Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout1960-10-24 PL TNTNG `'OAT'D MEETING October 2L, 1960 A regular meeting of the Lexington Planning Board was held on Monday, October 2L , 1960 at 7 30 n.m. in the Board 's office, Town Office Building. Present were Chairman Burnell, members Grindle, Mabee, Meyer and Soule, and Planning Director Snow. Approved by the Board were the minutes of its September 19 and 26 and October 3 and 10, 1960 MINUTES meetings. Also approved for payment were the follow- ing bills which had been presented Minute-man Pub- BILLS lications, Inc. , advertising-- 3.67 ; Fred Stone, Inc., white prints-- 24.18. Read to the Board and considered by it were notices of petitions to be heard by the Board of BOARD OF Anneals on November 15, 1960 . With the exception APPEALS of the Grigor petition it was decided to take no action on those to be heard Tn regard to the named petition, Mr. Snow was asked to obtain addi- tional information for consideration by the Board . With reference to the Ehlers petition which was granted by the Board of Appeals, read to the Board were letters from the Board of Appeals, dated October 18 and 20, in which it was stated that Mr. Ehlers intended to enter his property from the upper end of Wachusett Drive and preferred not to have the lower end surfaced. It was also stated that in all future cases concerning subdivisions of land on either accented or unaccepted streets the Board of Appeals was going to adopt the procedure of referring the petitions to the Planning Board and act on said petitions after the Planning Board had made its find- ings in each case. With reference to Mr. Jaquith 's discussion with the Board on October 17 in regard to the nossi- KINGSTON HOMES bility of rezoning Kingston Homes ' land for commer- INC . RE- cial use, Mr. Snow exhibited to the Board a elan of ZONING the land which would be involved . It was noted that PROPOSAL the plan entitled "Plan of Land in Lexington and Woburn, Mass. ", dated April 22, 1059 and prepared by MacCarth- Engineering Service, Inc . accompanied Form A application #59-33. Mr. Snow called the Board ' s attention to his reply to Miss Williams ' letter of October 5, 1960 SENIOR inquiring about matters relative to the use of the LIVING, INC . land Senior Living, Inc . owned in the vicinity of 10-11- 0 -2- Cottage Street . (See addendum. ) Read to the Board and approved by it was the SCHOOL SITES draft of a letter to Roland B. Greeley with reference COMMITTEE to his letter of May 21, 1960 in regard to school sites . (See minutes of May 23, 1960 planning Board Meeting. ) Mr. Snow was asked to prepare a sketch plan to accompany said letter, the plan to show the land involved in the nronosed study to which refer- ence was made in the letter. (See addendum. ) Read to the Board and approved by it was the CRANDALL LAND draft of a letter to Mr. Lynch, attorney for Mr. and FOR RECREA- Mrs. Newton V. Crandall, in regard to the °lanning TIONAL Board' s offer that the town acquire a portion of the PURPOSES Crandall land for school, playground and recreational purposes. (See addendum. ) From 8:30 to 9:50 p.m. Mr. Stanley Tregalis REZnNING of Country-wide Offices, Inc . , Mr. Richard H. Lovell P?OPOSAL of Rackemann, Sawyer & P rewster, Mr. Charles Kenny of C . T. Whittier & Bro. , Mr. Bernard Roberts of COUNTRY-WIDE Newton, and Mr. Norman C . May, attorney for Mr. OFFICES, INC . Roberts and his brother, met with the Board to dis- cuss further the proposal to rezone the Roberts brothers ' land southeasterly of the intersection of Routes 2 and 12R ( see minutes of September 19, 1960) . Mr. May said that he did not think the group repre- sented could come to the Board with a petition in which all property owners abutting the Roberts ' land would request a zoning change to C 3 use of the area bounded by Spring Street, Routes 2 and 128 and the Waltham city line . Mr. May reported that only three of the six property owners would state that they were in favor of rezoning. He also reported that Mr. and Mrs. Snodgrass and Mr. and Mrs . Morley, of 163 and 165 Spring Street, respectively, did not object to the rezoning of the area described except that they did not want their land rezoned. The question was asked of the Board if it was still of the opinion that said entire area of about 60 acres should be developed as a unit . Mr. May stated that the reason for asking the question was that he thought a second exit to the Roberts