HomeMy WebLinkAbout1957-09-09PLANNING BOARD MEETING
September 9,1957
A regular meeting of the Planning Board was held
in the Town Engineer's Room, Town Office Building, on
Monday, September 9, 1957 at 7:35 P.M. Present were
Chairman Grindle, 12embers Abbott, Burnell, Jaquith and
Soule, and Planing Director Snow. Town Counsel Stevens
was present from 8:45 to 9:45 p.m.
The minutes of August 26, 1957 were approved.
Approved also was the following bill: Samuel. P.
Snow, August car allowance- $204.00 and reimbursement
for drafting supplies, $1.65, total $21.64.
The Board considered the notices of petitions
to be heard by the Board of Appeals on September 17,
1957 and decided to take no action on said petitions.
At 8:00 plm. the Board held a public hearing on
the application for approval as a subdivision property
of William W. Fitzgerald known as "A Subdivision of
Land Court Case No. 5982 in Lexington, Mass." and more
' particularly described as an extension of Dewey Road
in a southwesterly direction for a distance of
approximately 330 feet. Four persons were present at
the hearing.
Chairman Grindle read the notice of the hearing
as sent to all abutting property owners and as pub-
lished in the August 22nd issue of the Lexington
Minute -man. After explaining how the public hearing
was to be conducted, he called upon the petitioner to
present his plan.
MINUTES
BILL
BOARD OF
APPEALS
FITZGERALD
L.C. CASE
NO -5982
HEARING
Mr. Fitzgerald stated that with the exception
of a drain easement being widened to 20 ft. the plan
was exactly the same as had been submitted previously
by him on June 1$, 1956 and disapproved by the Board
for the reason that the subdivision had no recognized
means of access and no means of disposal of storm
drainage. He stated that since the time of disapproval
of the plan he had obtained rights and easements to use
Gould and Dewey Roads from the Watson Realty Trust and
that a flowage and drainage easement from the land of
Techbuilt, Inc. had been obtained from said corporation,
said agreements being on record at the Registry of
Deeds.
Neither the Planning Board nor those present had
any questions in regard to the plans. The Chairman
MINUTES
BILL
BOARD OF
APPEALS
FITZGERALD
L.C. CASE
NO -5982
HEARING
asked for an expression oz
who favored or were opposed
division plan as presented.
recorded as being in favor,
was declared closed at $:0$
taken under advisement.
opinion in regard to those
to the approval of the sub -
Three persons wished to be
none opposed. The hearing
p.m. and the application
FIRST The Board discussed the August 19 and September 9,
NATIONAL 1957 letters from the First National Bank of Boston in
BANK regard to a series of forums on various phases of
FORUMS municipal finance, the first of such meetings to be held
on the evening of September 16, 1957. It was decided
to have Mr. Snow attend the first meeting at which time
the bank intended to outline the objectives of subse-
quent forums and the scheduling of the subjects to be
discussed during the series of meetings.
FOR14S A The Board took under consideration the following
Form A applications for determination of Planning Board
jurisdiction:
#57-$3, submitted on September 6, 1957 by Richard
R. Corazzini for Fred Corazzini: plan entitled "Plan of
Land in Lexington, Mass.", dated Aug. 15, 19572
Miller & Nylander, C.E.'s and Surveyors, Lexington,
Mass. ,
#57-$4, submitted September 9, 1957 by Lena A. and
Fred E. Hersum Jr.; plan entitled "Plot Plan of
Land in Lexington, 11ass . ", dated August 24, 1957;
Alan C. Wagner, Civil Engineer.
#57-$5, submitted September 9, 1957 by G.O.Anderson
& Sons Inc., by Harold E. Magnuson, Atty; plan
entitled "Plan of Land in Lexington owned by G.O.
Anderson & Sons, Inc.", dated July 10, 1957) G.A.
Orrok, Supt.
In regard to application #57-$4 it was decided to
hold the application until the Board obtained further
information in regard to the plan accompanying said
application.
It was moved, seconded and unanimously
VOTED: to sign the plan accompanying application
#57-$3 with the endorsement "Lexington
Planning Board approval under the subdivi-
sion control law not required, but parcel
A does not have the area and frontage re-
quired by the Lexington Zoning By-law."
