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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1966-07-25PLANNING BOARD MEETING July 25, 1966 A regular meeting of the Lexington Planning Board was held on Monday, July 25, 1966. The meeting was called to order by Chairman Campbell at 7:30 p.m. with members Fowle, Riffin and Worrell, and Planning Director Zaleski present. Minutes of meeting of July 11, 1966, were approved. Draft of letter to Board of Appeals regarding soil removal was discussed. It was decided to postpone action on the letter to August 15, 1966 when Mr. Greeley will be present. Upon reconsideration the letter was approved and signed by the chairman. Letter from Board of Health relating to the setting aside of a site for a hospital in Lexington was read It was decided to invite the Board of Health to a meeting with the Planning Board in September. The Board agreed to hold a public'hearing on Pea- cock Farm, Sec. VI (Mason St. extension) on August 15, 1966, at 8:00 p.m. in Estabrook Hall. Mr. Twomey of A&P met with the Board to discuss a new location for an A&P store in Lexington. A&P prefers not to be in East Lexington, best northwest of the center, if downtown A&P would be alone; on the out- skirts they could work with other stores. Area require- ment at 4:1 parking would be about 90,000 sq.ft. The building itself would be about 18,000 sq.ft. floor area, give or take 20%. It was agreed that Mr. Worrell will follow the matter up with Mr. Twomey. Plans submitted with the following Form A applica- tions were reviewed by the Board: 966-30, submitted July 22, 1966 by J. Frank Busa; plan entitled "Plan of Land on Lincoln St. Lex- ington, Mass.", dated July 19, 1966, Joseph W. Moore, C.E. #66-31, submitted July 22, 1966, by Antonio DiLuna; plan entitled "Plan of Land in Lexington, Mass.", dated July 22, 1966, Miller & Nylander, C.E.'s & Surveyors. ' The plan accompanying Form A #66-30 was endorsed as not requiring approval under the Subdivision Control Law. On plan submitted with Form A #66-31 it was noted that the MINUTES GRAVEL REMOVAL HOSPITAL PROPOSAL PEACOCK FARM SEC. VI A & P FORMS A Busa DiLuna 7-25-66 lots shown were recorded in 1913, and the plan was en- dorsed as not requiring approval under the Subdivision Control Law. The Board decided to recommend that lots shown on the above plan be revised so as to more nearly equalize street frontages. Draft of letter to Commissioner Ribba of the RTE. 2 State D.P.W. relative to the support by the majority of WATERTOWN ST. the Board of the report by the Technical Review Panel of the Dept. of Natural Resources was discussed. Minor changes in the text were agreed to by the Board and it was de- cided to take up this item again after the meeting with the Selectmen. The Board next took up the problem of widening MASS. AVE. Massachusetts Ave. north of Pelham Rd. The proposal was WIDENING explained in general terms by Mr. Zaleski and the Board decided to ask the Selectmen for more details of the widening as compared to the relocation of Pelham Rd. Letter to Town Report Committee was read by the chairman, approved and signed. Letter from Jules P. Sussman to Bruce Gullion of HOBBS BROOK the Dept. of Natural Resources, dated July 13, 1966, re- garding the proposed excavation in Hobbs Brook Basin by the City of Cambridge, was read by the chairman. Mr. , Campbell also read excerpts from the Dept, of Natural Resources permit and Selectmen's minutes. A discussion followed. Board of Appeals decisions on the petitions of BOARD OF the following persons were read and noted: APPEALS Ernest Giroux Mrs. Schontag Decisions Louis Stoico Patricia Garrity Caleb Layton Anthony Cataldo Lexington Housing Authority Notices of Board of Appeals hearings to be held Hearings on August 2, 1966, as follows, were read and noted: George S. Grey George Sullivan Katherine Marotto Morris Kazanjian Pasquale Barbieri Anthony Modoono At 10:00 p.m. the Board adjourned to the office MASS. AVE. of the Selectmen to attend their meeting and to discuss WIDENING the widening of Massachusetts Ave. near Pelham Rd., the - design of ramp at Watertown St. and Rte. 2, the Hobbs SELECTMEN Brook Basin excavation, and possibly the study of Old , Reservoir's potential as a swimming facility. Returning to the Planning Board office at 10:40 -25-66 -3- the Planning Board resumed its meeting. The letter of Commissioner Ribba relative to Watertown St. interchange was approved with minor changes with members Fowle, Rif£in and Worrell being in favor and Chairman Campbell being opposed to the contents and the idea of the letter. The Planning Director was authorized to prepare the cor- rected letter, sign the name of the chairman and mail the letter. (See Addendum.) The Town Engineer, John J. Carroll, met with the Board to explain the details of Massachusetts Ave. im- provements near Pelham Rd. The entire Mass. Ave. from Pleasant St. to the center will be resurfaced under Chap. 90 arrangement. The portion from Pelham Rd. to Percy Rd. should also include the following improvements: remove a 64" elm on the northeast side constructing the pavement from 40 to 36 ft. width, install sidewalk along the south- west side (at Munroe Tavern) and remove the hill to im- prove sight distance towards Pelham Rd., installing a re- taining wall up to 9 ft. high. The relative merits and costs of relocating Pelham Rd. versus cutting back the hillside were discussed. Because of the controversy in- volved, the Selectmen will not include the section between Palham and Percy Rd. on the current contract. The meeting adjourned at 11:15 p.m. Natalie H. Riffin Clerk * * * * * * * * * * * ADDENDA July 25, 1966 Commissioner Edward J. Ribbs Department of Public Works 100 Nashua Street Boston, Massachusetts Dear Commissioner Ribbs: WATERTOWN ST. INTERCHANGE MASSACHUSETTS AVE. IMPROVE- MENT The members of the Lexington Planning Board have reviewed the report of the Department of Natural Resources submitted to the Department of Public Works July 12, 1966, regarding the design of the Route 2 - Watertown St. interchange in Lexington. After a careful evaluation of the report, a majority of the Planning Board wishes me to express their agreement with and their support of the position of the Technical Review Panel and its concern for the ' preservation of open space and natural beauty. Specifically, the major- ity strongly supports the recommendations 1, 3, 4, 5, and, as a less de- sirable alternative, recommendation 6 of the Technical Review Panel. 7-25-66 _4 _ The majority of the Planning Board is in favor of preserving the open space between Peacock Farms and Rte. 2, if need be by purchase, if such action will ensure the advantages of the "slip" ramp. Watertown St. is one of principal entrances into Lexington and we wish to keep it visually distinctive and in consonance with the open character of the town. Recommendations 2 and 7 deal with matters outside the Watertown Street interchange. The careful consideration they merit need not be tied in with the Watertown St. ramp. The Planning Board is not in favor of a rotary around Bowman Park, as proposed to the town by your Department. The problem of Rte. 2 connection for Pleasant St. (south) and Worthen Rd. traffic will become extremely serious with the completion --of Worthen Rd. The Planning Board hopes that you will continue to work with the officials of the town of Lexington in an effort to find a satisfactory alternate solution of this problem. We sincerely hope that the Department of Public Works will give the report every consideration, since the proposed solutions are the result of unbiased arbitration by the technical Review Panel constituted at the request of your Department. The majority of the Planning Board believes that the recommendations of this Panel, if implemented, would both accom- modate the traffic projected by State counts and provide a functional and aesthetically satisfactory entrance to the town of Lexington. Very truly yours, LEXINGTON PLANNING BOARD ' Joseph A. Campbell, Chairman cc: His Excellency Governor Volpe Rep. Lincoln P. Cole, Chairman Lexington Board of Selectmen i