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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1965-12-07 BOARD OF APPEALS HEARINGS December 7, 1965 A regular meeting of the Lexington Board of Appeals was held on Tuesday, December 7, 1965, in the Selectmen's Room, Town Office Building Present were Chairman Nickerson, and regular members Abbott, Ripley and Wadsworth, and associate member Mrs Morey, and the secre- tary Mrs Macomber At 7 30 p m hearings were opened on the following petitions Iris and William Howard - to continue operation of a nursery school at their residence, 11 Wewll Ave William H Sullivan - to reduce lot at 7 Juniper Place by approximately 300 ft which would be added to adjacent lot at 11 Juniper Place William Setterlund - to vary the Zoning By-law in order to sub- divide lot at 12 Utica St into two lots; one would have a frontage of 95 ft and one a right-of-way frontage of 10 ft instead of the required 150 ft , with areas of 19,570 st ft and 23,690 sq ft respectively in- stead of the required 30,000 sq ft Homeland Realty, In c - to vary the Sign By-law in order to erect a two-faced illuminated sign at 405 Waltham St which will be entirely under and will not extend beyond the edge of the present overhang, but will be at right angle to the present building Donna Realty Trust, Frank Compagnone - to vary the Lexington Zoning By-law in order to construct and occupy single family dwelling at 122 Reed St which would have a 10 to 12 27 ft side yard instead of the required 20 ft on a side street Yvonne A. and Dominic Falcone - to vary the Lexington Zoning By-law in order to erect an addition to existing house at 62 Tarbell Ave which would be 6 ft short of the required 30 ft front yard setback and 3 3 ft short of the required 10 ft side yard Pine Crest Realty Trust - for permission to construct additional wing to Pine Crest Nursing Home at 30 Watertown St which will be approx- imately 100 ft x 44 ft and provide approximately 28 additional beds Following the hearings an executive session was held during which the following decisions were reached Iris and William Howard - granted William H Sullivan - granted William Setterlund - denied Homeland Realty, Inc - denied Donna Realty Trust - denied Yvonne A and Dominic Falcone - granted Pine Crest Realty Trust - granted with the following conditions BOARD OF APPEALS HEARING December 7, 1965 Pine Crest Nursing Home Mr Nickerson read notice Mr Nickerson You have provided us with a plot plan of this area by John J Sullivan, dated Oct 1964, showing the existing rest home as built and activated, and the greenhouse at the rear for which we gave a permission a short time ago, and then the proposed addition 100 ft x 44 ft extending from the right hand side to within 30 ft of the side line toward Peacock Farm. Do you wish to enlarge on this? Mr Cataldo We have a rough sketch of what it will look like Mr Sullivan, Engineer These are the elevations of the wing and the floor plans of the wing It would add 13 rooms, all the same size and similar in detail to the present 2-bed room s All provide baths This is a one-story addition, brick construction like the present dormitory The windows are wider in the rooms and smaller in the bath- rooms Mrs Morey With this construction you could put a second story on 111 Ripley Is that why you kept the roof flat? Cataldo I don't intend to put on a second story - it costs too much Ripley At the present rate of expansion have you any idea how long this would be sufficient? Cataldo I hope it will be sufficient I don't want to carry any more Nickerson I hope it would be,because from the plot plan the only thing is to go up Cataldo Most likely this will be it - because if you go up it means that you have to have additional nursing assistance through the build- ing which raises the upkeep; elevators, etc It would be a major con- struction problem just to construct the elevators themselves Nickerson I understand one of the reasons you have asked for this addition is that you are filled up, or nearly so Cataldo We don't have any singles Nickerson. This one story will work just as well with additional beds and no further overhead? Cataldo The only thing would be nurses The kitchen would be the same, and administration Pine Crest -3- character of the neighborhood "2 Aside from size, there remains the question of the type of structure suitable for such permitted uses in R-1 districts We now can see the type of structure this proponent has built Far from conforming to the scale and style of a residential area, it greatly accentuates its institutional aspect by a facade with exaggerated vertical scale, bright floodlighting at night, and a complete lack of screening, especially on the eastern boundary, to keep it from being an obtrusive landmark Like many com- munities in Lexington, we have tried to preserve the natural beauty of our area, but such efforts are in vain if non-residential structures of this scale are permitted to dominate the landscape "3 We well understand the need for permitted uses such as those listed in paragraph 7 c of Section 5 of the zoning by-laws of Lexington, but we wish also to point out the needs of the communities in which such struc- tures are permitted by your Board The needs are to have structures which are appropriately scaled to a residential neighborhood, styled so that they are not sharply at variance with other structures in the com- mjnity, and adequately screened so that they are not visually intrusive We feel the structure at 30 Watertown Street fails to meet these needs, and until we feel some assurance they will be met, we will oppose any petitions to enlarge it " Cataldo We don't have any floodlights As to street lights, there is a street up there There are four street lights up there - same as all street lights We have to have these for safety There are no flood lights Nickerson Why raise the point of the size and structure of the build- ing? I was called by a friend of mine on the Board of Appeals of Arling- ton and they are considering a petition for a 225-bed nursing home which is going to be built off Summer St where there is a community athletic field, and they have a serious problem down there because the terrain goes tight up into a high hill Medicare is furthering these nursing homes and is going to be responsible for their successor other- wise White I am not objecting to the size as such Think with proper de- sign and screening and better visual dimensions it could be satisfactory I have seen no effort on the part of the owner to do this Nickerson I am surprised to get this comment because in my several trips up there it seemd to me they have bent over backwards to make this place attractive I know the trouble they had to get off the road, and then they had to build a road with no more than 10% grade so it made quite a circular thing - quite a bit more expensive than going straight up (To Mr Cataldo) Have you had comments from your neighbors as to light and lack of screening? Cataldo The only ones I talked to were on Watertown St and I got all favorable comments I don't know anyone in Peacock Farm. I have just spoken to people on Watertown St Pine Crest -5- Board as to size of building and number of components, do you think that this would alter the opinion? White This would be vastly reassuring Nickerson. We want to consider all these things very thoroughly - and any reasonable conditions imposed to tie it down for the reason of getting along with his neighbors might well be considered by this Board I think I have asked you enough questions. Ripley On the street lights - what is the type - could they be toned down or shaded so they would not show up as much and still give you all the light you need? Cataldo I don't think they shine that much. I don't know. They are the new type design like the street lights Mrs Morey How many? Cataldo Four One on each post We have five poles, but only four lights If Edison could give me a different type of light I would be glad to use it. Morey When are they on? ' Cataldo The same as the street lights - they come on at dusk and go off at dawn - automatically Morey You gather that the neighbors are concerned with too much illumination. Couldn't you reduce the size? Nickerson. On the road? I don't see how that is possible from the east side because that road swings away over Cataldo These are the same as all street lights I don't think people object to regular street lights You can see the front of the building is not floodlighted. We have a hanging light We keep that on until 11 00 o'clock then we shut it off. You can see it from any other hill Nickerson: We get objections from time to time from those people located next to a gasoline station - the lights keep them from going to sleep - but I cannot see how these lights would keep anyone awake White I think the issue is being slightly misunderstood. I think the position is largely that we have in the midst of strictly a residen- tial district a large hospital building with illumination at night and the whole area has the appearance of being dominated by this structure. I think that the Board suggests that it might consider the possibility of requesting Mr Cataldo to tone down the effect of his structure and this would very much be appreciated. , Ill Nickerson. Presently we will not put in any terms of and