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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1961-02-13 PL^-:NPTG BOAPD MEATI TG February 13, 1961 regular meeting of the Lexington Planning Board was held on Monday, February 13, 1961 at 7 :30 n .m. in the Planning Board office, Town Office Build- ing. Present were Chairman Burnell, members Grin dle, Meyer and Soule, end Planning Director Snow. Town Counsel Stevens met with the Board from 9:15 until 10 :00 p .m. to discuss several matters being currently considered by the Board. The Foardread with great pleasure the announcement of the marriage of the Planning Board' s secretary, Mrs . Louise M. Baker , to Mr . Kenneth F. Macomber on February 10, 1961. Members of the Board asked Mr . Snow to extend to Mrs. Macomber the Board ' s congratulations and best wishes . The Board approved the minutes of its January MTNUTFS 23, 1961 meeting. Considered next was the following Form A anplicati.on for determination of Planning Board FORM A jurisdiction : P61-3, submitted February 10, 1961 by Mary S. Condinho, William Condinho, Agent ; plan en- titled_ "Plan of Land in Lexington, Mass . ", Scale : 1" = 40 ' , dated Feb . 1, 1961, Miller Nylander, C .F. ' s & Surveyors . Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was unanimously JOTFD: that the Lexington Planning Board determines that the plan accompanyi..ng Form A apnlica- ti_on "61-3 roes not require approval under the Subdivision Control Law, and that said elan be so endorsed. The attention of the Board was calledto a cony of the Town Counsel ' s letter, doted February CENTRAL 10, 1961, to the Selectmen informing them that the SCHOOL AND trustees of Tufts College had released to the Town PECRFATION all conditions, prescriptions and limitations as to AREA the use of the parcels of land that were conveyed to the Town by Augustus F. Scott in 1914 and 1915, the instrument setting forth said release being dated February 1, 1 °61 and recorded February 10 in the Middlesex South District Registry of Deeds . -2- In connection with said release Mr. Snow gave H.856 a report of the public hearing held in the State House by the Committee on Towns of the Massachusetts Legis- lature on House Bill No. 856, said bill authorizing a town to use for school, nalyground or recreational pur- noses and for all nurposes incidental thereto the parcels of land. in Lexington given to the Town by said Scott by two deeds . Mr . Snow said he had been informed that after the executive session the Committee had reported favor- ably on the bill. Distributed to the Board were copies of Articles ARTICLES FOR 48, .°, 50 and 51 which had been inserted in the warrant WARRANT of the Annual Town Meeting, Art . 48 at the request of the Board of Appeals , and. Articles LE°, 50 and 51 at the TOWN request of the Planning Board. Tt was decided to hold MF2ING on March °, 1°61 at 7 :30 n .m. in Fstabrook Hall a pub- lic hearing on the proposals to amend the Zoning By-law as set forth in said articles . Mr. Snow exhibited for the Planning Board 's BOARD OF information plans accompanying the Bianchi. , Lange and APP"'ALS Millican petitions to be heard by the Board of Appeals on February 28. The Board took no action in regard to the Millican petition . Later in the meeting the Board discussed the Bianchi and Lange petitions which sought Board of Anneals permits for apartments for housekeepers in the Bianchi. and Lange residences presently under construction on Tufts Road. Mr . Stevens expressed the opinion that both proposals were obviou.slz* violations of the intent of the zoning by-law. He stated that preservation of single familir residential districts was so basic to the veru concept of zoning that if apart- ments were allowed in residences as nronosed, zoning by - laws might as well be abolished. The Board decided to oppose vigorously the granting of the Bianchi. and Lange petitions . Ur. Soule was asked to appear at the hear- ing in regardto said petitions and to express the Plan- ning Board' s views. Read to the Board was a letter, dated February WP.LTHAM ST . 