HomeMy WebLinkAbout1962-04-301
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PLANNING BOAPD MEETING
April 301 1962
The Lexington Planning Board held a regular
meeting in its office, Town Office Puilding, on
Monday, April 30, 1962 at 7:40 p.m. Present were
Chairman Grindle, members Bryson, Campbell, Mabee
and Meyer,and Planning Director Snow.
The Board approved the minutes of its meet- MINUTES
i_ng of April 231 1962.
Also the Board approved for payment the
following; bills which had beenresented: L. M. BILLS
Foster, Inc., office supplies--�10.50; '•Tallace B.
Mitchell Co., drafting supplies --$1.82; Atwell
Service Co., Audograph service --8.59.
Mr. Grindle reported that he had discussed
with Mr. Lawrence Litwack of 59 Laconia Street his
request that a member of the Board meet with the
Countryside Civic Association on May 22 or 21� at
the Harrington School., Mr. Grindle said that he
learned that the association wished said Planning
Board member to discuss the Board's general plans
for the Countryside area and its nronosals for
taking care of automobile traffic in this vicinity.
It was agreed that some member of the Board would
attend the association meeting on whichever date
It was held.
With reference to the appointment of Mr.
Ralph S. Stevens, Sr. of 7 Abbott Road with the
Board, Mr. Snow presented each member with a set
of notes in regard to the Tidd family of Lexington
after whom Tidd Place in the Till-nghast Estates
subdivision was named. In said notes it was
pointed out that William Tidd was a lieutenant in
Capt. Parker's company on the Lexington Common on
April 19, 17752 that he marched to Cambridge on
June 17 of the same year where said company was in-
volved in the Bunker Hill engagement for two days,
that William was a Selectman at the time of the
?evolution and was an assessor in '76, '791 180 and
191. Other prominent members of the Tidd family
mentioned in the notes were John, also a member of
Capt. Parker's company; Benjamin, who was on the
Common on April 19th, marched to Cambridge on June
171 served at Dorchester Heights in 1776 and was one
of the Committee of Correspondence in 1780; Samuel,
who took hart in the events of April 19 and June 17
COUNTRYSIDE
C IVIG
ASSOCIATION
TIDD PLACE
STREET NAME
4-30-62 -2-
and was one of the Committee of Correspondence and '
Safety in 1781; and Charles, born January 1, 1807,
w? -o was Town Clerk from 1832-38, served on the School
Committee for many Tears and was a teacher for more
than thirty `ears.
From 8:00 to 8:05 -n-m. Mr. Ralph Stevens met
with the Board. He presented first the following
letter from Mr. Sullivan, present owner of the Till-
inghast Estates subdivision:
Planning Board
Lexington, Massa Re: Renaming of Tidd Place
Gentlemen:
I would like to petition your Board to consider chang-
ing the name of Tidd Place to Winship Terrace.
I have asked Ralnh S. Stevens to act,in my behalf in
the above matter, as he is taking title to one of the
four lots involved in this action.
Yours truly,
April 30, 1062 /s/ William F!. Sullivan '
Mr. Stevens said that he knew of a number of
people who laughed at the name "Tidd Place." He said
however, that he had found out from the Lexington
Historical Society that the name had some historical
significance. He mentioned Winship Terrace as a name
which also had historical significance and which he
thought sounded better.
Pointed out to Mr. Stevens was the conflict in
the prefixes of such existing street names as Winn,
Winthrop, Winston, etc. and present Planning Board
policy of trying not to duplicate either prefixes or
suffices in naming new streets. He was told, however,
that the Board would take the matter under advisement.
The Board decided to discuss with Town Counsel Stevens
the -problem of changing street names in this case.
Considered next was the proposal of Abbott En -
EMERSON AND gi_neering, Inc. .relative to undertaking for the Pla.n-
WORTHEN ning Board location studies for the locati.on of
ROADS Emerson and Worthen Roads to provide some connection
to State Route 2, all as set forth in a letter dated
April 27, 1062, addressed to the Board and signed by '
the president of said corporation. (See addendum.)
The Board decided to accept the corporation's proposal.
1--30-62
ism
From notes dictated by the Board Ar. Snow was asked
'
to draft for the Chairman's signature a letter of
acceptance of said proposal. (See addendum.)
At 8:25 n.m. Town Counsel Stevens came to the
meeting. Tie presented a copy of a letter, dated
BENKLEY
April 273 1462, which he had written to the Town
AND TOWER
Clerk enclosing Land Certificate of Title No. 106715
LANDS FOR
in the name of the Town of Lexington, registered in
RECRFATION
the South Registry District of Middlesex County,
PURPOSES
Registration Book 663, Page 165. In this letter Mr.
