HomeMy WebLinkAbout1938-12-141
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PLANNING BOARD MEETING
DEC. 14, 1938.
A meeting of the Planning Board was held on Wednesday,
December 14, 1938, at 8:00 P. M. All members were present
except Mr. Kraetzer. '
The Clerk was instructed to convey to our State senator
and representatives the fact that this board is vitally
interested in the proposed new Middlesex Turnpike and Lowell
Turnpike, both of which are contemplated in the six year
program being laid before the Legislature, and to request
that we be notified by them when the plans become more
definite so that we may confer with them at that time.
Mr. Cosgrove, our Town Engineer, was present and dis-
cussed the proposed procedure under the Enabling Act at
length. Mr. Cosgrove, representing Mr. Raymond as well,
made numerous suggestions of practical nature. He is to in-
corporate these changes or additions as agreed and submit
the final draft to us for approval.
Motion carried to the effect that we authorize Mr.
Greeley to employ Mr. Fletcher Taft or some other competent
person to complete date relative to the types of taxpayers
from whom Lexington derives its funds. The idea is that we
wish to discover, if possible, the ideal•ty,pe of taxpayer
from the town's standpoint, we knowing that our recent con-
struction of homes runs to low cost building, and feeling
that such building must prove ultimately very costly to the
town. The motion authorized Mr. Greeley to spend up to
$100.00 for these statistics, this payment to come from our
appropriation for engineering.
Lowell
Turnpike
and
Middlesex
Pike.
SItbling
Act.
Vital
statistics
Moved, seconded and carried that the Board pay $15. Mass.Fed,
for a subscription to the Mass. Federation of Planning Boards, of
continuing its previous policy. P1an.Bds.
Moved, seconded and carried that Mr. Kimball prepare
and submit our budget for 1939.
The Clerk was instructed to write to the Chairman of
the Selectmen to notify him that we had discussed and
studied the two park development plans submitted to a cit-
izens committee last week. These specifically concerned
development of the land recently donated the town by Mr.
Hayden at the corner of Lincoln Street and the athletic`
field and the old reservoir and adjacent land bcffdering Parrett
Road. The Board could make no definite commitment in either
case without further data and study.
The meeting adjourned at 10:50 P. M. sine die.
Respectfu�lly submitted,
Cg
Clerk.
Budget
Parks
LEXINGTON PLANNING BOARD ANNUAL REPORT FOR 193$.
' The Planning Board has for the first time in a number of
years been able to devote its time to questions of town plan-
ning without constant interruptions for zone change hearings.
The subject of lot areas and frontages which has been
under active consideration for the past four years was finally
brought to a conclusion. The Board recommended to the March
town meeting that the town be divided into two area zones -
one with minimum lot areas of 25,000 square feet and one with
12,500 square feet. An amendment to the Zoning By Law was
adopted by the June town meeting increasing the minimum area
throughout the town to 12,500 square feet with 100 foot front-
age, This places Lexington on a basis comparable with some
of the more progressive of its neighboring towns.
The problems coincident with the Vine Brook Drainage
proposal received serious attention and, reklizing the need
for technical assistance in not only the areas involved in
this specific case, but also in wider general subdivision
layouts, the Board asked for and received a special approp.
riation from the Town for the purpose:
The services of Mr. Richard L. Steiner, Town Planner,
were secured for three months. With Mr. Steiner's help
' the Board has prepared tentative street layouts for a large
part of the undeveloped area of the town, thus providing a
necessary means of co-ordinating such individual subdivisions
as may be submitted for approval in the future. Such parts
of the Enabling Act (Chapter 211) as will provide the town
with a reasonable control of future subdivisions was adopted
by the town at the June meeting. The Board has conferred with
the Board of Survey, the Engineering Dept., the Supt. of
Public Works and the Town Counsel on a code of sub -division
procedure and, under the direction of the Board of Survey,
has drawn up the necessary form.
Several specific land development layouts have been
submitted to the Board for its approval and have received
its attention and action.
Two major highways will probably cross Lexington soon, -
the Lowell Turnpike improvement and Circumferential Highway
Route 128. The Board has obtained verbal assurances from
the State and District authorities that no direct action
will be undertaken without due notice to Lexington officials.
Conferences have been held with representatives of the
telephone companies in relation to a fixed policy for
locations and maintenance of street poles agreeable to the
town's interests.
In closing this report we reiterate our 1937 statement '
that "There are serious problems to be met in the immediate
future that affect (1) our ability to compete with neigh-
boring towns in what we offer to desirable newcomers,
(2) our success in keeping the citizens we have and satis-
fying their expectations, and (3) our ability to pay our
bills and remain solvent as a town."
We feel that strides have been made in those directions
and are confident that the interest and aid of a greater
number of interested citizens in every part of the town will
provide the solution.
Edward W. Kimall (s)
Eugene G. Kraetzer (s)
Lester F. Ellis (s)
Donald E. Nickerson (s)
W, R. Greeley (s)
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