HomeMy WebLinkAbout1937-12-08PLANNING BOARD MEETING
December 8, 1937
' Present;- Messrs, Ellis Fer son Greeley,Kraetzer, Nickerson
and Kimball.
It was decided that the subjects covered in the Regional
Planning Bulletins were so localized to New York as to be of
little value to our Board, the subscription is not to be renewed.
Support of the Massachusetts Federation of Planning Boards
was approved and it was voted to make the usual.fifteen dollars
($15.00) contribution to that work.
Continued discussion of lot areas and frontages centered
around the basic reasons for controlled lot areas which are con-
sidereds-
l. To provide suitable light and air and to prevent fire
hazards.
2. To safeguard the Town against an unbalanced financial
condition through an excessive number of properties
returning less in taxes than the Town expends for
water, sewer, schools, etc.
The following views were advanced as a means to such endss-
1. Can areas be satisfactorily treated through a minimum
' frontage specified by law and the location and distance
between future streets controlled through Board of Lot Areas
Survey approval so as to provide platting consistent &
with the overall location?
2. Can the desired results be obtained through side yard Frontages
control?
3, Is there a sound reason for adopting more than one area
size and if there is, what governs the size and location
of the different areas?
Under number 1., it was unanimously agreed that it would
be wise to increase the minimum frontage to 100 feet and that
with the adoption of the new Enabling Act the control would
lie with the Board of Survey. The thought was advanced that so
long as satisfactory cooperation existed between the Planning
Board and Board of Survey and to long as the Planning Board
considered the cases with mare, results would be satisfactory,
However, it leaves the administration dependent upon a chang-
ing personnel in Town Boards and however conscientious a Board
might be, there would be changing opinions. Furthermore, a
land owner or developer would have little basis to make even
preliminary layouts.
Number 2 is based on the principles of the police power
to provide light space and air. It would prevent congestion
' and would be a definite minimum. It does not prevent narrow,
deep lots.
-Number 3 can be partially justified where soil and drain-
age permlts'the use of cess pools in leu of Town sewers for lots
over 10,000. Whether the areas should be 20 or 40 thousand '
feet i's'debatable.
Mr. Greeley announced that he had been invited to speak
before the West Lexington Improvement Society and'at a Board
of Trade dinner, and expressed the thought that the Planning
Board should use every means to learn the desires of the towns-
people. He is also to arrange with Mr. Hartman for advice and
recommendations regarding changes in the Zoning By -Law to meet
the desired changes. 11
The meeting adjourned at 10:10 P. M.
Respectfully �submitted,
Clerk
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