HomeMy WebLinkAbout1956-12-17 PLANNING BOARD MEETING
December 17, 1056
A regular meeting of the Planning Board was
held in the Town Engineer' s Boom, Town Office
Building, on Monday evening, December 17, 1056 at
7:30 D.M. Chairman Hathaway, Messrs. Abbott,
Burnell, Grindle and Jaquith were present. Mr.
Snow, Planning Director, and the secretary, Mrs
Milliken, were also present.
The Clerk read the following bills which
were presented for payment : American Society of BILLS
--
Planning Officials, cony of Planning 19514.00•
Anne H. Milliken, secretarial services for Decem-
ber 13 , 1056--x"8.00 , Bruce F. Howlett, profes-
sional services for period ending December 13,
19'6-- 80.00 Mary G. Campbell, secretarial ser-
vices for period ending December 11i , 1956--615.00.
It was moved by Mr. Grindle, seconded by Mr.
Burnell and unanimously voted to approve the min- MINUTES
utes of the November K, 13 and 20, and December 6,
1956 Planning Board meetings.
Mr. Snow was requested to have prepared for
filing with the Town Accountant conies of the 1°57 1957
budget which the Board had adopted on November 20 BUDGET
and revised on December 6.
The following Form A applications were taken
under consideration for determination of Planning FORMS A
Board jurisdiction:
#56-102, submitted on December 1/4 , 1056 by
R. F. Staley for Techbuilt, Inc . ; plan en-
titled "Plan Showing Drain Easement Land in
Lexington-Mass ", Scale: 1" = 40' , dated
December p , i056, Miller and Welander, C.E. ' s
& Surveyors, Lexington, Mass
#56-103, submitted on December lL' , 1056 by
Walter G. Black; plan entitled "A Compiled
Plan of Land in Lexington Mass ", Scale: 1"
= 40 ' , dated Dec .13, 1056, Miller R• Nylander,
C .E. ' s R. Surveyors, Lexi_ngton,Mass
It was moved by Mr. Jaquith, seconded by Mr.
Grindle and unanimously
VOTED- that the plans accompanying Applications
#56-102 and #56-103 be signed bearing the endorsement
"Lexington Planning Board approval not required under
subdivision control law. "
With reference to the narcel of land which the
BUSA LAND FOR Planning Board wished to acquire from Mr.Antonio Busa
PUBLIC for a playground, Mr. Snow reported that he had met
RECREATION with Mr. Busa to discuss the matter further after the
PURPOSES problem had been discussed with the Selectmen at a
joint meeting held on October 15, 1956. Mr. Snow said
that Mr. Busa had agreed to consider swapping his par-
TAX TITLE cel for a number of town-owned tax title lots of equal
LOTS value if the lots were in groups and there would be no
street construction involved. Mr. Snow also said he
had studied the matter further and set forth his recom-
mendations in the form of a draft of a letter from the
Planning Board to the Board of Selectmen. He pre-
sented this draft for the Planning Board' s considera-
tion. The Board approved the same and decided to dis-
cuss the problems involved further at a joint meeting
with the Selectmen later in the evening ( see addendum)
The attention of the Board was next called to a
SEABURY MOTEL letter, dated December 11, 1056, to Mr. Snow from
AND LAND FOR Stephen Hopkins of 130 Newmarket Square, ?oston with
PUBLIC reference to the purchase by the Associates Realty
RECREATION Trust of the Seabury land located at the junction of
PURPOSES State Routes 2 A and 128, to said trust ' s intention
to build a hotel on part of this land and to develop
ASSOCIATES the balance of it for dight industrial purposes, and
REALTY TRUST to the trust ' s engagement of r.Tr. M. A. Seabury, Jr. to
manage the hotel. The Chairman announced that Mr.
Hopkins and his associates had an appointment with the
Board of Selectmen at 9:00 p.m. to discuss matters
concerning the granting of a sewer easement by the
Town in exchange for a portion of Seabury land located
between the Hastings School and route 128 (see minutes
of Planning Board meeting of December 10, 1056) . Mr.
