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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1961-03-211 1 PLANNTNG BOARD MINUTES March 211 1961 A regular meeting of the Lexington Plannin Board was held on Tuesday, March 21s 1961s at 7:49 p.m. in the Board's office, Thwn Office Building. Present were Chairman Soules Members Bryson, Grindle, Mabee and Meyer, and Planning Director Snow. Mr. Mark Moore, Jr. met with the Board from 7:45 until 8:25 p.m. As President of Todd Realty, Inc. he submitted an application for tentative approval of a preliminary plan, Form B, said plan entitled "Preliminary Plan of Lots at Bowser Es- tates Lexington, Mass.', dated. March 18, 1961. After Mr. Moore discussed said plan the Board took It under advisement. Mr. Moore then said, as President of the Lexington Chamber of Commerce, he wished to dis- cuss with the Board its pronosal to have rezoned to C 3 uses existing M 1 districts. He asked that the Board have indefinitely postponed Article 50 which sought said change. He was informed of the Planning Board's discussion with representatives of Cabot, Cabot & Forbes, the Board's viewpoint in regard to these discussions, and that the Board did not intend to postpone said Article. There were next presented for the Board's consideration and approved for payment the follow- ing bills which had been submitted: Samuel P. Snow, car allowance, March, $20.00, reimbursement for Fairfield Master Plan, $1.40; Idard's, office sup- plies --$10.00; Standard Duplicator Sales, office supplies --117.73; Minute Man Publications, Inc., advertising--, .90; Wallace B. Mitchell Co.s draft- ing supplies --1.75. From 8:30 to 8:50 D.m. Mr. Edward Diehl of Edward Diehl Associates, Inc., Cambridge, and Mr. McLeod of McLeod Realty Companv, Lexington, met with the Board to present a proposal that there be rezoned from single family residential to A 1 Gar- den apartment use the parcel of land bounded by the land of the Lexinnton Lumber Company, the Bos- ton & Maine railroad tracks, the land of Fog- Nissen, Inc., and the rear of property numbered No. 69 to 97 inclusive, Bedford Street. Mr. Diehl exhibited a plan dated. March 201 1961 and entitled "Garden Apartments Bedford St., Lexington," show - PRELIMINARY SUBDIVISION PLAN TODD REALTY INC. ARTICLE 50 REZONING PROPOSAL BILLS A 1 DISTRICT PROPOSAL DIEHL 3--1-61 -2- Ing said arcel about 5.5 acres in area having a frontage of about &0 feet on Bedford Street. It was understood , that the parcel was owned by Messrs. John and Joseph A. Buss. of 32 Lowell Street. A print of said plan was left with the Board. In reply to the request of Messrs. Diehl and McLeod, the Board gave its informal opinion in regard to the proposal. It was pointed out that the parcel did not have sufficient frontage to conform with the Zoning By- law for an apartment district and that In order to obtain frontage a way would have to be laid out from Bedford Street. The Board questioned whether the area which Messrs. Diehl and McLeod had proposed for rezoning was large enough not to be classified as a spot zone. Members of the Board also expressed the view that they would not be inclined to rezone any more land for garden apartment use until such time as that land so now zoned had been de- veloped. Takin under consideration next were the follow - FORMS A ing Form A applications for determination of Planning Board jurisdiction: #61-9 (See Minutes of March 13, 1961, Planning Boare Meeting.) #61-12, submitted March 20, 1961 by Wavmint ' Realty Trust, M'lton C. Wasby, Trustee; plan entitled "Plan of Land in Lexington, Mass.", Scale: 1 in = 40 ft, Fverett M. Brooks Co., Enci.neers Upon motion duly made and seconded, it was unanimously VOTED; that the Lexington Planning Board determines that the plans accompanying Form A applications #61-9 and 1461-12 do not require approval under the Subdivision Control Law, and that said plans be so endorsed. Mr. Soule exhibited a street map of Bedford and Bg��ppFFpppD a print of a plan of land in. Bedford, Mass., said print INDUS'i~RIAL being entitled, "Industrial Site Plan," and showing the DISTRICT parcels of land from North Great Road In Bedford south- ACCFSS erly to the Boston & Maine railroad tracks and from Ashby Pond to the Lexington town line. Mr. Soule said that Mr. Riley, Chairman of the Bedford Planning Board, had discussed the plan with him and asked him to obtain the Lexington Planning Board's opinion in regard to the ' possibility of laying out a road across the land now or formerly of Valenti on Westview street from the Bedford town line to said Westview Street for the purpose of -21-61 -3- serving a proposed industrial project in Bedford. The opinion was expressed that such an access would be an extremely poor one in terms of the intersec- tion which would be nrod_uced at the point where the Boston & Maine tracks and Westview Street already Intersect. The matter of Lexington's maintenance of a road which was of no value to this town was also discussed. At the conclusion of the discus- sion it was the unanimous opinion of the members of the Board that it would not an -prove the layout of such a road. Thereunon there was drafted a letter to Mr.Riley in regard to the Lexington Planning Board's decision. (See addendum.) Mr. Meyer next discussed with the Board re- ports which he had heard in regard to the possible C 1 DISTRICT sale of Maney's located in one of the local