HomeMy WebLinkAbout1958-01-07 PLANNING BOARD MTNUTFS
January 7, 1958
A special joint meeting of the Lexington Planning
Board and the Board of Selectmen was held in the Town
lsngineer' s Room, Town Office Building, on Tuesday, Janu-
ary 7, 1958 at 7:L5 P.m Present were Chairman Grindle,
Members Burnell and Jaquith of the Planning Board and
Chairman James, Members Maloney, Morey and Tucker of the
Board of Selectmen . The combined Boards met with Mr.
Gummere of Filene' s and ,ir Cox of 111lbur Smith € Associates,
traffic engineers, rind consultants retained by Filene ' s
One of the nrincinle matters discussed was that of
obtaining from Spring Street a satisfactory means of access
to the site of Filene 's proposed regional shopping center
Members of the Plan-ling Board presented plans for two
solutions which they had prepared as alternatives to the
Wilbur Smith elan . The first solution was a proposal that
traffic to and from the center be confined to roads located
under the nronosed relocation of Spring Street; the second
that access to the center be via a separate bridge over
Route 2
Tr. Gummere wished to know where matters stood in
regard to the overall Filene ' s proposal for a shopping
center. He said Filene ' s had options on two sites for a
center, preferred the Lexington site, but that Filene 's
could not continue to retain options on both sites and had
to decide on which one to forfeit. The question was raised
as to whether or not an amendment to the zoning by-law for
a regional shopping center would be voted upon favorably at
a town meeting. Mr. Gummere said that Filene ' s was reluc-
tant to spend the time and funds necessary for further
studies in connection with the Lexington site when so many
felt sure of the defeat of a oronosed amendment to rezone
the Lexington site for a regional shopping center.
Previous to meeting with Mr . Gummere the Board of
Selectmen and the Planning Board had discussed informally
the petition which the Selectmen had received requesting
that the Board of Selectmen call a special town meeting to
consider whatever might be advisable in relation to the
regional shopping center nronosal and also that the Plan-
ning Board hold the necessary hearing prior to a special
town meeting. (See minutes of Board of Selectmen meeting
of November 2e, 1057 . ) 'lith reference to said netition the
Boards considered the possibility of placing a question on
the ballot for the 1°58 Annual Town Meeting to obtain an ex-
pression of opinion from the voters as to whether or not
they were in favor of amending the zoning by-law to change
land bounded by Spring "treet and Routes 2 and 128 from a
-2-
single family to a business district so that an amendment
would enable said land to be used for a regional shopping
center. Mr. Gummere was asked if he would be agreeable
to such action, it being pointed out that authority
would have to be obtained from the State Legislature in
order to place such a question on the ballot He said
Filene 's would leave the matter to the decision of town
officials. He stated in addition that if a question
were placed on the ballot, a large majority of voters
would have to indicate that they were in favor of amend-
ing the zoning by-law for Filene ' s to consider Lexington
further as a site for a regional shopping center.
The meeting adjourned at 9 15 p.m
t.
Levi G. Burnell, Jr.
Clerk
I