Stevens noted that said certificate covers parcels
A 1 and B 1 situated at the intersection of Follen
Road and Marrett Road and Lot 168 which is south-
westerly of the ends of Locust Avenue, Dawes Road
and Philip Road. He noted also that the land was
acquired by the Town from Roger B. Tyler and Albert
B. Wolfe, trustees of mower Trusts, under Article
LL2 of the Warrant for the 1 60 Annual -Town Meeting.
Mr. Stevens also called the Board's atten-
tion to a con�T of another letter of his of April
25, 1962 to the Board of Selectmen advising that
papers were passed on said date with Fred G.
BenkleY, Jr., the deed, dated April 16, 14621 from
him to the Town of Lot 187A situated off Whipple
Road, being recorded on Apri_1 25 in Middlesex South
District Registry of Deeds as instrument No. 74,
and the plan referred to in deed, said plan showinEr
Lot 187A, being recorded at the same time as plan
No. 488 of 1462. It was noted in the letter that
Mr. Stevens had delivered to Mr. BenkleT the Town's
check for the agreed purchase price of lw1300 and an
original of the agreement, dated April 16, 1462,
between the Town and 11r.and Mrs. Benkley granting
certain rishts to the Benkleys to erect and maintain
radio towers and antennae in a portion of Lot 187A
as longi; as they continue to own Lot 187 on which their
dwellinc, is located.
At 8:35 p.m. Mr. John J. Carroll, Jr., Lex-
inf*ton Superintendent of Public Works came to the MINUTE MAN
meeting and with Mr. Stevens discussed with the HIGH -LANDS
Board his letter of Anri.l 18, 1962 to it with refer- SEC. 4
ence to the Minute Man High -Lands Section Four de- -
finiti.ve subdivision plan of Girrac Realty_ Trust. It GIRRAC
was decided that there were two bases for disapprov- REALTY TRUST
ing said plan: (1) there was no satisfactory means
of second access to the subdivision in that (a) the CARRIG
trust does not have rights in Rockville Avenue and
(b) the street grades are improper; (2) the list of
additions and corrections, including recommended
changes of grades In certain streets, found in Mr.
L; -3o-62
Carroll's letter of April 18.
It was decided that during the coming week
Mr. Grindle would arrange with the Carrigs, prin-
cipals In said Trust, to hold a conference in the
Planning Board office at which t'_me Mr. Carroll
and Mr. Snow would also be present to discuss the
above matters. It was also decided to inform them
of the Worthen Road location studies through the
subdivision being undertaken by Abbott Fngineering,
Inc. and to see if, in view of these studies, they
would be willing; to extend the time within which
the Board must act on the Trust's application for
approval of said subdivision plan. It was further
decided to inform them that if some other arrange-
ment could not be made for a second recognized
means of access and in addition they were not will-
ing to make the additions and changes recommended in
Mr. Carroll's letter of Anril 18 to the Planning
Board, it had no other course of action except to
disapprove the Minute Man High -Lands Section Four
definitive subdivision plan.
Messrs. Carroll and Stevens left the meeting
at 9:45 p.m.
Discussed next was the need of acquiring
CEDAR STREET for public recreational purposes rear land off
Cedar Street and located between that of the Pine
LAND FOR Meadows Golf Course and the Lexinmton Golf Club,
RECREATION the particular tract of land in which the Board
PURPOSES was Interested being registered as Land Court Case
No. 1"95. Mr. Snow was asked to prepare for the
Board a n lan of said registered and adjacent prop-
erties and also to -ore-pare a list of owners of
properties he would recommend be acquired.
Considered also were particular notices of
BOARD OF petitions to be heard by the Board of Appeals on
APPEALS May 1 and 22, 1962. Mr. Snow reported that he had
received a telephone call from the Board of Appeals
Socony office asking if the Planning Board planned to send
a letter to said Board of Appeals in regard to the
Socony Mobil Oil Co. netition to be heard on May 1.
On being informed that the Planning Board decided
to take no action on said petition, Mr. Snow said
the Chairman of the Board of Appeals desired some
expression of opinion in regard to the petition
from the Planning Board. It was decided, therefore,
that Mr. Grindle would pall the Chairman of the Board
of Appeals and inform him that it was the Planning
Board's opinion that the proposal of the Socony Com -
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4-30-62
' parry was a big improvement over existing conditions
of the locus but to su.;^gest, if possible, that the
nronosed service building have more set -back from
the rear lot line.
Mr. Snow also reported that Mr. Nickerson,
Chairman of the Board of Appeals, had telephoned
him, requesting that members of the Planning Board
be given copies of the material wich had been sub-
mitted with the Douglass Funeral petition to be
heard on May 22 and also requesting that the Board
of Appeals receive from the Planning Board a memo-
randum in regard to said petition well in advance
of May 22. Copies of said material were distributed
and the matter taken under advisement.
