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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1983-11-17-CRC-min CENTER REVITALIZATION COMMITTEE MEETING November 17, 1983 Present Margery Battin, Chairperson, Robert Sacco, John Powell, Jacqui Bateson Joseph Trani, David Wells, Laura Nichols, Karsten Sorensen Also in attendance Robert Bowyer, Marty Rawls, Angela Frick, MAPC, Ex-officio member Study Committee of environmental impact on Alewife Brook area around the new MBTA station No entrance planned for cars in the area until May '85 Station to open in January '85 Minutes of the meeting of October 6, were approved as presented Wally Tonaszuck suggested dedication of Meriam Street lot - paved, lined and fenced (Minute Man will not take photo) MAPC Traffic Survey to be completed by Wally Tonaszuck and Bob Bowyer Wally Tonaszuck - install 10 meters on the westerly side of Muzzey Street, from Forest St to Park Drive Submit to Selectmen Move bus stop from across from Grace Chapel to pool area from December 1 to April 15 Parking on Worthen Rd and at Pool Send to Transportation Committee Move on quickly by December 1 for action. Develop parking around the intersection of Park Drive and Muzzey - relatively low impact on houses Possibly also close the Waltham St end of Park Drive as a Park (green area) Tonaszuck to present plans Traffic Study - improve existing patterns and flow Bob Bowyer hired Traffice Engineer Norman Abend 1 Central Business Distric The "Y's" at each end - channelize the intersection - safer inter- section and help re circulation. 2 Parking area north of Mass Ave - Open road behind the Edison Bldg Have 90 degree parking 3 Incorporate R. R. tracks into entire area parking 4 Edison Way - right turn only 5 Parking lot south - need 2-way connection 6 Buy land for parking behind Waltham and Muzzey street 7 Waltham Street have two lanes for right turn all the time Warrant Articles Mrs Battin advised that Town Staff recommends that we focus our attention on one project for the coming year since that is all that Staff time and parking fund money will allow for She suggested that we look into Park Drive as a project At one time Park Drive was in the "considered but not recommended category" as a means of expanding the parking base Certain concerns have changed; 1) Park Dr is not a wet-land 2) Student Parking could be prohibited by making it a "Permit Parking" area ONLY Wally Tonaszuck recommended that we focus on one area of Park Dr only for now, that being the "four corners" area where Muzzey St and Park Dr intersect Mr Bowyer suggested that we experiment with a plan that will provide about 50 spaces, to see if people will indeed park there. Ms. Bateson advised that she felt with proper enforcement of Short-term meters, present violators there could be displaced to Park Drive Mr Sacco said that he favored a plan whereby we would pursue the School Administration lot as well as Park Dr and asked Mr Tonaszuck for cost estimates on both Mr Tonaszuck estimated Park Dr @ $50-60,000 and School Ad Lot @ $30,000 (these two plans could be covered by the Parking Fund) Mr Tonaszuck also mentioned that Staff time constraints might make it impossible to work on both and Conservation Commission for in-put Mr Sacco also informed the committee that property located at #100 Waltham Street is up for sale and that Grace Chapel is rumored to be leaving Lexington He requested that research be done to see if the Belfrey Lot might be up for sale in the near future. Parking Garage Sub-Committee Mr Sacco said that there are enough questions about the economic, viability, and asthetic feasability of a garage that he felt it warranted some public meetings He wondered if we should ask Town Meeting to spend $3-5,000 to get some specs Mrs Battin questioned whether it would be pre-mature at this time to make such a request of Town Meeting She suggested that the Land Use Sub-Committee continue to study the desireability of a garage and that the Parking Garage Sub-Committee, along with Bob Bowyer, explore the costs and how it could be funded Mrs Nichols questioned the perpetual effect that a parking garage might have on building (more parking leads to more building leads to a need for more parking ) Mr Sacco pointed out the flip-side argument as parking gets worse retailers will be forced to leave the center Offices will replace them which will automatically mean more parking will be needed Mrs Frick suggested that we investigate the cost of a parking garage now going up in Medford, Mr Bowyer said we could also take a look at one in E Cambridge Mr Powell requested info as to when we could expect the results of the Land Use Sub-Committee report Mrs Nichols advised that she expected it to be complete in late January She cited lack of volunteer help as cause for delay Mrs Nichols will contact Chamber representatives about providing some volunteer help Proposed Zoning Ammendments Mr Bowyer passed out a Planning Board Report on proposed changes He noted that they did not include a stipulation for financial compensation as for an alternative spaces that should be provided with future building -3- Questions have been raised in the past as to what that money would go toward if such a plan were enacted Adjournment approx. 2 30 P.M, Net Meetings 12/01 and 12/15 @ 12 Noon Respectfully submitted, Jacqui Bateson David Wells