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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1959-05-18 PLANNING BOARD MEETING May 18, 1959 A regular meeting of the Lexington Planning Board was held in the Board' s office, Town Office Building, on Monday, May 18, 1959 at 7:45 p.m. Present were Chairman Abbott, Messrs. Grindle and Mabee and Planning Director Snow. Mr. Soule was present from 9:00 p.m. to the end of the meeting. Mr. Carroll, Supt. of Public Works, was present from 8:45 to 10:30 p.m. and Town Counsel Stevens from 8:15 to 11:00 p.m. Approved by the Board were the minutes of MINUTES its March 9, 1950 meeting. The attention of the Board was called to the May 18, 1959 letter of the Leeland Construction BATTLE Co. , Inc. requesting a further extension of the GREEN time in which the Board should act upon the appli- VILLAGE cation for approval of the Battle Green Village SEC. 3 Section Three definitive plan . Thereupon, upon - motion duly made and seconded, it was unanimously LEELAND CONSTRUCTION VOTED: that pursuant to the written request from CO. , INC. the applicant the time of approval of the definitive subdivision plan entitled "Battle Green Village Section Three Lex- ington, Mass.", dated April 23, 1957, be and hereby is further extended to and in- cluding June 1, 1959. The Board's attention was also called to the Board of Health's May 18, 1950 letter with OAK HILL reference to the Oak Hill Estates, Sec. 2 sub- ESTATES division plan. All other matters appearing to SEC. 2 be in order, upon motion duly made and seconded, it was unanimously WYNWOOD ASSOCIATES VOTED : that the definitive subdivision plan en- INC. titled "Oak Hill Estates, Section Two Lexington, Mass.", dated Feb. 1a , 1959, which was submitted to the Board by Wyn- wood Associates, Inc. on March 23, 1959, accompanied by an application for approval of definitive plan Form C, dated March 18, 1959, be and hereby is approved subject to the condition that no building or structure shall be built or placed upon Lots #7, #11, #16, #17, #18, and #46 without prior con- sent of the Lexington Board of Health, 5-18-59 The Board approved the draft of a letter to MARSHALL Mr. Roger Marshall with reference to his proposal REZONING that the local business district at Waltham Street PROPOSAL and Marrett Road be expanded. (See addendum and Planning Board minutes of May 4, 1959. ) Considered next and approved by the Board HINDS was the draft of a letter to Messrs. Hinds and FEALTY Carye with reference to their request for informal TRUST opinions regarding plans for the development of lands of the Hinds Realty Trust adjacent to Cutler CARYE Farm and Burns Roads in the Woodhaven development. (See addendum and Planning Board minutes of March 17, 1959. ) Approved also by the Board was the draft of McCORMACK a letter addressed to Mr. Albert C. Brun with BRUN LAND reference to request for a written offer for land PROPOSED which the Planning Board recommended that the Town FOR acquire for recreational purposes . (See addendum RECREATION and Planning Board minutes of May 11, 1959. ) After Mr. Stevens came to the meeting, read McCORMACK and discussed was Mr. Paul J. McCormack' s May 16 PROPOSAL FOR 1959 letter to the Board in regard to his proposal PROFESSIONAL to petition the Board of Appeals for variance to OFFICE locate an office building on the property numbered BUILDING 789 Mass. Ave in Lexington. From notes which were dictated after the discussion, Mr. Snow was asked to prepare for the Board' s consideration a draft of a letter to Mr. McCormack in which it was stated that the Planning Board did not believe that a variance for the purpose of erecting a profes- s=onal office building on this particular property could legally be granted. At 9:00 p.m. Messrs. Nylander and Tropeano VINE BROOK met with the Board to discuss the plans which the FEALTY Vine Brook Realty Trust had filed with the Board TRUST of Appeals and upon which the Planning Board had made a recommendation. (See minutes of Planning A 1 DISTRICT Board meeting of Anril 27, 1959. ) After a de- tailed discussion of the many aspects of said plans it was decided that a further conference in regard to the plans would be advisable. Before holding said conference it was agreed that said Trust would file with the Planning Board a set of plans which would include complete layout plans of Worthen Road and the relocation of Waltham Street, sewer plans, and the final proposed floor grades of the apartment buildings. Among the items dis- cussed was the proposed status of Captain Parker Lane. It was decided that