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TOWN 9F LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS
CONSERVATION COMMISSION '
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MINUTES of Commission meeting February 14, 1972.
The meeting was called to order by the Chairman, Dr. Kassler, .1
at 8 30 p.m, (meeting time delayed due to presence of Commission
Members at the Appropriations Committee and Board of Selectmen' s
meetings) . The following Commission members were present: Mr.
Cohen, Mrs. Frick, Mrs. Pease, Mrs. Rawls and Mr. Mazerall (ex-Officio')
Also Associate Members Dr. Friedman and Mesdames Nichols and Solomon,
Executive Session, lasting 20 minutes, was declared. w
Administrative Matters. Dr. Kassler said that beginning o
now a )Commission -member would be assigned )responsibility for )
each area or projeot and would. be in charge •of .gathering 'in a
formon ation that particular subject. Recommended the Commission .r,
set up a card file giving all available information of importance A
on each parcel. Also 'recommended that there be file clasifications m
by watershed areas. 0
Filling at Sanitary Landfill. The Commis3.on has received a copy ti
of a notice, a written confirmation of telephone notification .14
of February 4, 1972, informing the Town that they are illegally
filling at the Sanitary landfill site. It is believed the com- 8
plaint and order concern the proposed area for tree planting to
screen the sight of the dump from motorists on route 128. Recent
tests of the Shawsheen Riverpater do not show contamination from
the sanitary landfill operation, beyond natural processes of o r
decomposition as occur in a swamp and a certain amount of iron N c
from upstream sources. 4-
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Inquiry from Maynard on Lexington' s Metcalf and. Eddy study will m
be referred to the Planning Board for full reply, since the study m F
was done at their direction. c
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Citizens' Article on Release of Flowage Rights along Lowell Street. t ;
Dr. Friedman was asked to be responsible for this matter.
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Recreation Committee will meet February 17 on its 1972 program. s
Mrs. Solomon will attend. -
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Granny Pond. Mrs. Frick (who was in charge of the meeting after
Dr. Kassler left at 9:00 p.m. ) asked Mrs. Pease to be in charge
of assembling available information on this pond. It was also
suggested that possibly the Middlesex Conservation District could
make a study of this geologically unusual feature (or possibly
the Soil Conservation Service) . Recommended the Commission dis-
cuss this land further next week.
Landscaping-Planning in the Utica Street area. Mrs. Nichols was
asked to work with landscape architeccto come up with Michael
plans which would suggest the best possible recreational use
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of the land.
Conservation Commission Minutes 2/14/72 Page 2
Bills approved for Payment (1) $18.98 submitted by Mrs. NicholqY
for photography. This bill will be forwarded to CLC for pay- „ R+
ment from their funds for this purpose. (2) $45.00 annual dues
for the Massachusetts Association for Conservation Commissions.
Letter on Hayden Woods. Mr. Brown received a letter from Mrs.
O'Brien of 10 Cutler Farm Road complaining about hunters, snow-
mobiles and abandoned automobiles as well as general neglect of
the area. Since hunting is forbidden in all of Lexington and
snowmobiles are illegal on Town-owned land, Dr. Kassler will dis-
cuss the enforcement problem with Police Chief Corr. The writer
of the letter will be thanked for bringing her observations to
the attention of the Commission and will be urged to continue
to keep the Commission so informed.
Hatch Act Hearing. Mrs. Frick showed plans by the Realty Develop-
ing Co. for the relocation of the Vine Brook east of Lowell Street.
A 60 inch pipe, would route the brook' s course somewhat north of
where it now .flows, carrying the brook underground for some distance,
mostly in the Town of Burlington. Concern was expressed that pos-
sible blockage in a sharp angle of the pipe could cause overflow
or backup of water into the Butterfield Pond area of Lexington,
which might also be overburdened by additional water by impoundment
caused by development and fill of the land across Lowell Street.
This brook relocation would be a cross-purposes with the proposed
Article for protection of the brook along Grant Street. Commission
members also urged that the advisory to the Board of Selectmen
include comment on the loss of sponge area in Burington. Mesdames
Frick and Greene and Dr. Kassler will prepare a letter to the Board
of Selectmen to be sent in a few days.
Vigneau Bill for Access over/under Route 3 will come up for hearing
Thursday by the Traffic Committee of the Legislature. Mrs. Brown,
Chairman of the Planning Board and several neighborhood represen-
tatives will attend. Mrs. Rawls said she thought the chief con-
cern of the Commission should be that much of the land is wet and
part of Burlington-Bedford watersheds and therefore less intensive
use of the land should be permitted, possibly through tightened
zoning restrictions by Burlington. It is estimated that it would
fake two hours for 600 cars to pass through a tunnel with one lane
in each direction. Mrs. Rawls said she will discuss this matter
with Mrs. Brown before Thursday but probably not attend the hearing.
S-1077. A bill calling for the acquisition from the City of Cam-
bridge of land in Waltham, Weston, Lexington and Lincoln around the
Hobbs Brook Basin by the MDC for recreational purposes has been
introduced by Senator DeNormandie of Lincoln and Rep. Cole of
Lexington. Commission members reacted to this news by saying
that this land should be preserved for recreation. Mr. Cataldo
has stated his opposition to MDC acquisition of the land in Lexing-
tion. Lexington is not now in the MDC Park system. It is under-
stood that Lexington will be offered
first opportunity to purchase this land, should Cambridge decide
to sell it.
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" Conservation Comm•iss'ion Minutes 2/14/72 Page 3
"Lexington Green: Mark Moore has given the Commission copies of
his newly revised plans for this development off Bedford Street.
Tennis courts have been moved closer to the railroad track and
a 75-foot buffer conservation easement would be added to the land
Mr. Moore would give to the Commission. Mrs. Nichols brought out
the information from the Soil Survey Study that the soil of the
entire area on both sides of the track is of a sandy loam type
that does not hold water. During wet cycle years the water table
could be as high as two feet from the survace during 7 to 9 months
of the year. Thus parts of the housing development, notably
»rder-building garages, may be in water. The Commission debated
revising or amending its recommendation, but deferred its decision.
Proposal for Ford Foundation. The proposal written by Dr. Fried-
man was much praised. Mrs. Nichols suggested a few refinements,
. which will be incorporated in the draft before the Commission gives
it final consideration and approval.
Tot Lot. Mr. Mazerall reported that the tot lot will be filled
with material received from the Central Block excavation, without
further removal oa peat. Entire playground will be 100' x 200' .
Whipple Hill. Michael Bennett and group of youth from Church of
Our Redeemer will attempt a major cleanup of the Whipple Hill area
under the direction of Mr. Mazerall (removal of dead trees, etc) .
Need for a fire trail was noted.
The meeting adjourned at 11 00 p.m. , with the next meeting Tuesday,
February 22, at 7:45 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Mrs. Erna S. Greene,
Secretary to the Commission