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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1959-03-02PLANNING BOARD MEETING ' March 2, 1959 A regular meeting of the Lexington Planning Board was held in the Planning Board Office, Town Office Building, on Monday, March 2, 1959 at 7:30 p.m. Present were Chairman Grindle, Members Abbott, Burnell, Jaquith and Soule, and Planning Director Snow. Town Counsel Stevens was also present from 8:30 to 8:55 p.m. Approved by the Board were the following bills which had been presented for pa7ment: Richard H. Soule, Labor and materials, 12 easels --$82.89; Marion M. Bliss, drafting services, Feb. 16, 17, 23, and 24, 1959-456.00; Louise M. Baker, extra secretarial services, Feb. 25, 195P-45.00; reim- bursement for Board's petty cash --$8.87; Graphic Reproductions, Inc., white prints -42.04• Samuel P. Snow, February ,1959, car allowance --20.00. Mr. Abbott called the Bonrd's attention to the proposed Town Meeting Members Association ' visitation tour of areas of the town concerning which there were articles on the warrant for the annual town meeting. Distributed to the Board was an Association memorandum dated Feb. 2$, 1959 setting forth the itinerary of the tour to be held on March 8, 1",59. Mr. Snow was asked to prepare for Mr. Abbott to take on the tour a kit of maps and related data in regard to Articles 382 39, 40, 411 42, 591 and 62. BILLS T.M.M.A. TOUR Considered next by the Board was a pre- liminary subdivision plan and application for ten- WHITE tative approval submitted on January 26, 1959 by Harmon S. White of Newton, said plan showing a PRELIMINARY proposal for a residential development of the SUBDIVISION former Ferguson -Potter land on the westerly side PLAN of Grove Street in the vicinity of Gould Road. The Board discussed the n_roposed layout of roads with relationship to the general topography, the high pressure gas line passing through said land.. and the request of the Lucky Penny and Meryl Robert Trusts to acquire tax title lots 25 and 26 fronting on Rangeway as a second means of access to the proposed subdivision. It was decided that while membe*-s discussed current problems before the Board, ' Messrs. Abbott and Snow would meet with the Selectmen to discuss the status of Rangeway and the request of said Trust to acquire lots 25 and 26. Thereupon Messrs. 3-2-59 Abbott and Snow met with the Selectmen from 8:05 until 8:25 to discuss said matters. (See Selectmen's minutes ' of March 2, 1959 for a record of said meeting.) Considered next by the Board were drafts of letters to the Board of Appeals in regard to the Gulf Oil Corpora- tion and Walter E. Swanbon petitions to be heard on March 3* 1959. The Planning Board approved said drafts which were signed by the Chairman. (See addendum.) At 8:30 p.m. Mr. Stevens met with the Board at which time it considered the following Form A applica- tions for determination of Planning Board jurisdiction: FORMS A #58-771 submitted December 9, 1958 for the Boston and Maine R.R. by W. H. Barrett, Atty.; plan entitled "Land in Lexington, Mass. Boston and Maine Railroad -to -Anthony R. Cataldo," Scale: 1 in. = 2011 dated September 1958, J. F. Kerwin, Eng'r. #58-78, submitted December 9, 1958 for the Boston & Maine R.R. by W. H. Tarrett, Atty.; plan entitled "Land in Lexington, Mass. Boston and Maine Railroad -to -Anthony R. Cataldo,`i Scale: 1 in. = 50 ft., dated Sep- tember, 19581 J. F. Kerwin, Eng'r. #59-13, submitted February 20, 1959 by Charles F. Small; plan entitled "A Compiled Plan of Land in Lexington and Woburn -Mass.", scale: 1" = 601, dated April 11, 19591 Miller & Nylander, C.E.'s & Surveyors. Upon motion duly made and seconded it was unanimously VOTED: that the Lexington Planning Board determines that plans accompanying Form A applications #58-77 and #58-78 do not require approval under the Subdivision Control Law and that said plans be so endorsed. VOTED: that the Lexington Planning Board determines that plan accompanying Form A application #59-13 does not require approval under the Subdivision Control Law as to the land in Lex- ington, and that said plan be so endorsed. The Board reviewed with Mr. Stevens the in- formation which It had obtained in regard to require- ' 3-2-59 -2- ' ments for the width of lots in various communities in the Boston metropolitan area. It was decided that the board would not ask for a special town meeting at the present time to present its draft for an amendment to the zoning by-law in regard to lot widths. It. was decided to give the matter fur- ther study in view of the fact that the board wished to draft an amendment which would take into consideration lot widths with regard to the layout of as many types of roads as possible. After Mr. Stevens left the meeting the Board gave further consideration to the subdivision plan submitted by Mr. White as noted above. Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was unanimously VOTED: that the preliminary subdivision plan en- titled "Preliminary Sub -Division Lexington - Mass,", dated December 4, 1958, prepared by Joseph W. Moore, which was submitted to the Board on January 26, 1959s be and hereby is disapproved for the reason that.the subdivi- sion has only one means of access. The attention of the Board was called to the fact that the time within which the Board must take ' final action on the Vine Brook Meadows subdivision plan expired on March 2# 1959. After a review of the status of matters in regard to said plana upon motion duly made and seconded it was unanimously VOTED:That the definitive subdivision plan entitled "Vine Brook Meadows Lexington -Mass.", dated May 14j. 1958 which was submitted to the Board by the Vine Brook Realty Trust on September 22, 1958 accompanied by an application for approval of a definitive plan Form C, dated Sept. 16, 1058, by and hereby is disapproved for the reason that the applicant has not submitted a bond in accordance with the sub- division rules and regulations. Mr. Snow next discussed with the Board the necessity of obtaining a street option for the ex- tension of Emerson Road through the Lidberg property and in connection with the obtaining of said option Mr. Snow was asked to prepare a detailed plan of his recommended location for Eherson Road from Adams Street to Hawthorne Road. He was also asked to make preliminary arrangements for an option to acquire such Lidberg land as would be necessary for street purposes. REZONING PROPOSAL LOT WIDTHS WHITE PRELIMINARY SUBDIVISION PLAN LUCKY PENNY TRUST VINL' BROOK MEADOWS VINE BROOK REALTY TRUST EMERSON ROAD STREET OPTION LIDBERG 3-2-59 The meeting adjourned at 10:00 p.m. , chard H. Soule, Clerk ADDENDUM Board of Appeals March 21 1959 Town Office Building Lexington 73, Mass. Re: Gulf Oil Corporation petition for variance Gentlemen: of Sign By-law The Planning Board at its meeting on February 23, 1959 considered the petition of the Gulf Oil Corporation under the Lexington Sign By-law to erect a 6 -foot rotating plastic sign at the service station at the southwesterly corner of the Maxrett Road -Waltham Street intersection. The Board at the above meeting decided that it would oppose the granting of the petition and that it would submit a letter to the Board of Appeals for considera- tion in connection with the hearing on the petition. The Planning Board is opposed to granting the petition for the erection of the proposed revolving sign for the following reasons: 1. Article III, Section 2 of the Sian By-law specifically prohibits moving signs. There is no provision in the Sign By-law under which the Board of Appeals may grant a special permit for the erection of a moving sign. 2. A moving sign is not needed for advertising purposes I n a local business district, a district established for the purpose of serving neighborhood use. The proposed Gulf service station is on a rather exposed corner of the Marrett-Road-Waltham Street intersection and readily seen as cars approach it from all directions. 3. A moving sign would tend to have an adverse effect on the local district, cluttering the district with one more element and serving as a distracting influence at a heavily -travelled intersection. LF. It is not in keeping with the environmental standards the town is endeavoring to establish and maintain. Sincerely yours, LExINGTON PLANNING BOARD /s/ Thomas S. Grindle, Chairman 3-2-59 —3— March 2, 1959 ' Board of Appeals Town Office Building Lexington ?3, Mass. Re: Walter E. Swanbon petition Subdivision of Lot C, 14achusett Drive Gentlemen: The Planning Board at its meeting on February 23s 1959 discussed the petition referred to above and decided to go on record as being opposed to the granting of the same. Lot C for which the petitioner requests permission to subdivide, was originally part of a larger parcel divided Into three lots as shown on "Plan of Land in Lexington Mass.", dated Dec.. 20, 1955 and prepared by Miller and Nylander. The Planning Board on January 30, 1956 made a determination that the plan was not a subdivision under the then existing provision of the Subdivision Control Law for the reason that each lot thereon had at least 125 feet of frontage required by the Lexington Zoning By-law. Lot C (which is the lot now requested to be subdivided) had frontage on both Wachusett Drive and Waltham Street but had the minimum required frontage of 125 feet only on Wachusett Drive. Subsequent to the approval of the above 1955 plan, a residential building fronting on Waltham Street was erected on Lot C in violation of See - tion 8(a)l.b., Lot C having a frontage of only 90 feet on Waltham Street. Since the Planning Board made the above determination in 1956 the definition of a subdivision under the subdivision control law has been amended under Chapter 282, Acts of 1956 so that if the Planning Board were to make the same determination today, it would have to decide that the plan referred to above required approval under the Sub- division Control Law. This would be required because Lot C fronts on that portion of Wachusett Drive which "in the opinion of the Planning Board does not have suitable grades and adequate construction to provide for the needs of vehicular traffic in relation to the proposed use of the land abutting thereon or served thereby and for the .installation of municipal services to serve such land and the buildings erected or to be erected thereon." In view of the foregoing, the Planning Board opposes the granting of the petition to subdivide Lot C for the fol- lowing reasons: ' 1. Lot C as laid out under the above 1955 plan was designed as one house lot since the required frontage 3-2-59 was provided on only one war. To divide Lot C now into ' two lots would be contrary to the intent and purposes of the zoning by-law. 2. The division of Lot C into two lots (Cl and G2) is a "subdivision" requiring approval of the Planning Board under the current Subdivision Control Law. Yours very truly, LEXINGTON PLANNING BOARD /s/ Thomas S. Grindle, Chairman u