this was to be a drive- 5-18-59 -2- 1 way to service the apartment buildings and was not to be considered as a private way. Thereupon Messrs. Nylander, Tropeano and Carroll left the meeting at 10:15 p.m. After further discussion of the Trust 's site plan the Board was of the opinion that the general layout scheme needed further study, several buildings appearing not to be well related to each other and others being too close together. Considered next by the Board and discussed with Mr. Stevens were the following Form A appli- FORMS A cations for Planning Board jurisdiction: #59-39, submitted May 14, 1959 by Torsten H. Reenstierna, Trustee Vine Brook Realty Trust, by Alfred P. Tropeano, its Attorney, plan entitled "Plan of Land in Lexington,. Mass.", Scale: 1" = 40' , dated April 28, 1959, Miller & Nylander, C.E. ' s & Surveyors. #59-40, submitted May 14, 1959 by Torsten H. Reenstierna, Trustee Vine Brook Realty Trust, plan entitled "A Subdivision Land Court Case No. 27677 Laid in Lexington, Mass.", Scale: 1" = 40' , dated April 28, 1959, Miller & Nylander, C.E. 's & Surveyors. It was decided to withhold action on the plan accompanying Form A #59-39 for the reason that minor modifications were needed in the plan as sub- mitted. Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was unanimously VOTED: that the plan accompanying application #59-40 does not require approval under Subdivision Control Law and that the plan be so endorsed with the notation that lot 4 does not con- form to the minimum requirements of the Lex- ington Zoning By-law. With reference to the Board's planning ses- sion held on May 6, 1959 Mr. Snow reported that he LAND FOR had discussed with Mr. Stevens the Board' s decision RECREATIONAL to recommend to the Selectmen that lot 11 fronting PURPOSES on Holton Road in the Patriot's Forest subdivision be acquired for recreational purposes. Mr. Stevens HOLTON reported that he had discussed the matter with Mr. ROAD Harvey W. Newgent, owner of said lot, who indi- cated willingness to dispose of the property. Mr. Stevens suggested that the lot might be acquired 5-18-59 for the price of the 1958 taxes due the town for said lot, the Selectmen requiring that the check for the purchase price be endorsed by Mr. Newgent and given to the Tax Collector for taxes due. Mr. Stevens pointed out that when he discussed the ac- quisition with the Selectmen there was some ques- tion of the wisdom of acquiring said lot for recreational purposes . It was decided that Mr. Snow should prepare for the Board's consideration a memorandum in which he set forth his reasons for recommending the acquisition of said lot. After Mr. Stevens left the meeting there was a review of current problems being considered by the Board. The meeting adjourned at 11 :20 p.m. Charles T. Abbott Chairman L * * * ADDENDUM , May 19, 1959 Mr. Roger Marshall Marshall & Sons, Inc. 315 Marrett Road Lexington 73, Mass . Dear Mr. Marshall: The Planning Board has given further consideration to your proposal that the local business district at Waltham Street and Marrett Road be expanded to include lots 76 and 77 fronting on Grapevine Avenue. It is understood that the Marshall firm proposed to use lot 77 for parking purposes and the existing house thereon for an office, moving said house onto lot 76. As you will no doubt recall from the Board's dis- cussion with you on May 14 , 1059, it is contrary to the policy of the Board to extend light industry located in a local business district. With the ex- ception of the baked goods shop and baking in con- nection with the same, it is the opinion of the Board that your firm's business, as it exists and as it is proposed to expand, is light industrial in nature . For this reason the Board would not be in favor of a 5-18-59 -3- IIproposal for rezoning lots 76 and 77 for the purposes 11 you have in mind. Sincerely yours, LEXINGTON PLANNING BOARD /s/ Charles T. Abbott, Chairman May 19, 1959 Mr. Edward H. Hinds, Trustee, Hinds Realty Trust 19 Coolidge Hill Road Watertown, Mass. Dear Mr. Hinds: The Lexington Planning Board has studied the two plans which you left with the Board on March 17, 1959 and con- cerning rich you desired informal opinions. As you note, the first plan showing 89 lots consisting of 12,500 sq. ft. or more and having only 100 feet of frontage does not conform with the minimum requirements of Lexington's Zoning By-law. Lots in the area in which your land is located are required to have 150 feet of frontage and a minimum area of 30,000 square feet. One of the reasons the Town set forth these requirements in zoning