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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1956-04-23-AM-BOS-min 4o SELECTMEN'S MEETING April 23, 1956 A meeting of the Board of Selectmen and the Planning Board was held in the Selectmen' s Room, Town Office Building on Monday morning, April 23, 1956 at 9:15 A.M. Chairman Reed, Mr. Maloney, Mrs . Morey and the Clerk were present. Chairman Adams, Messrs. Grindley Jaquith and Burnell of the Planning Board were present. Mr. Snow, consultant to the Planning Board, Mr. Woodworth, rep- resenting Walter Channing Company, Mr. Wheeler, representing Cabot, Cabot and Forbes, were also present. The discussion held was more or less as follows : Adams: Mr. Woodworth we have a majority of the Boards here. You wanted to see us and we will be glad to listen. Woodworth: Mr. Wheeler has been interested in Lexington from a commercial and/or industrial point of view and we have been promoting it. The matter of zoning has been in their minds. I think Dan would like very much to hear some general reactions from the horse's mouth as it were. They also, as promoters, have been in contact with our close friend and companion whom, I don't think we have to say more, is Avco. We have not gone over anyone' s head or to anyone' s back door. As far as I am concerned, I would like to promote anything you would like to be promoted. I think Lexington is going to re- zone if it is done properly and having seen some of the things which they have done it would seem to me, since land is not rezoned as of today, certain parcels, they would want more reassurance than would come from me as to the possibilities of rezoning and what general areas, categories, etc. That is very general, but that is why we are here. Mrs . Morey: You introduced us all when these gentlemen came in. I would like to know whom each represents before they do any more talking. Woodworth: I am Mr. Woodworth from Walter Channing in Boston and I am here in anything but a brokerage capacity. I am not brokering today. Mr. Wheeler is an executive of the firm of Cabot, Cabot and Forbes and they are chiefly promoters. They are developers. I think everyone knows what they are. I am not representing Avco exclusively. We came to the Planning Board meeting with a gentlemen from New York who we thought was an exclusive, at least at the time, representative of Avco and in good faith we searched the 4[10 C"") field and thought we had it nailed down, but apparently it was not. They have still not settled. I don't know as much as Mr. Wheeler knows and it is not necessarily mytibusiness to know his relationship with that particular firm. I am not trying to find out. I have been promoting Lexington as a place for indus- trial, commercial developments along Route 128 before this came into the picttr e. The chief reason for wanting this is to get your reactions either to a fairly immediate or gradual zoning change. Wheeler: I am not here today from Cabot, Cabot and Forbes representing Avco. We are only one of several people who have been working with them. Just where their final location may be we are not even certain. Our interest is that we are de- velopers and have been interested in land in Lexington on Route 128 for several years and worked before with Mr. Blackwell for a period on the land which you have already zoned in which he has an interest. We did not go any further in talking with you people in acquiring any of the land at that time because there seemed to be so many problems. Since then we have been working with Mr. Woodworth and looking at other land you do have on 128 and are very definitely interested if there is reasonable assurance that the land could be rezoned and then be willing to go to the townspeople and present their full story; what the building will look like, type of business, etc. A lot of them do not even want to air their operation before the public if they can avoid it but very few of them have the time once they make a decision that they are goingto have a new plant. That is one of the reasons we have been able to build for many firms. We are offering a prepared site. The situation in Wayland in regard to Raytheon was tailor made to their operation. If they decided to leave then the building would not be suitable forr,anyone else at present. You know Avco has looked in town. We do not have any specific people we could come to you and say they would locate if you would re-zone. We are wondering if there is a possibility if we, as developers, could present our story to the towns- people as to the type of company, the, uses they would make of the land, the control of the building, parking and things of that sort. With that story would the town re-zone for us and allow 4[11 us to talk to various companies. We feel for general business it is necessary to have the land zoned rather than just to keep bringing companies before the town and discussing them on their own merits. Adams : The question of re-zoning for light manufacturing has been up several times with several unfortunate experiences. We recognize the need of it but sev- eral times the town has not. Mr. Snow came with us two years ago. It was an idea to have a full- time man who would have a chance to study and come up with recommendations for re-zoning. We are more or less in the middle of it now. Re has completed a land use survey all along Route 128. It should come along in a few months. Only speaking for the