HomeMy WebLinkAbout1957-02-18PLANING BOARD T•1EETING
February 18, 1957
A regular meetin;- of the Planning Board was
held in the Town Engineer's Room, Town Office Build-
ing, on February 18, 1957 at 7:30 p.m. Present were
Chairman Hathaway, Tlessrs. Abbott, Burnell, Grindle,
Jaquith, :nd Bir. Snow, Planning Director. Tr. Adams
was present from 9:20 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. Mr.
Stevens, Town Counsel, was present from 8:30 to 8:50
p.m.
The Board took under consideration Tirs.Arnold
r%Tilliams' Feb. 7, 1957 letter in regard to the League
LEAGUE OF
of :'omen Voters annual local candidates meeting for
WOMEN
Feb. 27 in Cary Hall. Copies of this letter rere
VOTERS
sent to rir. Snow and all members of the Planning
Board. The letter stated that after speeches by the
candidates, members of the Planning Board, T,,r. Snow,
11r. Roland Greeley, 1�1r. Daniel Ahern of the Greater
Boston Chamber of Commerce would be asked to partici-
pate in a panel discussion in regard to all phases of
planning. The Board decided that they would like to
participate in a panel discussion on planning matters
at some future date nut did not feel that it was wise
to combine a political candidates meeting and a dis-
cussion on over-all planiiing. Mr. Hathaway was asked
to convey the Board's decision to i•lrs. V,Tilliams.
r5 5'i
The Minutes of Feb. 11/here approved.
MINUTES
Approved also were the folloiring bills:
Louise 1•1. Baker secretarial services, period ending BILLS
Feb. 15, 1957--A25-00' U.S. Post Office, printed
stamped envelopes --"7.00; Samuel P. Snow, reimburse-
ment for stamped envelopes --$16.$4.
Taken under consideration were the following
Form A applications for determination of Planning FORMS A
Board jurisdiction:
;-57-19, submitted on February 15, 1957 by
Alfred P. Tropeano, attorney for Vine Brook
Park Realty Trust, Torsten H. Reenstierna,
Trustee; plan entitled "Plan of Land in Lex-
ington Mass.", scale: 1" = 601, dated Jan. 4
1957, tiller and ylander, C.L. Is & Survey-
ors, Lexin ton, Pass -
1157 -20, submitted February 18, by Ralph J.
Frissore, Trustee, Battle View Park Realty
Trust. Plan entitled "A Compiled Plan of
Land in Lexington, Mass.", scale 1" = 401,
dated Feb. 11, 1957, Miller & Nylander,
Civil Engr's & Surveyors -Lexington, Mass.
#57-21, submitted February 18, by Ralph J.
Frissore, Trustee, Battle View Park Realty
Trust, Plan entitled "Plan of Land in
Lexington -1 -lass.", scale 1" = 401, dated
Feb. 11, 1957, Tiller and Nylander,.Civil
Engr's & Surveyors -Lexington, 1�ass.
It was moved, seconded and unanimously
VOTED: That the plans accompanying applica-
tions #57-19, #57-20 and #57-21 be
signed with the endorsement "Lexing-
ton Planning Board approval not re-
quired under the Subdivision Control
Law."
The Board approved a letter dated Feb. 19,
1957 and addressed to the Board of Appeals in which
the Planning Boyd wished to be recorded as being
strongly opposed to the granting of the Associates
Realty Trust's petition to erect a sign on its land
zoned for A-1 use. The letter stated that the
Planning Board believed that an advertising sign of
such large size as the petitioner proposed to erect
is entirely out of keeping with any use in Lexington
and with the standards this toiom has always tried to
maintain.
Read to the Board was correspondence between
Mr. Jaquith, Chairman of the Additional Fire Station
Committee, and the State Department of Public 1�^Iorks
in regard to the proposal to relocate the Spring
Street -Route 2 intersection. the Department con-
firmed the town's understanding that the state pro-
poses to relocate the Spring Street -Route 2 inter-
section slightly southeast of the present location
and construct an overpass whereby the new Spring
Street would pass over Route 2 and rejoin present
Spring Street at a point on the southwest side of
Route 2. Confirmed also was the understanding that
the Commonwealth plans to eliminate the present
Concord Avenue -Route 2 intersection vfi ich.is slight-
ly east of the present Spring Street intersection
and construct a by-pass road on the south side of
Route 2 extendir:g Concord Avenue to Spring Street.
