HomeMy WebLinkAbout1931-10-13PLANNING BOARD MEETING
OCTOBER 131 1931
A meeting of the Planning Boar.•d was held in the Confer-
ence Room of the Town Office Bufl Cing at 8:00 P. M. Messrs.
Emery, Duffy, Milne, Cutler, and Glynn were present. The Town
Engineer and the secretary were also present.
The Town Engineer stated that he had talked with two
members of the Yetropolitan Planning Division, regarding Mr.
Ryder's proposed road. They have just finished the field
study so that plans have not been worked up yet. They favor.
Mr. Ryder's scheme more than Arlington's but nothing definite
has been done on it yet.
The, Chairman read the record of last week's meeting
and made corrections.
A letter was read from Metcalf & Eddy stating that
they would be glad to have Mr. Raymond assist Mr. Cosgrove
In working up a plan for the lower portion of Vine Brook.
Mr. Raymond is to be out next week to start the work.
Mr. Emery read a letter from the Planning Board of
Needham in which they asked for information regarding the
granting of permits for the construction of more than two -
car garages. A letter was written them stating that we
enclosed a copy of the Zoning Laws which were the only
regulations used besides the State regulations, and local
Building Laws.
Mr. Cutler informed the Board that he was unable to
attend the conference of Planning Boards held in Lowell last
week as he had anticipated.
Mr. Emery informed the Board that he had talked with
Mr. `rightington and found that he had been busy all week
at court and did not have tire to work on our question. He
said that if we associated a road with the brook, he could
handle the thing simply and. thoroughly but if we did not,
the situation was rather unsettled. He is going to look up
the derivation of the law in regard to this, and even then
may not be able to give us an answer.
It was suggested that a study be made of the brook
and proceed under the highway statutes to lay down the lines
as suggested by Mr. V,,"rightington. If the road has got to
follow an independent course, ..ve will have to wait until we
get an opinion from the Town Counsel and find out what may
be done.
Plans of the brook were studied and it was found that
some of the land along the brook was very swampy and bad for
Mr. Ryder's
Proposed
Road
Metcalf &
Eddy Letter
Letter from
Needham
P 1 anni ng
Board
Vine
Brook
Project
2.
a road. A road could be built there, but it would be very
expensive. That part between the Trotting Park and North
Street would also be expensive because the land is now being
used for market gardening.
Vine Streit or Utica Street should be connected with
the sewer and probably the main oart of the brook, or area
near the brook and brought down through the nursery and be
used for a trunk line sewer. ude should ascertain the line
along which a sewer or drainage brook should be run and lay
out a street leading to it.
There are three problems;- surface drainage brook,
seW_r.s, and a roadway, and it might be possible to put them
together. The Board feels that they would be saving money
If this land was bought now. It would remove the possibility
of further damage to it and 3.ncrease the value of adjoining
property. It would also preserve it from cheap developments.
It 1,^,gas decided to have T'+ir. Cosgrove work with Mr.
Raymond and determine the width of taking along the entire
length of the brook. Then we could lay it out, and then propose
taking as much as is practicable and lay out a road there
connecting it up with others in that area.
A drawing should be made, first making the corrections
in the line of the brook by easing off the bends, plotting
a stretch of say 100 feet for park purposes and a road and
then see how far that can be laid down on the air map. If
we decide to lay out a street there, we could make takings,
and reserve it until the town is ready to build a road.
We would be able to have a layout made along the en-
tire length of the brook about 100 feet wide and get the
Board of Survey to lay down its lines which would preserve
It for a good many years. Then if someone defied that tak-
ing and threatened to build there, the Selectmen could make
a taking for outside street lines and prevent him from coming
in. Later on if it was decided that this road was not needed,
the land could be turned over to the Park Commissioner for
park purposes. In this way we could get hold of the property
and prevent private owners from coming in to build.
It should be laid out properly from Hayes Lane to
Butterfield's Pond and. go before the town for definite action
and if they won't do anything, we can save it for future
action. If they refuse to go ahead, we could make takings
through the Board of Survey, but when exterior lines are laid
out damages will have to be paid.
It should be definitely known how much the brook would
have to be lowered before the line is fined. The cross section
of the brook will be related to the width of taking that is go-
ing to be made if we are going to have a highway.
There are approximately fifteen owners below Hayes Lane.
It was suggested that they be asked here to talk the matter over.
We might be able to satisfy them so they will see the project
through. If a man owns a strip along the brook that is good,
he might sacrifice it so that the rest of his land could be
drained and made more valuable. It was decided that this would
3.
be done at a later date when more definite information had been
received.
The draining does not increase much until it reaches the
Trotting Park. If streets are put in there and the property
Is developed, there will be a greater volume of water. The main
lines of the development are going to run at right angles with
the brook.
The principal idea is to protect the brook from flowing
through people's back yards and collecting rubbish and ashes
which they would`be likely to dump in it.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:20 P. M. until Tuesday,
October 20th.
Respectfully submitted,
� Y
Clerk
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