Planning Board we cant guarantee what the town will do but we will bring it up to the Town Meeting. There has been in the works a restudy, probably with recommendations but the present Ml is not restricted enough. A lot of small plants is not something that any of us want. Do you want to ask your questions or do you want to go into more detail? Wheeler: As I get it, the feeling of the town because you had one or two companies you definitely did not desire, it is a point we feel we definitely could not go along with a definite customer because of the time factor and from an investment standpoint for us to .old. a piece of land and constantly be wondering if we had lead usable or not. I am wondering if there is a feeling with this new recommendation which Mr. Snow is working up and with our own restrictions that the town might consider a re-zoning of land without any one or group of customers in mind. Adams : This visit is a little different paint of view. Before this we have been talking about one customer. Now the approach is an industrial plartisntt it? Wheeler It is very possible that you have had discussions with Avco and we are working withs everal companies lmoking at three or four sites. We might next week be able to come in and say here is a company interested in Lexington if it were re-zoned. At the moment we don't have anyone definitely stating they want one or the other site and just can't tell you when we will defi- nitely come to that. We wonder if it might be worth our while and yours to have us acquire one or two sites and have them zoned so you can talk on a day to day basis with a firm who wants to decide in a day or two and build in another six months. Adams: Is most of your business done en a lease basis? Al2 Wheeler: Yes, about 85% of it. We will find land and have deed restrictions and sometimes build a building and sell it complete, but the majority we do build and lease on a twenty-year lease. One of the things we are interested in Waltham is the con- trol of the building itself. I don't think the town would want metal buildings . In our own zon- ing the buildings must be of brick which we feel is very definitely necessary. It is something you can't put in a town's by-laws. Adams: Did the city of Waltham have to put in utilities? Wheeler: Yes. They put ina_.trunk line sewer which they were going to put in anyway. Our development and the other concerns have pushed the problem for the major sewer which was two or three years earlier. It was a very substantial investment but I don't re- call how many hundred thousands of dollars. Adams: What about water? Wheeler: They will have to put in water, a storage tank on top of the hill. All of the people will meet the expense and it will not cost the city too much. None of these things we ask for ourselves. They were already programmed when we came in. They had done the zon- ing when we purchased the land. The income is more than paying it off. As far as sewer and things like that, we are concerned about them. We definitely have to have water for concerns, at least for a stand by protection from a fire underwriter' s standpoint and concerns like it for their normal facilities. If you had a concern using a lot they might get water through wellt if the supply is sufficient. Most places can't supply an unlimited amount. You don't find a concern locating on a piece of land and then coming in and asking for 3,000 or 4,000 gal- lons of water a day. The concern, before they buy the land, would come to you and discuss the whole matter. Sewers, etc we have in some areas done without. If it can be worked out, any concern likes to be on town services. Adams: We require sewer connections anyway. The way to handle this is to throw it on as an open meeting. Morey: Are you interested in some particular area? Wheeler: Two sites. The most ideal site has always been the Blackwell property; land around the rail track be- cause it offers everything which we consider is needed for a fully successful center. It offers rail, access to a cloverleaf on 128, it is a large area so the cost of development can be spread out over the area. Most companies do not use rail but they like the fact that it is available if they ever have to have it. It is a bargaining point with truck transportation. Very few concerns moving 413 I II out on 128 are rail users. Aside from that area, we understand some people own parcels of it. Chairman: The town owns about 90% of it all on tax title. I can find out the status of it. Wheeler: A long range, that is what we are interested in. Adams : It is in the present Ml. You would be asking for changes in restrictions, but from a practical point of view until there is to be a change that would be easier to get into a cbmpletely hew area. Wheeler: We thought that land was still twu or three years away from being able to offer to anyone as a unit. The other parcel of land is the Seabury land and that general location. We have had one company quite interested in it and is now pretty close to coming around to going into Waltham I am sure a company you would like to have had. It is essentially office buildings. One main reason they did not want the land was they did not want to go through the mechanics of a zoning change. Avco has been interested in the site also. We feel because of the sites location at a clover- leaf, because it is close to Bedford and Lincoln there can' t but be a large demand in the next two or