Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout1960-11-14 PLANNING BOARD MEETING November 14, 1960 A regular meeting of the Lexington Planning Board was held on Monday, November 14, 1960 at 7:45 p.m. in the Board' s office, Town Office Building. Present were Chairman Burnell, members Mabee, Meyer and Soule, and Planning Director Snow. Approved by the Board were the minutes of its October 31 and November 7, 1960 meetings. The Board approved for payment the following bill which had been presented: Louise M. Baker, type- writer ribbons-46.85. The attention of the Board was called to the application of the Vine Brook Realty Trust for approval VINE BROOK of a definitive subdivision plan entitled "Vine Brook MEADOWS Meadows Section Two Lexington, Mass. ", dated June 12, SEC. 2 1960 It was pointed out that the application was duly submitted on November 9. The Planning Board scheduled VINE BROOK a hearing on said application for December 5, 1960 at REALTY TRUST 8:00 p .m. From 8 00 to 8 30 p .m. Mr . T H. Reenstierna and his son met with the Planning Board to discuss the estimated cost of constructing the section of Emerson Road in said subdivision and that portion of the costs which the Town would be willing to pay for the reason that Emerson Road and the improvements to be installed therein, were designed to have a capacity substantially greater than would be required to serve the subdivision alone. Mr . Reenstierna left with the Board a detailed estimate which had been prepared for him setting forth labor and material costs for the con- struction of said section of Frierson Road The Board agreed to give the estimate to Mr. Carroll, Supt of Public Works, and to discuss with him the costs which the Town would be willing to pay. From 10 :45 to 11:20 p.m. Mr. Carroll met with the Board to discuss this matter He stated that he would study the estimates and compare them with his own and would meet with Mr Reenstierna to arrive at an estimate which would be mutually satisfactory to both parties From 8 30 to 9:45 the Planning Board and the Board of Appeals met in joint session with the Select- men to hear a proposal which Messrs . Fitzpatrick, 11-111.-60 -2- Hurd and Winslow, representatives of M.I.T. , presented M.I T. in regard to rezoning land of Marie C. and Monsignor REZONING Maguire for the purpose of erecting a building for office and research use. (See the Selectmen ' s min- utes for a detailed account of the joint session ) From 9:45 to 10:00 p .m. and from 10 :30 to 10 :45 p.m. Town Counsel Stevens met with the Board to dis- cuss the rezoning proposal further. It was agreed with the Selectmen that Mr. Snow and Mr. Stevens would prepare an advertisement for a public hearing to be held on the proposal, said hearing to be scheduled for December 8 and a Town Meeting to be held to consider the proposal on December 12 . The Planning Board considered the draft of a BOARD OF letter and an accompanying plan to be sent to the APPEALS Board of Appeals in regard to the Adam Grigor petition to be heard on November 15. The Board approved said letter and plan. (See addendum. ) HISTORIC Attention was called to the notices of hear- DISTRICTS ings to be held by the Historic Districts Commission COMMTSSTON on November 16. It was decided to take no action on the applications to be considered on said date . Messrs . Burnell and Snow gave a report of their BARNES LAND view of the Barnes land, a portion of which it was FOR thought would be desirable to acquire for public re- RECREATIONAL creational purposes. Mr. Snow exhibited a plan of said PURPOSES land and indicated where he thought a boundary line could be located separating the Barnes property so as to protect adequately the portion of the Barnes land to be retained and to leave sufficient area for an addi- tion to the Baskin lot. The Board approved the pro- posal as shown on the plan and asked Mr Snow to reply to Mr. Jaquith's letter of October 27 (See minutes of October 31, 1960 Planning Board meeting .) Copies of Mr. Guinan ' s letter of November 7 LEXINGTON were distributed to members of the Board and recom- GOLF CLUB mendations set forth in said letter taken under ad- visement (See addendum and minutes of October 31, 1960 planning Board meeting. ) The Planning Board's meeting adjourned at 11 20 p .m. Irving H. Mabee, Clerk I 11-11,.