HomeMy WebLinkAbout1968-02-28-TBC-rpt.pdf February 28 , 1968
TOWN-WIDE BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE
LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS
INTERIM REPORT
The Town-Wide Beautification Committee was established under
Article 75 of the March, 1967 Annual Town Meeting to "study and
prepare a program for the improvement and beautification of streets ,
malls , parks , playgrounds and other public places , lands and build-
ings owned by the Town and places of historic interest in the Town
and to report its findings and recommendations , including methods of
financing such program, to a future Town Meeting, not later than the
1968 Annual Town Meeting " The Committee was not activated
until September, 1967 because of delay in appointments , and has met
monthly since then (except for November, 1967)
The Committee investigated the availability of federal aid for
beautification and met with the coordinator of the Beautification
Program for Newton and with a representative of the U S Dept of
Housing and Urban Development to learn more about the federally-
supported beautification programs It has been found that federal
programs are geared for cities having urban blight problems and that
consequently Lexington would stand very low on the list of eligible
municipalities competing for the allocation of very limited federal
funds
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The Committee has also found that a need exists for a town-wide
beautification program carried on with local funds and citizen F
participation The Town has been spending money for purposes with
related beautification aspects and is committed to additional spending
in the future A co-ordinated town-wide program will permit careful
evaluation of relative needs , with proposals for efficient implementa-
tion and scheduling of appropriations
Due to the time limitation and to priority given to investigating
the Federal program, the Committee is in the preliminary stage of
preparing a program Believing that the Town needs a beautification
program to consider, the Committee submits this interim report and
requests an extension to report no later than the Annual Town Meeting
of 1969
Respectfully submitted,
Natalie H Riffin, Chairman
Herbert W Eisenberg
George W Emery
Norman Friedman
Lilah H Groisser
Paul E Mazerall
Ruth Morey
Stuart 0 Dawson (ex officio)