The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About1961-10-231 1 1 pLAnTITT7rrr BOAnD MFFTTNG October 23, 1961 At 7:3.0 p.m, on T•Tondav, October 23, 1961, the Lexington planning Board held a regular meeting in Its office in the Town Office Building. Present were Vice Chairman Brindle, 7Tembers Tyson, 1,1abee and Hever and Plannin7 Director Snow. The Board apnroved the minutes of its meet- MTM7TES ings held on September 1R and 2K, 1961. Approved for payment by the Board were the follow.nq bills which I -ad been presented: sraphi.c BILLS lenroductions, Tnc., white nrints--`11.95: American Society of Planninc, Officials, Information Advisory 'Peport--33.20. Considered next were notices of public hear- ings to be held by the Lexinr^ton Historic Districts HISTOTlTC Commission on October 25, 1961. It was decided. to DTSTRTCTS take no action on the anplications for certificates C014MISSION of appropriateness to re considered at said hearings. Considered also was the following Form A application for determination of Planning Board ,jurisdiction: 4161-62, submitted Oct. 18, 1961 by John H. Millican; plan entitled "A Compiled Plan of Land in Lexin7ton--Mass.", Scale: 1" = 1001, dated Oct. 11, 1961, Miller R- Nylander, C.E.'s and SurveTrors . It was decided to delay action on said appli- cation until the next meeting of the Board rending submissi-on of sufficient evidence to indicate that the elan accompanyinr? the application was not a sub- division. Mr. Wilbur '% Jaquith.'s letter of October 19, 1961 to the Planning Director was read to the Board. (See addendum, also minutes of the ATovember Iti, 1960 Planning Board meeting.) The correspond- ence in this case was discussed. Mr. Snow pointed out that the rear nortion of the Barnes premises was only one of three properties adjacent to the walkway to the Fiske School it was desired to ac- quire for nublic recreational purposes. In connec- tion with this proposal 'rr.Snow was asked to write to the trustees of the %loodland Bird Sanctuary to FORM A BARNES LAND FOR RECFFATION P71PPOSF.S IC -2'-61 -2- WOODLAND see if th.ev were willing to convey to the Town BIRD the land comprising said bird sanctuary with a deed SANCTTTARY restriction that this land be continued to be used for only this purpose. From 8:00 to 8:25 n.m. Mr. Llewellyn T. SCHOFTFLP Schofield o f the office of Schofield Brothers, civil engineers and land survevors, 'Framingham, met with the Board in order that he might discuss the eisposl- tion of elan which was submitted to the Board for en- dorsement as one not requiring annroval under the Subdivision Control Law. Mr. Schofield discussed. the Dlanning Board's letter of September 19 to his firm (see minutes of "lanning Board meeting of Sentember 18, 1961) stating that In his onini.on the Board under Section 81-R. of said law could waive strict compliance wit!-, its rules and regulations. He asked that the Board discuss the Alan with the Town Counsel. The Board agreed to do this and took the elan under ad- visement. Matters having to do with the Board of Anneals BOAPr OF were discussed next. Notices of netitions to be APPEALS heard by said Board on October 21i_ and Yovember 14, - 1961 were considered. Tt was decided to take no CLIFFORD action in regard to the petitions to be heard on these dates with the exception of the Clifford netition. A draft of a letter setting forth the T'lanninR Board's view of said Clifford's petition was considered and approved. (See addendum.) Mr. Snow re-corted on the status of the Emerson EMERSON Gardens Section One definitive subdivision plan and GARDFnTS the application for a determination with reference to GARDEN the rmerson Gardens garden apartment site and build- APARTMFTITS ing plans. after receiving this report and discuss- ing it with the Town Counsel later In the evening, the Board asked 11r. Grindle to notify the Chairman of the Board of Anneals that all the land in the garden apartment district shown on the subdivision plan had not been acquired by the arolicant and that technical difficulties in preparing a brant of easements instru- ment ',ad delaved the endorsement of said subdivision elan and Its recording. Town Counsel Stevens met with the Board from 8:50 to 9:30 n.m. for the purpose of discussing current problems which the Board had under considera- tion. The Board adjourned is meeting t 10:00 p.m. Robert E. Mever, Cle 1 1 F r 10-13-61 -3- October 19, 1961 Mr. Samuel P. Snow, Planninr, rirector Lexington Planning Board Lexington, T,-'assacrusetts "e: Mrs. Maizie A. Barnes 43 Adams Street Premises Dear Sam: This will confirm my telephone conversation with you to- dav to the effect that ",Trs. Barnes has decided that she does not want to enter into any aPreement with the Town of Lexing- ton for the sale to the Town at this time of any -portion of the rear land of the above premises. This decision by her has been reached subsequent to my original discussions with her in the fall of 1960 at which time I first contacted you on the -possibility of such a sale. I see no reason, however, why you should not keep in mind the possibility of sucha sale at some time in the future if a real need for acquisition of some of this land by the Town arose. Mrs. Barnes is fully aware of the fact that the rear portion of her nrooerty next to the Fiske School walk way is being* used by the school children for unofficial access to the westerly end of the Fiske School buildi.ng and she has in- formed me that she did not object to such use. I do feel, however, that ,your ori.rrinal su7gestion for the acquisition of 2.25 acres of this land brings the dividing line too close to the Barnes buildin-s and makes the remaining parcel too small under -present day lot sizes. Accordingly, if ,you should take this matter up again some time in the future, T suggest that the amount of land then proposed to be acquired by the Town be considerably reduced. Sincerely yours, Isl 'TrLBUF M. JAQTTTTH WMJ:LFS cc: Mrs. _Maizie A. Barnes October 2L, 1961 Board of Appeals Town Office Building_ Lexington 733 Mass. Pe: Lorraine Miller Clifford petition Uith reference to the petition of Lorraine Miller Clifford for permission under Section 14 (c) of the Zoning By-law to create a mother-in-law suite in the residence at 523 Lowell lo -"q-61 -4- Street in accordance with plans accompan71nTr said petition, the Planning Board has considered this petition and respectfully sets forth its view in regard to the same. Tt appears from an examination of the plans that regard- less of what it may be called, what is really being* created is an apartment. There is no assurance that after the suite which has been created for this particu- lar situation has served its purpose that the apartment won't be available for future rental purposes. The creation of an apartment obviously violates the inten- tion of the zoning; by-law. Tt is the Planning Board's view that preservation of a sin7le family residence dis- trict is so basic to the very concept of zoning that if apartments are allowed in residences as proposed the effectiveness of the zoning by-law is greatly damaged. The Planning Board, therefore, wishes to be recorded as being onnosed to the granting of the Clifford petition. Sincerely yours, LEXTNGTON PLATT `'G BOARD /s/ Thomas S. Grindie, Vice Chairman ' 1