three years mostly by electronic firms and office concerns. You will not find the demand in Lexington the type of demand we have had in Needham for instance. In Lexington you are in a key loca- tion although any place on Route 128 is good. Lexington is desirable from every standpoint for electronics and research facilities. It is near the Lincoln project and the airport. They like to be out on 128 for the prestige value and like to be able to get right on 128. That is one site we are very interested In. Adams : That would be your first site? Wheeler: Yes. From your standpoint we feel it would more likely be of interest because it is the other side of 128. Adams: We all felt it would be easier to sell over the other side. Anything on this side would be difficult. Chairman: The majority of the lots should be ready in August for foreclosure. There are about twenty lots that will have to be started all over again. Adams: There must be hundreds of lots in there. Wheeler: From a standpoint because there are so many owners in there, we have been assembling land in Wakefield for a total of thirty-nine owners and it has taken two years now. Adams : Industrial commission, have you worked with that setup? 414 12.4 Wheeler: We have had land where the town has owned it and turned it over for a very nominal price. I question if In Lexington you would get a great deal of ob- jection from the people as a whole. There is al- ways someone thinking something is wrong when the town officials get control of a piece of land and then turn it over to one group. We don't find any of the owners are any more eager to sell to an in- dustrial commission than they are to an individual corporation. Adams: The site improvement does not stump you? Wheeler: No. We would not do the whole thing at one time. Snow: It is under eight feet of water now. Wheeler: I think in the long run the cost of developing a site like that will be warranted from the demand that will come to it. This rail location is quite a factor. When our land center in Newton is coltpleted there is not another site on 128 with rail from Needham up to this location. Then you have to go up north. There are two smaller sites in Woburn which have rail but they have no acreage. There is nothing available. This is one of the very few sites left on 128 offer- ing rail service and from an investment standpoint it is very important. If you had two pieces of land, one with rail and one without, you would choose the one with. Woodworth: Could Mr. Snow give us a preview of what this land use would be. Another area is from Waltham Street up to 128, more especially from Spring Street or that area, the Swenson farm, and the other side of Spring Street. Adams: I can hear screams. Snow: You would have 22,000 people on your neck for even mentioning At. Chairman: You have considered on the south of Route 128? Snow: That is Watts Realty in Waltham. None of it is in Lexington. Adams: I think anything south of 128 would be out. There are a lot of new homes in that area and it is the new people who object. Chairman The best possibility on re-zoning is in the area with the railroad. Last year it was turned down because of the type of business coming in and not on the land. That passed town meeting but was voted down by ref- erendum. Wheeler: The long range is what we are most interested in. This Swenson property is a key location. Adams : Five years ago when we changed the zoning law we had the other side of 128 included and it did not get to a vote. It was obvious it was hopeless. It would be easier to do something with the present area. The 41.5 Bashian Farm is not impossible. You will get some very strategic change in the airport. There will be 600 houses going up. Wheeler: The reaction of the town would be you already have land zoned, why not let that get developed and then we will consider after we see what has come in the first instance. Adams: That is right. If we went along with re-zoning and your concern was interested you would supply us with all information re traffic and technical information which would have to be good. Wheeler: Before we presented any zoning application we would want to w ork out every utility with the town depart- ments such as water and sewer and get all the answers so there would not be any question at town meeting. We would not tell if there might be one or two or three very large buildings. We would not know the personnel. We find that the traffic moves in a hurry out onto 128 and fans into the highway. You get very little use of the town roads . We do have experience to go on now. We have figures on water consumption as to how much water is used per square foot in a building, things of that type; how much parking per employee, where the traffic does go. As far as our own protective restrictions - we insist that the buildings be of brick, truck doors have to be at the sides, at the rear of the building the land must have parking but not on the street. The front of the building is set back forty or fifty feet from the street and two-thirds of that must be landscaped. We also control the signs. In Newton we made -errors. Five years ago we could not tell any company to have twice as much land as building area. They were used to being in the city. In Newton we insisted on having twice as much land and there have been problems come up and we did give in on requiring so much land- scaping. We learned from that and went into Needham and applied more restrictions. Adams :• Did you work with the town? Wheeler: `'e had four or five meetings and did most of the engineering work. You can only give these com- panies so many restrictions. Adams : Is it your opinion that there will be continued pressure from companies to locate on 128? Wheeler: We have never had the demand we have right now for locations on 128. We have concerns working with us beyond 128. They are getting onto the new Route 3 and 28, beyond 128, Route 9. Some concerns are even considering Framingham at the toll road and Route 9. 