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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1960-06-13 PLANNING BOARD MEETING June 13 , 1960 A regular meeting of the Lexington Planning Board washeld on Monday, June 13, 1960 at 7:45 p.i . in the Board's office, Town Office Building. Present were Chairman Burnell, Members Grindle, Mabee, Meyer and Soule, and Planning Director Snow. Approved for payment by the Board were the following presented bills : Minute-man Publications, BILLS advertising--$3 .67; Wallace B. Mitchell Co. , draft- ing supplies--$3 . 60, Spaulding-Moss Co. , drafting supplies-- 42.25; Donald C. Richardson, professional services May 31 through June 10, $170.00, car mile- age, 1.60; Harry W. Porter, professional services, June 1 through June 10, 1960-- 150.00. Considered next by the Board were the follow- ing Form A annlications for determination of Planning FORMS A Board jurisdiction: #60-42, submitted June 13, 1960 by R. L. Higgins, Engr. for Town of Lexington; plan entitled "Plan of Land between Lots 223 and 225 Winthrop Road Lexington, Mass.", Scale: 1" = 40 ' , dated June 10, 1960, John J. Carroll, Town Engineer. "60-43, submitted June 13, 1960 by Alfred G. Jones b.T his attorney, William H. Curnyn; plan entitled "Plan of Land in Lexington, Mass. Be- longing to Alfred G. Jones," scale: 1 in = 40 ft, dated June 1960, Rowland H. Barnes & Co., C.E ' s . Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was unanimously VOTED: that the Lexington Planning Board determines that the plans accompanying applications #60- 42 and #60-43 do not require approval under the Subdivision Control Law, and that the nlans be so endorsed. At 8 00 p.m. Mr Richard H. Lovell of Rackemann, Sawyer & Brewster, Counselors at Law, and Mr. Charles Kenny of C W. Whittier & Bro. , came to the meeting to discuss the possibilities of rezoning the northerly portion o f the Roberts T=,ros . land bounded in part by 6-13-60 -2- Routes 2 and Spring Street Mr. Norman T. May, COUNTRY-WIDE Attorney, also attended the meeting at the same time 01.T ICES having been requested by one of the Roberts brothers to represent them. Messrs. Kenny and Lovell informed REZONING the Board that their clients, Country-wide Offices, PROPOSAL Inc . , had a purchase and sales agreement to acquire within a yearts time approximately one-half of the ROBERTS BROS. total of about forty acres of land described above for the location of an office building. They stated also that it was the desire of the Roberts brothers to have all their land as described rezoned from R 1 to C 3 use . The procedure under which rezoning in Lexington takes place was then described in detail. Mr. Kenny exhibited a brochure and preliminary plans depicting the type of office building and ser- vices it was pronosed to locate on the site. He stated that the building would be about 500 feet long and 200 feet wide, would have approximately 116,000 square feet of rental space, and would cost along with the development of the site about $2,000,000. Mr. Kenny also said that representatives of the Fuller Construction Co. had examined the site and had in- formed him that they foresaw no problems in connec- tion with its development . In discussing the matter of access Mr. Kenny said that he understood that in connection with the widening of Routes 2 and 128 the State Department of Public Works intended to take about six acres of the Poberts land and to provide it with a right-of-way from Spring Street by taking a strip of Cowles land in Lexington. Members of the Board pointed out, how- ever, that the site for the proposed office building had only one means of access whereas in any subdivi- sion of land as extensive as proposed, it was the policy of the Board to require two means of access. It was pointed out also that the parcel of land on which it was pronosed to locate the office building had no frontage on a way but as appeared on the site plan was located on a driveway about 2800 feet long. It was also noted that under Lexington ' s subdivision rules and regulations the maximum length a private way could be laid out is 500 feet. Parking facilities were also discussed. Mem- bers of the Board pointed out that space for only about 354 automobiles had been provided on the site plan whereas almost twice the number of spaces should be available for the type of office building it was proposed to erect. Mr. Snow noted how important he thought it was to have another means of access to the land with this number of vehicles plus those which 6-13-60 -3- presumably would be parked when the remainder of the Roberts land was developed. He also pointed out what he believed would be the difficulties in grading the building and parking areas on so steep a site in con- trast to the cross section shown on the site plan. Mr. Kenny said he wouldrefer the matter of the park- ing area design to his client 's architect for consid- eration. The lack of a sewer in the area and the little likelihood of the installation of a public sewer in the future was discussed also. Mr. Kenny said that he thought the matter could be taken care of, that he would ask his client ' s consulting engineer to prepare a preliminary plan for a sewage disposal system, and would ask him also about the problems in regard to ascertaining leaching conditions on the site. After a general discussion of further matters in regard to zoning and developing the property it was decided that