HomeMy WebLinkAbout1956-12-03 PLANNING BOARD METING
December 3, 1956
A regular meeting of the Planning Board was
held in the Town Engineer ' s Room, Town Office Build-
ing, on Monday evening, December 3, 1956 at 7:40
n m Chairman Hathaway, Messrs . Abbott, Burnell,
Grindle and Jaquith were present. Mr. Snow, Plan-
ning Director, and the secretar-r, Mrs . Milliken, were
also nresent.
It was moved by Mr. Grindle, seconded by Mr .
4bbott and unanimously voted that the minutes of the MINUTES
March 12, October 20 and November 8, 1956 meetings
be approved.
The Clerk read the following bills which had BILLS
been presented for navment•
Wright and Pierce, services re preparation
of new town map for period ending Nov. 9, 1956--
500.00 , Louise M. Baker, for typing-46.96; Anne
H. Milliken, secretarial services-- 5.00; Mary G
Campbell, secretarial services for period ending
Nov. 30, 1956--e25.00; Bruce E. Howlett, profes-
sional services and reimbursement for car mileage
for period ending Nov. 29, 1956--A8O.84.
A discussion was held in regard to the Wright
and Pierce bill including a review of the original TOWN MAP
proposal of Frank A Wright, Jr. as set forth in his -
letter of July 5, 1056 to Mr Gayer, Sunerintendent WRIGHT &
of Public Works, and. Mr . Snow' s reply of August 7, PIERCE
1956 to Mr. Wright informing him that the Planning BILL
Board had authorized Wright and Pierce to proceed
with the preparation of a town man. Mr Snow read
an itemized statement he had received of charges
which had been made to date against the Planning
Board's account, these charges being for prelimi-
nary field work, photographic reductions and draft-
ing time.
Mr. Jaquith pointed out that the Board had
nothing to show for the expenditure of 1,500, stat-
ing that if Wright and Pierce were under contract
to the Board he would not question the bill but did
so under the circumstances Mr. Abbott said that
this firm was working for the Board and had payrolls
to be met . He moved that the bills be paid as pre-
sented . Mr. Grindle seconded the motion. It was so
voted, Mr. Jaquith not voting.
Considered next was a copy of a letter, dated
BOARD OF October 211, 1956 from the Board of Health to the
HFoLTH Board of Selectmen with reference to the proposition
of Mr. John Esserian of Boston and Mr. George L.
HOSPITAL Barnes of 2318 Massachusetts Avenue to have their
adjoining nronerties located on said avenue purchased
by the Town for a future hospital site. Tt was de-
cided to have a representative of the Planning Board
attend the Selectmen ' s meeting later in the evening
when Messrs. Barnes and Esserian presented their pro-
posal.
After discussing said letter it was the con-
census of opinion that the Planning Board was opposed
to acquiring land for a town-sponsored hospital be-
cause of the expense involved now in acquiring a site
and later in deficit hospital operation and also be-
cause a hospital in Lexington appeared to be duplicat-
ing facilities such as provided at Emerson, Mt . Auburn
and Symmes hospitals
Considered also was the following Form A appli-
FORMS A cation for determination of Planning Board jurisdiction:
#56-99, submitted on november 30, 1056 by L. G.
Holmes; plan entitled "Subdivision of Land Court
Case No. 11609 Land In Lexington-Mass .", Scale :
1" = 30 ' , dated Oct . 20, 1056, Miller and Ny-
lander, C .F. ' s - Surveyors, Levinr'ton, Mass
It was moved by Mr . Jaquith, seconded by Mr
Burnell and unanimously
VOTED that the plan accompanying Form A application
# 6-QQ be sinned with the endorsement "Lex-
ington Planning Board approval not required
under Subdivision Control Law "
There was exhibited a plan which Mrs. Frieda
SEABUPY LAND Semler Seabury had filed earlier that day with a Form
FOR PUBLIC A application, said plan being entitled 'Plan of Land
RECREATION in Lexin'ton-Mass .", dated June 2, 1956 and prepared
by the firm of Miller and Nylander of Lexington . Mr .
Snow pointed out that the plan was supposed to show
the location of a sewer easement the School Committee
and Town were to grant to Mrs. 3eabury as well as to
show the land the Town wished to acquire for public
recreational purposes between Hastings School and
State Route 128. Mr. Snow said he had not signed the
application as deemed to be submitted because the plan
lacked all the information needed to make it complete
There was then reviewed a letter, dated October
12-3-56 -2-
2, 1956, from Mr. John F. Groden, Mrs . Seabury' s attor-
ney, to Mr Snow. Also reviewed was an informal
appraisal which had been made of the Seabury land it
was desired to acquire. Mr. Snow was asked to draft a
letter for approval by the Board seeking an option to
acquire said land, setting forth the conditions on
which the anpraisal was based and making an offer for
Parcel "C" as shown on said plan.