416 CD con Cla Adams: The town can afford to be a little bit selective. Wheeler: Yes. Adams : People think we are letting good business go by and are missing the boat. Wheeler During the Fall many concerns did start to stop serious negotiations for a time. Since the first of the year it has picked up. There is very great demand now. Most of the demaul now is getting to be local concerns rather than national concerns. Many national concerns have leases in the city running out in 1959 or 1960 and they will wait until then before making a decision. The national concerns are used to locating out on major highways. They were the First ones to come. Now the local concerns, because of competition by the national ones, are starting to make the move. Jaquith: Is there any objection to taking the major part of the restrictions which you hold in your deeds to im- pose them in a town zoning by-law? Wheeler: Most of the ones we would be willing to have as town restrictions if it is possible. The developer does need a certain amount of flexibility. We will give you our word to do something and do it. You can talk to the officials in Needham and find out how we have done what we said we would do. We would prefer, with our own restrictions, to have them in our control. The deed restrictions run with the property in a transfer of title. On the setback, we insist on fifty feet. In one or two cases there was a partic- ular problem because for some reason we had to give five feet or ten feet for a small corner of the building. The main idea of setback is to achieve an open appearance. Jaquith: Any objection to a minimum restriction? Wheeler: The people will want a minimum of restrictions over which the town would have control. We would like not to have any restrictions but we know that towns certainly should have protection. We would hope the town would have it if warmers not the developer. We would be very glad to have the town have considerable controls as to setbacks from streets, landscaping, off-street parking, etc. In Needham we say the land must provide parking area for cars. Adams: Do the Boards feel they have all necessary informa- tion? The next step is to rehash, this, go over it and see what we arrive at. Wheeler: I appreciate your coming. We would appreciate know- ing if you would be willing to go along, get the in- formation from us as to the type of building and con- cerns coming in if yourrwould recommend to the town, if we acquire a site, re-zoning. We understand 417 there is always a question of the townspeople because of certain organized opposition. Adams: Anything presented to the Town Meeting, the case should be won before going in. You have to have a good plan and a sound plan before going into the Town Meeting. If you don' t have every answer there is no use bringing it up. We see the need for taxable property. Wheeler: We do all our own facilities. It is just like a subdivision control. We would appreciate having your opinion as to whether we should go further. Any land we purchased would be subject to re- zoning. That is well recognized now by most firms. Chairman: On the Seabury and Bashian property it is for a con- cern to sell itself. I thought we were going to talk directly with Avco this morning as to what they had to offer for that particular area. Wheeler: We have been working with Avco and I am not at liberty to say what they are thinking. My own feeling is they have made another choice. Be- cause of the topography of the land it might be better suited to more than one concern. Adams: They did make a survey? Wheeler: A site durvey. Woodworth: If I was the cause of the confusion, I mentioned to Mr. Adams or Mr. Reed, or both, we would like to co-operate in any way we could. I also men- tioned, I am sure, that Cabot, Cabot and Forbes had their own individual relations with Airco and beyond that they are interested in the total re- zoning factor. To my knowledge they have not settled on a place, but certainly we would like to promote it if they haven't. I don' t want you to think that I meant to say Mr. Avco was coming to town this morning, Adams: I think I got that impression but I think we have had a very helpful discussion. The town moves slowly. The best procedure is to have your solid basic facts and do it right from the start or don't do it at all. Wheeler: I don't think you have suffered from being slow. We would like to explore if you would consider re-zoning. Adams: You, or shall we say developers, would consider the present area re-zoned as a top-notch area. Developed it could be a great asset, and would probably be of great financial benefit to the town. To get the full value it should be properly developed and not allowed to get into a lot of small buildings. Wheeler: Overall control is essential. A1S C) The meeting adjourned at 10:55 A . M. A true record, Attest: -xeoutive/Cler1 1 elect en. 1