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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1958-01-27-CEC-min.pdf fran MEETING OF THE CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMM. WITH PLANNING BOARD January 27, 1958 A meeting of the members of the Capital Expenditures Committee was held with the members of the Planning Boardon Monday, January 27, 1958 at 8:00 p.m. in the Town Office Building. Those present for the C.E. Comm. were Sanborn C. Brown, chairman, Dan H. Fenn,Jr., Rosemary Fitzgerald, Irving H. Mabee, and Norman Royle, with Mabelle Tucker acting as secretary. Those present for the Planning Board were Thomas Grindle, chairman, Wilbur Jaquith, , and Samuel Snow, town planner. Mr. Brown asked the Planning Board mem- bers if they would throw sow- light on what might happen in the next five years. Mr. Grindle outlined some of the Planning Board projects. Purchase of the Willard Property on North St: The Planning Board will put an article in the March 1958 warrant for $60,000 to purchase the 60 acre Willard property on the west side of North St. between Adams and Burlington Streets. The property consists of woods and field (about 30 to 40% being pine forest) , with a small pond which would make a nice skating area. Nothing can be done to the property as long as Miss Willard lives or occupies her dwelling on the opposite side of North St.; thereforQthere are no immediate plans for develop- ment. (The area not to be touched during this period is a strip 600 feet deep along North St.; however the pond, which is at the bads of the property can be used, and the town could build a reed in from North St. at the upper end to get into the back area.) The selectmen have approved this purchase, and the planning Board is meeting this evening with the Appropriation Committee to discuss it with them. Miss Willard would like the $60,000 purchase price to be paid over a period of 6 years; however, the term of the payments has not been definitely decided. The $60,000 will have to be appropriated this year no matter what the term -yi the present plan is to finance some of it out of E and D, and most of it by bonding. Purchase of land along Vine Brook in Mark Toorets development of Burnham Property: The Planning Board wants to buy 10 or 12 acres of land (flowage land) along Vine Brook to build a road up to the North St. (Shannon) gravel pit with picnic areas along the road. The survey of the gravel pit showed that the water is 35 feet deep and cold - it will be a gold fishing area. The Board wants to get 25 feet on each side of Vine Brook and 25 feet at the back of Moore' s land. New road skirting town - Emerson Road: The Board is planning a new road circling the center of town and designed to pick up traffic originating in the north and east sections of town and bring them to Route 2 at Watertown St.; this will take the Boston bound traffic off Mass . Ave. and out of the center of town. The Board will need to buy options along the route; for instance they are now dickering with Mark Moore for land (estimated cost $6,000) for an entrance on East St. Moore has already built one section of this road as part of his development of the Burnham property; he was told that he was straddling a major highway and that the road had to be built at 6% not 8% (?) - Mr. Gayer got him some gravel from another project to make up the difference in construction, so that this 1200 feet of road cost the town only some gravel. Now Moore wants to cross Vine Brook to develop the land across it; he will have to build the bridge at a cost of about $12,000. Page 2 MEETING OF THE CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMM. WITH PLANNING BOARD, cont January 27, 1958 Another section of Emerson Road will be built by a subdivider in the meadow (that section of it nearest present streets on eattern edge near Arlington line) ; another section will probably be built by a subdivider. Options will have to be taken where the road will cross Maple, Woburn and East Streets, but will only involve a house lot or two and won't cost much. One real problem will be connecting on to Mass. Ave. in East Lexington , where the road will cross Mass. Ave. and go just below the hill at the back of Wilson's Farm. Another real cost will be the relocation of Pleasant St., which will be aban- doned as a state road; it will depend on the degree to which the state will participate. The road will cut the Peacock Farm development in half and will take their common land. However, the state plans to cut off Peacock Farm's egress when it widens Route 2 and builds an interchange at Watertown St. , so that perhaps Peacock Farm won't object too strenuously to Emerson Road, since it will providd an exit. At the other end, Emerson Road will follow the sewer between Burlington and Grove Streets, and will cross Grove St. with the sewer. Mr. Brown asked if Emerson Road would be built within the next five years, and if the C. E. Comm. should carry zoom= something for it. Mr. Snow replied that he couldn't tell - that parts of it might be built within that time. He stated that something for this road was included in his estimate last year, (but he didn't mention specifically what it was for) ; this was after he had decided that