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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1983-03-28219 PLANNING BOARD MINUTES MEETING OF MARCH 28, 1983 The meeting of the Lexington Planning Board, held in Room G-15, Town Offices, was called to order at 7:35 p.m. by the Chairman, Mrs. Smith, with members Nichols, Sorensen, Uhrig and Planning Director Bowyer present. Mrs. Flemings was absent. SUBDIVISION OF LAND 61. Kitson Park, Revisions: William Hamilton, the developer, and Peter Ogren, civil engineer, and two abutters were present for a presentation of proposed changes in the construction details of the Kitson Park subdivision plans. Mr. LO Bowyer explained that the developer had proposed certain changes which were more N than minor field changes. He had recommended the developer submit a sheet of ® revised construction details which would replace the corresponding sheet of con- n struction details in the approved definitive subdivision plan. It was assumed that M these changes were minor revisions (see Minutes 3/21/83, Item 59. a.). Abutters LLI were notifie&l by -mail of the proposed changes and that the item was on the agenda Q for this Planning Board meeting. Mr. Bowyer also reported that the Engineering Department had reviewed the proposed changes and had no objection to them. Peter Ogren, of Hayes Engineering, outlined the proposed changes. On the original approved plan, a sidewalk was indicated on each side of the street; a sidewalk is required only on one side of the street. They propose to eliminate the sidewalk on the west side of the street to improve the grading of the side slopes, permitting additional trees to be saved. The slopes will be planted with low spreading ever- green shrubs. The original plan also calls for the turnaround to be paved entirely with asphalt. They propose to install a forty -foot diameter island, which will be landscaped with shrubs, in the center of the turnaround. There will be a change in the pitch of the paving toward catch basins, but it will not increase the water runoff. There will be no change in the rate of grade of the street. The plan also shows a relo- cation of water and service connections to houses. Planning Board members commented on the responsibility for the maintenance of the planted island. The Town's Public Works Department is not in a position to assume a maintenance responsibility for the island. Mr. Ogren said the maintenance respon- sibility for the island will be handled in a manner similar to that for the Trodden Path subdivision. On the motion of Mr. Sorensen, seconded by Mrs. Nichols, it was voted unanimously to approve the minor changes requested by William Hamilton in a letter dated February 5, 1983, as shown on a drawing entitled "Revised Plan and Profile of Kit- son Park Drive," dated March 17, 1983, prepared by Hayes Engineering Inc., provided that a restriction, which shall run with the land, shall be placed in the deeds of lots 3, 4, 5 and 6, which have frontage on the turnaround, requiring that the owners be responsible for maintaining the island in the turnaround after its ini- tial construction and landscaping by the developer. ARTICLES FOR 1983 TOWN MEETING 62. PUBLIC HEARING: Article 12, Zoning By -Law Technical Corrections: Mrs. Smith opened the public hearing at 8:02 p.m. and explained the purpose of the proposed Planning Board Meeting: March 28, 1983 2 221 amendment. No one on the Board or in the audience had questions or comments about the proposed amendment. The hearing was closed at 8:04 p.m. The Board reviewed a draft report prepared by the staff. On the motion of Mr. Sorensen, seconded by Mrs. Nichols, it was voted unanimously to recommend that the Town Meeting approve the proposed amendments and to approve the report as written. 63. Reports on Articles On the motion of Mr. Sorensen, seconded by Mrs. Nichols, it was voted unanimously that the Planning Board is not in favor or transferring the "poor farm" land at this time and to approve the report, as amended. Mrs. Uhrig commented on a dilemma she had, that she would not want to see the Commission be forced to withdraw their article, because they have planned for this transfer for several years, but she was concerned about the Plan- ning Board meeting its overall responsibilities for land use in the Town. Mrs. Smith said she did not think the Conservation Commission should not present the article; if it were presented, Town Meeting could decide whether to make the transfer at this time or support the land use planning process. c. Article 11, Transfer of School Property: On the motion of Mr. Sorensen, seconded by Mrs. Nichols, it was voted unanimously to approve the first part of the report relative to the transfer of the school sites. The Board's position is that the transfer of the school sites be deferred until the Board has adopted a Land Use Plan. With respect to the Franklin