busi- ness districts on Bedford street and the uses to MANEY w'nich the land on which Maney's and adjacent estab- lishments were being put. It was thour-ht best to request through the Selectmen information in regard to the existing situation in this district. Accord- ingly a letter to the Selectmen was drafted. (See addendum.) ' Considered next was the preparation of drafts of the Planning Board reports in regard to REZONING rezoning proposals as set forth under articles 50 PROPOSALS and 51 of the warrant for the annual town meeting. The reports in their final form were signed by the IWARRANT Board. (See addenda.) The Planning Board meeting adjourned at 11:00 P.M. T?obert E. Meyer, Clerk ADDEMDTTM March 24, 1961 Mr. John R. Riley, Chairman Bedford Planning Board 6 Hillcrest Road Bedford, Mass. ' Dear Mr. Riley: This letter will confirm my telephone conversation 3-21-61 with you of Tuesday bility of laying out formerly of Valenti Westvew Street for industrial project afternoon in regard to the possi- a road across the land now or from the Bedford town line to the purpose of serving a proposed I Bedford. -4- The Planning Board discussed this proposal at its meeting on March 21. It was the unanimous opinion of the members of the Board that it would not approve the layout of such a road. It is thought that a project of such a nature should have a better means of access and one wholly within the town of Bedford. The Board suggests that approval be sought from the State Dept. of Public Utilities to lay out a public way crossing the Boston & Maine railroad tracks to Summer Street or South Road in Bedford. I am returning herewith the print of the property map entitled "Industrial Site Plan" which you loaned me. With your kind permission the Board is keeping for its information the print you gave me of the town map of Bedford. Sincerely LEXINGTON PLANNING BOARD /s/ Richard H. joule, Chairman 22 March 1961 Board of Selectmen Town Office Building Lexington 73., Mass. Dear Madam and Gentlemen: The Planning Board has heard rumors to the effect that Maney's, known as the Metropolitan Equipment and Service Co., is for sale. If the establishment is sold, a problem may arise - if it does not exist al- ready - as to the continuity of the present use and related matters. As you know, Maney's occupies a lot of land within a local business district. It is under- stood that at least three plants are located on said lot and adjacent land. Through ,you the Board would appreciate receiving a report from the Building In- spector as to just what plants are occupying what land in the area, what these plants are doing and by what right they are operating under the Zoning By-law. Sincerely yours, LF'XTNGTON PLANNING BOARD /s/ Richard H. Soule, Chairman n 1 3-21-61 -5- Lexington Planning Board Report on the Amend- Article 50. ment to the Zoning By -Law proposed by On March 9, 1961 at 7:40 p.m. the Planning Board held a public hearing on the proposal to amend the Lexington Zoning By-law set forth in Article 50 of the Warrant for the Annual Town Meeting on March 20, 1061. Thirty-eight persons attended the hearing, due notice of which was given according to law. At the close of the hearing an expres- sion of opinion by those present showed no persons in favor and fourteen persons opposed to the amendment as presented. The proposed amendment would rezone the two existing M 1 -Light Manufacturi_ne districts to C 3 - Special commercial districts but would retain in the Lexington Zoning By-law the light manufacturing category with no land presently designated for such use. Only those parcels lying within the district which front on Hartwell Avenue, Hinchey and Maguire Roads and Westview Street will actually be affected since temporarily all of the remaining land within the dis- trict has no means of access. If the -proposal is adopted the Planning Board intends to, after consultation with all interested parties, present for the Town's consideration some time later this -ear further rezoning recommendations for additional portions of the area from Route 128 to the Bedford town line, and from the proposed Minute Man Nation- ' al Historic Park boundary to Bedford Street, for industrial uses compatible with those uses permitted under Present C 3 definition. In the meantime, as a first step in this pro- posal, the Board is recommending the retaining of C 3 use and regulations for only that land within the existing M 1 district boundaries. The restriction of the use of the land presently M 1 to C 3 is in the Board's opinion the re- sulting first step towards such an action. The Planning Board is making its proposal for the pur- pose of upgrading the entire area involved. The Board be- lieves that a district devoted to office and laboratory use as set forth in Lexinmton's Zoning By-law would have a much more attractive appearance and be more compatible with the residentialcharacter of Lexington than a district devoted to any other industrial use. The Board is of the opinion that a district restricted to an office and laboratory dis- trict is generally more valuable and will bring in more tax revenue than one devoted to light manufacturing use. Pepresentatives of Cabot, Cabot &: Forbes, one of the prop- erty owners involved, have made the statement that this area is some of the ~lost valuable office and research laboratory land in the TTni.ted States. In order to improve the economic