a threat to the water supply.
The Board will recommend that the variance be extended for one year
only. In the one year period, the property owner should be required to
clean up the property to improve its present unsightly appearance. The
property owner should be required to submit to a strict system of
monitoring, imposed by the Town through its new Department of
Inspectional Services, that will safeguard against the contamination of
Cambridge's water supply.
297 Bedford Street. Nancy Butters LICSW. The Board will recommend that
the Special Permit be granted with the following conditions: the
property be marked so that it is easily identified by clients and both
the number of hours and the hours during which clients may be seen
should be consistent with the limits imposed on other special permits
recently issued.
**********************PLANNING DIRECTOR'S REPORT*****************************
18. Recent Activity
a. FY93 Budget Mr. Bowyer reported that Town Manager White revealed
more grim news regarding next year's budget. So far the Planning Board
budget is not proposed to be cut.
b. Adams Street Sand Pit. Mr. Bowyer also reported that he received
a call from Terry Szold, Burlington's Planning Director, regarding the
sand and gravel pit on Adams Street just across the Town line. Ms.
Szold met with the owners of the site at a pre-application hearing to
Minutes for the Meeting of February 18, 1992
discuss conversion of the site to a bituminous concrete processing
plant. She told Mr. Bowyer that numerous state and local approvals and
permits would be required for the change in use. The Planning Board
agreed that the Lexington Conservation Commission should be notified.
c. Cataldo Development David Williams reported that he spoke
recently with Robert Cataldo who is ready to file a conventional
subdivision plan for his land on Woburn Street. They also discussed the
development of land on Lowell Street near the Burlington Town line known
as the D'Arrigo property.
d. Office Space The Planning Board adjourned to visit the reorga-
nized office of the Planning Department and the Department of
Inspectional Services.
DETERMINATION OF GRADE AND CONSTRUCTION OF UNACCEPTED STREET
19. CUB 91-1. James St. Improvement Plan. On a motion by Mrs. Wood, seconded
by Mr. Grant, the following motion was unanimously approved:
To accept surety in the amount of $5,500, in the form of Boston
Federal Savings Bank passbook, account number 01-00-103353.
20. Planning Board Subcommittees
a. David Williams will attend the Chairs' Breakfast on Friday, February
21, 1992.
b. Mrs. Davison reported that at the last Metropolitan State Hospital
Land Task Force meeting they discussed the potential safety liability
problems when the state mothballs the buildings.
Mr. Williams and Mrs. Davison went to a presentation about the Met State
land by the Boston Society of Architects who will present the results of
their examination in Lexington in May. Mr. Williams is currently look-
ing for a suitable location that can provide the 100 feet of linear wall
space that the presentation requires.
Mr. Williams reported he learned that legislative authorization granting
Belmont 26 acres of land to be used for a cemetery will expire on
December 31, 1992 if the cemetery is not built.
c. The Board discussed an editorial cartoon about affordable housing in
Lexington that appeared in the Northwest edition of the Boston Globe.
David Williams said that he was told by Jacquelyn Smith, the chairman of
the Board of Selectmen, the Globe admitted that the cartoon had been
printed in error, and that she wrote a letter to the Globe to ask that a
positive article be written.
Minutes for the Meeting of February 18, 1992
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d. Lighting Subcommittee Bob Domnitz reported that the Lighting Options
Subcommittee has learned that Boston Edison will not quote a reasonable
rate for the "color corrected" lights shown at the 1991 Town Meeting.
The L.O.C. is discussing possible litigation before the State Department
of Public Utilities.
e. The Board discussed the construction of a new building at Hanscom
AFB. The Board requested that the staff arrange a tour of the base.
They also decided to ask the Conservation Commission to join them.
f. The Board discussed the notice it had received of a proposed amend-
ment to the sign section of the Waltham Zoning Ordinance. They decided
to send a copy of the amendment to Tom Barry and Jan Spealman of the
Lexington Chamber of Commerce. Jacqueline Davison discussed the
proliferation of window signs in town. She hoped that the Chamber of
Commerce would be pro-active in efforts to limit coverage of windows
with signs.
********************* PLANNING BOARD REGULATIONS ***********************
21. Subdivision Rules and Regulations:
The Board continued its review and editing of the October 18, 1991 draft of
Chapter 3, Types of Plans and Application Procedures, of the Development
Regulations and the November 5, 1991 draft of Section 4, Application Require-
ments and Approval Procedures, of the Subdivision Rules and Regulations. Mr.
Bowyer explained that Chapter 3 of the Development Regulations sets forth
common procedures for all types of applications under the Zoning By-law and
the Subdivision Rules and Regulations. Section 4 of the Subdivision Rules and
Regulations is cross referenced to, and incorporates, the general requirements
of Chapter 3 of the Development Regulations and sets forth more particular
requirements applicable only to subdivision applications. The Board reviewed
through section 3.4.1 of Chapter 3 of the Development Regulations and will
resume its review the next time with section 3.4.2.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:07 p.m.
Edmund C. Grant, Clerk
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