HomeMy WebLinkAbout1932-10-10 PLANNING 30AL_L MEETING
wr October 10, 1932
A meeting of the Planning Board was held in the Confer-
ence Room of the Town Office Building, Monday, October 10, 1932.
Messrs . Scheibe , Emery, Milne , Cutler , Luffy and Glynn were present .
The Town Engineer and secretary were also present .
lr. Emery stated that Mr. Greeley had drawn an exact plan
of the building shown by Mr . Mitchell to fit in the triangle at
the corner of eoburn Street and Fletcher Avenue . He had everything
in the sketch that was in Mr. Mitchell ' s and two or three more rooms .
A letter was read from the Selectmen stating that the
original committee on securing a site for a Fire Headquarters met
with the Board of Selectmen, Tuesday, October 4, 1932 and considered
the suggestion of the Planning Board to maee use of the property
owned by Daniel J . O 'Connell at the junction of ;oburn Street and
Fletcher kv3nue . It was the unanimous opir_inn of the combined boards
that this site is not large enough to meet the requirements of a
Fire Headquarters Building and the necessary land needed for out- Fire
side activities of the department.
The Planning Board felt that they should have some idea Station
as to what other towns haee . Mr Emery said he thought the con-
templated building ' as quite large enough for a town the size of
Lexington.
The other proposed site if kr. Blake ' s property on q;altham
Street where there is no more land than there is in the triangle
in question. Mr Tavlorb idea of a better site is the Fletcher
house .
Mr . Emery stated that he had talked with Mr. Smith of
the School Committee regarding the Russell House property being
saved for a school house . Mr. Smith seemed to think that 90%
of the present schools did not have enough area. The Adams School
is the only one that meets with the requirements for area . Mr. Russell
Smith's ideal place for a school is on some back road where they House
could have twenty- or thirty acres of land. The School Committee Property
would not consider putting a school building on the Russell House
property. If it were taken at all, it would be used for a play-
ground.
Mr . Glynn stated that he thought someone might still
come in and run it as a hotel because it is the only one in town.
Mr . Cost,rove presented his estimate of expense for the
extension of Sherman Street to oburn Street which amounted to
13641.00 . , e stated that he hadtalked with Mr . Shepard , Con- Sherman St ,
suiting Engineer of the Boston & Laine Railroad, who thought the Extension
road should go over the railroad . The road at this point would
have to be raised twenty-two feet 1.r Cosgrove stated that he
suggested raising the grade of the railroadsixfeet and lowering
'Coburn Street about twelve feet It was decided that Mr. Shepard
would make a survey of the crossing and make a comparison of costs.
If Fletcher Avenue were closed it would do away with another grade
crossing.
111 The custion of apartment houses ,as brought up for dis-
cussion. It is thought that w en the Board allows the building
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Planning Board sleeting October 10, 1932
of apartment houses, Lexington will grow rapidly. The ruestion
is , do ,_,., hunt the Town full of apartment houses or would we
rather hav it withoug any. There is ample room for them now in
business areas. Mr . Duffy sated that from the standpoint of Apartment
a few of our residents, it is an import nt thing, but from the Houses
se c-nrlpoint 'r the Town,it is a minor matter. Vhen there is real
de-sand , it is thought that areas should be set off in residential
districts and restrictions 1,31d down.
A letter was received from Mr Earl Johnson, who is now
occupying the Fiv Forks Gar oe , stating that kr . Alfred Davis
is carrying on an aztomobile repair business at his home on School
Street which is in a residential district . This letter was turn- Earl
ed oz-er to the Euilding Inspector and Mr. Johnson was advised to Johnson
this effect .
Lr . Cosgrove presented a plan of the Golden Guernsey
Fain and state( that the owner wa ted to divide it up into house Golden
lots . After discussing the matter, the Board decided that no Guernsey
restric' ions could be placed upon him as long as he goes by the Farm
plan as prese - ted.
Mr. E^Fry stated that he had talked with Mr . Lurighting-
ton regarding vine Brook and gas informed that it was best to
mal-r the takings just as though the Town were going to construct
a str-oet. The thing to do is to see what the property owners will
donate first . ter. Emery asked the Town Engineer if he had done
anything on this project and he replied that he had been working
111 or. the Star _ ealoo r evelopment and did not have time to do any
work on `%ine Brook. lie state that he the best thing to do was
to make a plan of what the Town wants and have it on file in the
Engineer' s office because a developer usually goes there first Vine
asking for something. Then the Town should ask for what they Brook
want It might be possible, if the number of owners was com-
paratively small and if we had a plan of what Lhe town wants , to
rake them waive their views.
ir. 00sgrove also stand that the State is making the
takings now for the Concord Avenue Highway and will construct
in t' Spring. The plans shownow that the street will ao as
follows coring into Lexington at the r_rlington : Ile and Bow-
man Street, folio ring Borman Street and crossing Watertown Street
there 3owman ,,treet nos inters.zcts it ; then traveling westerly Concord
and by the soul-herl-T side of Latch ' s rondo crossing Pleasant St . Avenue
just Sr zthwest of Clematis Brook, thence cutting diagonally thru
DeViricent ' s garden and across ';ells:igton Lane Avenue to a point Highway
on Blossom Street t-re a cottage now stands belonging to vutchinson
_Brothers, crossing Blossom Street at a point along the northerly
slope of the hill to a point at Waltham Street just northerly of
the intersectioe of Blossom Street . Thence running generally para-
lell with Concord Avenue distant about 300 yards, therefrom to a
point at Old Shade Street . At this point the road starts to bear
11 more southerly in order to come into the present Concord Avenue
appro -i-- ately " 1,000 feet southeasterly of Spring Street . From
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