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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1959-12-071 PLANNING BOARD MEETING December 7, 1959 A regular meeting of the Lexington Planning Board was held in the office of the Board, Town Office Building, on Monday, December 71 1959 at 7:40 n.m. Present were Chairman Abbott, Members Grindle, Burnell and Mabee, and Planning Director Snow. Town Counsel Stevens was present from 8:40 to 10:30 P.M. The Board approved the minutes of its MINUTES November 16 and 23, 1959 meetings. Approved also by the Board was a bill which had been presented for payment by Minute -man Pub- BILL lishing Co. for advertising --f4.90. Considered next were the following Form A applications for determination of Planning Board FORMS A jurisdiction: #59-81, submitted Dec. 2, 1959 by Custom ' Colonials, Inc, by Joseph E. Chisholm; plan entitled "Plan of Land in Lexington, Mass.", scale: 1" = 40': dated November 30, 19591 Miller & Nylander, C.E.ts & Surveyors. #59-821 submitted Dec. 3, 1959 by Lawrence S. and Lewis H. Ballard; plan entitled "Plan of Land in Lexington, Mass.", Scale: 1" = 20t, dated Nov. 25, 1959, Miller & Nylander, C.E.'s & Surveyors. #59-83, submitted Dec. 4, 1959 by Dean Adams, Agent for Colonial Acres; plan entitled "Sub- division of Part of Lot #21 as shown on Ld. Ct. #27511 Lexington, Mass.1t, Scale: 1" _ 401a dated Dec. 3, 1959s MacCarthy Engineer- ing Service, Inc. Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was unani- mously VOTED: that the Lexington Planning Board determines the lans accompanying Form A applications #59 Ks #59-82 and #95-83 do not require ' approval under the Subdivision Control Law, and that said plans be so endorsed. 12-7-59 -2- From 8:05 to 8:35 p.m. Mr. Richard D. Thompson of Everett M. Brooks Co., C.E Is and ' GLEN ESTATES Mr. Benjamin E. Shaffer of Chestnut Hill met with the Planning Board in regard to the Grant Estates AVADANIAN- definitive subdivision plan which said company was SHAFFER preparing, the Plan showing a residential subdivi- sion of the now or former George Avadanian property which Mr. Shaffer proposed to develop. (See Plan- ning Board minutes of September 81 1959.) Mr. Thompson pointed out on the plan the location of the brook flowing easterly from the adjacent Porter land through lots 11, 121 171 and 18 of the pro- posed subdivision. He said that he and the Town Engineer had determined that the area of the water- shed and brook drain would necessitate the instal- lation of a 48" drainpipe which would take care of the watershed runoff if it was going to be required by town officials to pipe and cover said brook through said lots. Mr. Thompson noted that the 24" drain pipe was adequate to take care of the runoff from the subdivision itself. Mr. Thompson stated that if the subdivider was going to be required to complete the entire drain installation Mr. Shaffer would like to know if the town would share the cost of the same, pay- ing the difference between the cost of supplying and installing a 24" and a 48" drain. Mr. Shaffer said that if he had to assume the entire cost of said installation he could not afford to develop the proposed subdivision. He asked that it not be required to pipe and.cover the brook. The Board requested Messrs. Thompson and Shaffer to set forth in a letter their request in regard to the drain problem, they being informed that the Board would take the matter under consideration and would discuss it with Town Counsel and the Town Engineer. Considered next were the notices of petitions BOARD OF to be heard by the Board of Appeals on December 22, APPEALS 1959. It was decided to take no action in regard to said petitions with the exception of that of Alfred S. Busa. In regard to the latter case it was thought that a front yard only 20' in depth would be detrimental to the Cody property across the street from the former tax title lots 90 to 94 inclusive now owned by the Buse. Realty Trust, and would also set a precedent for future houses to be constructed on the easterly side of Albemarle Avenue. Mr.Snow was asked to visit the site with the Chairman of the Board of Appeals and to discuss the matter of said petition with him. ' 12-7-59 ROBINSON HILL SECTION 3 MA IL ADVERTISING CO. C 3 DISTRICT PARKING POTTER Mr. Stevens came to the meeting at 8:40 p.m. ' at which time he discussed with the Board a number of matters of general interest currently before the Board. He then read his letter of December 3s 1959 to Mr. Francis W. K. Smith, and Mr. Smith's reply in regard to granting the Town an option to acquire for the location of a section of Emerson Road property of Adrian E. E. MacKeen, Jr., 572 Massachusetts Ave., Lexington. After a discussion of said letters it was decided to take no further action at this time in regard to the acquisition of said property. Discussed next was Mr. John J. Carrollts November 17, 1959 letter stating that the required work in the Robinson Hill Section 3 subdivision had been completed to his satisfaction. Messrs. Abbott and Snow stated that they had discussed with Mr. Carroll the partial installation of the curb oppo- site Diana Lane on the southerly side of the Childs Road pavement, and Mr. Carroll's opinion that all of said curb as shown on the definitive subdivision plan was not needed. It was suggested that the mem- bers of the Board view the situation on the ground before giving further consideration to the matter of complete curb installation. ' Mr. Stevens reported on the inquiry which had been received from the realtor Mr. Andrews of the American Mail Advertising Co., Inc., 610 Newbury St., Boston as to whether or not a direct mail advertis- ing concern could be allowed properly in a C 3 dis- tricts in this particular case on the former Richards property at the easterly corner of Spring Street and the Cambridge -Concord highway. He said that it was intended to construct a building having a floor area of approximately 20,000 sq. ft.