land could be obtained through the Greene property if both parcels were zoned together as a C 3 district. He said, however, that before ant* dickering for an exit were done an expression was wanted from the Board in regard to the matter. Mr. May also said that all owners would sell their property but at fantastic prices. He stated further that because this was so he thought the area would have to be developed piecemeal unless there was a buyer with sufficient financial re- sources to acquire all the properties involved The Board indicated that it had not changed its opinion Oct. 24,1060 -3- ' that the entire area should be developed as a unit but would consider the matter once again Mr. Burnell rave a report of his conversa- tion earlier in the evening with Mr. and Mrs. John REZONING E. Bye who wish to have lot 10 located on the south- PROPOSAL westerly corner of Lincoln Street and Marrett Road - rezoned for commercial uses for the purpose of con- BYE verting the existing barn on said lot into a busi- ness establishment for a "Putnam Pantry Candies and Ice Creams" store. The matter was taken under ad- visement . From 10 00 to 10 .30 p.m. Mrs. Morey, Chair- man of the Board of Selectmen, met with the Board ALCOTT ROAD to discuss several matters . Of particular interest was her letter of September 29, 1060 to the Board BURNHAM FARMS in regard to changing the name of a portion of SECS. 2 & 5 Alcott Road. Afterwards the Board discussed the - matter further . It was• pointed out that in any HOLMES ROAD street numbering and naming one of the basic theo- ries set forth is that streets which are more or less in alignment should carry the same street name It was decided that in view of the fact that through some misunderstanding Mrs. Morey had mace a committ- ment at a public hearing that the section of Alcott Road in the Burnham Farms, Section 2 subdivision would not be renumbered and that the name of the sec- tion of Alcott Road in the Burnham Farms, Sec. K sub- division could be changed, the Board decided it would in this case only make an eYcention to its nolicy of renaming sections of streets as noted above and change the name of Alcott Road in the Burnham Farms Section 5 subdivision to Holmes Road. The Planning 'loard adjourned its meeting at 10 :45 p .m. / / / /7G-12- ' Irvinrg H. Mabee, Clerk ADDENDUM October 24, 1060 Mr. Poland B. '"rreeley, Chairman School Sites Committee 1350 Massachusetts Avenue Lexington 73, Massachusetts Tear Roly 10-_L -60 -4- In reviewing its records the Planning Board finds that it overlooked replying to your letter of May 21, 1960 although it is understood that Mr. Snow acknowledged it orally stat- ing that the Board had a different point of view than the one set forth in the fifth point in Your letter The Board believes that the general area in the vicinity of Follen Hill is the best location for a school site. It is thought, however, that the land lying across the lower end of Moreland Avenue, this nortion of the way being a naper street, or the higher land of Carrig just to the south of this naper street should be the location for the site rather than nart of the tract the Town voted to acquire from the Tower estate. Tt is Mr. Snow' s recommendation that the northerly portion of the Tower tract be left largely as a natural area and the southerly portion be used as a play- ground and nlayfield and as the location for a nortion of Worthen Road. Later on, in connection with a study of the entire area which needs to be made, Mr . Snow can study in more detail the comparative values of land for a school site in the Follen Hill vicinity. Sincerely, LEXIPT(rTOrT PLANNING BOARD /s/ Levi 7. Burnell, Chairman October 14, 1960 Miss Constance Milliams, Clerk Senior Living, Inc. 264 Boylston Street Boston 16, Massachusetts Pear Miss T•'illiams "our letter of October 5 to me has been referred to and discussed by the planning Board . In reply to your inquiries it is our opinion that the unnamed way on w' ich the lots 20 to 24 inclusive front is only a raper street. If, as you sug- gest, Senior Living, Tnc , should acquire lots 17, le and 19 and combine them with those now owned bar the cornoration, it would only have a frontage of 71.07 feet on Cottage Street However, if it were found that the cornoration owns the fee in the said unnamed way, the frontage on Cottage Street would then be increased by at least the way' s width, i .e. , 25 feet Of course, as you realize,this is