HomeMy WebLinkAbout1960-03-21PLANNING BOARD MEETING
March 21, 1960
A regular meeting of the Lexington Plan-
ning Board was held. in the Planning Board's Office,
Town Office Building, on Tlondav, March 21, 1960 at
7:30 a.m. Present were Chairman Burnell, Members
Grindle, Mabee, Meyer and Soule, and Planning
Director Snow.
The Board considered and approved the minutes
of the public hearing held by the Board on March 8, PROPOSED
1960. Considered also and approved by the Board were ZONING
drafts of Planning Board reports on Articles 52 and BY-LAW
53 in the warrant for the Annual Town Meeting to be AMENDMENTS
held on March 21, 1960. (See addendum.)
The meeting adjourned at 7:50 p.m. so that
members of the Board could attend said Town Meeting.
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' Irving H. Mabee
Clerk
ADDENDUM
Lexington Planning Board Report on the Amendment
to the Zoning By-law Proposed by Article 52.
On March 8, 1960 at 8:00 p.m. the Planning Board
held a public hearing on the proposal to amend the Lexing-
ton Zoning By-law set forth in Article 52 of the Warrant
for the Annual Town Meeting on March 21, 1960. Sixteen
persons attended the hearing due notice of which was given
according to law. At the close of the hearing an expres-
sion of opinion by those present showed 14 persons in favor
and no persons opposed to the amendment as presented.
The proposal involves the amendment of the provisions
pertaining to special permits which may be granted for uses
In R 1 districts by the Board of Appeals under paragraph (a)
7, of Section 5, Permitted Buildings and Uses. The amend-
ment would delete subparagraph a of paragraph 7.
' The present by-law gives the Board of Appeals dis-
cretionary authority to grant special permits for property
in R 1, single family residential districts, to be used for
conducting trucking and express businesses. The by-law it-
self imposes no limitations to serve as a guide to the Board '
of Appeals in the exercise of this autbority. Under the
present wording of the by-law, a permit may be granted to use
the whole or any part of an existing dwelling for one or both
of these purposes, or a permit may be granted to erect an
entirely new building to be used solely for these purposes.
Thus, by Board of Appeals action, it is possible to change
an entire piece of property in a residential zone from a
residential use to a commercial use. This in effect results
in a change in land use from residential to commercial pur-
poses without the land involved coming before a Town Meeting
for rezoning.
The Planning Board believes that the present by-law
allowing residential property to be used for trucking and
express businesses is incompatible witl, the other uses now
permitted in residential districts. This by-law originated
In our zoning law mann years ago when.there was a smaller
population and the town was not so concerned with mixed land
use of residential districts as it is today. There are no
similar type business uses now permitted in residential
districts. Therefore, the nlannin7 Board feels that now is
the time to eliminate trucking and express business use from
residential districts.
The proposed amendment to Section 5, by eliminating '
trucking and express business as a permitted use in resi-
dential districts, limits the situations where a special
permit may be granted by the Board of Appeals for trucking
and express business in C 1 and C 21 local business and
veneral business, districts. A person who desires to
operate a trucking and express business in a place for which
there is no valid permit outstan ding at the time of the
adoption of the amendment would have.to locate said busi-
ness, subject to a Board of Appeals permit, in a C 1 or C 2
district.
Members of the Planning Board unanimously recommend
the adoption of the amendment under Article 52.
(Signed) Levi G. Burnell, Chairman
Thomas S. Grindle
Irving H. Mabee
Robert E. Meyer
Richard H. Soule
Lexington Planning Bonrd Deport on the Amend-
ment to the Zoning By-law Proposed by Art. 53.
On March 8, 1960 at 8:00 p.m., the Planning* Board ,
held a public hearing on the proposal to amend the Lexington
Zoning By-law set forth In hrtlele 53 of the Warrant for the
3-21-60 -3-
Annual Town Meeting on March 21, 1960. Sixteen persons
attended the hearing due notice of which was given accord-
ing to law. At the close of the hearing an expression of
opinion by those present showed 16 persons in favor and
no nerson opposed to the amendment as presented.
This proposal represents a request by the Board of
Appeals for a technical change in the zoning by-law. Under
Section 14 of said by-law the Selectmen now anpoint four
associate members of the Board of Appeals to take the place
of any regular members who in the case of vacancies, in-
terests, etc. are unable to act. It is understood that on
several occasions during vacation times it was found that
it was not possible to assemble a combination of five mem-
bers and associate members of the Board of Appeals to act
upon various matters. It is thought that this situation
could be corrected by having available one more associate
member to call upon during vacation periods. The proposed
amendment would change the number of associate members
from four to five.
Members of the Planning Board unanimously recommend
the adoption of the amendment under Article 53.
(Signed) Levi G. Burnell, Chairman
' Thomas S. Grindle
Irving H. Mabee
Robert E. Meyer
Richard H. Soule
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