Worthen Road as originally planned would never be built because the state would not let it join Route 2 at Pleasant St. (no interchange will be built there.) Mr. Btown asked how Emerson Road would affect the fire station problem: would a new station then be needed in North Lexington - or would the Marrett Road site still be best? Mr. Snow answered no, to the N. Lex. station, and stated that he approved of building a station on Marre-tt Road. This station would help cover Blossot St. area, and Minute W n Highlands. You must think of the topography as well as the distance, he stated, when you're figuring how far an engine can get in one minute for instance, Worthen Road doesn't help the engine from the main fire station reach the houses out Mass. Ave. and Wood St., because the engine still has to go up the steep hill on Mass Ave. The Spring St. hill is also bad, (Apparently the new Marrett Road station would cover the Mass. Ave.Wood St. area and would avoid the Mass. Ave hill. Worthen Road: Since the State won't let Worthen Road connect to Route 2 at Pleasant St. this road won't be able to take Boston traffic origina- ting at the other end of town, as originally planned. Mr. Snow seemed to think that Worthen Road would be built a segment at a time, though he didn't say when that time would be; for instance, one segment might be from its present terminus at Mass. Ave., to Lincoln St. to Waltham Still which he estimated would cost $150,000. (Mr. Jaquith thought Worthen Radd would be built all at once, total cost to be about $170,000) . Mr. Brown pointed out that the Capital Expenditures Comm. was tentatively carrying $160000 to $175,000 for streets each year for the next five years; Mr. Snow seemed to think this figure would be adequate. However Mr. Brown pointed out that this figure included work on all streets, big and little, and that the construction of a major project like part of Worthen Road would have to be extra. GiSScomentioned eethat Recreation people oltrluhouseonLincoln St. andare holdingittoWorthen Road Page 3 MEETING OF TEE CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMM. WITH PLANNING BOARD, cont. January 27, 1958 through - it will pretty much finish the Center Playground, and Park Drive will disappear. The Center Playground will be replaced by large playgrounds in different sections of town; Mr. Mabee expressed the opinion that the center was much the best place for the tennis courts since people tended to congregate there knowing that they could alway& find others to play with. After chopping up the Center Playground Worthen Road would go in back of the High School, crossing Waltham St. below the H.S. driveway, on the piece of redd just finished by Corrigan;,. it will cross Monett Road at Bacon St. School Sites: The School Sites Committee is going to propose that 6 or 8 school sites and recreation areas be acquired at $10,000 to $15,000 apiece; these would be bought within the next 5 years, making a total expenditure of $60,000 to $75,000. Mr. Snow thought that the figure of $20,000 which the C.E.Comm. was going to carry for purchase and development of recreational areas would be enough to cover these sites; he thought that not more than $10,000 each year would be spent on development alone, and that this would be spread over different areas. It would save money to have the devel- opment of these areas done a little at a time over a period of yearg; for instance, at the Gravel Pit, where the terrain has to be changed, Mr . Gayer can dump extra stone and gravel in there when he has it left over from another project. The Baskin land will not be expensive to develop as it does not require extensive changes of terrain - some work with a bulldozer and some topsoil is all that will be needed. Great Meadow: Mr. Brown asked if the Planning Board had any plans fn acquiring and developing the Great Meadow. Mr. Snow replied that that was the province of the selectmen; he understood that they were working on getting the meadow and hopwd to have it in the warrant for the town meeting, at a cost of about $20,000. At about 8:45 p.m. Mr. Grindle and one other member of the Planning Board left for a meeting with the Appaopriations Comm.; Mr. Jaquith left sometime after this, and the C.E.Comm. continued to talk with Mr. Snow. Filene's Shopping Center: Mr. Snow said that there would be an article in the warrant asking for a referendum on the proposed shopping center. The Planning Board will not make any recommendation on this prior to the referendum (Mr. Snow felt that many planning boards violated this procedure by taking a position before the facts were in.) If the town votes Filene's down, the State will probably construct an overpass over Route 2 at Spring St.; if the town votes Filene 's in, there will be an interchange at Spring St. In this case there will be three inter- changes fairly close together - Watertown St. , Waltham St. and Spring St. , and that is why the State will not allow one at Pleasant St. Mr. Snow thought that Filene's should have found out more about the State 's plans for Route 2 before going so far with their proposal apparently the money for laying out Route 2 will not be available as soon as had been thought - it will be 90% Federal money, and