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Home My WebLink About1966-08-29PLANNING BOARD MEETING August 29, 1966 A regular meeting of the Lexington Planning Board was held in the Board's Office, Town Office Building, on Monday, August 29, 1966. The meeting was called to order by vice- chairman Greeley at 7:30 p.m. with members Riffin and Worrell and planning director Zaleski present. Mr. Storer, accompanied by some 22 residents of the Bowman Park area, met with the Board to discuss the history BOWMAN PARK - of and need for Emerson Rd. or another road connecting EMERSON RD. Massachusetts Ave. and Rte. 2. Speaking for Bowman Park Assn., Mr. Storer asked that the Planning Board consider the installation of a parallel road and that the Planning Board inform the Bowman Park Association by August 30 (after- noon) of the Board's plans and thinking regarding the streets in the area, particularly as regards a widening of Pleasant Street. Mr. Ralph DeNunzio objected to the proposed opening of Mason St. extension onto Pleasant St. Mr. Greeley replied, explaining the revisions in the ' plans for Emerson Rd. resulting from land developments and town meeting actions. Mr. Greeley stated that the present plans for Emerson Rd. are for the segment to Great Meadows only and that traffic increases between Mass. Ave. and Rte. 2 may largely be taken care of by an improved intersection at Mass. Ave. Neither the Board, nor anyone else, has the solu- tion to the traffic problems connected with Worthen Rd., Pleasant St. and Rte. 2, but such solutions will have to be found in the next few years, hopefully without destroying the Wilson farm. Mr. DeNunzio questioned the wisdom of widening Pleasant St. and Mr. Greeley pointed out that the Board does not neces- sarily advocate the widening and that the improvement of traf- fic may be accomplished by re -design of intersections. Mr. Arthur Brock mentioned that the idea of widening Pleasant St. occurred as a result of Planning Board's remarks at the public hearing on Peacock Farm, Sec. VI. Mrs. Storer stated that the intersection of Pleasant St. and Mass. Ave. has been a problem for many years. Mr. Mark Moore, Jr. and Mr. Goldberg met with the Board next and presented a preliminary subdivision plan of land off TODD REALTY East St, near Ridge Rd. The proposed subdivision would be a PRELIM. PLAN "cluster" development of 14 lots with about 2.35 acres left OFF EAST ST. open, to be used for a community swimming pool for the resi- 8-29-66 -2- dents of the neighborhood subdivision. The question of who would be allowed to use the pool besides the residents of the immediate subdivision and the question of the permissibility ' of having a bath -house on the land were discussed briefly and it was decided to obtain Town Counsel's opinion on these questions. The failure of Pond Realty Trust to comply with the POND REALTY agreement to complete Augustus Rd. on time was discussed next and the Board voted to request the Town Counsel through AUGUSTUS RD. the Selectmen to enforce the bond guaranteeing the construc- tion of this subdivision to the extent necessary to complete the required work promptly. Mr. Alan Wilson of Wilson Farm, Inc, appeared before EMERSON RD. mthe Board and stated that Emerson Rd. location along the WILSON FARM southeasterly part of the farm would hurt less than a widening of Pleasant St. Mr. Wilson stated that the Wilsons would be willing to donate the land for Emerson Rd. to be constructed by the town in the location near West farm. The Board next discussed the action on Peacock Farms, PEACOCK FARMS Sec. VI in relation to objections and recommendations of the SEC. VI Bowman Park Association. The Planning Board decided to approve the subdivision and request Benjamin Franklin Homes, Inc. to relocate street connection to Wilson Farm as far as possible to the east, subject to the usual guarantees for the construction of ways and utilities and with building re- striction on some lots. Definitive subdivision plans as follows were received by the Board: WOODBRIDGE EST. Woodbridge Estates, dated 6-17-66 by Miller & Nylander, C.E.'s & Surveyors (Nickerson Rd.) BRIDLE PATH EST. Bridle Path Estates, dated 8-5-66 by Miller & Nylander, C.E.'s & Surveyors (Paddock Lane) Pub lic hearings on these subdivisions were scheduled on Hearings September 26 in Estabrook Hall, as follows: Woodbridge Es- tates, 8:00 p.m.; Bridle Path Estates, 8:40 p.m. Letter from Norman