10, 1261, from the Chairman of the Board of Anneals in GAFDFTN regard to the Vine Brook Fealty Trust site and building APA"TMFMT nlans which had been submitted to the "lanning Board DTSTPICT for consideration on February 2, 1061. Mr. Snow re- ported that his examination of the building and site plans indicated that they were not in form for construc- tion purposes although obviously they met the Planning Board' s recommendations as to exterior building designs and the locations of buildings, parking areas, etc . He stated that there were minor grading nroblems which would 2-13-E1 be created if the plans were followed as drawn and pointed out the lack of sufficient snot elevations to enable a contractor to set grades for all walks and paved areas . He also noted the lack of drain data and relationship of drains to the elan and nro- file of "merson Road as shown on the Vine Brook Leadows Section 2 definitive subdi.vision plan approved by the Planning Board on January 23 , 1061. These matters were discussed. with Town Counsel Stevens later in the meeting with special reference to the Planning Board ' s letter of June 20, 1060 to Mr. Arthur G. Manaselian, architect . (See minutes of Planning Board meeting of June 20 , 1960 . ) It was particularly noted that there was not included in the set of building and: site plans as submitted a building location plan . It was decided therefore not to write a final report on said plans until the following meeting* of the Planning Board. Mr . Snow was asked in the meantime to confer with the building inspector and the Superintendent of Public 'storks and inform Yr . Manaselian of all the info.rm^ti.00 which had to be added to the set of -dans before being acted upon by the ?Planning Board. ' The attention of the Board was called to a letter, dated February 10, 1961, from the Chairman REZ0NiNG of the Board of Selectmen to the Chairman of the PROPOSALS Planning Board with reference to a joint discussion COMMITTEE held. on February 1 between the two boards in regard to the formulation of a -joint committee of four to screen rezoning urorosals before the 'Planning Board. was asked to study the same, ( See addendum. ) The Chairman asked ''Sr , GTrindle and Mr . Soule to serve on said co imittee. After Mr . Stevens left the meeting the Board gave final consideration to the application for MINUTE MAN tentative approval of the Minute Man Higblands Sec . HIGHLANDS 4 preliminary subdivision plan . Attention was SEC . 4 called to a letter dated February 7, 1961, notify- ing the Planning Board that the Board of Health did CARRIG not approve of said subdivision at this time. Unon motion duly made and seconded, it was unanimously VOTED : that the nrcliminary subdivision plan en- titled "preliminary Plan Minute Man High- lands, Section 4 in Lexington , Mass . ", dated January 6, 1061, which was submittedto the Board by James A. Carrig on February 1, 1961, accompanied by an application for tentative approval of preliminary plan, Form B, dated January 31, 1961, be and hereby is disapproved for the reason that said subdivision has only one means of access , It was decided to write Mr . Carrig a letter informing him of the Plennin » Board ' s action in regard to his elan and also pointing out that a sewer would have to be installed in the whole subdivision, access for water and sewer provided, a trunk sewer installed along the general location of Clematis Brook and a street arrangement developed which would avoid exces- sive excavation as in the case of "C" Street shown on the plan . Mr. Snow suggested that after he completed his studies for the development of the areas adjacent to the proposed location of Emerson Road from I-iawthorne Road to Adams Street and from East to Woburn Streets, he undertake a detailed study of the area adjacent to the proposed location of Worthen Road from ra.rrett Road to the Cambridge-Concord Highway. He suggested that this information be included in the letter to Mr. Carrig. The meeting adjourned at 10 :1 p.m. ked&C444CA Levi C�. Burnell Chairman ADDENDUM February 10, 1961 Mr. Levi G. Burnell, Chairman Lexington Planning Board Lexington 73, Massachusetts Dear Mr. Burnell: As a result of the joint discussion of the Planning Board and the Board of Selectmen last week (Feb. 1) Alan Adams and I have been appointed the two Selectmen to serve with two members of the Planning Board on the screening commit- tee which was agreed upon at that time . Are we in agreement that the purpose of the committee is to encourage or discourage new business enterprises for Lexington . ^l1 inquiries, whether to the Planning Board, Selectmen or individual members, requiring rezoning for suggested use, are to be: referred to and screened by the committee before the Planning Board is asked to giv them further time and study. The committee is also to review as soon as possible the 2-13-61 -5- pronosals which have been received recently enough to b e cons _derea 'actlve, .n The nur. nose of this screening committee isnot to encourage exploitation of Lexington but to encourage desirable enter- prises to approach us with reasonable plans. Many town have set un special committees to search out "customers" but this is not our idea. We have all been anoroached individually concerning one project or another. If all projects can have their initial presentation to this screening; committee much time shall be saved for every*one, and Lexington should benefit . Very truly yours, /s/ ?uth Morey Chairman RM:m 1