HomeMy WebLinkAbout1957-05-06PLANNING BOARD MEETING
I
May 6 , 1957
A regular meeting of the Planning Board was held
in the Town Engineer's Room, Town Office Building, on
Monday, May 6, 1957 at 7:40 p.m. Present were Chair-
man Grindle, Members Burnell, Jaquith and Soule, Plan-
ning Director Snow, and the secretary. Mr. Stevens was
present from 9:35 to 9:45 P.m.
The minutes of the meetings of February 22, 1957 MINUTES
and April 29, 1957 were approved.
The following bills submitted for payment were BILLS
approved: Bruce E. Howlett, professional services,
period ending May 4, 1957-4100.00; Spaulding -Moss Co.,
town maps --$15.5$; Foto Beam, Inc., white prints and
drafting supplies --$9.70.
The following Form A application was taken under FORM A
consideration for determination of Planning Board jur-
isdiction:
#57-45, submitted May 1, 1957 by Albert H. Burn-
ham, plan entitled "Plan of Land in Lexington -
Mass.", Scale 1" = 40t, dated April 25, 1957,
Miller and Nylander, Civil Engr's & Surveyors,
Lexington, Mass.
It was moved, seconded and unanimously
VOTED: That the plan accompanying application
#57-45 be signed bearing the endorse-
ment "Lexington Planning Board approval
not required under the Subdivision
Control Law."
The Board discussed the status of Filene's re- REGIONAL
zoning proposal for a regional shopping center in SHOPPING
Lexington. It was the concensus of opinion that CENTER
considerable statistical data had yet to be obtained PROPOSAL
by the Board before it could form any opinion on the
proposal, that a restrictive amendment to the by-law
must be written and conferences held with Filene's
before advertising for a public hearing on the pro-
posal, and that the Board should hold said hearing
before releasing any publicity on the data the Board
had obtained or any decisions it had reached.
Read to the Board were the notices of hearings BOARD OF
to be held by the Board of Appeals on May 21, 1957• APPEALS
It was decided to take no action on any petitions to
be heard on said date.
In regard to the petition of Dr. Ralph W. Galen
to be heard on May 7, 1957, the Board approved a draft of '
a letter to the Board of Appeals in which the Planning
Board wished to be placed on record as being opposed to
the granting of said petition. (See addendum).
OAK HILL Next taken under consideration was the application
ESTATES for tentative approval of the preliminary plan for the
Oak Hill Estates submitted by Sandy Brook Corp., 99 Old
Billerica Road, Bedford, Mass. It was moved, seconded,
and unanimously
VOTED: that tentative approval be given of the plan
dated March 20, 1957 and entitled "'Prelimi-
nary Plan' Oak Hill Estates Plan of Land in
Lexington, Mass. owned by Sandy Brook Corp.",
subject to the following conditions: (1) that
"A" and "CTM streets be 50t in width their
entire length; (2) that the maximum elevation
on "C" street be of equal width throughout
its length and intersect "A" street at right
angles.
ROBINSON
The Board then endorsed the definitive subdivision
HILL
plan of Robinson Hill, Section 3, approved by the Board
SEC. 3
on April 10, 1957.
LORING
Mr. Stevens came to the meeting at 9:35 p.m. at which '
HILL
time the Board took under consideration Mrs. Baskin's
ESTATES
application for approval of the Loring Hill Estates Sec-
tion 1 definitive subdivision plan. The Board read and
discussed with Mr. Stevens the September 22, 1947 agree-
ment between the Town and the trustees of the Lexington
Estates Trust concerning the provision that the town con-
struct a Board of Survey road connecting Waltham Street
to a road meeting the former trustees' (now Baskin) land
when a road is constructed on said land for subdivision
purposes. It was the opinion of the Board that the road
from Waltham Street leading into the High School grounds
should not be used as an access to the Baskin property
and that a work road should be constructed from Waltham
St. to the proposed road in said subdivision over the
proposed location of the Worthen Road project.
Meeting with the Selectmen later in the evening, it
was decided that before the Planning Board approved the
subdivision plan the Selectmen should determine what access
over town land the subdivider had to the proposed Loring
Hill Estates subdivision.
RECREATION
Mr. Stevens left the meeting at 9:50 p.m. at which time
COMMITTEE
'
Chairman Crerie of the Recreation Committee and. Members
Delsie, McNally and Stokes, and Recreational Director
Samborski met with the Planning Board to discuss further
the possible acquisition for recreational purposes, land
' within the McCormack -Brun subdivision. Since the last
time the Board and Committee discussed this proposal a
preliminary plan f'or said subdivision had been submitted
to the Planning Board for approval. Mr. Crerie, speak-
ing for the Committee, stated that it felt there
definitely should be some recreational area in the
vicinity of the subdivision but so far had not had the
support of the School Committee.
The Board requested the Committee to make a recom-
mendation to it prior to May 27, the date on which the
Planning Board had to take action on the application for
tentative approval of said plan. Chairman Crerie said
that the Recreation Committee had not been able to arrange
an appointment with the School Committee to discuss the
matter but would do so at the earliest opportunity and give
the Board the Recreation Committee's recommendation.
The Recreation Committee left the meeting at 9:55 at
which time the Planning Board adjourned its meeting to meet
with the Selectmen for a discussion of the Filene's proposal
for rezoning land for a regional shopping center and the
problems involved in the construction of a road connecting
Waltham Street with the proposed Loring Hill Estates sub-
division.
The meeting adjourned at 10:40 p.m.
Levi G. Burnell, Jr.
Clerk
7 May 1957
Board of Appeals Re: Ralph W. Galen petition
Town Office Building to maintain dentist office
Lexington 73, Mass. in his home.
Gentlemen:
The Planning Board has considered the petition referred
to above and wishes to be placed on record as being opposed
to the granting of said petition for the following reasons:
The Board has noted (1) that #46 Marrett Road is located
on a much -traveled State highway approximately 750 feet from
the Massachusetts Avenue - Marrett Road intersection which '
is one of the more dangerous in town, (2) that in approach-
ing the Galen residence from said intersection the site
distance along the bend of Marrett Road is quite limited,
and (3) that automobiles of patients visiting the proposed
dentist's office would tend to increase the traffic hazards
at this location.
It is the Board's opinion that the parking of
patients' automobiles either in the entrance driveway or on
the highway tends to impair the status of a residential
neighborhood. In addition the Board believes that #4.6
Marrett Road being a new house tends to show that no hard-
ship would be involved in denying this petition.
Sincerely yours,
LEXINGTON PLANNING BOARD
/s/ Thomas S. Grindle
Chairman
1