Mr. Stevens came to the meeting at $:45 p.m. at
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Mr. Snow having prepared the plan for display purposes
at the Special Town Meeting to be held on September 17,
which time the Board held a detailed discussion with
him in regard to the procedure to be followed in pro-
'
cessing plans such as the one accompanying application
#57-$5. It was pointed out that the state enabling
legislation was inadequate in setting forth procedure
to be followed in handling cases such as this and that
what was needed was a practical way of handling similar
situations. Mr. Stevens stated that any determination
of Planning Board jurisdiction made by said board was
final. He said that in this case, where the lot was
to be used for the construction of an Edison substation,
there was no point in c;etermining that approval under
the subdivision control law was required even though
the lot did not have the minimum frontage required for
a single family residence district under the town's
zoning by-law. He asked what the Board could require
of the subdivider in view of the fact that the proposed
lot would front on a public way; namely, Bedford Street,
which had adequate construction and municipal services
to serve the lot and any buildings to be erected there-
on. In regard to similar cases involving unaccepted s
streets, Idr. Stevens stated that he believed also there
was no point in determining that plans require approval
under the subdivision control law unless the Board re-
quires work to be done in said ways.
Mr. Stevens left the meeting at 9:45 p.m. at
which time Mr. Snow called to the Board's attention
HANCOCK
HEIGHTS
the fact that in correcting errors found on the Han-
SECS.l & 2
cock Heights Section Two subdivision elan, he had
noted that the plan for the first section of the
Hancock Heights development had been modified. He
recommended that the Section Two plan be withdrawn,
corrected, :end resubmitted and that at the same time
there also be submitted an application for modifica-
tion of the definitive plan of the first section of
said development.
Mr. Snow also reported to the Board that Mr.
ASSOCIATES
Manaselian, architect for the Associates Realty Trust,
REALTY
had submitted two complete sets of building plans for
TRUST
the hotel said Trust proposed to construct on its site
at the northwesterly intersection of Routes 12$ and 2A.
It was decided to take no action on said plans until
there were submitted also adequate plot and site plans
for such building. Mr. Snow was requested to notify
Mr. Manaselian of the Board's decision.
Shown to the Board and discussed by it was the
SHANNON
plan showing the location of the so-called North
LAND FOR
Street gravel pit owned by i'r. Shannon of Randolph,
RECREATION
Mr. Snow having prepared the plan for display purposes
at the Special Town Meeting to be held on September 17,
1957. On the warrant calling for said meeting Article '
13 set forth the Board's proposal to acquire the
Shannon land for recreation or playground purposes.
The Board also discussed its report recommending
favorable action on said article by the Town Meeting.
(See addendum.)
The meeting adjourned at 10:00 p.m.
Levi G. Burnell, Jr.
Clerk
ADDENDUM
ARTICLE 13. MOTION: That the Selectmen be and hereby are
authorized to purchase or take by eminent domain
for playground or recreational purposes a parcel
of land situated on North Street containing 10.9
acres more or less and shown on a plan entitled
"Land of Albert H. Burnham at Lexington" dated
May 1928, E. P. Cutter, C. E., recorded in Middle-
sex South District Registry of Deeds in Plan Book
415 as Plan 32, and that the sum of $5,000.00 be
appropriated therefor and be provided by transfer
from the Excess and Deficiency Account.
Under Article 27 of the Adjourned Town Meeting held on
March 25, 1957 the Town voted to continue to authorize the
Planning Board to obtain options for land and rights therein
that it desires to recommend be acquired by the Town for play-
ground and recreational purposes. Acting under this authority
the Board has selected from its master plan for park and
recreational development the area which it believes is most
urgently needed for acquisition at this time. This area is
the so-called North Street gravel pit. Upon being informed
that individuals had made offers to the present owner to pur-
chase the land for residential and private recreational pu r-
oses, the Board obtained for $500 an option to purchase for
5 500 said land, the $500 paid for the option to be applied
toward the purchase price.
The Planning Board recommendation to purchase the
' gravel pit is part of a proposal to develop land into a
town recreation area along the 'Vine Brook easement from
East Street to North Street and Butterfield Pond. The
gravel pit is the key to this proposal, providing an
area which can be developed in itself as well as a means
of access into the proposed development along Vine Brook.
After acquisition, it is the Town Recreation Committee's
responsibility to develop the land as it deems best. The
Planning Director has offered to help the Committee do
this by preparing plans and supervising development work,
he being a professionally -trained landscape architect and
one who has had considerable experience in developing
such areas.
By regrading the existing lines of the so-called pit
it is suggested that the three smaller ponds be consoli-
dated into a single central unit with an adequate shore
line and a safe pond profile to allow for proper planting
of the area, the location of picnic sites, and the devel-
opment of a central parking area. With the technical
assistance of the Department of Natural Resources it is
proposed that the pond and Vine Brook be prepared properly
and stocked with fish. The pond with its adjacent parking
area can be lighted and in the winter used for ice skating.
Being below the grades of the surrounding terrain the area
can be developed so that it in no way detracts from the
residential district. In fact, it is believed it will add
considerably to the real estate values of the neighborhood
and at the same time provide for one of the badly -needed
recreational facilities for Lexington.
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