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Is TOWN OF LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS
�' V CONSERVATION COMMISSION
MINUTES of the January 18, 1971 Commission meeting.
The meeting was called to order by the Chairman, Mr. Brown, at
7: 55 p.m., with Mrs. Frick, Dr. Kessler and Mr. Maaeraltl present.
Visiting were Josette Carter, Tom Curran and Doreen Please. Mans
Fred Friedman appeared briefly at the onset of the meeting, and
Don Wilson attended for about an hour.
Minutes of the last meeting (January 4, 1971) were approved,
With additional comments recorded in the two next paragraphs.
Wilson's Duma4, Mr. Heustis apparently did not look at the
area pictured in the draft Great Meadow Study Report. He will take
another look, Mrs. Frick reported.
Gary Lecture. The Cary Lecture Committee is very interested in
sponsoring the appearance of Cong. McCloskey of California on the
weekend of March 5w6. Mr. McCloskey is able to come only on the
6th (Saturday) . The Lecture Committee will pay his transportationr: 1
and lodging. The Commission offered to entertain and feed him. za 'fi a.,
Dr. Kessler is awaiting final O.K. from Tim Rothermel of Brad
Morse's office.
Snowmobiles. Since the Board of Selectmen had assured the Commission
that there are already sufficient regulations to keep snowmobiles
from conservation lands, it was decided that clarification, 'pubs°
licity and enforcement of these regulations should be sent to the
Board of Selectmen through the Town Manager. Dr. Kessler will send ''.
the letter. 4
January 11 Town Meeting was reviewed briefly for the benefit of
Mr. Brown, who had been away on a business trip. It was felt
that the conservation aspects had not been a decisive fact in
the narrow defeat of the Clematis Brook Village housing proposal.
OSA-60. Armed with the work-sheets upon which the- final Request
for Gra. t were based, Mr. Brown will visit Mr. Barry at HUD to
help him understand the figures in the application.
Appraisals for 1970 article acouisitions. MOVED these be ordered.
Great Meadow Study. Members of the Arlington Committee met with
Mr. Zaleski, who had produced five pages of valuable comments and
two maps. The two Town Committees met for three hours last week
with four men from Camp, Dresser and McKee. The consultants lisw
tened to the points of view and problems of Lexington and Arlings
ton, but said that the report would be written from the study team's
point of view and not tailored to the specifics of either Town.
The final report is due on February 15, after which the two Town
committees will meet to coordinate releases. The first 10 pages
of summary are the meat of the report. The only mandatory report
is to the Board of Selectmen, Mrs. Frick stated.
F
Conservation Commission minutes 1/18/71 Page 2
Appointments. Dr. Kassler commented on the lack of Commission
manpower and recommended that associate members be appointed later 4k,
this evening. According to the Department of Natural Resources,
the Commission has authority to do this without consulting other
Town bodies. &reed to appoint associate members, who could attend
executive sessions but not vote.
Problems in the Wilson Farm Area. Mr. Wilson emphasized that
statements made in this session with him (not executive) should
not appear in print due to impending litigation. He showed
water test results contaminated from surface drainage (from
streets) , particularly during the spring. Another problem
caused by street surface draining is an oil slick. The water
table of the area has been raised due to filling of the low-
lying areas of Mason Street, where a i .nd used to be. Now
there is a swampy area southeast of his farm. The flow of the
Sickle brook is also impeded by the fact that about 4/5 of the
culvert under Mass. ave is silt. Nobody remembered when the
culvert was last cleaned. Mrs. Frick and Dr. Kassler pointed
out that the brook had been cleaned on the other side of the
avenue. Mr. Wilson was delighted that the West Farm was not ;Y
to be built upon. However, he pointed put that citizens are coming
in and digging up bushes and wild flowers "in the name of consent
of s
vation" .
Responding to criticisms of his operation, Mr. Wilson said that
he has finally acquired a compactor o handle his trash...Water tests
have shown that there is no nitrate (fertilizer) leeching from ,
his farm, since he uses only organic fertilizers. It appears that
excessive fertilization is coming from sources upstream of his farm, -*
he said.. .The land-cut close to the old cart road beside the West
Farm will be planted with something which will grow in the gravelly , ,
soil, he said. ps
Dr. Kassler suggested that the Wilsons and the Commission should
have a joint walk in the spring, when snows are gone.
Snow Dumninz. Large amounts of snow are being dumped by the Town
on Mass. Ave. near the Sickle Brook. These amounts are larger than
they had been previously because the Town is no longer permitted
to dump on Be Street. The Town also dumps snow at the Hartwell
Ave and old Lincoln Street dumps. The Town of Burlington has com-
plained about pollution of the Vine Brook. No solution to this
problem.
Bow Street Farmland. Question raised if some of the land being
proposed for development was originally filled under an agricul-
tural exemption from the Hatch Act. Dr. Kassler will check on the
facts and follow up. (A Planning Board hearing will be held on the
proposed zoning chenge Feb. 10, 8 p.m. in the H.S. Science Lecture Hallo
Signs can be made by hand by Roger McNamara o Hopkinton State Park
(435-x+303) Home phone: 473-8873. A DNR employee's side enterprise.
The meeting adjourned at 10 25 until January' 25, 1971.
Respectfully submitted, Secretary to the Commission
JAN 27 1,971