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Home My WebLink About1919-10-10 The board met on August 18 and 28 and on September 18 II L with a joint-committee to consider the site for the proposed town hall . fleeting of October 10, 1519 . Present: Greeley, Ryan, Piper, Hartman. The board considered the question of the proper de- velopment and protection of the r.ast Lexington flats and agreed to definitely ascertain the attitude of the town of Arlington, which owns the property. As soon as possible the board agreed to have the matter brought before the voters for action. voted: To advise that the town obey the law in regard to guide posts, R. L. , Chap. 52, Sections 1, 2 and 3. r _. Voted That it is the sense of the board that the interests if the town and the work of the board would be advanced by the promotion of a town newspaper. l 5 .1P ♦. -^r ,. - +`Y FACTORS IN LOCATION Of TOWN HALL 111 1. General effect on the Town. It will improve the Town most if it is located where it has the handsomest and most congenial surroundings and can be seen by both townspeople and visitors, It should not be used, however, as the means of securing the des- truction of an existing eye-sore . 2. ,elation to future development of Town. (a ) Should not be located in midst of future business sec- tion as it can have no assured relation to new business buildings , withdraws too much valuable property from taxa- tion, and interrupts the proper growth of the business centre . ''Jew England villages usually have public buildings grouped in some central location. Lexington has two distinct villages . The Hall could form a part of a civic centre in the larger village . (b ) Should be conspicuous , in order to have the greatest effect on the general oharacter of the Town ( see 1) . ( c ) Should be convenient. Should be so located as to serve the townspetple with the least inconvenience . The town officers , such as collector, treasurer and clerk shoulk be accessible . The population centre of Lexington is shifting rapidly toward the East Village so that a loca- tion near the centre of population would carry the Hall well out of the Centre Village . This is undesirable , as it would then be only measurably convenient to either village . A site somewhere near the main village would probably be practically as convenient to the East Village and a great deal more convenient to the Centre. Convenience is becoming more and more an elastic quality as transportation methods improve , and does not limit the location within narrow bounds, as in mo' rless days. 3. Relation to its immediate neighborhood. ( a) Immediate surroundings should be safeguarded and should 4011 promise if possible congenial development in the nature of a civic centre, or group of future public buildings. (b) Should not be a single structure unrelated to its future neighbors. This is a discredited idea and has given 1 place to a wider appreciation of the advantages of well- grouped y buildings. Theoretically, it is possible group commercial and public buildings into one harmonious com- position, but practically the public is unable or unwill- ing to con,;rol private development . -£ In any case , the best result comes from grouping buildings that are related in. purpose . In Lexington this means grouping with some existing buildings or else getting land enough to permit of other new buildings. ( c ) Should dominate the groups of which it is one . Among business buildings in a- business district it may be completely eclipsed by taller commercial structures, like Carpenters Hall , Philadelphia, or the Watertown, rialtham or Stoneham Town Halls. ( d ) Need not be adjacent to town yard for sewer, water and street departments. 4 . i:elation to lot. (a) Should have room for parking motor oars, for second- ary exits and for ample lawn, ( unless it is decided to build it directly on the street) . (b) Should be placed in such a way as to provide for future grouping with other buildings, or extension of this building. 5 . ` .e of lot . IIBuilding might easily need to cover an area 125 feet wide and 176 feet deep . The Arlington Town Hall is larger than this, and Braintree slightly smaller. Tewksbury, with 09 ,000, is covering 90 x 120. A good lawn in front would require that the front of the build- ing be at least 50 feet from the street line . The present Hall is 25 feet. Minimum parking space, or at least a fair passage in rear of building, would make probable required depth -- 50 - 175 - 25 -250 ft . Width need not be greatly in excess of building if neighboring property is safeguarded. See diagrams of lots and schedule of dimensions of Town Halls. 4o site appears ideal, and therefore the procedure must be to weigh advantages and disadvantages. 110 1 r -4.: r.: it °Y ti .K a1 "r ,n' y,+:'i". ,.j '.re t '. . b9 4, ",*• $4 _ ;V;P + 0',.. }i nt 4 IL A Me-p ^! R•�of ry�,.; ~e ��(, 1 ) Location should be conspicuous and where it will add .^ c ® . ,. "tiAbeauty of town for visitors as well a.s. fob° town pro 11,1L„.....:: ,,,i . .. ca. ,r,,;a (*) Should not be in such relation to surroundings that to 4. itandt Q ,,y nearby present or future buildings can injure it. go ' ;.L • r"3 } ,.,,, �a,3dy VA i str 4. (3) Should be convenient for voters taking train in �. `''ta morning. .,- -. .' . `w;.. ori _ ', 0742,- , o C+ T.. F7 i 1D. 0 0 r Age (4) Should be c mrrer_Le n for transaction of daily elc, --- tri 0 bd ousine�ss, a "0 . I.-, RAD 0.44.r• 0!.+4 , (5 ) Should ue convenient to East and North Villages 0 - " too 0 00, C J c c..,c.., J a 0 ,mss _�....�..`.... ....... ..-.o.. "'�T"A'F (6) Shou?e ce convenient to as large a number of people =+;+c) oscitst1714 1.0.o a o e go a �. ,. as possible on foot. o aola p a ) Should ?.save roar fer fi.tu.xe civic centre of well- kb rr r3/ O fd pd . grouped public C3uil di rgs. Pop o o tit 0A. Ias. o .0. .. o o as. 0 (8) .,hour. . xi..t. 1 ciok.-'4ci L_ el et.- t:, street like ;resents ss�+ t' 9 hall , but have room for ample lawn i 'rant, o o ' ,o f- -13 4 0F .• 1-4 4 /0A ' 1 CD L..- '4'1' . ...............,............— .--..------...--....-- 1 o ( 2^1 (9) It should not be so located as to withdraw large3 K . values in pronerty,, L re eer t, or future, from taxation. ;;' 0 c� ° "c ` 0 .-i-,:a, c r- -o o b P w; o•#z. 0 - _,,.,. -1,.., (i0) Should not be concealed from South East anuroachgi 61 � o ,. , vu Ma:+:l. '-to. 0 0 0 di 0 o P 0 r W (il) S .ould not be close to both steam and electric td 1410 :-,11.cl QC' illi roads at noisy points. as 90 o . O f (12 ) Should not be in a style foreign to Lexington, but aa * • • o o . shouldt be Colonial , amid surroundings favorable to thaisie. o. - -/I. 'J Shouia not injure any existing or future /unction r 6m •* OP or feature of the town. w•, • oo ,- • 1 M. .