HomeMy WebLinkAbout1943-09-17PLANNING BOARD MEETING
September 170 1943
A meeting of the Planning Board was held at the Town
Office Building on Friday, September 17th, 1943 with Messrs.
Greeley, Ferguson, Richards, Worthen and Cromwell.
The Board met with the Fire Engineers who told them, in
substance, the following. Fire
Stations
1. They favor decentralization
2. The most pressing need is a new central fire house
3. Such house should have three doors for two vehicles
deep to house six vehicles or five with hook and
ladder.
Present location of the central fire house is not good.
On or near the Barnes House would be better.
The location of the East Lexington Station is not good.
Should be nearer the Arlington line. Satisfactory locations
would be (a) near East Lexington Station or (b) brick store
at foot of Follen Road, East Lexington is the most active
fire area. One re&Aon for being nearer Arlingtonline is
mutual aid with Arlington,
A third station should be located on Waltham side of
' town. Suggested spot is Grapevine Corner. If this is not
the chosen, the spot should be farther out, not nearer.
North Lexington does not need fire station: Not an active
area; homes far apart; population not dense; no mutual aid;
population growth faster at other end of town. A possible
location, if station is put in North Lexington, would be
Valley Road and Bedford Street.
The need for a new central house is "urgent" or "desperate".
Present central station has following disadvantages: It is
too small and two pieces of equipment must be left in an
"abandoned barn" which is also a fire trap; station itself
is too crowded; fire alarm system is in a fire trap; extra
hose must be stared in barn; main building unsafe struct-
ura117 and as to fire risk; attic has had to be reinforced;
difficult exits in case of fire; exit to Massachusetts Avenue
is blind; unsanitary; paint shops nearby; inadequate fac-
ilities for drying hose; boiler room in pit below apparatus
containing gasoline; no watchroom on first floors; living
conditions poor; part of property used is privately owned;
hinders proper future development of block; inflammable
neighborhood; and present boiler is 1922 Arco,
East Lexington Station structurally unsound and inflammable
' and also unsanitary.
The new Central Station should house a (new) ladder
truck, 2 engines light wagon, spare hose wagon or engine
and ambulance. Three doors are preferred to six for better
heating. Basement is needed for batteries, repair shop,
whistle machine, general storage, etc. Second floor should '
accommodate 12 to 14 men now but allow for 18 to 20 in
future. Separate rooms for not over two men desired. (10
men on duty now)* Chief's office on second floor. Also
recreation room and private office or meeting room for
Fire Engineers. Modern washroom and facilities needed.
Preferred design for outlying stations is'"bungalow-
engine-hose wagon type with two doors. The two (or three)
small stations could be identical.
(The Fire Engineers are to formulate their ideas with
more detail and report to us later. Preferred time limit
is 6 weeks.)
The following report was received from Edwin B. Worthen,
Jr. Great
July 9, 1943 Meadows
To: Planning Board
From: Edwin B. Worthen, Jr.
In Re: Flooding of Great Meadows
A short conference with Mr. John W. Raymond, of Retcalf,
& Eddy, and former Superintendentof Public Works for the
Town of Lexington, brought out the following suggestions
and considerations:
1. It may prove desirable, and even necessary , to con
fine the flooding of the Meadows to a relatively small
area, inasmuch as the amount of water supply avail-
able .from the brook sources may not prove sufficient
to effset the extremely large loss of nater from
surface evaporation.
2. If it were found that several seasons were required
to impound the desired amount of water, what of the
state of Arlington Heights reservoir water level in
the meantime?
3. Mr, Kane, Town Engineer of Arlington, probably has '
much data available, and is usually very cooperative*
Mr. Raymond believes he has, for example, brook pro-
files and records of borings and test pits.
s
The minutes of the previous meeting were approved.
No date was set for the next meeting.
R p t ubmitted,.
ch/rd Croµ ,
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