T. May relative to his petition NORMAN T. MAY that the Board of Appeals allow the remodeling of 4624-26 BOARD OF APPEALS Muzzey St. for professional offices was read. After dis- cussion the Board decided to have Mr. Zaleski draft a letter to the Board of Appeals that if the requested variance is granted, it should be subject to conditions similar to C 1 dis- trict to conform to long range thinking of the Planning Board. The draft will be mailed to Board members for review. The Board decided to advise the Selectmen that the ' TYLER RD. condition of approval of Tyler Rd. subdivision requiring a connection to Appletree Lane should not be a condition pre- 8-2i-66 -2- cedent to the acceptance of Tyler Rd. as a town way, nor is ' the need for the connection so urgent as to justify eminent domain takings at this time, Planning Director's memo of 8.23.66 relative to a buffer between North St. residence of Mr. Rizza and the BURLINGTON industrial complex in Burlington was discussed. It was de- BUFFER cided to arrange a meeting with the Burlington Planning Board. After a brief discussion, upon a motion duly made and seconded, the Board unanimously PROCEDURAL RULES VOTED: to adopt the "Procedural Rules of the Planning Board," dated September 1, 1966. The minutes of Planning Board meetings of July 25 and MINUTES August 15, 1966 were approved. Plan submitted with the following Form A application was reviewed by members of the Board and endorsed as not FORM A requiring approval under the Subdivision Control Law: #66-37, submitted August 24 by Francis E. Burke, Burke entitled "Plan of Land in Lexington, Mass.", dated July 29, 1966, Miller & Nylander, C.E.'s & Sur- veyors. Planning Director's table of required improvements to be used as a guide in determining the status of streets was STREET STATUS discussed briefly. No date was set for a continuation of the visual inspection tour, but Mr. Greeley offered to view the streets in question, if given a list, and make recommen- dations. Upon a motion duly made and seconded, the Board VOTED: that the construction of way and the installation of fiEEN7VALLEY municipal services in the Green Valley Sec. 7 sub- division having been partially completed to the BUSA satisfaction of the Planning Board, the penal sum of the bond guaranteeing such construction and installa- tion is reduced from $25,000 to $3,000, as requested by the developer and recommended by the Town Engineer. A letter from the Woburn Planning Board suggesting WOBURN PLAN - a joint meeting to discuss zoning was read. It was decided NING BOARD to ask Woburn Planning Board to suggest several convenient dates. Mr. Zaleski told the Board that the cluster zoning provisions of the Town of Wilbraham are practically identical WILBRAHAM ' to Lexington's, except that they do not require going through CLUSTER ZONING the Board of Appeals. 8-29-66 -4- Notices of Board of Appeals hearings on September 13, 1966, were noted and placed on file. ' Chairman of the Board of Selectmen, Lincoln P. Cole, PEACOCK FARMS Jr., met with the Board to discuss the situation with regard SEC.VI to Peacock Farms Sec. VI (Mason St. Extension) and the objec- tions of the Bowman Park Association. Mr. Cole agreed that a study of means to improve traffic between Mass. Ave. and Rte. 2 should be done as soon as practicable either by the staff of the Town Engineer's office or by a consultant engaged through the Town Engineer's office. Following Mr. Cole's departure, the Board reconsidered and rescinded its decision to approve Peacock Farms, Sec. VI subdivision. This action was based on the following consid- erations: 1. The definitive subdivision plans had been with- drawn by the applicant for modification and only returned the night of this meeting, thus the Board had no opportunity to review changes or modifications made on the plans. 2. The conditions of approval, i.e, which lots would be restricted by a Covenant and what security would be furnished for the way and utilities to serve other lots, the description and grant of the necessary easements, and the exemption of certain lots from the approval for the reasons ' of public health were not defined.. It was decided to meet with Mr. White of Benjamin Franklin Homes, Inc. at 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 6, 1966, to discuss item 2 above and any possible revisions of the de- finitive subdivision plan. The meeting adjourned at 12:05 a./m. Natalie H. Riffin, Clerk �J