base of Lexington, therefore, the Planning Board proposes that the present M 1 d.i.strict be rezoned to C 3 use. 3-21-61 M Members of the Planning Board unanimously recommend the adoption of the amendment under Article 50. LEXINGTON PLANNTY�G BOARD Arthur F. Bryson Thomas S. Grin dle Irving H.Mabee Robert E, Meyer Pichard H, Soule, Chairman March 21, 1 061 Lexington Planning Board Report on the Amendment to the Zoning; By-law proposed by Article 51 On March 0, 1061 at 8*40 p.m. the Planning Board held a public hearing on the proposal to amend the Lex- ington Zoning By-law set forth in Article 51 of the War- rant for the Annual Town Meeting on March 202 196 1. Ei(tteen persons attended the hearing, due notice of which was given according to law. At the close of the hearing an expression of opinion by those present showed three persons in favor and six persons opposed to the amendment as presented. This proposal would correct in part the present crit- ical situation in local business districts by increasing for any future developments in these districts the minimum parking requirements therein and defining just what these requirements are. At present any part of a lot, whether it is usable for parking or not, is included in the exist- ing 2 to 1 ratio between lot area and. the ground area a building occupies on said lot. Under present regulations also no additional parking spaces are required on a lot when a building placed thereon consists of more than one story. It is the opinion of the Board that these stand- ards are entirely inadequate to fulfill present day needs and so recommends the parking requirements be adjusted upward. Members of the '-Tanning Board recommend unanimously the adoption of the amendment under Article K1, LEXINGTON PLANNING BOARD Arthur E. Bryson Thomas S. Grindle ' Irving H. Mabee Robert E. Meyer Richard H. Soule, Chairman March 21, 1961 PLANNIPIG BOARD MEETING March 27, 1961 An informal meeting of the Lexington Planning Board was held prior to the Adjourned Annual Town Meeting on Tuesday, March 27, 1961s at 7:30 p.m. in the Board's office, Town Office Building. All members of the Board were present as well as Planning Director Snow. No official business was transacted. Mr. Soule reported onthe conference he and Mr. Snow had held on March 23, 1961 with Mr. C. T. Morris in the latter's office in the Information Technology Laboratories of the Itek Cornoration. There was distributed to the members of the Board copies of a letter, dated March 23, to the Planning Board setting forth the view of Mr. Morris in regard to the rezoning proposal to be acted upon under Article 50 of the warrant for said adjourned to,rm meeting. (See addendum. L-LQrobert E. Oe7, ' Clerk ?: Information Technology Laboratories March 23,1961 Lexington Planning Board Town of Lexington Town Office Building Lexington, Massachusetts Gentlemen: I am watching with great interest actions of the Planning Board with reference to the possible rezoning of the area in which our new plant is located. On March 9, 1961, I attended the meeting this matter was discussed and I was impressed with the fact that almost without exception the people in attendance do want to see the best possible zoning character, but there was some question as to how this ai.m might be attained. I was also impressed with the fairness of representatives ' of Cabot, Cabot & Forbes who indicated their willingness to enter into a restrictive agreement under the terms of 3-27-61 -2- they would undertake nod evelopment of a less restrictive ' nature than would be imposed in a C 3 zone during the time that the matter is under consideration. However, as you are all aware, such an agreement by one landowner in the area could not be binding upon other landowners and, thus, anyone who chose to do so might propose a less desirable development on any nortion of land in the area which, according to present zoning, would have to be granted. Itek Corporation is in the process of developing a major building complex dedicated entirely to research and devel- opment and related activities and it is our aim and desire to establish in this complex a character which will be a credit to us and to the community. It is my strong feeling that a zone plan which would en- courage other similar ratables in the community would in the long run be a desirable asset to the Town of Lexington. I agree with the sentiment expressed by many people at the meeting on March 9 that the best route to take at this time would be to organize a representative citizens' advisory committee to undertake a careful and detailed study of the problem and to recommend to the Town Fathers a type of zon- ing which would give Lexington the best chance to achieve this aim. ' A logical first step in this direction would be to tempo- rarily upgrade the zone to C 3 so that the character of the area can be upheld during such a study. I also think that your Sign By -Law should be studied at the same time and updated as necessary. Such a committee in my judgment should include representa- tives of major landholders in the area under study, plus representatives of the official family in the town so that all points of view can be properly evaluated. Needless to say, Itek would enthusiastically support such a study and would participate in any way if we could make a contribution to the ultimate benefit of the town. Sincerely, Isl C. T. Morris CTM:mk P,