HomeMy WebLinkAbout1971-01-25-CONCOM-min.pdf 4
TOWN OF LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS
CONSERVATION COMMISSION
MINUTES of Commission meeting January 25, 1971
The meeting was called to order by the Chairman Mr Brown, with
Mrs Frick, Dr Kassler and Mr. Mazerall present Visitors were
Manfred Friedman, Josette Carter, Charlotte Sanderson and (later) 6
Francis W K Smith. Other callers are mentioned below
Green and White. Mr Brown attended a meeting Thursday morning
on plans for the entire Green & White land between Woburn and Maple
Sgreets A plan for the entire 196 acres (including the proposed
school site not yet purchased by the Town) is being prepared by land-
scape architechts Sasaki , Dawson and May. The plans sketched out
35 acres of conservation land, conventional housing on the peri-
meters and 800 units of subsidized housing (mostly on high ground)
Mr. Brown said that he told the group the conservation acreage and
width of easements along the brooks were too small Mr. O'Connell
also seemed concerned about the smallness of conservation land and
mentioned the possibility of land-swap with other Town-owned land.
Among those attending the meeting were Harmon White and the lawyer
representing Green and White, Harold Stevens , Roland Greeley , and
Alexander Zaleski
Cary Lecture - Dr Kassler still is waiting final go-ahead on
the appearance of Cong Peter McCloskey as a Cary Lecture "extra"
in early March
Associate Members Agreed the Town Manager should be informed
that this is being done. Mr Brown will call him Dr Kassler
relayed Mr Frick' s recommendation that a young person be appointed
an associate member Joe Reiner recommended and Mrs Frick will
be in touch with him Sue Solomon has accepted and will attend next
week' s meeting Mr Friedman was asked and accepted, and, later
Mr Smith also accepted Swearing-in is not require , DNR says.
Granny Pond has been offered to the neighbors for a price Agreed
that they should be given the first opportunity to purchase it , since
they would have most to gain Mr Brown received a letter from the
Hurley' s on the conservation values of the area Dr Kassler has
been touch with the Spauldings If the neighbors do not purchase
the pond, the Commission would be interested
Library Exhibit Maps and materials produced in the Radcliffe
Seminar study of Lexington will be on display in the Piper Gallery
during the month of March Mrs Frick will assist in the selection
of materials pertinent to Town Meeting or future conservation lands.
Mass House Bill 785 proposes "teeth" ( increased penalties ) for the
Hatch Act. Hearing with the Natural Resources and Agriculture
Committee on February 8, 11 a.m in Room 473-A, State House. Mrs.
Frick will go
HUD & DNR Reimbursement for final applications sent in December has
been promised within 60 to 90 days, Mr Blown reported
Conservation Commission Minutes - 1/25/71 Page 2
Boy Scouts. Mr. Friedman reported that the Boy Scouts are
planning to do some conservation projects and have asked the
Commission to plan with them. Among suggestions mentioned
were the seedling forest recently accepted by the Town,
water guage maintenance (doubts expressed about this) , brook
cleanup and trail maintenance A planning meeting will be held
in March.
Housing Development Proposal on Bow Street . Land-owner Ralph
Cataldo, his lawyer William J Dailey, Jr , John Crowe , land-
scape architect and another gentleman identified as the building
architect , appeared before the Commission to show their revised
plans to build apartments (74 units) on a 7.6 acre site The land
has been farmed recently, along with part of the adjoining land
owned by Robert Cataldo. During the past two years the land had
been somewhat regraded, with two knolls leveled off, the the
entire slope evened out and topsoil redistributed This had been
done to make farming easier, according to Mr Cataldo The Mill
Brook, whose course had been straightened and rip-wrapped, and
an MDC sewer easement cross a low-lying part of the land Accord-
ing to Mr. Cataldo, the MDC sewer is encased in concrete and extends
four feet above grade, forming an effective dam. No development is
planned beyond the sewer easement (1 7 acres , lying on both sides
of the brook, between the sewer and the Arlington Town line) .
The land to be developed has 2% slope - from 166 to 154 feet eleva-
tion. The bottom of the lowest unit (with a garage underneath)
is estimated to be at 155 and about 115 feet from the brook.
The elevation of Mill Brook is at 148 5, with high water possibility
well above that When asked about the possibility of flooding
Mr. Cataldo and the landscape architect thought it would be possibly
once in "50 years or so " that 6 inches of water could turn up in
the low-level garages. They did not consider this amount excessive.
The land is bordered by the Arlington Reservoir to the north and the
Town of Arlington to the east
Town Report . Partly. Mr Zehner has asked the Commission to
check the form and figures of its Part II Town Report section.
Mrs. Frick will do this.
The meeting adjourned at 9 50, until Monday, February 1, 1971.
Respectfully submitted,
t— j' _
Mrs Erna S Greene
Secretary to the Commission