-60 -3- ADDENDUM November 15, 1960 Board of Appeals Town Office Building Lexington 73, Mass Re: Adam Grigor petition Gentlemen Reference is made to the petition of Adam Grigor to vary Section 8. (a) 1 b. of the Zoning By-law to erect a house on Lot 85 at the end of Roosevelt Road . The Planning Board has considered this petition and sets forth its position in regard to the variance requested. On a number of occasions during the past several years inquiries have been made as to the Planning Board's opinion in regard to subdividing Lot 85 or erecting a house thereon. In reply to each inquiry it has been this Board' s view that this should not be done unless there is first constructed under the Town ' s subdivision Rules and Regulations a turnaround on which a lot or lots could front . The Board is still of the same opinion today being opposed to the erection of any houses on lot 85 or adjacent land unless there is first provided ade- quate drainage at the end of Roosevelt Road and space for turning snow plows and other services or emergency equip- ment Attached herewith is a marked print showing one way the Planning Board believes this turnaround could be located. The print, incidentally, is one made from a sketch plan prepared for the Board in connection with its study of the Grigor petition . The plan was compiled from a set of Route 128 alteration plans recorded in Registry of Deeds on November 3 together with the State Department of Pub- - lic Works order of land taking. The area marked in red is the land which Mr. Grigor will be able to retain after the taking. It will be noted on the plan that he will have no access to his land except by way of Roosevelt Road The land which he had left, however , has sufficient area for two house lots fronting on a permanent dead-end street So that the turnaround required under said rules and regula- tions will not touch both the boundary of Lot 59 and the new ramp right-of-way line, the Planning Board would under these circumstances only be willing to waive strict compliance with the size of the turnaround It would also be willing to make arrangements wherein the drainage from required catch basins could be cast upon land of the town . Under these circumstances the Planning Board believes that 11-14-50 -a- no variance should be granted by the Board of Appeals. Sincerely, LEXINGTON PLANNING BOARD /s/ Levi G. Burnell, Chairman November 7 , 1960 Planning Board Town of Lexington Lexington, Massachusetts Gentlemen: Thank you for your courtesy in taking the time last Monday evening to set forth for the benefit of the officers of the Lexington Golf Club your long-range plans which may affect the property of the Club . We were impressed with the plans and the thoroughness with which the future needs of the Town of Lexington are being thought through and charted Having discussed what we learned with our associates in the Golf Club, we should like to offer for your consideration a few comments on the situation as we see it . These are as follows: 1. The plan which the Board now has would displace three of our nine greens, two tees, and one complete fairway. Even if land were made available on the northwest side of the property for replacement of these facilities, the costs would be tremendous The replacement, together with the rearrangement which would be required in other greens and fairways, could easily amount to half or more of the cost of complete relocation of the Club 2. The method which was suggested of financing the reloca- tion by selling house lots along Hill Street and along the new road leaves us less than enthusiastic . Golf clubs and neighbors do not usually get along well together. A golf club should be bounded by roads or by woods, not by houses To develop this borderland into house lots would, we be- lieve, only hasten the day when the whole property would go to the developers. Furthermore, it would increase the number of greens, tees and fairways which would have to be relocated. 3. The very existence of the plan which the Board has prepared is a source of worry to many of our members. Even though they realize that the execution of the plan, if it 11-14-6o _5_ ever comes about, is in the distant future, it is still a kind of "sword of Damocles" which cannot help but color plans affecting the further development of the Club prop- erty. It may even encourage the Club to reach a decision which, we are certain the Board would not want to happen, namely to sell its Lexington property and move to a neighboring town where land would be less expensive and more available. With these considerations in mina , we should like to respectfully suggest that the Board undertake to de- velop one or more alternate plans to take care of the needs which the new Worthen Road extension is designed to serve, without affecting the property of the Lexington Golf Club . Fven though this action would imply no commitment on the part of the Board as tow hick alternate it might even- tually choose, the knowledge that more than one route is possible would, we believe, tend to reduce the growing appre- hension among our members in the inevitability of the event- ual loss of the Club ' s Lexington location . Sincerely, /s/ T.Richard Guinan, President