this and other outlying land in Lexington was to provide large enough lots for individual sewage disposal systems where in general town sewers would or could not be constructed. The Board would not be in favor of a proposal to rezone the area which you wish to have subdivided for 100 foot lots, particularly where in the Woodhaven area there is now so much difficulty with individual sewage disposal systems. In regard to your second plan showing 36 lots having a minimum of 150 feet of frontage and an area of 30,000 sq. ft . , the proposed extension of Cutler Farm Road, as you noted also, is some 2600 feet in length whereas under Lexington ' s present subdivision rules and regula- tions dead-end streets, permanently designed as such, shall not be longer than 500 feet unless, in the opinion of the Board, a greater length is necessitated by top- ography or other local conditions. Cutler Farm Road, a private way, is already over 800 feet in length. It is the Planning Board' s belief that it would not be in the public interest and consistent with the Subdivision Con- trol Law to waive the requirements of said subdivision rules and regulations with reference to approving any 5-18-59 further extension of Cutler Farm Road. In commenting further on your second plan, it would appear that there would be drainage problems in con- nection with the development of your land, both as to constructing a road through the swampy area shown on the plan and also in obtaining rights to flow onto the land of others surface drain water from the end of your proposed location of Cutler Farm Road. In addi- tion a second recognized means of access needs to be obtained to your land. Perhaps it may be possible to obtain this by means of land assembly after the layout of Route 2 is finally determined or after property to the east of your land is developed in connection with a probable relocation of a portion of Waltham Street. Sincerely yours, LEXINGTON PLANNING BOARD cc : Mr.Raymond A. Carye /s/ Charles T. Abbott 101 Hicks Ave. , Chairman Medford, Mass. 19 May 1959 Mr. Albert C. Brun 23 Richard Road Lexington 73 Mass. Dear Mr. Brun: In reply to your request for a written offer for a portion of your land which the Planning Board has recom- mended that the Town acquire for recreational purposes, the Board reaffirms its previous oral offer made to you and Mr. McCormack, ramely, that the Board is willing under authorityanted to it bythe Town Meetingto obtain an option from you and M . McCormack to purchase land at the rate of $1200 per acre. Approximately eight acres of land would be involved, the parcel of land be- ing located in the southeasterly corner of the McCormack Brun property where it abuts the Harrington School grounds and the rear property lines of lots fronting on Lowell Street. While the exact boundaries of the parcel have not been determined pending some indication from you and your partner that you were willing to grant such an option, it is assumed that to the satisfaction of all concerned these boundaries could be adjusted to a small degree from those shown on the plan prepared for the Planning Board. A copy of this plan entitled "sug- gested Subdivision of McCormack-Brun and Adjacent Lands in Lexington, Mass. ", dated Aug. 24, 1958, was mailed to you sometime ago. f 5-18-59 -4- After a purchase price is agreed upon, other matters such as the option price, the period of the option, and date for delivery of the deed are negotiated. At the request of the Planning Board the Town Counsel then pre- pares the option instrument . When this is properly executed, it is exchanged for the price of the option. A map is generally prepared to accompany the instrument. If a map is not available to accompany said instrument, a description of the parcel involved is set forth in the option. If necessary, theTown has prepared a final plan for recording with the deed at the time of its delivery. With reference to your request for an offer for the building as a separate item, it is understood that only two thirds of said building is located on McCormack-Brun property. Since the Board is informed that you gentlemen only own that portion of the building situated on your land, it is difficult to see how an offer could be made for two thirds of a building. Its location would prevent any effective use of it by the Town. Even if it could be used, the Board does not think the building adds anything to the value of the property. Sincerely yours, LEXINGTON PLANNING BOARD /s/ Charles T. Abbott, Chairman cc : Mr.Paul J.McCormack 1779 Massachusetts Avenue Lexington 73 Mass.