$ about 3,000 of which it was proposed to use for executive offices, }},000 for typists and automatic typing equipment, 4,000 for files, 2,000 for storage, 1,000 for duplicating equipment, and 3,000 for a mail room. After a general discussion of the zoning by-law and this advertising business, the Board had some mis- givings as to whether or not it could be properly allowed as noted above. Before making any decision in regard to the matter the Board asked Mr. Mabee to visit the company's present plant to see just what kind of activity was carried on and.what equipment was involved in said company's business. Attention was next given to Mr.William L. Potter's request for establishment of a parking ' area on land owned by them and located on Waltham Street in the vicinity of Marrett Road. (See Planning Board minutes of November 161 1959.) Mr. ROBINSON HILL SECTION 3 MA IL ADVERTISING CO. C 3 DISTRICT PARKING POTTER 12-7-59 -4- Stevens discussed the matter with the Planning Board as he had earlier in the evening with the ' Selectmen. (In this regard seethe Selectmen's minutes of December 7, 1959.) In addition he pointed out to.the Planning Board that under Sec. 5(a)l. of the Town's Zoning By-law a park- ing area might be permitted as a municipal use whereas under Sec. 9(d) the use of land for off- street parking was questionable in that municipal use is a primary use in an R 1 district but not the primary use, the latter being residential. At the conclusion of the discussion the Planning Board decided that the use of Lot 10 as shown on L.C. Plan No. 18315N for parking purposes was questionable and that the Board before making any recommendation to amend the zoning by-law to provide for off-street parking in such a case should give the problem further study. It was decided further to write a letter to Mr. Potter informing him that the Board had the matter under general consideration and would give the matter detailed consideration after the publication of its forthcoming report. (See addendum.) The Board discussed also with Mr. Stevens GREEN VALTZY ' drain problems in the proposed Green Valley Sec. SEC. 5 5 (see Planning Board minutes of November 30, - 1959) and Glen Estates subdivisions. In regard GLEN ESTATES to the first named subdivision it was pointed out SUBDIVISIONS that Munroe Brook had always been a burden on the land now owned by Mr. Busa and that if he desired to develop his land as a residential subdivision and in order to do so it would be necessary to cross said brook with a road, then Mr. Buss, should assume the entire cost of the construction of a box culvert to accommodate said brook. In the case of the Glen Estates subdivision, it was noted that the brook flowing through the Avadanian land was also a burden on said land but it was not necessary to cross the brook with a road to develop the land as a residential subdivision. It was also noted that in this particular instance the brook flowing through four of the proposed lots in said subdivi- sion apparently would not interfere with the con- struction of houses and would not constitute a health hazard. It was suggested, therefore, that before considering whether or not the developer would have to pipe said brook, it should be de- termined for what reason it was being required that the brook be piped and covered. Mr. Snow was ' asked to discuss this matter with the Supt, of Public Works and inform the Board of the results of the conference. 12-7-59 -5- After Mr. Stevens left the meeting Mr. Reenstierna's November 30, 1959 letter to the VINE BROOK Planning Board was read. In reply to said letter REALTY it was decided that Mr. Abbott would arrange a -TRUST conference at which he and Mr. Snow, Mr. Reen- stierna and his architect would be present for WALTHAM ST. the purpose of showing Mr. Reenstierna the progress A 1 DISTRICT which had been made in preparing a site plan SITE PLAN acceptable to the Board, and nartieularly for the purpose of reviewing the latest studies which Mr. Snow had prepared. Said studies were then con- sidered and approved by the Board, Mr. Snow being requested to -assemble them into one plan to serve as a basis for the conference. There being no further business to transact at the time the Planning Board meeting was ad- journed at 11:00 p.m. Charles T. Abbott Chairman ADDENDUM 10 December 1959 Mr. William L. Potter 21 Fair Oaks Terrace Lexington 73, Mass. Dear Mr. Potter: Reference is made to your conference with the Planning Board on November 16 ,1959 in regard to rezoning for parking purposes a small portion of lot 10 shown on Land Cov.rt plan No. 18315H. In studying the problem of providing for park- ing spaces next to C 1 districts, it was noted under Sec. 9(d) of Lexington's Zoning By-law that no land in an R 1 district shall be used to provide off-street parking for a business enterprise or for any other pur- pose not incidental to the primary permitted use of said land., the primary permitted use being residential. While it appears under this paragraph that the use of lot 10 for parking purposes is questionable, the Board 12-7-59 -6- will give the problem further study. As it is understood ' Mr. Snow told you, the Planning Board has this matter under general consideration as.will be described in its forthcoming report and plans to give the parking problem in all business districts detailed consideration after the publication of said report. Sincerely yours, LEXINGTON PLANNING BOARD /s/ Charles T. Abbott Chairman 1 1