Mr. Snow reported that it was now in order to
endorse the definitive subdivision plans entitled "Sec- SUN VALLEY
tion Fifteen of Sun Valley" and "Section Sixteen of SECS. 15
Sun Valley" He said that no appeal had been taken A ''D 16
within the 21-day period since notice of Planning Board of said
anproval -
subdivisions had been filed with the DEVRIES
Town Clerk on November 0, 1956. The plans were en- CONSTRUCTION
dorsad, Mr. Snow being asked to give them to the Town CO ,INC.
Counsel for recording.
The Chairman requested that in view of the
action of the Town Meeting on November 19 and. the REZONING
Planning Board's decision at its meeting on November FOR M 1
20, the Board begin the preparation of complete pro- AND C 3 USE
nosal for light industry and special coimercial re-
zoning for the area along the pronosed road from Wood
to Bedford Streets Tt was decided that all members
who could do so would meet on Thursday evening, December
6, to discuss sach a nronosal. The Chairman suggested
inviting Mr. Fowlett to be present at that time if he
did not have another appointment so that the Board could
review again with him and Mr. snow their nroposal which
they had prepared during the nast summer for the M 1
district. Mr. Snow was asked to draft for the Board 's
consideration at its meeting on December 17 a letter
to the Massachusetts Denartment of Public Works seeking
information in regard to any plans which may exist of
the pronosed road between Wood and Bedford Streets.
Mr. Snow exhibited a file of correspondence be-
tween representatives of the State Denartment of Pub- REGIONAL
lie Works and himself in co-nection with the town- SHOPPING
center traffic survey which was held on September 11, CErTER
1956, with the cooneration of said department and the REZONING
Lexington League of Women Voters . He said that with PROPOSAL
reference to the regional shopping center proposal
which was discussed at the Planning Board' s meeting
on November 25, he believed the Board should be famil-
iar with this correspondence, particularly two letters
which he read to the Board. The first letter was one ROUTE 2
dated Aurust 28, 1056, and addressed to Mr. J. J. SPRING ST.
Kiernan, Traffic Engineer, District I.r of said depart- INTEftCFANGE
ment, requesting among other data information on the
location, interchanges and under- or overpasses of the
of the proposed State "_oute 3 and the nroposed State
Route 2 realignment as they pass through Lexington .
It was recommended that the second letter, dated
September 10, 1456, from H. G. Gray, Chief Engineer
of the State Department of Public Works, to Mr. Snow be
Incorporated in the records of the meeting. (See
addendum. )
In regard to Mr. Gray ' s letter, the Board dis-
cussed especially the statement that it was rresently
planned to construct in Lexington interchanges at
'iatertown, Waltham and Spring Streets and a bridge at
Pleasant Street. Tt was pointed out that as far as the
Spring Street Interchange was concerned this statement
did not conform to the study plans which members of the
Planning Board and Board of Selectmen had viewed on
November 11.., 1956 with other officials from Arlington
and Belmont at said department 's offices located in
Boston. Since members of the Planning Board had dif-
ferent views in regard to said Srring Street inter-
change it was decided to take no action concerning the
proposal until viewing the Route 2 Mans being devel-
oped for a mblic hearing understood to be scheduled
for January.
The Board adjourned its meeting at 10:10 p.m.
� k, 1 �2�-�� e�l.
Levi G. Burnell, Jr/
Clerk
ADDENDUM
Sept. 10,1956
Mr . Samuel P. Snow
Planning Director
Lexington, Massachusetts
Dear Mr. Snow:
I am in receipt of your letter of August 2$ to
District Traffic Engineer, Mr. J. J. Kiernan, in regard
to points of access from the system of express high-
ways passing through and along the edge of Lexington.
It is my understanding that District Engineer
Hanron is planning to discuss with you the Master Road
Plan for Lexington, and the proposed studies and sur-
veys on traffic in and through Lexington.
.2-3-56 -3-
In regard to Item 1 of your letter, the question
of location of interchanges and bridges on the proposed
Route 3, it is the present plan to construct an inter-
change at Lexington Street in Woburn, and to construct
bridges at Russell Street, Woburn, and Middlesex Street
and Mullers Road in Burlington.
In regard to Item 2, the location of interchanges
and bridges on the proposed Route 2 alignment through
Lexington, it is presently planned to construct inter-
changes at Watertown Street, Waltham Street, and Spring
Street in Lexington and at Page Road in Lincoln. It is
planned to construct bridges at Appleton Street in Arl-
ington and Pleasant Street in Lexington.
I trust this information will be what you require.
Very truly yours,
/s/ H. G. Gray
CEW/hwm Chief Engineer
cc-EJM