Mr. Stevens came to the meeting at 8:30 p.m.
at which time he reported to the Board vthe decisions
BOARD OF
APPEALS
ASSOCIATES
REALTY
TRUST
1
1
SPRIG STREET -
ROUTE 2
Iii TERSECTI ON
1
of Assistant Attorney general Heaphy in regard to the
' amendments to Lexingtonts zoriing by-law which were ZONING
passed by the special town meetinz held on Nov. 19, AMENDME[TS
1956. The decisions were set forth in Mr. Heaphy's
February 15, 1957 letter, a copy of which was given
to the Board. The letter is herewith quoted in part:
"Clause C 2 under article 24, relating to
business offices having facilities for em-
ployin�-_ 100 people, has been disapproved as
ti does not seem to come within the scope
of the zoning enabling act, and falls short
of being a regulation of the "size" of a
building, ��hich is a proper type of restric-
tion. Also it is felt that the provisions
under articles 24 and 25 respecting the re-
euirement of connecting to a sewer are, on
the facts presented, unreasonable and should
be disapproved."
The Board next took under consideration the
modifying and amending of its prior approval of the ROBINSON
Robinson Hill -Section 2 subdivision plan. HILL -
SEC. TWO
It was moved b7,, Pr. Jaquith, seconded by Mr.
Grindle, and unanimously
V0T ;D: That the approval b T the Planning
Board of the subdivision plans en-
titled "Plan of Lots in Section Two
Robinson Hill Lexington-Mlass., owned
by Leeland Construction Co., Inc.",
"Plan and Profile of Childs Road
Robinson 11ill - Section Two" and
Considered next was the follov,ing Form A
application Ahich had been substituted for Applica- FORT=T A
tion ,x`57-16, withdrawn Feb. 18, 1957. -
STANKARD
X57-23, submitted February 18, 1957 by I•Iary
E. Stankard, Plan entitled same as ;57-16.
It
was roved, seconded and unanimously
VOTED: That approval under the Subdivision
Control Law is not required on con-
dition, as represented to the Board,
that Lot 1 is to be conveyed to the
owner of adjoining existir;g Lot A
and that upon such conveyance said
lots shall be deemed combined into
one lot for all purposes under the
Subdivision Control Law.
The Board next took under consideration the
modifying and amending of its prior approval of the ROBINSON
Robinson Hill -Section 2 subdivision plan. HILL -
SEC. TWO
It was moved b7,, Pr. Jaquith, seconded by Mr.
Grindle, and unanimously
V0T ;D: That the approval b T the Planning
Board of the subdivision plans en-
titled "Plan of Lots in Section Two
Robinson Hill Lexington-Mlass., owned
by Leeland Construction Co., Inc.",
"Plan and Profile of Childs Road
Robinson 11ill - Section Two" and
"Plan and Profile of Diana Lane Rob-
inson Hill - Section Two Lexinz,ton-
Mass. ", all dated 1 --larch 2, 19552 by
Albert A. Buller, Wilbur C. Nylander,
Civil Engineers and Surveyors, and
all recorded in T,iiddlesex South Dis-
trict Registry of Deeds as Plan Ao.
911 of 1955, Book 8471, End, be and
hereby are modified and amended by
eliminating as ways those portions
of Childs Road and Diana Lane, as
shown on the aforesaid plans, that
lie southeasterly of a curved line
having a radius of 484.40 feet as
shown on a plan entitled "Modifica-
tion of a Portion of Robinson Hill -
Section Two Land in Lexington -Mass."
dated January 15, 1957, Albert A.
Miller, Wilbur C. Nylander, Civil
Engineers and Surveyors, to be record-
ed in said Deeds."
After taking this action, the Board then
considered the follotiring "r'orm A application for
determination of Planning Board jurisdiction:
//57-22, submitted on Feb. 18, 1957 by
Leeland Construction Co., Leeland G.