Hathaway said that the Selectmen had requested the
Planning Board to meet with them and the Town Counsel
at 8 45 n.m. to discuss the same subject.
Considered next was the draft of a letter ad-
PROPOSED dressed to the Chief Engineer of the Massachusetts
BFnFORD-TO- Department of Public Works with reference to plans for
WOOD STREET the proposed road between Wood and Bedford Streets .
ROAD The Board approved the draft which was signed by the
Chairman. (See addendum. )
Read to the Board was an undated letter from Mr.
Floyd A. Roby, President of the Roby Realty Co. of
Lexington, with reference to his proposal to subdivide
12-17-C6 -2-
the property numbered 70 Reed Street. Mr. Snow
presented a suggested reply in the form of a PROPOSED
letter, dated December 17, 106, to Mr. Roby, the RRPT) ST
reply pointing out that none of the lots in the SUBDIVISION
pronosed subdivision conform to the minimum re-
quirements of the Town' s Zoning By-law. After ROBY
approval by the Board the Chairman signed the
letter to Mr Roby.
At P 4.5 p.m. the Planning Board met with
the Board of Selectmen to discuss granting a
sewer easement for the proposed Seabury motel and
the acquisition of Seabury land for nlavground
purposes (See minutes of the Board of Selectmen
meeting of December 17, 1° 6 )
The Planning Board returned to its meeting
at 9:L,5 p.m. and spent the remainder of the meet- REGIONAL
ing in di c'cussi.nw the position of the Board with SHOPPING
reference to Filene ' s regional shopping center CENTER
proposal. The discussion centered around the fol- PROPOSAL
lowing~ outline of problems which Mr. Jaquith had
nrepared. FTLENES
1. Traffic
a. To what extent will traffic use local street
system?
1) Traffic originating in Lexington
2) Traffic originating outsic'e Lexington
(To what extent will traffic use local
street system if project located in near-
by town?)
b. Can local streets in area carry traffic load?
c that will be effect on major street intersec-
tions In area?
2. Town Facilities
a. To what extent will Town have to spend money
for following?
1) Sewer and drains
2) Tater
3) •Police - traffic direction and nrotectinn
!4) Fire protection
5) Street widening
3. Assessed Valuation
a. 'That will he additional valuation from project'
b 'That will be effect on present assessed values
in area?
c That will be effect on present assessed values
in other business areas?
4. To what extent can town protect itself, by agreement
or otherwise, that project will be constructed if
land re-zoned?
5 '.that will be effect of project on informal agreement
with other towns regarding use of land for business
purposes?
6. What will be effect or use of other land in area?
The meeting adjourned at 10:15 p.m.
AG; 67 3(-44-1---4-1-"---k.
vi G. Burnell: Jr .
Clerk
ADDENDUM
17 December 1956
Board of Selectmen
Town Office Building
Lexington 73, mass.
Gentlemen'
The Planning Box d is still interested in the Town
acquiring for recreation purposes part of the Daley
tract now owned by Mr. Antonio Busa. Since first 'ur-
posing a site in this area, the Board has received a
petition from 61 citizens in the neighborhood asking
that a playground be established for the children who
now must play in the streets in the Bow Street vicinity.
Rather than purchase the land from Mr. Busa, the Board
suggests that a number of tax title lots now owned by
the Town might be exchanged for the property the Board
recommends that the Town acquire. If the Selectmen look
with favor upon this suggestion, the Board would like to
discuss this matter further with Mr Busa. He indi-
cated he was willing to do this when Mr. Snow suggested
the idea to him.
It is understood that the Town owns the following lots
in the neighborhood. These and/or others would appear
to be worthy of consideration in such an exchange.
Circle goad Lots 191 through 106
Lots 200 t= 205
Lots 236 238
Lots 21411 tt 246
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Hillcrest Avenue Lots 1R7 through 100
(L C . No. 6807B)
Rawson Avenue Lots 63 through 65
Rindge Avenue Lots 207 and 208
Lots 200 and 210
Very truly yours,
LEXINGTON. PLA'T'TNG BOARD
/s/ Donald D. Hathaway, Ohm.