School, the Board agreed it would support the transfer of the building at this time. Mr. Sorensen was in favor of the a. Introduction to Reports: Mrs. Nichols recommended that reference be made to the recreation and open space plan, the growth policy statement and the 1978 housing report. Changes were made in the description on the South Lexington study. on the motion of Mr. Sorensen, seconded by Mrs. Nichols, LO it was voted unanimously to approve the introduction, as amended. N 0 b. Article 10, Transfer of "Poor Farm": David Williams, Chairman, and Angela Q Frick, of the Conservation Commission, were present. Mr. Williams stated m the "poor farm" land had been on the Conservation Commission's list of projects for two years, was in the Commission's master plan and had been Q in the warrant the previous year. Mrs. Frick said that, relative to the reference in the Planning Board's report to an inventory of Town -owned land, the Commission has a list of all the open space in Town including Town -owned land. She said the Commission is working on updating its mas- ter plan and that should be available within a month. Mrs. Smith said the Planning Board preferred that the Town wait for the completion of a land use planning process before commitments were made to ' a particular use, such as by this transfer. The result of that process may result in a recommendation that some, or all, of the "poor farm" land be transferred to Conservation, but the Board could not take that position now. She suggested that the report be revised to indicate that the land is one of the few publicly owned open spaces in that neighborhood. Other changes in the report referring to the inventory of Town -owned land were agreed to. On the motion of Mr. Sorensen, seconded by Mrs. Nichols, it was voted unanimously that the Planning Board is not in favor or transferring the "poor farm" land at this time and to approve the report, as amended. Mrs. Uhrig commented on a dilemma she had, that she would not want to see the Commission be forced to withdraw their article, because they have planned for this transfer for several years, but she was concerned about the Plan- ning Board meeting its overall responsibilities for land use in the Town. Mrs. Smith said she did not think the Conservation Commission should not present the article; if it were presented, Town Meeting could decide whether to make the transfer at this time or support the land use planning process. c. Article 11, Transfer of School Property: On the motion of Mr. Sorensen, seconded by Mrs. Nichols, it was voted unanimously to approve the first part of the report relative to the transfer of the school sites. The Board's position is that the transfer of the school sites be deferred until the Board has adopted a Land Use Plan. With respect to the Franklin School, the Board agreed it would support the transfer of the building at this time. Mr. Sorensen was in favor of the Planning Board Meeting: March 28, 1983 3 223 prompt permanent disposition of the building. Mrs. Uhrig was concerned about the references to the reuse of the building as a school. She does not think it is that good a building to be saved for that purpose. It was agreed to change the references to include reuse for Town purposes. On the motion of Mrs. Nichols, seconded by Mrs. Uhrig, it was voted 3-1, with Mr. Sorensen in opposition, to recommend that the Town investigate an interim or temporary use of the Franklin School building with the Town re- taining the option to again use the building for Town purposes, and to approve the report as amended. f. Housing Policy Resolution: The Board reopened for discussion the report on the Housing Policy Resolution which had previously been approved (see Item 33, 2/28/83). Mrs. Smith commented that the previously approved ver- sion of the report displayed a willingness to accept an alleged lack of capital grant money as a reason for inaction on new construction activity. That wording should be changed to indicate greater effort was needed by the Town, particularly since capital grant money was turned back unused. On the motion of Mrs. Nichols, seconded by Mrs. Uhrig, it was voted unani- mously to amend the report and to then approve it as amended. ZONING BY-LAW 64. Service Stations: Building Commissioner Peter DiMatteo was present for a discussion of a memorandum, dated January 21, 1983, which he had prepared. Mr. DiMatteo proposed that the Board of Appeals and the Planning Board approve a formal policy statement which seeks to clarify and make uniform the current provisions of the Zoning By -Law. Once approved, nearly all service stations would need to obtain a new special permit to replace the old, and often contradictory, special permits issued over the years. One purpose of his proposed policy is to set forth the accepted regular uses of service stations but not to allow associated uses which may be offensive to