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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1927-12-13174 REGULAR MEETING, DECEMBER 13, 1927. A regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen was held at the Selectments Office at 7.4,1$ P.M. Messrs. Custance, Ballard, Burnham, Robertson, and Chamberlain were present. The Clerk and the Supt. of public WDvks were also present. The Board voted to notify the Chief of Police to carry out their order issued to the owners of dogs to restrain the dogs for a period of 90 days from December 15, 1927. In this connection Mr. Chamberlain was also -.to write up a notice informing dog owners that immunized dogs are not eliminated in this restraining order, and this notice to be inserted in the local newspaper. The State Aid pay roll was signed by the Board in the amount of $32.00. Hearing was declared open at 8.30 P.M. upon the application`of the Jenney Mfg. Company for permission to install an additional gaso- line tank with a capacity of 2,000 gallons at the corner of Waltham and Middle Streets. Mr. Fleming represented the Jenney Mfg. Co. and stated that they had had a demand for Ethyl gas, and fdr this reason they desired to install the additional tank. Mrs. Ida H. B. Capper came before the Board to object to any gasoline permit being granted for additional tanks. She felt that she should be given the first opportunity to sink tanks at that corner, and also that the Jenney Mfg. Co. should be requested to set back their tanks on a similar basis with the request that had been made to her, and that they should deed to the Town 3500 feet of land. Mr. Ballard explained that he would be glad to go over the matter with Mrs. Capper if she so desired and endeavor to arrive at some definite plan which he hoped could have been worked out when the sug- gestion was previously made to her. We felt that possibly all four corners of the junction could be laid out in a similar way and make a decided improvement to the corner. It was decided to lay the application of the Jenney Mfg. Co. on the table for one week, and to meet with hors. Capper on Tuesday text at 8 P.M. Plan was presented to the Board showing the suggestions made by the Board of Trade for diagonal parking on the side of the street opposite the Town Hall extending from Waltham Street to Clarke Street and diagonal parking In front of Depot Square. The plan also showed the suggestions of the Supt. of Public Works that the bus stops be changed moving the present stop in front of the Trani Fruit Shop back in front of the Town Hall and eliminating the one at Depot Park and the one just above Merism Street, and making one stop in front of Ronzano Barber Shop. Mr. Ballard felt that the bus stop in front of the Trani Fruit Shop should not be changed, but that the suggestion of eliminating the other two was a good one. The Supt. was therefor to consult with the Middlesex & Boston St. Rwy. Co. in regard to making the changes. The Board also decided to refer this:plan_to the _Traffic Committee. with the statement that they approved of diagonal parking only in front of Depot Park. 1 1 1 FU The Chairman reported a lettem-received from the State De- partment of Public Works in which after some effort, he secured their cooperation in plowing Route 4 from the North Lexington R. R. Station to the Lexington -Bedford Line for the removal of snow at the expense of the State. Albert A• Ross and James H. Russell were appointed as Special Police Officers of the town, they being vice -Commander and Commander of the American Legion respectively. Applications were received for the acceptance of the following streets: Prospect Hili Road, Moreland Avenue to Williams Avenue, and Simonds Road. The Board decided to request the Town Engineer to prepare esti- mates of the cost of these streets for acceptance. Discussion was held in regard to the verbal request of the Plan- ning Board as to whether the Selectmen approve the distance of 100 ft. between buildings on Mass. Avenue. The Board felt that Mr. Cham- Llllz berlain should take this matter up with the Planning Board and have them give the -Board in writing their recommendations as to the build- ing line. Mr. John Nolen of Harvard Square, Cambridge, Mass., who is an eminent town and city planner, came before the Board to discuss matters relating to town planning. The Chairman outlined the facts ' of the situation in the town to Mr. Nolan explaining to him that there was being made a study of the drainage situation in connection with the lowering of Vine Brook. He felt that some study might be made of the town generally before the drainage work was started, if the town votes to do this work. Mr. Nolan explained ibkat his associate,,Mr. Foster, in 1922 came before the Board of Planning and discussed matters of town planning in Lexington. He had a letter with him which showed several remommenda- tions made at that time together with the cost of making a plan for the town. Mr. Nolen presented to the Board several plans which had been worked out by his firm in cities and tos. He had made plans at Clearwater, Florida; San Diego, Calif; Walpole, Mass.; Pennsylvania; Cohasset; Nort4 Adams; and Haverill, and in fact since 1945 they have made plaan.s:foriorty-two cities and towns. He