Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout1919-11-06L xI CTCI.' PIl "s :`Ii' BC. ,D __.Ta'.,:..TI::1 G' november 6 , 1919. ",'flare were present Messrs. Greeley, FTichols, and the Secretary, with . ngineer jutfey in con ere ca. On October ::1st, the Planning Board met with citizens•cf the Town and :aneger Pollock of the Boston and Maine Railroad, regar3in• the situation qt the Lexinr-ton Station. .After conference with Mr. Polloc?t and President Hudson of the Road, it was found it would not he expedient to take any action rhich would lead to a considerable expenditure or the road to prevent people from entering fron;erri .m Street, where the accidents usually occur. The question: of the Locust Avenue extension and the east Lexington .:'lets, were discussed and it was agreed to take the matter of the Locutit Avenue extension up at the next meeting, with details to be supplied by the Town ;ngireer. A letter to the Board from 7ra.ncis F. Holmes was read and it vas OTLD - To refer the letter to Mr. E. J. Taylor, >ire Commissioner, end to notify the writer. VOTED - To ask the SecretPry to write to the Arlington Board of Public '7orks in regard to their sentiments ccneerninp: the fast Lexington '1€ts, and our desire in the matter, Ana to state that we would be PIM to confer with the Board to see what may be done. VOTED - To establish sh the following sub -committees oJ. the Planning' tsoard, On street names - Dr. iiper On zoning - Hartman On buildin? laws - Hartman Revision off Tov•n departments - Barbour On Town newspaper - 'ichols en cooperation with Park Department -Greeley - 2 VOTED - To write a letter to the Selectmen asking whether the purchase of the Yeeley Institute property by citizens of the Town was made with the under- tending that the site was favored ati a location for the new '_'ov -=all, and whether the action of the Planning Board in this: connection was made known to the purchasers. ]ngincer Duffey called attention to the fact that it was possible to get around the .`3oard of Survey act by going to the Land Court and. getting approval for a specific layout. Mr.. Duffe3 maid that the subdivision of the interior areas is a Land Court function. This seems to point to a conflict of authority. fteg4.41.04 4(1. £roeuet 0044 oa- 7favezAt,, Mg, Report of the Lexington Planning Board for 1919. The Planning Board feels very much gratified because of the acceptance by the Town of the plans for the development of the new cemetery which it had a part in formulating. In- dications are that this cemetery will mark an era in cemetery development. The detail work of the year consists of a number of small items. Among them are the following: - The board called to the attention of the town clerk the fact that the important chapter dealing with apartments and other tenements was omitted from the last edition of the build- ing law. This chapter prevented the construction of a cheap apartment house in the center of the Town. Yet through fail- ure to publish it the Town misleads builders and makes itself liable. The entire law should be forthwith published. It assisted in laying out lines for future street develop- ment in the vicinity of Vine Brook Road from Massachusetts Avenue to Waltham Street. The board made a careful study of the proposed site for a new town hall and reported as a board against the present site and to the same affect when acting as a part of the joint 'committee on the question. The Town referred to the board the question of the name for the road et the base of Mt. Tabor and after advising with 1 2. the selectmen of Lincoln the board recommended the name 'Mt. Tabor Road". It presented to the board of survey a scheme for replanning the junction of Merriam Street, ?ranklin Road and Somerset Road. It called a meeting of bankers and explainedthe need of con- structive co-operation in housing development to supplement the effect of the building law, which is negative in its nature and cannot secure positive results. It conferred with the general manager of the Boston and Maine Railroad on improvements at the railway station, and submitted which t, ..r approved,enl'!iee+ to til.e e:e roval.. of, tl,e plan:; ta�.�c�. the man_ mer �. , railroad administration. It recommended to the selectmen that the main ways of the Town be properly marked with guide posts in accordance with the law. The board has been at work on the problem of the East Lexing ton marsh, but the matter develops slowly because of the reorgan- ization of the state boards. The interests of the metropolitan district and of the town would be advanced by flooding the marsh and by surrounding it with a driveway so that the breeding of mosquitoes might be stopped, and the water area and park development added to the amenities of the town. The board has considered the question of its functions and, in close agreement with the opinions manifested at the annual meet- ing of the _'ederation of Planning Boards on December 12th, it feels that any problem affecting the future development of the town should receive its careful attention. The history of the boards in the refer matters state shows that it is a rapidly grov✓ing custom to e a to the boards for study. The recommendations in such instances receive acceptance or rejection in proportion tc the efficiency with which the work is done. This probably offers the best avenue of activity at the present time and your board is at all times glad to co-operate along these lines in any way it can. Respectfully submitted, Dec. 26, 1919.