neighbors. In response to questions from the Board, storage of trailers would require a separate special permit. Mrs. Smith said that the Board concurred with the policy approach outlined by Mr. DiMatteo and commended him for the excellent work he had done to create consistency d. Article 14, Accessory Apartments: The Board reviewed the final editing changes to the draft report. Mr. Sorensen suggested that sections 1 and 2 ' ^ LO J under B. Housing Issues, be reversed in order. A table of comparative N zoning requirements was added as an appendix. On the motion of Mrs. Uhrig, ® seconded by Mrs. Nichols, it was voted unanimously to recommend that the Q Town Meeting adopt the proposed amendment for accessory apartments, as set coforth o in the revised motion, and to approve the report dated March 28, 1983, as amended. Q e. Article 15, Substitute Two Family House: A change in the draft, relative to the reference to Parker School was agreed to. Other editing changes were made. Gail Colwell, Chairman of the Housing Needs Advisory Committee, stated that the exchange should be as equal in value and size of units as possible. On the motion of Mr. Sorensen, seconded by Mrs. Uhrig, it was voted unanimously to recommend in favor of using an off-site location to meet the obligation for the two units, to defer a recommendation on the ' substitution until more specifics are known, and to approve the report as amended. f. Housing Policy Resolution: The Board reopened for discussion the report on the Housing Policy Resolution which had previously been approved (see Item 33, 2/28/83). Mrs. Smith commented that the previously approved ver- sion of the report displayed a willingness to accept an alleged lack of capital grant money as a reason for inaction on new construction activity. That wording should be changed to indicate greater effort was needed by the Town, particularly since capital grant money was turned back unused. On the motion of Mrs. Nichols, seconded by Mrs. Uhrig, it was voted unani- mously to amend the report and to then approve it as amended. ZONING BY-LAW 64. Service Stations: Building Commissioner Peter DiMatteo was present for a discussion of a memorandum, dated January 21, 1983, which he had prepared. Mr. DiMatteo proposed that the Board of Appeals and the Planning Board approve a formal policy statement which seeks to clarify and make uniform the current provisions of the Zoning By -Law. Once approved, nearly all service stations would need to obtain a new special permit to replace the old, and often contradictory, special permits issued over the years. One purpose of his proposed policy is to set forth the accepted regular uses of service stations but not to allow associated uses which may be offensive to neighbors. In response to questions from the Board, storage of trailers would require a separate special permit. Mrs. Smith said that the Board concurred with the policy approach outlined by Mr. DiMatteo and commended him for the excellent work he had done to create consistency Planning Board Meeting: March 28, 1983 among the various service stations in Town by Mr. Sorensen, it was voted unanimously consistent with the Zoning By -Law, as a service stations, and to endorse the poli changed at this meeting. It was agreed th to the Board of Appeals. REPORTS 65. Planning Director 4 On the motion of Mrs. Nichols, seconded to support a policy statement, which is means of providing uniform treatment of cy statement outlined by Mr. DiMatteo as e Board's position should be communicated a. Spring Street - Ledgemont Development: Mr. Bowyer reported that the Beal Company had filed earlier in the day with both the Board of Appeals and the Conservation Commission, applications for a substantial development on the former Kennecott property on Spring Street. The proposed development calls for a new building of about 200,000 square feet of gross floor area, a five level parking garage and new off-street parking for more than 800 vehicles. It was agreed the item would be placed on the agenda for a future meeting for discussion. 66. Planning Board Members, Subcommittees a. Housing Needs Advisory Committee: Gail Colwell, Chairman of the Committee, was present to report on the status of proposed legislation that would provide additional state funds for family, elderly and handicapped hous- ing. Mrs. Smith suggested that a meeting be set up with Senator Kraus and Representative Doran to discuss this housing legislation. The Housing Needs Advisory Committee will continue to monitor the progress of the legislation and the potential availability of construction funds. b. Meeting Schedule: It was agreed to schedule Planning Board meetings on April 4, 6, and 11 at 7:00 p.m., preceding Town Meeting sessions, and on Tuesday, April 19, for a joint meeting with the Housing Needs Advisory Committee. The meeting was adjourned at 11:28 p.m. udith J. ig, Clerk 9U