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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Board Report for 1918PLANNING BOARD REPORT FOR 1918 The Planning Board organized on April 2, 1918, and be- tween this date and the close of the year held twelve meetings, eight of which were joint meetings with the Cemetery Committee. Numerous informal meetings of various members of the Board have been held. Upon a number of occasions members of the Board of Select- men, Board of Survey and Park Board have met with the Planning Board, and upon other occasions members of the Planning Board have met with other Boards. The principal work of the Planning Board has been in connection with the Cemetery Committee, serving as a joint board under vote of the Town to lay out the new cemetery. At the time the Planning Board was established, the Town assigned to it in co-operation with the Cemetery Committee the task of securing plans for the development of the new cemetery. Owing to the demands of this work, the Board has naturally given to the Cemetery project the major portion of its time. Meetings of the joint committee, conferences, interviews, visits to ceme- teries in this vicinity and elsewhere have been very nearly con- tinuous with the result that a report will soon be ready. Plans are nearing completion, and it is hoped that a full report with plan of the proposed lay -out and draft of rules and regulations for handling the matter may be in the hands of the citizens prior to the annual town meeting. It is expected that the plan of development will be at that time sufficiently complete to enable the Town, provided it accepts the same, to take definite action looking toward actual work of construction. Aside from the fact that the work upon the new cemetery has taken the major part of the Board's time and attention, it is to be remembered that the Planning Board is a new one with no traditional or well-defined lines laid down for its work. The inevitable result has been to require time to feel out the situation which confronts the Town, and to determine to what line or lines the Board could best devote its time and effort. The Board is without any real power in connection with any matter, and must content itself with recommendations and suggestions to be put into effect by the Town, and while numerous matters having to do with the welfare of the Town as the Board conceives it have been considered and gone into to considerable extent, it seems wise at the present time not to dwell upon matters that at present can only be considered as possibilities. At the very outset of its work, the Planning Board en- countered the necessity for an adequate map of the Town, and until such a map can be produced, very little of real value 0441 be accomplished in the intended line of activity of a planning t Board. Lexington has large areas of undeveloped land, - farms that were once operated but are now in the market for develop- ment. These areas will go to haphazard, cheap development, each area to be developed upon a plan largely its own and without due regard to the development of adjoining areas, unless they be considered as a whole, laid out with proper reference to the topography and served by a comprehensive system of roads. The Board of Survey, upon whom devolves the responsibility for im- proving development layouts, cannot properly pass upon the same and should not be charged with responsibility therefore in the absence of a proper and sufficient plan of the Town. New lines of highway should be developed to relieve the traffic on }assachusetts Avenue and to open up outside areas, but here again, nothing can be done without a Town map. The Planning Board urges with all possible emphasis the necessity for immediately providing for such a map. The Town Engineer is doing what he can in this direction, but with the force at his command and other duties devolving upon him must necessarily require a long time in its preparation. In our opinion, a special appropriation is justified to increase the engineer's force to enable him to make immediate progress to this end. The duties of Planning Boards, as specified in the law, are "To make careful studies of the resources, possibilities and needs of the Town, particularly with respect to conditions which may be injurious to the public health or otherwise in- jurious in and about rented dwellings, and to make plans for the development of the municipality with special reference to the housing of its people." The Homestead Commission and the Federation of Planning Boards both point out the importance of a town map, topographical and showing existing streets, railways, parks and undeveloped land, as a basis for a creful study of future developments; and that the board should' forecast developments needed at least fifty years in advance of any given time. such developments should be, when adopted by the Town, laid down on the map as the basis of procedure. It is further pointed out that it is the absence of such planning, and the foresight it brings into play, which is re- sponsible for the chaotic conditions so generally found. In practically every other respect we find careful planning in ad- vance. Municipal development is the exception, where accident or the interests of a developer dictate what is to rule the Town for good or ill for centuries. We plan our homes, which have a comparatively short life. We have left to chance the laying out of our streets, which last practically forever. When an old established street is changed it is at a frightful cost. -3 - The foregoing sets forth the general purposes of a Plann- ing Board. No one can dispute the wisdom of the course outlined. The Board hopes, without any power of its own, that it can justify its continued existence by the wisdom of its suggestions, plans and activities. Respectfully submitted, FREDERICK L. EMERY, EDWARD T. HARTMAN, CHRISTOPHER S. RYAN, HOWARD S. 0. NICHOLS.