HomeMy WebLinkAbout1960-11-14PLANNING 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
of"a definitive subdivision plan entitled "Vine Brook
Meadows Section Two Lexington, Mass.", dated June 12,
1960. It was pointed out that the application was duly
submitted on November 9. The Planning Board scheduled
a hearing on said application for December 5, 1960 at
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 Fmerson 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,
VINE BROOK
MEADOWS
SEC. 2
VINE BROOK
REALTY TRUST
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Hurd and Winslow, representatives of M.T.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.
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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 Gri.gor 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--
e-RECREATIONAL
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.)
Conies 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 311
1960 Planning Board meeting.)
The Planning Board's meeting adjourned at
11:20 p.m.
/ r lwazx—�
Irving H. Mabee, Clerk
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11-1)�t-60
Board of Appeals
Town Office Building
Lexington 731 Mass
Gentlemen:
ADDENDUM
-3-
November 15 s 1960
Re: Adam Grigor petition
Reference is made to the petition of Adam Grigor to vary
Section 8.(a)l.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 prints 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
p
Route 128.alteration lans 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 lefts however, has sufficient area for two
house lots fronting on a permanent dead-end street. So
that the turnaroundrequired under said rules and regula-
tions will not touch both the boundary of Lot 59 and the
new ramp right-of-way lines 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
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no variance should be granted by the Board of Appeals.
Sincerely,
LEXINGTON PLANNING BOARD
Is/ 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 Hour 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
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ever comes about, is in the distant future, it is still
a kind of "sword of Damocles" which cannot heli 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, Even 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