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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1982-08-30375 PLANNING BOARD MINUTES: MEETING OF AUGUST 30, 1982 The meeting of the Lexington Planning Board, held in Room G-15, Town Offices, was called to order at 7:36 p.m., by the Chairman, Mrs. Smith, with members Nichols, Sandy, Sorensen, Uhrig, Planning Director Bowyer, Assistant Planner Arslan, and volunteer intern Mary Trudeau present. 124. APPROVAL OF MINUTES On the motion of Mrs. Uhrig, seconded by Mr. Sandy, the minutes of the meeting of LD August 9, 1982, were approved unanimously as written. N ® 125. APPLICATIONS TO BOARD OF APPEALS mThe Board reviewed a staff analysis dated August 25, 1982, for cases to be heard by the Board of Appeals on September 9, 1982. It was agreed to make no recommendation Q on the following cases: D 1 30 Taft Avenue, Joseph and Jody Petner: Variance, side yard 5 Revo utionar Road, John G. Desmond: Variance, side yard 171 Mass. Avenue, Coolidge Bank & Trust Company: SP, sign 85 Hartwell venue, Boston Properties: Variance, parking spaces 319 Woburn Street, BayBank Harvard Trust Company: SP, teller machines 319 Woburn treet, BayBank Harvard Trust Company: SP, sign 314 Bedford Street, John R. Clark Associates: SP, Sign: On the motion of Mr. Soren- sen, seconded y Mrs. Nichols, it was voted unanimously to recommend that the sign requested not be approved because it is too large and to indicate the Board is not opposed to a sign which does not exceed 12 square feet in area, which is the maximum allowed in multi -family dwelling districts. SUBDIVISION OF LAND 126. Simonds Estates, off Grove Street: DEFINITIVE SUBDIVISION PLAN,_ PUBLIC HEARING: Chairman Smith opened thepublic hearing on the definitive subdivision plan at 7:45 p.m. Mr. Sandy disqualified himself from discussion of the subdivision as he is an abutter to it. Oscar Cormier, the developer, engineer Eric Nitzsche, and attorney Barry Plunkett were present. Mr. Nitzsche made the presentation for the developer. About ten abutters were present. Mr. Nitzsche distributed a set of plans which were a revision of plans previously submitted. He noted that the roadway easements at the corner of Mead Circle and North Emerson Road are shown for the record only and there is no intention to convey them to the Town. In response to comments from Mrs. Nichols, Mr. Nitzsche said that he would correct the plans to show three trees per lot, as required, rather than two trees as shown. He will also add planting along the pedestrian easement on Lot 8, as required by the decision of the Board of Appeals in granting a special permit for the cluster sub- division. He will also make corrections to reference the separation of water and sewer lines. Minutes of August 30, 1982 2 There was considerable discussion of the drainage intake structure adjacent to Me n Circle. Mr. Sandy, speaking as an abutter, suggested the Board should reject th "flared inlet" shown because it does not comply with the Conservation Commission's Order of Conditions which refers to a weir. Dilip Mathur commented that he had heard three different solutions proposed for that drainage at three different hearings be- fore the Boards. Mrs. Smith responded that the Planning Department staff will meet with the Town Engineer and the Conservation Commission staff to obtain a definitive answer on what drainage structure design is best. Mr. Sandy stated he is opposed to a flared inlet and preferred that a weir be constructed. In view of the questions outstanding, it was agreed to adjourn the hearing and to resume it on Tuesday, September 7, at 7:45 p.m. The hearing was adjourned at 8:53 p.m. 127. Trodden Path, off Concord Avenue: Request for Release of Surety The Board was in receipt of a memorandum from Peter Chalpin, Assistant Town Engineer, dated August 27, 1982, indicating that the Engineering Department had made a final inspection of the Trodden Path Subdivision and found all required work to be com- pleted, and recommending the final release of surety. On the motion of Mrs. Uhrig, seconded by Mr. Sorensen, it was voted unanimously to release all surety for the Trodden Path Subdivision. 128. Blossomcrest Tract: Signing of Plans ' On the motion of Mrs. Smith, seconded by Mrs. Nichols, the Board voted 4-1, with Mr. Sandy opposed, to endorse, by signature, the definitive subdivision plan approved on July 20, 1982. The original copies of the plan will be retained in the custody of the Planning Department and the Town Counsel until all appropriate documents are pre- pared and recorded with it at the Registry of Deeds. 