insufficient frontage under the zoning by-law to erect either a garden apartment building or a building to be used as a boarding house. In regard to the idea of petitioning the Board of Appeals for a variance to build a boarding house for older neople, I would be inclined not to do so until I had determined, first, if 10-24-60 -5- there was a need for such a building and, second, if the existing site were the best one which could be obtained to serve this purpose. It is my opinion that there is very little, if anrr, need in Lexington for a boarding house such as you have in mind. However, should it be determined that there is such a need, I would choose an- other site for the house other than the one w}-ich Senior Living, Inc . now owns unless , as I discussed with you originall-, the corporation acquires all the nronerty in the Cottage Street area and redevelops it as a private project. My reason for making this statement in regard to the pres- ent site is based on trio belief that those who would he paying for board in a house to be managed by Senior Living, Inc . would seek better environmental standards than those which now exist in the Cottage Street area. in my opinion, at least a drastic conservation program is needed to im- prove the area. The people living there now can neither afford such a nrogram nor a much simpler one which would involve only the raving* of the street under the Betterment Act. Tithout a better approach to the present Senior Liv- ing site, i doubt if it is one on which it would be desir- able to build a boarding house. 111 dhile the above views are personal ones, I hope they will be of some value to von. No doubt you will want to obtain the opinions of other residents and those serving in various official capacities if there is any way I may be of fur- ther assistance, I shall be pleased to do so. Sincerely, /s/ Samuel D. Snow, "lanning Zirector October 26, 1960 Mr. Daniel A. Lynch 1130 nark Sou-re Building Boston, M ssachusetts Dear Mr. YJvn ch • 'fter LTr. Snow and I met with you on September 26, we dis- cussed with the Planning Board the details of our confer- ence in regard to the Town acquiring Parcel B 1 shown on a nlan entitled "Portion of Newton 7. and Josephine D. Crandall Land recommended for Acquisition for. School, Play- ground and recreation Purposes, " dated September 23, 1960, and prepared for the Board by Mr. Snow. We reported that as authorized by the Board the following offer made to you 10-2a-60 -6- was that the Town acquire said Parcel B 1 for ,3000 and other considerations, these being the abandonment of the existing drain and nublic travel easements across Parcel A 1 and that portion of the sewer easement across said parcel northerly of and ten feet distant from and parallel to the center line of the Vine Brook sewer. 'ATe also reported that you had said that Mr. Crandall wanted in addition the abate- ment of the I'Iiddleby Road sewer betterment against his prop- erty and a connection without anY charges to the Vine Brook Sewer. It T•Tas further reported to the Board that we said in reply that we d id not believe the Board would agree to recommend Mr. Crandall 's request, and that in the Board' s opinion Parcel B 1 was not worth more than that which the Board offered for the reason that the Town presently has the right to construct a road over the existing easement . The Board has considered the matter and believes its offer eminently fair . The Board' s offer is based on the general value of real estate in the vicinity, the existing ease- ments across the Crandall land, the existing conditions of Parcel B 1 and the absorption by the Town of ahout X500 of the sewer betterment which would he apportioned against Lot B 1. In addition the location of the driveway as shown on the plan entitled "Recommended Acquisition of Land for School, Playground and Recreation purposes, " dated September 7, 1Q60, was done with every thought in mind of increasing the value of the Crandall property. Taking all these points into consideration the Board considers its offer equitable. It will be greatly appreciated if you will discuss this letter with T4r. and Mrs. Crandall and inform the Board of their decision in regard to the Board' s offer. The Board would like to make a decision of its own in regard to the matter so that final plans may be prepared for Lexington' s Central School and Recreation Area. Yours very truly, LEXINGTON PLAN TNG BOARD /s/ Levi rx. Burnell, Chairman