stated that town plan- ning should bring money to a town inasmuch as it provides facilities. For instance, he explained that the automobile is a great invention and can be used to great advantage, but inasmuch as Boston does not provide facilities for parking cars, persons have to abandon the automobile before they can reach Boston, and therefor its advantages are lost. He explained that the city of Niagara Fall, N.Y. has lost a tremendous income from visitors owing to the fact that the city has never been laid out properly and is very unattractive, and persons who come there to visit the falls, which are extremely beautiful,_ will not remain there, but go to Buffalo. If this town had been properly planned, persons ' would have availed themselves of the opportunity to stay there. He explained that in town planning a great deal more open space is necessary than is thought for when a town is built in a haphazard manner. To a certain amount of space, -which planners have built on a scale for building upon a certain amoutncf open space is required, and as a town grows and population is added to, the open space should also be added to. They have extablished a standard for schools and 25 acres of space 78 �. 1 is called for upon which to build a High School. he stated that he had a vi dtor,fhe Chief Engineer of the r Planning Division of Osaka, Japan, who is studying the conditions ' of Planning in this country. He stated that they did not`have many automobiles in Japan, and he wanted to know what wtudy had been made of the traffic problem here. Mr. Nolen informed him that he wished that some study would be made of the traffic problem here. He stated that a new condition is being brought about by the numerous airplanes, and he felt that rather than establish air drome here and there without any particular reference to the situation that a definite study should be made and stations established in accor- dance with some definite ruling. He stated that he noted that the Town had adopted a Zoning Law and he felt that this was very helpful, but the spirit of the Zoning Law is a prohibitive measure d no m p ur an t a assure of what you can plan to do. He stated that the establishing of building lines is of tremendous values and farsightedness in the extablishin the g g width of streets would save towns and cities thousands of dollars as can be seen by the changes necessary in the City of Boston. He stated an example of constructive planning was made in Boston in the Commonwealth Avenue section. Mr. Nolen highly recommended an aerial survey of the townw which has proven most accurate and would be of great benefit to the town officers in the execution of their work. He recommended the Faiehild Comapny of New York for air planning work. He stated also that the air plans would greatly assist him if he made a study of town planning in Lexington. Many accomplishments have been ' made in this work in Walpole. There are two forms of preparation for this work, one is a comprehensive plan for the town, and the other a consulting ser- vice. It was left to the Board to think over the matter and decide what they wish to do and in the meantime he would send a question- aire to be filled out by the Board. The Board discussed the Mass. Avenue widening along the Common and the laying of the curbing on the Common side. It was decided that at the next meeting the Engineers have a plan prepared show- ing the Bedford street side of the Common and its relation with the Mass. Ave side upon which a granolithic sidewalk is laid, leaving a four foot grass border similar.to Mass. Avenue side and showing gravel walk and the present location of trees and re I.ocation of same. The suggestion that a 250 c. p. light be placed at the corner of Medford Street and Elm Avenue was made, and it was also suggested that a warning sign be placed on Bedford Street just previous to its intersection with Elm Avenue. The suggestion was also made that one steel pole could be placed instead of the flood light and that could be turned at an angle to show light upon the Capt. Parker Statue. .Bids -were received on the temporary loan of $100,000. Atlantic Rational Bank 3.30 Solomon Bros. & Hutzler 3.32 Vre.$2. Old Colony Corp. 3.31 " 1.5D First National Bank of Boston 3.344 Bank of Commerce & Trust 3.315 Lexington Trust Co. 3.27 .Grafton Company 3.31 177 7 The bid was awarded to the Lexington Trust Company. The Board discussed the problem of Vine Brook drainage with a view of coming to some understanding of what the opinion of the Board is before consulting with the Planning Board. Mr. Ballard offered several suggestions which he handed to the Board in writing. Profile plan of Grant Street and the McClintock & Woodfall plan of eine Brook were also viewed. In this connection Mr. Ballard felt that some definite procedure should be arrived at, that is, whether the Board felt that part of the project should be done, or whether they thought the low part of the town should be drained and Mr. Ryder should contiibute to the proposition. It.was decided that before any further action be taken that the Town Engineer make a sketch plan showing profile of Grant Street in connection with the location of Vine Brook. The meeting adjourned at 12.20 A. M. A true record, Attest: Clerk.