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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1959-11-02 PLANNING BOARD MEETING II November 2, 1959 A regular meeting of the Lexington Planning Board was held in the Board's office, Town Office Building, on Monday, November 2, 1959 at 7:30 p.m. Present were Vice Chairman Grindle, Members Burnell, Mabee and Soule, and Planning Director Snow. Town Counsel Stevens was present from 9:15 to 10:10 p .m. Approved by the Board were the following bills which had been presented for payment : to be paid from BILLS General expenses account, George Smith, drafting sup- plies-45.38; Perry L. Norton, professional services-- 8150 .00; Hatfield 's Color Shop, drafting supplies-- 18.02. To be paid from the street and options account, T.H.Reenstierna, appraisal of Herzog and Benklev properties-4100.00. Considered next by the Board was the possible acquisition by the Town for recreational purposes of HAWTHORNE Esco Builders, Inc . land located between Hawthorne ACRES Road and the town-owned Willard Woods property. (See LAND FOR October 26, 1959 Planning Board minutes ) In Con- RECREATION nection with said corporation 's proposed development USE of this land as an addition to the Hawthorne Acres - subdivision, the Board reviewed the Town Engineer' s ESCO original estimates of construction costs of roads BUILDERS within said nroposed addition . From 8:00 to 8:30 p.m. INC . Mr. Spagnuola met with the Board to discuss these matters and to make the following offers- (1) that Esco Builders sell to the Town the entire 9-acre parcel involved for '41500 per acre, the total cost being 813,5O0; that said corporation sell to the Town the four lots which could be laid out between the pro- posed location of Emerson Road and the Willard Woods property, the two northerly lots to cost 17000 each and the two southerly X6500 each, Esco Builders con- structing Emerson Road at no cost to the Town. Mr. Snow was asked to have an appraiser estimate the real estate values involved and confer with the Superintend- ent of Public Works in regard to construction costs so that the Board would have additional information to consider further at its next meeting the acquisition of said Esco Builders land. From 8:30 to 8:45 p.m. Mr.DeVries met with the Board in regard to the Lowell Estates subdivision (see FORM A this item later in the minutes) and also in regard to the following Form A application for determination of Planning Board jurisdiction: #59-70, submitted November 2, 1959 by Win- chester Development Corp. ; plan entitled 11-2-59 -2- "Revised Plan of Part of Section 4 Winchester Estates Winchester Mass.", dated Aug. 18, 1959, Scale : 1 in. = 40 ft. , Fred A. Joyce, Surveyor. Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was unani- mously VOTED: that the Lexington Planning Board determines that the plan accompanying Form A application #59-70 does not require approval under the Subdivision Control Law, and that said plan be so endorsed. Considered next were the petitions to be heard BOARD OF by the Board of Appeals on November 17, 1959. It was APPEALS decided to take no action on said petitions with the exceptithn of that of the Raytheon Company. In re- RAYTHEON gard to the latter 's petition it was the unanimous opinion that the Planning Board should go on record as being opposed to the granting of the same. From notes dictated to Mr. Snow he was asked to draft for the Planning Board 's consideration at its next meet- ing a letter to the Board of Appeals setting forth the Planning Board' s position in regard to the sign pro- posed for erection. Mr. Stevens next met with the Board to con- KENRICK sider various matters currently before it . He was ESTATE given prints of a plan entitled 'Compiled Plan of LAND FOP Land in Lexington Mass. ", dated Oct . 19, 1950, and EMERSON RD prepared by John J. Carroll, Town Engineer, said plan AND RECREA- showing the parcel of Oscar B. Kenrick estate land TIONAL the Planning Board was recommending be acquired for PURPOSES recreational purposes and the extension of Emerson Road . Mr. Stevens was requested to negotiate with OPTION the lawyer of said estate to purchase said parcel of land and to obtain an option for such a purchase. Discussed also was the Lowell Estates subdi- LO1. ELL vision and Mr. DeVries ' request for a partial re- ESTATES leawe of a covenant in regard to the same. An exe- - cuted grant of easements instrument and a certified LEXINGTON check in the sum of $1000 which Mr. DeVries left with DEVELOPMENT the Board were given to Mr. Stevens. Said check was COMPANY filed in connection with Mr. DeVries ' request and the October 23, 1959 letter of the Supt. of Public Works in regard to said subdivision . Mr. Stevens reported that he had not received from the Lexin--ton Develop- ment Company, the subdivider, an executed agreement in connection with the request for a partial release of conveyances. He said, however, that if the Board votes to sign the partial release of covenant which -3- 10, 1860, from John A. Bellizia, Conservator for the property of Vincent N. Bellizia, in which it was requested that the Planning Board disapprove the application of Pond Realty Trust for the reason that it was believed rainfall which would normally percolate into the ground would be car- ried through drains in the proposed subdivision and be cast onto the Pine Meadows golf course, etc (See addendum. ) Locations of proposed storm drains and sanitary sewers were then pointed out on the plan and discussed In view of the fact that there was no indication from the plan that storm drains would not direct drainage into said golf course, members of the F'oard requested Mr. Snow to write a letter to Mr. Bellizia informing him of the situation and offering to discuss the subdivision plan with him. Mr. Alfred Carpentier and Mr. Warren Castor of 58 and 60 Reed St , respectively, inquired