McConchie, Plan entitled "Plan of Land in
Lexington -bass. Scale 1" = 401, dated
Nov. 29, 1956, Piller and Nylander, Civil
Engr's & Surveyors -Lexington, Plass.
It i•ras moved, seconded and unanimously
VOTED: That, tie plan accompanying appli-
cation ,57-22 be signed with the
endorsement "Lexington Planning
Board approval not required under
the Subdivision Control Law."
The Town Counsel left the meeting at 8:50
p.m. at which time Mr. Priestly, architect, Mr.
Gruen, Attorney, and Messrs. Hopkins and Pearson,
representatives of Associates Realty Trust, met
�%,ith the Board, at its request, to discuss the
Trust's plans for a hotel to be located at the
northwestern intersection of Routes 2-A and 12$.
Letters in regard to said plans were reviewed in
detail, by those present, these including the
Deputy Fire Chief's letters of January 28 and
February 1-8,, 1957 and the Building Inspector's
letter of L-'ebruary 6, 1957. The exterior of the
building i�ras then discussed, the chairman stating
FORM A
ROBINSON
HILL
SEC. TWO
ASSOCIATES
REALTY
TRUST
1
1
[I
that the Board was primarily concerned with this
aspect of the design. The windows and possible
need for balconies were considered. The members
of the Board thought that the dining wing of the
hotel looked different from the rest of the build-
ing and that something ought to be done to make
elements harmonize with each other. Representatives
of the Trust were requested to submit further studies
of the extdrior design which i.,rould give the building
a Colonial character and which would tend to soften
the severe lines of the building.
Messrs. Priestly, Gruen, Hopkins, and
Pearson left the meeting -?t 10:25 plrn. after it was
decided that the Board would meet on February 25,
with representatives of the Trust to discuss addi-
tional exterior design studies which said Trust was
to have prepared.
The Board decided to meet in special session
on February 22, 1957 at 10:00 a.m. to discuss, if it
was convenient �,ith him, Deputy Chief Belcastro's
recommendations in regard to the hotel plans,
The Board next considered the Selectmen's
P'ebrua ry 12, 1957 letter in which it was stated HOLIES
that Pair. Alfred P. Tropeano had been authorized to LAND
make an offer for the purchase of the so-called
"Holmes land," now owned by the Town. The Board
decided to write a letter in which it wished to be
placed on record as being opposed to the sale of
this property and further stating that with the
formulation this fall of the Board's over-all pre-
liminary development plan for Lexington, the Board
hopes to have ready specific recommendations for
the use of towii-owned lands.
The Board likewise took under consideration
the application of Eleanor L. floss for tentative BATTLE
approval of a preliminary plan for the development GREEN
of a portion of Battle Green Village. It was moved, VILLAGE
seconded and unanimously
VOTED: That the preliminary subdivision plan
entitled "Preliminary Plan showing
Proposed Subdivision of land in
Battle Green Village, dated Nov. 19,
1956, submitted on January 18, 1957
be and hereby is disapproved for the
follovring reasons: (a) Lot layout
plans are not drawn at 40 scale as
required b,+ the Subdivision Rules and
Regulations; (b) There is no indica-
tion of the subdivision boundaries
adjacent to existing ways; (c) the
plans show no subdivision sewer
system; (d) the subdivision drain
system does not meet the approval
of the Tovrn Engineer; 'e) no easement
is provided for the 36" culvert; (f)
no leveling area is provided on Ross
Road at the Paul Revere Road inter-
section and on Oxbow Road at the
Revolutionary Road intersection; (g)
northern end of Freemont Street as
shown on plan should have at least a
120 -ft. centerline radius as indicated
on sketch plan entitled "Suggested
Residential Development of a Portion
of Lands of Battle Green Village,
dated illarch 13, 1956 and accompanying
the Planning Board's Parch 21, 1956
letter addressed to Z•ir. Edward R.
Thomas.
The meeting adjourned at 10:55 p.m.
Levi G. Burnell, Jr.
Clerk
F