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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1961-01-23PLANT'TNG BO-AfD MEETING �Januar-, 23, 1961' A reevlar meeting of the Lexington Planning Board was held on Monday, January 232 1961 at 7:40 p.m. in the Board's office, Town Office Building. Present were Chairman Burnell, members Mabee, Grindle, Meyer and Soule, and Planning Director Snow. The Board anpr.oved the minutes of its January MINUTES 7 and 9, 1061 Planning Board meetings. Approved for navment were the following bills which had been nresented: ,-mer. Society of Planning BTLLS Officials, Adviser`- Service Reports -4 15.00; The Atwell Co., dictation disks --t6.25. Also read to the Board and approved by it was the draft of a letter to the Selectmen recommending HERZOG-BFNKLEY the taking by eminent domain of the Herzog-Benkley LAND FOR land as authorized under Article 46 of the 1960 RF.CREATTONAL Annual Town Meeting. (See addendum and also minutes PURPOSES of the Plannin'7 Board meetings of December 13, 1960 and January 7, 1961.) The attention of the Board was called to Mr. Troneano's letter of January 181 1961 in regard to REZONING meeting with the Board in order to discuss his re- PROPOSAL zoning nronosal. Tt was decided to meet with 'L4r. - Tropeano as nreviousl,r arranged at the Board's TROPEANO meeting on January 30. From 8c10 to 10:20 p.m. Town Counsel Stevens came to the meeting and with the Board held a de- ARTICLT'S tailed discussion of the articles which the planning FOR WARRANT Board wished to have placed on the warrant for the annual town meeting to be held in March. The Board's attention was called to a cony of Town Counsel Stevens' letter of January 17, 1961 McCORMACK- to tre Board of Selectmen relative to the taking by BRUN LAND eminent domain of a nortion of the McCormack -Brun FOR land for pla7Tground, recreational and other nur- RECREATIONAL poses as authorized ander Article LL of the September PURPOSES ' 261 1060 Special Town Meeting. (See addendum.) Read to the Board and approved by it was the draft of a letter to the Board of Anneals in regard BOARD OF to the Finney proposal to re -subdivide land numbered APPEALS 52 Fottler Avenue. (See addendum and also minutes - of the Planning, Board meeting of January 3, 1961. FINNEY Also read to the Board and approved by it was the draft of a letter to the Selectmen recommending HERZOG-BFNKLEY the taking by eminent domain of the Herzog-Benkley LAND FOR land as authorized under Article 46 of the 1960 RF.CREATTONAL Annual Town Meeting. (See addendum and also minutes PURPOSES of the Plannin'7 Board meetings of December 13, 1960 and January 7, 1961.) The attention of the Board was called to Mr. Troneano's letter of January 181 1961 in regard to REZONING meeting with the Board in order to discuss his re- PROPOSAL zoning nronosal. Tt was decided to meet with 'L4r. - Tropeano as nreviousl,r arranged at the Board's TROPEANO meeting on January 30. From 8c10 to 10:20 p.m. Town Counsel Stevens came to the meeting and with the Board held a de- ARTICLT'S tailed discussion of the articles which the planning FOR WARRANT Board wished to have placed on the warrant for the annual town meeting to be held in March. 1-'.3-61 -2- Before discussion of the proposed articles, VINE BROOK Mr. Stevens called to the Boards attention the MEADOWS fact that he had received from the Vine Brook Realty SEC. 2 Trust a duly executed covenant as a performance guarantee for the work to be done in the Vine Brook VINE BROOK Meadows, Section Two subdivision. All matters appear - REALTY Ing to be in order, upon motion duly made and seconded, TRUST it was unanimously BUC KM_a. N DR T VF St7MMIT ROAD REZONING PROPOSAL CO1TNTRY-WIDE < OFFICES VOTFD: that the definitive subdivision plan entitled "Nine Brook Meadows Section Two Lexington, Mass." dated June 12, 1960, which was submitted to the Board by the Vine Brook Realty Trust on November 9, 1960, accompanied by an annlication for approval of definitive Plan, Form C, dated November 7, 1960, be and hereby is approved. The Board next discussed with Mr. Stevens the proposal to extend Buckman Drive from its present terminus to Moreland Avenue. Mr. Stevens advised the Board that the most reasonable way to acquire land for t'ris purnose would be to make a layout for said exten- sion and to have the Town vote to accept the layout of the extension as a town way and to acquire any fee or easement necessary for said la Tout, Later in the meet- ing the Board decided to r eco -Mend to the Selectmen that this be done and that Summit Road be extended to Fern Street at the same tme. Mr. Burnell was asked to discuss this matter later In the evening with the Board of Selectmen. (See minutes of January 23, 1961 meeting of the Board of Selectmen.) After Mr. Stevens left the meeting the Chairman gave a report of the meeting he and Mr. Soule had held at the request of Attorney Charles McArthur, of New York City, on the afternoon of January 29, at which time the latter presented the Covntmr-Wide Offices, Inc. pro- posal to rezone a.Porti_on of the Roberts Brothers land at the corner of Routes 2 and 128 for an office build - Ing. The Chairman reported that there were no new de- velopments in regard to this nronosal which the Board had previousl7T considered. (See minutes of Planning Board meeting of November 72 1960. The P lnnning Board adjourned Its meeting at 10:"0 n.m. _,�/ /I / /V / /-Vd - I -e- L � Irving H. Mabee, Clerk 1 1 ADDFi\TDUM Mrs. Ruth. More7T, Chairman Board of Selectmen low❑ Office Building Lexington 73, Yass Dear Mrs. More -r: -3- January 171 1961 Re: Recreational Land on Lowell St. The order adopted by the Board of Selectmen at the Meeting last evening taking by eminent domain a parcel of land containing about eight acres, situated on Lowell Street and abutting the Harrington Scbool land, was recorded this morning in Middlesex South District Registry of Deeds as instrument No. 7. The elan referred to in the order was recorded at the same time as plan No. 71 of 1061. This plan is entitled "Plan of Recreation Area Lexington, Mass.", dated January.