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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-COALRPC-rpt.pdf oc7 SENIOR CENTER SITE SEARCH Considerations in Selecting a Site In addition to minimum size, the COA used several other considerations, which it believes are important in locating the Senior Center. These include: 1. Current Use: If the existing use of the site is another important public activity, the site is unlikely to be available. 2. Land Use: The compatibility of a Senior Center with nearby existing land uses needs to be evaluated. A senior Center generates moderate traffic. It will be open during evenings and on weekends. 3. Site Characteristics: This is a measure of the feasibility of construction. The presence of wetlands will limit the amount of land available for construction. A site with steep slopes or poor subsoil conditions can add to the construction cost. 4. Location in Town: A site in the central part of the town will be most convenient to the greatest number of residents, but is not essential. A site on one extreme end of town will be inconvenient to many residents. 5. Access to Public Transportation: The site should be accessible to "Lexpress"bus service. Routes are fixed, but might be reconfigured for access to a Senior Center. 6. Acceptance by parties of interest, such as the School Committee and the Conservation Commission. Inventory of Town Owned Sites The Planning Department maintains a data base of Town owned property. The Town of Lexington owns about 1,923 acres of land. For the purposes of this analysis, several classes of property were assumed to be available and were excluded: 1. Land designated for conservation, recreation, or park purposes. Article 49 of the Massachusetts Constitution provides that land designated for these purposes can be redesignated for other public purposes but only after an arduous process that requires a two-thirds vote of Town Meeting, a two-thirds vote of each branch of the Legislature and approval by the Governor. The Planning Department knows of no case when Lexington has ever transferred open space land to another public use. 2. Land designated for school purposes. That land can be redesignated for another public purpose provided the School Committee declares the property to be surplus and the approval of a majority of Town Meeting is obtained. SENIOR CENTER SITE SEARCH The COA Long-Range Planning Subcommittee has examined twelve sites and grouped them in three categories. A Group: Seriously considering • Laconia St. 12 acres. School Committee jurisdiction. Would have to be declared no longer needed as a school site. One small isolated wetland. Most land slopping and wooded. Easy access from 50 foot right of way from Laconia St. Adjacent to Conservation Land. Half houses along Young St. back up to the site. • Highland Ave. 14 acres. Town owned open land. Half is wet. Access from path from Highland Ave. into the highest and driest part of the site. • North and Lowell St. 3.1 acres. Town owned. Left over from Route 3 abandoned corridor. Difficult access from heavily traveled Lowell St. A corner is wetland adjacent to wetland in Woburn. Rest flat with heavily wooded slopped edges. B Group: Significant Problems • DPW/Barn 9.6 acres. DPW does not want to move, but build a new barn on present site. If considered moving to dump site on Hartwell Ave., would be years before site declared buildable. • Cemetery 41.5 acres. The unused 6 acres may be needed for future expansion or other needs. • Harrington School 50,000 square foot building. If School Committee builds a new school on site, the present building would be swing-space for other school renovations. Many years before School Committee could declare no need for the building and release it for other town needs or a tear down. Possible use could be a Youth Drop-In Center or School Administration. • Adams/Waldorf School 7.5 acres, 19,888 square foot building. Buy back at"market rate"to gut it or tear down. 25 car parking space would have to be expanded into park/recreation land. Three-year wait until Waldorf would move. C Group: cannot consider • Panhandle/Meagherville Part of 52 acre site. Transferred to Conservation. • Massport/Hanscom Field 2.54 acres. Total wet parcel. • Met State/Middlesex Both sites owned by the State. RFPs for disposal of properties still under discussion. • Raytheon 95 acres; 6 acres in RO zone. Property has been withdrawn from the market. • Clark St. Medical Building A privately owned 10 unit office condo. Building needs extension renovation to bring up to ADA code and upgrade of utilities. Building too small as well as the parking lot. • Fire Station 1.5 acres. Parking limited and building will need extensive renovation. Lengthy wait for new fire station after DPW Barn is built. Good location. • Muzzey Play Field 1.1 acres. If expended into the play field, the Center will still be under Condo Association restrictions.