standards are now being set up for the interchanges. MnrrPtt, Road Reservoir Page 4 MEETING OF THE CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMM. WITH PLANNING BOARD, cont. January 27, 1958 Marrett Road Reservoir: Mr. Fenn asked if the Planning Board had plans for developing the Marrett Road Reservoir area. Mr. Snow replied that he had said t'nott to a group which had come in requesting that it be developed; he could not recommend that access to the Reservoir be from Marrett Road, which he thought was far too dangerous because of bad traffic and parking problems - sooner or later someone would be killed. He would recommend sometime in the future that a parkway be construdted on an easement already owned by the town from Park Drive, back of the dump, and down to the farther end of Marrett Reservoir, which area could be developed. Access from Marrett Road would be closed off. He com- mented that very few people appreciated how far-sighted former Supt. of Public Works Burns had been: when he took a sewer easement (and water easement) he took 70 feet so that a public road could eventually be built; he did this an the site of the proposed parkway to the reservoir He also took sleeves under Route 128 so that the sewer could be taken across. Mr. Snow thought that a Junior High School might be built on the site of the town dump, and an elementary school at the corner of Prospect H111 Road and Outlook Drive. In answer to a question from Mgr. Fenn about what was happening on Outlook Drive, Mr. Snow said that Corrigan's development in back of the High School will have 65 to 85 houses. Outlook Drive will terminate a few hundred feet beyond Fair Oaks loop; Corrigan is now starting a connection to Outlook Drive which will come down to Waltham St. like Mahle St. : Mr. Snow would *kak to tie Tower Park into the Maple St. area for recreation - this would include Gaffeyts Pond in back of Maple St. An elementary school might also be built on Maple St. Meagerville area: Mr. Fenn asked if the Planning Board had any plans for the Meagerville area. Mr. Snow stated that he knew no more abott it than he did last year ft the town meeting - he thought that the people whoj put it in the warrant last year didn't know how to prestnt it. He thought that the present exit road from the Bedford Airport (Airport Road) was bad - and that a new road should be built, coming out of Bedford from the dump area and leading directly to Route 128, where there would be an interchange. Then, Barfield St. in Lexington ,,.«;` should be constructed, (now one of the Meagerville t'paper° streets, - ' ` L.+µ`r the boundary nearest Lexington), connected to Cedar St. , which would be taken across 128 to join the road from the airport. This would open up the Meagerville area and make it valuable for manufacturing - the Sunnyfield area could be screened from the industry by building a road in back of it - they wouldn't know the industrial area was there. On the other side of 128 the area between Bedofd St and Wood St. would also become valuable industrial land because of the improved access to 128. Follen Hill area; Mrs. Fitzgerald asked if there could be a recreatiicn area for Follen Hill. Mr. Snow answered that there was no land left to buy except some left over from Tower Estates; 6 acres at the top of the hill had been set aside for recreation, as was another pieee at theend of Dawes Road (2 acres) , but both had been sold by the real estate agent. Perhaps the town could get a piece along the route of Worthen Road. Page 5 MEETING OF THE CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMM. 'WITH PLANNING BOARI., cont. January 27, 1958 Franklin School area: Mr. Fenn asked if the Planning Board planned to devlop the area around Franklin School. Mr. Snow replied that it was poor land, very rocky . However, he thought the town should take Allen St., regardless of cost, and widen it and take it through to Blossom St. Allen St. is now only 1 rod wide - it was once the old road to Boston. As it is now people could lot along either side of it, which would be very bad on such a narrow road. Swenson has offered to give a 50 foot right of way, provided no betterments are assessed against him, and it is Mr. Snow's opinion that the town should accept the offer and build the road - some abutters have squawked because the Swenson's would have no betterments. when asked if he would be present and town meeting and willing to answer questions on various planning board projects, Mr. Snow said that he would not. He said that he couldntt be prepared to anwwer any and all questions (which he has been told he must do if he goes to the meeting) , and he doesn't intend to put himself in the posi- tion of being ridiculed. He also feels that the selectmen and mem- bers of the planning board should be prepared to support their articles. He said that he thought that the precinct meetings would be the place for many questions to be answeredy and that he would go to precinct meetings provided questions were given to him in advance so that he would have a chance to dig out the information. The meeting with Mr. Snow adjourned at about 9:20 so that the C. E. Committee could go to the Cary Memorial Building to meet with the Appropriations Committee.