Mr. Kenny would have prepared a re- vised site elan to discuss with the Board and that he and Messrs. Lovell and May would again meet with the Planning Board when said plan was ready. There- upon the above named gentlemen left the meeting at 9:15 p.m. The Board considered next notices of peti- tions to be heard by the Board of Appeals on June BOARD OF 21, 1960. I_t was decided to take no action in re- APPEALS gard to said petitions. Considered also was a notice of a hearing to be held by the Historic Districts Commission on HISTORIC June 16, 1960. It was decided to take no action in DISTRICTS regard to the application to be considered at said COMMISSION hearing The attention of the Board was called to a copy of a letter dated June 6, 1960 from the Town LAND FOR Counsel to Mr. Carroll, Supt . of Public Works, en- RECREATION closing a copy of a deed from Todd Realty, Inc. to the Town conveying a parcel of the former Oscar B. TODD REALTY Kendrick land which the Town required for recrea- INC . tional purposes and for the purpose of extending Emerson Road to East Street . (See minutes of Planning Board meeting of February 15, 1960. ) The attention of the Board was called to Mr. T. H. Reenstierna 's report of June 9, 1960 in' McCORMACK- regard to his appraisal of that portion of the BRUN LAND McCormack-Brun land which the Board was 'nterested in having the town acquire for recreational pur- 6-13-60 -4- poses. Mr. Snow wasa sked to have this report reproduced so that each member of the Board might have a copy. Attention was also called to a letter dated June 13, 1960 from the Recreation Committee recommending that the Planning Board obtain an option to purchase approximately ten acres of the McCormack-Brun land adjacent to the Harrington School, stating that the Committee be- lieved this section of Lexington needed a major recreation area in the near future. It was de- cided to make available copies of said report and said letter to the Board of Selectmen, Mr. Snow being asked to arrange on the following Monday evening to meet with the Selectmen and discuss the matter of land acquisition. Discussed next by the Board was Mr. Arthur WALTHAM ST G. Manaselian ' s letter of June 13, 1960 submitting A 1 DISTRICT copies of a revised preliminary site plan for the Waltham St. Garden Apartment District, said plan VINE BROOK being dated June 13, 1960 and suggesting modifica- REALTY TRUST tions in the Board 's plan of June 6, 1960. (See Planning Board minutes of June 6, 1960. ) Mr. Snow was asked to study Mr. Manaselian' s modified plan and to prepare for the Board's consideration at its next meeting a reply to Mr. Manaselian ' s letter. The Board considered next a petition of Mr. BOARD OF Manaselian in regard to a shower and locker building APP''ALS and related parking area on the Lexington Inn property. Mr. Snow presented for the Board's con- LEXINGTON INDT sideration a letter dated June 14, 1860 to the Board of Appeals in regard to said petition. The Board approved said letter, requesting that Mr. Burnell and Mr. Snow deliver the same personally to Mr . Nickerson, Chairman of the Board of Appeals, and discuss the letter's content with him. (See adden- dum. ) The meeting adjourned at 11:15 p.m. Irving H. Mabee, fin- ' ADDENDUM June 14, 1960 Board of Appeals Town Office Building Lexington 73, Mass . Gentlemen: Reference is made to your letter of May 16, 1060, its attached petition signed by Arthur G. Manaselian, and 6-13-6o -5- the site and building plans, dated April 12, 1960, accompanying said petition. In reply to your letter the Planning Board herewith submits its final report and recommendations in accordance with Sec . 5 (g) 5 of the Lexington Zoning By-law Considerable time and study by the Planning Board has gone into what was at first thought to be a com- paratively simple petition to erect an accessory b building in an A 1 district. It has been found, however, that what is actually to be acted upon is an application from the Associates Realty Trust for a determination to approve site, plans and building design of a pronosed shower and locker building and related narking area accessory to the Lexington Inn. The Planning Board has treated Mr. Manaselian' s petition from the latter point of view. It appears to this Board that if the Trust wishes to erect a shower and locker building as a convenience for guests staying at the Inn, the pronosed building may be treated as a proper accessory use. It is the opinion of the Board that if this is the purpose of the accessory building, then there is no need of the proposed parking area as an adjunct to the accessory building. On the other hand, if the Trust wishes to erect a shower and locker building for the convenience of persons who are not overnight guests of the Inn, it is the opinion of the Board that this is not a proper accessory or permitted use in an A 1 district but just a separate commercial enterprise. The attention of the Board of Appeals is called to the attached two advertisements, one shown on page 1 of the April 28, 1960 issue of the Lexington Minute-man and the second shown on page 12 of May 26, 1960 issue of the Bedford Minute-man and Bedford Times. It would appear from these advertisements that the proposed ac- cessory building will be of a commercial and profit nature On this basis the Planning Board recommends that the application be disapproved. Sincerely yours, LEXINGTON PLANNING BOARD /s/ Levi G. Burnell, Chairman