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Home My WebLink About1931-12-28PLANIdP,vG BOARD MEETING December 28, 1931 A meeting of the Planning Board was held in the Conference Room of the Town. Office Building at 6:10 P. NI. Messrs. Emery, Scheibe, Duffy, Tailne, Glynn and Scheibe were present. The Assistant Town Engineer and secretary were also present. Iv7r. Scheibe suggested that the town lay out a forest. Mr. Duffy stated that he thought the Town should plant trees al Ong some of the roadsides before it contemplates starting a forest. It was Town moved and seconded to turn this matter over to Mr. Scheibe and have Forest him nresent,to the Board at the next meeting,data showing the object, possibilities,and uses these forests can be put to. Mr. Duffy suggested that we seek the cooperation of Mr. Greeley's son and also Mr. Eallardts son,both of whom are enraged in the work of landscape architecture laying out and studying the needs of the Town in respect to future development, particularly along the various roadsides and other town areas. The Chairman was requested to ascertain if such assistance could be had. Mr. Cutler brought up the matter of Snring Street and whether the lines should be changed. from the present forty feet width to a fifty or sixty foot width, before any more houses are built there. Outside Help After a full discussion, it was, upon a motion duly made and seconded, unanimously voted to request the Town Engineer to inquire of the S rine St. Waltham Town Engineer if any plans had been made by Waltham for Widening continuing Spring Street into and through Waltham, and if so, at what width and generally what, if any, plans were in mind for the extension of Smith and Wyman Streets to Weston Street and the Post Road. Mr. Milne suggested that perhaps the most important work that should be kept before the Board during the coming ,year is the develop- 2. went of property lying; along the proposed new State highways; one to run from Lowell Street across to Bedford Street in the vicinity of the Bedford line, and the other the extension of'Lake Street up over the hill to the general vicinity of Bowman Street in Lex- Proposed State ington thence across to join Concord Avenue below the Wellington M ways estate near Pleasant Street, and that active work in this direction should be negotiated at an early date. Yr. Higgins was requested to ask Mr. Cosgrove to keep the Board Hosted from time to time on the development of plans and progress being made on the above through roads and give the Board an oppor- tunity to make any changes or suggestions that would be for the best interests of Lexington. The subject of the billboard located at bass. Ave. and Bow Bill - Street was brought up and it was 'found that nothing has been doneo� and on the matter as it has not been brought before the Selectmen this ,year for renewal. The meeting ws;s adjourned at 10:20 P. M. Respectfully submitted, Cl erk r• Copy • hEPORT OF TfiE PLAIIIIING BOARL FOR THE YEAh 1931 The work of The Planning Boardduring the past ,year has been very largely in the nature of routine, with no major items to be acted upon. The 1,20.00 fee inaugurated last year to cover printing and. «dvertisin; costs in connection with petitions for change in zoning, appears to have lessened the number of applications for such changes. The Planning. Board is unanimous in feeling that the num- 'her of filling stations now in the to,irn is ample for present needs, and are reluctant to recommend any further changes in zoning peti- tioned for, solely to accarmadate out of town oil companies. Except where a real public need exists, it is felt that the town will be injured rather than helped by changing the zoning for filling sta- tions alone. anything the Planning Board may do in such matters is of course subject to the vote of the electors, as our work is merely to recommend what appears to us to be best for the town as a whole. The Boar,' has been called upon to consider the relocation of lots and streets on Colonial heights occasioned by the relocation ofMassachusetts Avenue in the vicinity of Concord hill. A new scheme vrorked out by the `i'oiam Engineer, Lr. Cosgrove, appears to make possible a highly advantageous reallotting of plots in that locality and has been approved by the Planning Board. It remains to be ascertained if the cooperation and agreement of all the pro - Iperty owners can be had to enable it to be carried out. • The widening and betterment of Allen Street, leading to ' the new school building, ,as considered and approved, as offering easier access to the building and as providing ground work for further development of property* in that section of the town. The relocation of the Griswold. property near the Bedford line has again come before the Board, and has again received con- siderable study. It still awaits further development in the estab- lishment of suitable grades to be satisfactory to the Board. The question of relocating and irrid.ening Lincoln Street occupied several meetings of the Planning Board, and was finally adversely recommended by the Planning Board as not justifying the large expense that would be involved. It is understood this pro- ject has now been indefinitely postponed. The wir?ening of Spring Street in connection with a pro- posed extension of the same street by the City of Waltham, is under consideration.at the present time. I..uch time has been occupied in consideration of the pro- posed ne`v street to extend from Lowell Street across the open coun- try to junction with Bedford Street near the Bedford line, being a substitute for the earlier proposal to straighten and extend East Street to the same outlet on Bedford Stveet. It is believed that the State will now adopt a suggestion originating with our Town Engineer, which will avoid the expensive work in East Street and provide a really better street at much less cost than was first considered. Another matter that has engaged the attention of the Planning Board at numerous meetings has been the proposed extension of Lake Street in Arlington over the hill and entering Lexington in the vicinity of Marsh Street or Borman Street, extending 2. r thence across the lowlands to a junction with Concord Avenue in the general vicinity of the '.'Jillows, so called. The Planning Board has preferred the Bowman Street locality as offering pro- bably the better entrance into Lexington. It is a project orlginat- Ing with and a,tvocated principally by the Town of Arlington, but has some distinctly meritorious aspects when considered with respect to Lexington. inose will be said. of this at a later date. Both the new road extending from Lowell Street to Bedford Street and this new road to krlington across to a junction with Concord Avenue, are important projects, and are b6ing given the con- sideration that their importance deserves. The question of land development in the areas reached by these Proposed streets, is of the utmost importance, and will. be given slue consideration, and such' recommendations made as appear to be justifieO. Further consideration is being given to the Vine Brook Drainage project, - not with the idea of committing the Town to im- mediate expense, but in the hone that a lay -out may be presented to and adopted by the Town that will serve to direct and control any private developments that may be put through and in anticipation of the heavier tiA,ork that must be clone by the Town at some future date. The Manning Board fully appreciates the necessity for economy at the present time, and the probable indisposition of the Town to engage in any substantial e-;pense in the immediate future in this connection. 3. Greater, engineering assistance is still the outstand- ing need of the Planning Board. hespectfully submitted.. r 4. Ij CHAIRMAN