HomeMy WebLinkAboutAdvisory Committee of Architects and Planners report October 18, 1965
AN OPEN LETTER TO
Mr Lincoln P Cole Jr , Chairman, and
Members of The Board of Selectmen
Town of Lexington
Lexington, Massachusetts
Gentlemen.
In order that your Board and other interested citizens of this
community may more clearly understand the proposals to im-
prove and beautify Lexington Center, we should like to briefly
describe the salient features of the plan prepared by the Ad-
visory Committee of Architects and Planners for Improvement
of Lexington Center
It is evident that much confusion and misunderstanding exist
about the proposals for improvement of Mass Avenue Although
some businessmen of the community are strongly in favor of the
suggestions for beautification of Lexington Center, others have
questions regarding certain aspects of traffic, parking, and costs.
It is urgent for you and the merchants of Lexington Center to under-
stand that in the first phase of the proposals currently under con-
sideration by your Board that
1 The plan does not advocate removal of all parking from
Mass Avenue Only six spaces in front of Hunt Block and
five spaces in front of Central Block are suggested for
removal at this time In view of the fact that the plan also
calls for the Town to spend its entire share of the first
phase cost of some twenty five to thirty thousand dollars
for beautification in front of these two blocks, the removal
of the few curb parking spaces does not appear to constitute
an unreasonable hardship to these property owners. In most
towns and cities, commercial interests are required by zon-
ing to provide a reasonable amount of off-street parking at
their own expense
Mr Lincoln P Cole Jr , and October 18, 1965
Members of The Board of Selectmen
Page Two.
2 If it is thought desirable, parking on the south side of
Mass Avenue need not ever be removed. Also, the plan
suggests removal of parking on the north side of Mass
Avenue only when adequate and convenient parking areas
may be provided for the stores on that side of the street.
Vacant and unused lands are already available adjacent to
the present town parking areas, and when and if the rail-
road is removed, more than ample parking can be provided
easily for the stores on that side of Mass Avenue
3. According to the well known authority, Professor Paul
Roberts of the Traffic Engineering Department of M. I. T ,
traffic now on Mass Avenue will not be impeded but im-
proved by these proposals. In its narrowest portion the
pavement of the roadway will be 54 feet, allowing for four
11 foot trafficways, one 8 foot parking lane, and a 2 foot
painted median. Should parking be removed entirely at
some future time, four 12 foot moving lanes and a 6 foot
median may be provided. These dimensions are obviously
generous enough to permit continued free movement of
traffic under any reasonable emergency conditions of break-
downs, accidents, or repair of streets
4. Additional Town funds are not necessary either to carry out
the first phase beautification proposals or to purchase addi-
tional lands for parking needs at this time All necessary
parking for future needs may be provided on surface lots,
parking structures are not a necessary corollary of these
proposals.
5 Whatever funds available for widening Mass Avenue need
not be spent for relocating curbs and for repaving the street,
but may be used instead for improving and beautifying Lex-
ington Center Moreover, the Federal Government under a
new program designed to encourage towns and cities to beau-
tify their environment will pay for almost one-half the cost
of these improvements. (Since the first phase is estimated
Mr Lincoln P Cole Jr , and October 18, 1965
Members of The Board of Selectmen
Page Three
to be approximately fifty to sixty thousand dollars, the
cost to the Town will be approximately one-half of these
amounts. Although the chances appear less than optimis-
tic at present, the Committee has not given up on its at-
tempt to have the proposed beautification plans considered
as a demonstration project, in which case the Federal
Government will pay for 90% of the total cost. )
In the opinion of the Committee, therefore, the first stage of a
beautification plan for Lexington Center may be carried out with
a minimum of inconvenience, disruption, and cost to the citizens
and merchants of Lexington. Since both the Hunt and Central
blocks are in the process of being redeveloped by their owners,
an unparalleled opportunity to create a new image for Lexington �
Center exists at the present time Subsequent improvements
along the entire length of Mass Avenue from the Battle Green to
the Town Hall may be staged over a number of years and in incre-
ments consonant with the Town's aspiration and budget.
The Advisory Committee believes that the question of Mass Avenue
should not be considered in an isolated context. Although some may
question what appears to be an abandonment of the idea of "widening
Mass Avenue", we believe that it has been extremely fortuitous that
the Selectmen had voted to purchase the additional right-of-way in
front of the Hunt and Central Blocks. This act has made it possible
for the Town to embark on an integrated program which will provide
for greater efficiency and beauty of the Center It is now possible
to develop an attractive pedestrian promenade which will link the
historic Battle Green, Buckman Tavern, the Depot Square, the shop-
ping district, and the Town Center into a unified design.
It should also be mentioned that although the most dramatic, the de-
velopment of the pedestrian promenade along Mass Avenue is only
one portion of the Advisory Committee's suggestions for improvement
of Lexington Center Rerouting of traffic in some instances, addition
of new roads to provide direct and convenient access to parking areas,
and redesign of certain intersections to reduce congestion and traffic
Mr Lincoln P Cole Jr , and October 18, 1965
Members of The Board of Selectmen
Page Four
hazards are essential
a partsof the Committee's recommendation.
New and convenient parking areas must be added on a programmed
basis so that the business enterprises may be adequately served.
As traffic and population of the Town increase, plans for orderly
growth of the Center must be made to protect adjacent residences
against indiscriminate encroachment.
Lexington is a community whose obligations extend far beyond its
town bounds It is a historical town belonging in part to the entire
nation. With the development of the National Historical Park, visi-
tors from all parts of the country and the world will be coming to
visit the Center It would be ironical indeed if, at the very time
when the nation's conscience is aroused against the lack of concern
about the character and beauty in the environment in which we live,
shop, and work, Lexington should decide to pursue a course which
would have value only in permitting a few more cars to pass through
the Center during the rush hours
Lexington needs only your approval to begin this first step toward
a dramatic self-improvement program.
S' e Lely 4irs, s
4 40i _ �
Hideo - sa
Stuart O. Dawson
Don H. Olson
Members of Advisory Committee
of Architects and Planners for
Improvement of Lexington Center