* 9, 1061, John -1. Carroll, Town Engineer. The acquisition of this land was authorized by the vote adopted under Article 4 of the Special Town Meeting held on September 26, 1060. The -purpose of the acquisition is primarily for pla-rFround and recreational purposes, but the order of taking also included sewer, water and drain purposes. Sincerely yours, EES : epk /s/ Harold E. Stevens cc: Superintendent of Public ?storks Planning Board January 21-i, 1961 Beard of Appeals Town Office Building Lexington 73, Mass. Gentlemen: In December there was left with the Planning Board and later returned to IVr.Bilafer of Arlington, a. print of a nronosal showing a resubdivision of the property numbered 52 Fottler Avenue and. owned by Mrs. Finney of said address. It is under- stood that the ?'lanning Board's informal opinion of this re- subdivision proposal is requested. The property as i_t now exists has the required minimum front- age on Fottler Avenue and the minimum area as now required under the zoning by-law. As shown on the print it is proposed to subdivide the nropertzr in such a manner as to create two new lots. The first would have on it the existing house num- bered 52 Fottler Avenue and the existing garage, the new lot comrrised of old lots 1503 151, nart of lot 152, and the rear 1-%3-61 -1i- half of lot 155, raving about 86.5 feet of frontage on Fottler Avenue and an area of 9,942 square feet. The second new lot would be a corner lot consisting of old lots 153 and 154, part of lot 152 and the front half of lot 155, said new lot having a frontage on Hillcrest Avenue of 111.46 feet and an area of 7,416 square feet. Fottler Avenue is an accepted street, that is, a town way; Hillcrest Avenue is an unaccepted street, that is, a private way. After members of the Planning Board viewed the proposal on the around, it was the unanimous opinion of the Board that it would be undesirable to subdivide the nropertr. The proposed house would be too crowded on the lot with inadequate rear ,yard and set -back. It appeared to the Board that the loca- tion of the proposed rouse would not be in line with the present set -back of the houses on the westerly side of Hill- crest Avenue but would project farther forward than said houses. It is thought that this situation would tend to decrease rather than to preserve the value of land and buildings in the neighborhood. It is recommended, therefore, that in order to preserve and increase the amenities of the nei.gborhood that the Finney property not be subdivided. Sincerely yours, /s/ Levi G. Burnell, Chairman cc: Mrs. Louise Finnev Mr. George Bilafer January 23,1961 Board of Selectmen Town Office Building Lexington 73, Mass. Dear Madam and Gentlemen: Reference is made to the vote adopted under Article 46 of the Adjourned Tolrm Meeting held on March 2R, 1960. Since that town meeting the Planning Board has carried on discus- sions with Messrs. Herzog and Benkley in an effort to arrange for the purchase of that part of their lards authorized under said article. The Planning Board now concludes that a mutual agreement to purchase cannot be arranged with both parties involved. The Board. recommends, therefore, that the Selectmen proceed under the authority granted and take by eminent domain all the land owned by Messrs. Herzog and Benkley outside of lots 187 and 188. The Planning Board believes that Mr. Benkley will agree with the Board's offer, nameljt, that all his parcel of land out- side lot 187 be conveyed to the Town at a fair market value 1 1 1-23-61 -5- w t'r, the stipulations that the Town grant him for as long as he resides in the dwelling house numbered 35 lhipp1e Road the right to use all the land taken except a strip fifty feet wide abutting the easterly and southeasterly boundary lines of said parcel including the right to main- tain the existing radio antenna on said parcel, the Town agreeing to protect the antenna with a suitable fence if at some 'future time this becomes necessary. Tn regard to the parcel owned by Dr. Herzog, the Board believes that he will not agree to a similar arrangement. However, the Board would be agreeable to the Town acquir- ing said parcel at its fair market value with the stipula- tion that the Town grant Dr. Herzog as long as he or his sister resides in the dwelling house numbered 34 Whipple Road the right to use a. portion of his land which is taken --the exact portion to be determined by negotiation, t)rovided that said portion is used without destroying the existing tonography or plant growth. Sincerely= yours, LEXINGTON PLANNING BOARD Isl Levi G. Burnell, Chairman