HomeMy WebLinkAbout1957-12-23 PLANNING BOARD MEETING
December 23, 1 957
A regular meeting of the Lexington Planning
Board was held in the Town Engineer 's Room, Town
Office Building, on Monda--, December 23, 1957 at
7 :30 p.m. Present were Chairman Grindle, Members
Abbott, Burnell and Jaquith, and Planning Director
Snow, Town counsel Stevens was present from 8 10
to 8:35 p .m
The Board approved the following bills which BILLS
had been presented for payment : Graphic Reproduc-
tions, Inc . , white prints--63.72; Lexington Press,
Inc . , printed stationery--615.50.
Approved next by the Board was the draft of a 1957 FUNDS
letter which had been p^epared for consideration CARRY-OVER
asking that the Town Accountant carry over, for 1958
expenditure, 1957 funds from the town map and street
and recreation options accounts. (See addendum )
Likewise approved was a draft of a letter to BOSTON
Chairman 3ortman of the Boston National Historic NAT 'L
Sites Commission giving unqualified endorsement to HISTORIC
the Commission' s proposal recommending the estab- SITES
lishment of a National Historic Park to be located COMM.
partly within the Town of Lexington and to preserve
the remaining portions of the famous Battle Road of
April 19, 177 , (See addendum. )
With reference to the Planning Board' s December ANN ST
9, l957 letter to Mr Frank DeFelice, Mr. Snow re-
ported that Mr. DeFelice had come to the Planning DeFELICE
Board office wanting to know what the Board would
require in laying out Ann Street under the town' s
subdivision rules and regulations. Mr. Snow said
that he had discussed the matter with the Superin-
tendent of Public ';forks. Mr, Snow reported the
Superintendent as stating that when the Board had
made a decision in regard to the matter, he would
prepare a rough estimate of the cost of the work to
be done, said estimate to be given to Mr DeFelice for
his considerat on. After discussing the matter fur-
ther, Mr. Snow was asked to prepare for the Board' s
consideration a letter to the Superintendent setting
forth what subdivision requirements the Board has
decided to waive it this particular case.
Mr. Stevens came to the meeting at 8:10 p.m. at
which t me the Board discussed several matters con-
cerning which it wished counsel. The Board also con-
sidered the release of bonds for the work completed
in the Battleview Park, Section Two and the "Gould
and Dewey Roads" subdivisions All matters appear-
' ing to be in order, it was moved by Mr. Jaquith,
seconded by Mr. Burnell, and unanimously
BATTLE VOT M: to release to subdivider, Battle View
VIEW Park Realty Trust, Ralph J. Frissore
PARK and Joseph Monsignore, tru.tees, the
SLC . 2 performance bond, dated July 2, 1957,
and the fifteen thousand and 00/100
dollars - 015,000.00) - in cash that it
deposited with the Town as security for
the performance by the subdivider of its
agreement in the form of an application
for approval of a definitive plan, Form
C , dated May 14, 1 Q57, to complete the
work to be performed by it as shown on
its subdivision plan entitled, "Battle
View Park Section Two Lexington-Mass."
LAND COURT VOTED: to release the performance bond, dated
CASE #5982E January 6, 1956, filed by Donald E.
- °iatson, trustee of Watson Realty Trust,
WATSON as Principal, and the Aetna Casualty &
REALTY Surety Co. , as Surety, in the sum of
TRUST twenty-nine thousand dollars-(W29,000) -
tos ecure the performance by the sub-
divider of its agreement in the form of
an application for approval of a defini-
tive plan, Form C , dated November 7,
1955, to complete the work to be performed
by the subdivider in the subdivision shown
on the subdivision plan entitled "Subdi-
vision Plan of Land Court Case #5982E in
Lexington, Mass. ", dated August 5, 1955.
Mr. Stevens left the meeting at 8 35 p.m.
HOSPITAL Taken under consideration next was a Dec . 17,
NEEDS 1957 letter from Mr Herbert L. Crowley, Jr. , Secretary
STUDY of the Hospital Needs Study Committee requesting a
COM. statement from the Board in regard to a future hospital
in Lexington and stating that it was his understanding
that no consideration had been given to a site for a
hospital in the Board' s future plans for the develop-
ment of Lexington. After considering the matter in
some detail, Mr Snow was asked to prepare a letter
for the Board ' s consideration stating that a hospital
site had not been proposed for Lexington and setting
forth reasons why such a proposal had not been made.
The Board then reviewed a plan showing a possible
12-23-57 -2-
I II
solution to the traffic problem which would be created
n
by lolocatinga regional shopping center in the northerly
Pp o
quadrant of the ''oute 2-Spring Street intersection. Mr
Snow explained various aspects of the scheme which REGIONAL
members of the Lexington Home Owners Committee had de- SHOPPING
vised on December 18, 1 957 andwhich they wished pre- CENTER
sented to representatives of Filene ' s for their con-
sideration 'do action was taken in regard to said plan.
It was understood that Mr. Jaquith was to deliver the
plan to Mr Gummere, Secretary of Filene 's.
The meeting adjourned at 10 00 p.m.
Levi. G. Burnell, Jr.
Clerk
ADDENDUM
Mr. Edward A. Palmer December 23,1957
Town Accountant
Lexington 73, Mass.
Dear Mr. Palmer
It is requested that you carrlT over for 1958 un-
expended Planning Board funds on the following accounts :
Town Maps, authorized under Article 38 by the
Adjourned Town Meeting held on March 28,19553
and
Options for Streets and Recreation Lands, authorized
under Article 27 by the Adjourned Town Meeting
held on _arch 25, 1957.
Unexpected difficulties arose in preparing the new
town map so that work has not been completed on this project
but is expected to be done within the next few months and
within the amount of funds appropriated for this purpose.
The Planning Board continues to be successful in ob-
taining most options for one dollar so that expenditure of
these funds has been kept to a minimum. The Board feels,
however, that this account shouldbe continued to be kept
on hand while the Board negotiates further for land it de-
sires to recommend for acquisition by the Town.
Very truly ours ,
LIOCT.NOTO:: PLAY :N'-3 b0'C D
bT' Thomas S. Grindle, Chairman
December 2 6, 1957
Mr. Mark Bortman, Chairman
Boston National Historic Sites Commission
Rm.1400, Post Office & Courthouse
Boston 0, Massachu3etts
Dear Mr Bortman:
The Lexington Planning Board was pleased to meet
with you and a representative of the commission on Nov-
ember 20, 1957 and hear a report of the Commission 's
work and its proposal to recommend to the Congress that
there be created a National Historic Park to be located
partly within the Town of Lexington. The project is be-
ing included in Lexington ' s long range development plan
which the Planning Board is preparing for the Town. The
Board recosnizes, however, that there are many more as-
pects to a project of this nature than can be planned
and developed adequately by a mun. cipal agency. It is
with understanding, therefore, that the Board gives its
unqualified endorsement to the National Historic Park
proposal for the preservation of the now remaining por-
tion of the Battle Road of April 19, 1775.
Sincerely yours,
LEXINGTON PLANNING BOARD
by Thomas S. Grindle, Chairman