about the status of the so-called road to the Trust land from Reed Street It was pointed out that this was n fact a driveway over part of the Pond Realty Trust land and that the Castors and Alexanders had rights of way over said driveway. It was also pointed out that this driveway from the Alexander and Castor lots to Reed Street would be recon- structed to town specifications and become cart of a proposed road as shown on the subdivision plan. Mr Charles Alexander, 62 Reed Street, Mr. Carpentier, and Mr. Jamos O 'Shaugnessy, 24 Garfield Street, inquired about sewer locations and con- struction. The details of the sewer construction as shown on the plans were explained. It was sug- gested that Mr. Alexander communicate with repre- sentatives of the Pond Realty Trust with reference to his specific question in regard to the replace- ment of the cesspool which was located on the Trust ' s land and which served his residence. Mr. James E. Day, 36 Vaille Avenue, inquired when the remaining portion of the Trust land would be developed and connected to Vaille and Kimball Avenues. Members of the Board had no knowledge as to when this might take place and suggested that he ask the representatives of the Trust about this matter. When there were no further questions or com- ments in regard to the plan it was taken under ad- visement and the hearing declared closed at 8:40 p.m. After the hearing Mr. Stevens met with the 7-2 -Ac -4- Board -4- Board until 9:40 plm discussing with it various LAND FOR matters under current consideration. Particularly RECREATIOTTAL discussed was his letter of July 18, 1960 to the PFRPOSES Planning Director in regard to Mr. Stevens ' attempts to negotiate with Mr. Sleeper, attorney for Esco ESCO BLDRS Builders, Inc . for a price which might be satisfac- tory to both said corporation and the Planning Board for the remaining undeveloped portion of the Haw- thorne Acres subdivision land which the Board wished to acquire for street, playground and recreational purposes. Noting that Mr. Sleeper had discussed the matter with Mr. Spagnuolo further, that the latter believed that the price he had offered was a fair one, and that he was not interested in discussing any further figure, the Board decided to request that an article be included in the warrant for the next town meeting seeking authority for the Town to take the land by eminent domain It was decided in the mean- time that Mr. Snow and Mr. Burnell world discuss fur- ther with Mr. Harry x. Berglund his appraisal of the Lseo Builders land and to attempt to negotiate fur- ther with Mr. Spagnuola for the purchase of said land. Discussed next with Mr. Stevens was the LOWELL situation in regard to the Lowell Estates subdivision . ESTATES Read first was Mr Stevens ' letter of July 22, 1960 to the Planning Director, enclosing a cony of a pro- WESTCHESTEF2 posed agreement to be executed by Westchester Es- ESTATES, tates, Inc agreeing to complete by July 2 , 1961 the INC. installation and construction of ways and services to serve certain lots in the Lowell Estates subdivision. Also read was Mr. John J. Carroll ' s letter of July 2 , 1960 setting forth that the ways and services to serve the particular lots referred to in the proposed agreement had been completed except for the sidewalks and the loaming and seeding of the shoulders, and sug- gesting that said corporation be required to post a bond in the amount of ('3,250 to secure the construc- tion of this work. The proposed agreement dated July 25, 1060 and duly executed, together with a certified check in the above amount were accented and found to be in order. Thereunon, upon motion duly made and seconded, it was unanimously VOTED that the Lexington Planning Board sign a par- tial release of covenant for required work re- ferred to in the covenant executed by George J. DeVries and John S. DeVries, dated Feb. 13, 1959, and release lots numbered 1, 2, 5, 6, 15, 34, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 5o, 51, and 52 in said subdivision plan entitled "Lowell Es- tates Lexington, Mass.", dated December 9, 1958, from the provisions as to sale and building specified in said covenant . 11-2-59 -3- he had prepared he would hold the same until such time as he had received said agreement . Thereupon, upon motion duly made and seconded, it was unani- mously VOTE- that the Lexington Planning Board sign a par- tial release of covenant for required work re- ferred to in the covenant executed by George J. DeVries and John S. DeVries, dated Feb.. 13, 1959, and release lots 3, 4, 14, and 35 shown on the subdivision plan entitled "Lowell Es- tates Lexington, Mass. ", dated December 9, 1958, from the provisions as to sale and build- ing specified in said covenant . Upon proper execution of the instrument by a majority of the Board, it was given to Mr. Stevens . Mr. Snow reported that Mr. Kobrick of the Way- ming Realty Trust had informed him by telephone that WAYMINT said Trust would accept the price offer of $20,000 for REALTY land it was desired to acquire for recreational pur- TRUST noses. Mr. Snow was asked to prepare a plan of said land from which 1r. Stevens could draft an option in- strument to purchase said land. The Board's attention was next called to Mr. Arthur G. Manaselian' s October 30, 1959 letter in LEXINGTON regard to the Associates Realty Trust request for INN approval of plans for an addition to the Lexington - Inn. The Board examined the set of plans accompany- ASSOCIATED ing said letter, said set consisting of three sheets REALTY dated October 28, 1°5". It was decided to consider TRUST these plans in detail but also to notify Mr. Manaselian of the proper procedure for their approval by the Board of Appeals under the Zoning By-law. After Mr. Stevens left the meeting the Board considered further other matters currently before it and then adjourned its meeting at 10:45 p.m. 'ichard H. Soule Clerk I