A discussion was held in regard to the case
of the proposed Green Valley Section Seven subdivi-
sion to be developed by Mr. Antonio Busa. Mr.
Gri ndle reported that during, the past week he had
informed Mr. Alfred S. Busa that as soon as the
Town had in hand an executed instrument wherein the
Busa Realt-7 Trust, Alfred S. Busa, Trustee, agreed
to construct the existing portion of Circle Road to
town specifications 'n order to provide a second
' recognized means of access to said Green Valley Sec-
tion Seven subdivision the Planning Board would be
in a nosttion to approve a definitive plan of said
subdivision. It was reported also that it was un-
derstood that %Ir. Alfred Busa was meeting with the
Selectmen that evening to discuss purchasing of
town -owned lots on Circle Road in conjunction with
entering into an agreement to canstruct Circle Road.
.,,Mr. Walter S. Pierce of 16 Trotting Horse
Drive attended most of the Planning Board meeting,
he being particularly interested in the proposed
location of Emerson Road from Massachusetts Avenue
to State Route 2. He was shown a copy of the Abbott
Engineering, Inc, pronosal for location studies pre-
viously noted. He asked Tir. Snow what criteria he
had set forth In his meeting with representatives of
said corporation on April 23. Mr. Snow said he had
not mentioned any for the reason that he believed the
firm should have no limiting factors to consider in
preparing its first studies.
There being no further business to transact at
the time, the meeting was adjourned at 10:55 n.m.
Arthur E. Bryson, Jr.
Clerk
-5-
DOTTGLASS
FUNERAL
CHAPEL
PETITION
GREEN
VALLEY
SEC. 7
BUSA
EMERSON AND
.4OR THEN
ROADS
4-30-62
ADDENDUM
Town of Lexington
Planning Board
Town Office Building
Lexington, Massachusetts Re:
Gentlemen:
April 27, 1962
Consultants Services
Street Studies
Worthen Road and
Emerson "load
-6-
This is in response to our meeting of April 23, 1962, rela-
tive to location studies for extensions of Worthen Road
and Emerson Road. This work will nclude the -reparation
of all necessary plans, -rofiles, sketches and estimates
necessary to verify the anticipated costs to the Town of
Lexington for the recommended alinements.
Two lines to be completely studied will be agreed upon by
the submission and review of at least four alternate and
feasible layout sketches at a scale cf 1 In.= 400 ft. or
smaller.
Final study plans will be -repared at a scale of 1 in.=
100 ft. Profiles will be prepared at a scale of Hor. 1 in.=
100 ft., Vert. 1 in.= 10 ft.
We will submit ten conies of a report outlining the fea-
tures of the recommended layouts and giv}ng a complete esti-
mate of costs including approximate right-of-way damages.
It is understood that this work will commence immediately
upon official notification by the Town.
Our proposal is to do the above work for a lump sum fee of
$1,750.00 (One Thousand Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars).
Thank ,you for affording us the on-ortuni.ty of submitting
this proposal.
Very truly yours,
ABBOTT ENGTNEER-RTG, TNC.
RSC:r By /s/ Ralph S. Carr, Jr. -Pres.
Abbott Engineering, Tnc. May 1, 1962
131 State Street
Boston 9, Plass.
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Attn: Ralph S. Carr, Jr., President
Dear Mr. Carr:
This letter will confirm Mr.Snow's conversation of today
with Mr. LaRosa notifying him of the Lexington Planning;
Board's acceptance of the Abbott Eng.neering, Inc. proposal
as set forth in your letter of Apr11 27, 1962 to prepare
location studies for the extensions of Worthen and Emerson
Roads to connect with Route 2.
It is understood that the proposed location for Worthen
Road will begin at Station 1.4.+84 on sheet 4 of the Minute
Man High -Lands Section Four subdivision plan, dated August
21, 1961, which ras been furnished ,you. Attached herewith
is a marked print of a proposed la?Tout of said Minute Man
High -Lands subdivision drawn at a scale of 1" = 2001. On
this print is shown tre p_r000sed widening of an existing
road for the location of said Worthen Road which eventually
will extend from pleasant Street across Marrett Road to-
wards the Town's Center.
It is understood also that the proposed location for Emer-
son Road will begin at the town -owned property numbered
572 Massachusetts Avenue and proceed in a southerly_ direc-
tion toward Route 2.
It will be an_Areciated if this work is completed at as
earl;T a date as feasible. To facilitate the work, Mr.
Snow, Planning Director, and Mr. Carroll Supt. of Public
Works, will be pleased to cooperate with your firm in every
way and furnish such information and data as they have
available.
Yours very truly,
LEXINGTON PLANYTNG BOARD
/s/ Thomas S. Grindle, Chairman
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