HomeMy WebLinkAbout1936-11-27243
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BOARD OF APPALS MEETING
November 27, 1936.
A meeting of the board of -appeals was held in the
Selectmen's Room, Town Office Building, Lexington, at 7:30
P. M. Chairman Maddison and Messrs. Glynn and Ferguson,
and Associate I/.ember John A. Lyons were present. The Secre-
tary was also present.
Mr. L. J. O'Connell appeared before the Board.
the Chairman informed Mr. O'Connell that the Board
had discussed his petition for a gasoline station and that
there was a divided opinion on the matter, so the Board
thought it would be a good idea to have him come before it
again to see if he had had any plans drawn, and to see if
he was willing to forego any other business on the lot if
he was given the gasoline permit. The Chairman asked him
if he had any further ideas as to the gas station.
O'Connell said that his ideas were the same.
He thought that if the whole tract of land was given to any
' one company that the land in back of.the station would pro-
bably be a dump. He submitted a rough sketch of the station
planned and said that greasing pits, etc. would all be under
cover.
Mr. Glynn asked Iti`r. O'Connell if he had had the
plot laid out in any particular way. He replied that he was
figuring on a lot for the gas station having 106' frontage
on Woburn Street, 90' frontage on Fletcher Ave., and about
60' deep, giving the lot 7628'. The original plan had a
grass plot between the gas station and the stores. O'Connell
stated that he would like to restore the old house on Woburn
Street and take the store out. He would like to erect a
small block of three stores on this lot in question, near
the railroad track on Woburn Street, and would like to erect
a small bungalow in the rear of the gas station.
Mr. Glynn told Mr. O'Connell that this was a type
of spot zoning, and that some of the members thought that
the owners of residential property needed some protection.
He said that there was a question as to whether or not a
gasoline station was needed, but it might be that general
stores would not be particularly nice to look at, as they.
are not always kept 'very neat. Consequently the question
Is raised as to whether or not the Board might feel itself
disposed to grant whatever it considered the lesser of the
two evils; a gas station, nicely kept, or a block of stores.
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O'Connell said he believed that he would not
make a great deal of money with a gas station, but wanted
to utilize the land. He said that he was willing to agree'
to anything that the Board wanted him to. He did not care
what he did with the rest of the land, that he had other
land on Woburn Street he could build on. "he Chairman told
O'Connell that the board did not feel that it was in a po-
sition to ask him to abandon the stores. He said that there
was a feeling against gasoline stations, but that perhaps
a gasoline station with a house in the rear might be better
than stores or something else. He said that some of the
board felt that if he was willing to agree to use the rest of
the land for building purposes that they might change their
opinion.
Mr. O'Connell repeated that he was willing to
agree to whatever the Board wanted. On account of the Zoning
Law, he could not put more than two bungalows on the lot
besides the.gas station. He said that he did not feel at all
badly about giving up the idea of the stores, and that he
did not want an eyesore any more than the Board did. Mr.
Lyons stated that he thought it would temper the matter a
great deal if he would agree to abandon the idea of stores.
Mx. O'Connell said that he would stipulate that he would
not erect stores. He said that he still intended to operate
the gas station himself and take whatever profit there was in
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it.
He retired.
At 8:30 P. M. Mr. Calvin IN. Childs appeared before
the Board and the subject of the petition for the gas station
at the corner of Watertown Street and the Concord Turnpike was
further discussed and the matter was laid on the table.
The Board discussed further the matter of Daniel
J. O'Connell's petition for a gasoline filling station at
the corner of iioburn street and rletcher Avenue, and the
Chairman was instructed to discuss the matter with the Town
Counsel.
The records of the meetings held on November 10,
19, and 20 were approved.
The meeting adjorned at 9:1E P. M.
A true record, Attest:
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