129. Battleview, off Young Street: Amount of Surety The Board was in receipt of a memorandum from Peter Chalpin, Assistant Town Engineer, dated August 30, 1982, describing the items necessary to complete the subdivision. On the motion of Mrs. Nichols, seconded by Mrs. Uhrig, it was voted unanimously to set $13,000 as the amount of surety necessary to complete the subdivision. COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING, POLICIES 130. South Lexington Planning Study: Town Manager Hutchinson was present for this presentation. Ms. Arslan and Mary Trudeau, a planning student at the University of Massachusetts who has worked as a volunteer intern in the Planning Department during the summer, presented a status report on the South Lexington Planning study. A work program, dated August 25, 1982, described the scope of the study and detailed work items. Ms. Arslan described the definition of the study area boundaries and made comparisons between the study area and the town as a whole. Ms. Trudeau described the land use characteristics of the area and the process by which lots susceptible to development were identified. Mr. Bowyer commented that the presentation was a status report on work, which was largely data collection, completed during the summer. The next steps are to analyze the development constraints, such as the effects of natural systems, transportation and public facilities. SU Minutes of August 30, 1982 3 379 Town Manager Hutchinson commented that the staff worked presented was of high quality and would be most helpful for the Town in formulating development policies. He noted that the effects of Proposition 2 1/2 still require additional development to support the level of services that Lexington was accustomed to. Mr. Sandy inquired if the Town Manager knew which types of economic development had the most favorable cost - revenue relationship. 131. Advisory Committee on Housing Needs: Gail Colwell was present to explain some research that had been started and to proposed that a workshop be held in the near future on non -market, unconventional housing. She noted that many people are famil- iar with subsidized housing but there is a new area emerging of non -subsidized hous- ing meeting community needs. It was agreed that a workshop would be conducted in mid-September, shortly after the Conversion Committee is appointed by the Board of N Selectmen. Members of the Conversion Committee, the Board of Selectmen, and possibly 0 Town Meeting Members, would be invited to the workshop. mMrs. Smith reported on persons that had been contacted about serving on the commit- tee, giving a brief background on each. On the motion of Mr. Sandy, seconded by Mrs. Q Nichols, it was voted unanimously to appoint the following to the Advisory Committee on Housing Needs: Gail Colwell, Chairman Pro -tem Martin Cohen 39 Cary Avenue 38 Bow Street Sherry Edmonds Paul Farrington 125 Pine Knoll Road Lexington Savings Bank 1776 Massachusetts Avenue Arturo Guttierrez William Hayes (Advisory) 567 Lowell Street 39 Locust Street Eleanor Klauminzer 8 Lincoln Terrace REPORTS 132. Planning Board Members Ruth Nablo 6 Brigham Circle a. Kiln Brook V: Mr. Sandy reported that the Board of Appeals had decided to approve the Kiln Brook V development subject to the developer meeting with the Planning Boad to work out some arrangements on traffic. It was unclear what that might be. Mrs. Smith suggested that it may be appropriate to meet with the Board of Appeals on implementing the newly adopted amendment requiring consideration of traffic conditions as part of granting an SPS. b. Middlesex Turnpike Improvements: Mrs. Nichols reported that Angela Frick, theMAPC representative, had een asked to comment on a proposal by the Town of Burlington that the Middlesex Turnpike from Adams Street to and including the Burlington Mall Road be reconstructed. The new plan would provide two moving lanes in each direction and left turn storage lanes. It LO N O m Q 1 1 Minutes of August 30, 1982 4 381 was agreed that the Planning Board should support objectives of the recon- struction, i.e., improve traffic safety and better organized traffic move- ment, without commenting on the technical details of the design, which are not available to the Planning Board. c. Muzzey Development: Mrs. Smith reported that the Selectmen had set up an ad hoc committee to synthesize the various recommendations made by the different Town boards and committees for the conversion of Muzzey. She will represent the Planning Board. d. Meeting Schedule: It was agreed to meet on Tuesday, September 7, and Mon - ay, September 20, 1982. Monday, September 13, should be held in reserve in the event that time is needed for the Blossomcrest Subdivision. The meeting was adjourned at 11:03 p.m. Judith J. Uhrig, Berk