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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1983-12-121 PLANNING BOARD MINUTES HEARING, MEETING OF DECEMBER 12, 1983 PUBLIC HEARING The Lexington Planning Board conducted a public hearing in Estabrook Hall of Cary Memorial Hall on four proposed amendments to the Zoning By -Law: A. Comprehensive Revision, Parking Requirements; B. Parking, Central Business District; C. Rezoning to CG, East Lexington, Bedford Street -Worthen Road; and D. Height Restriction, CB District. Chairman Smith and members Flemings, Nichols, Sorensen and Uhrig, Plan- ning Director Bowyer and Secretary Mrs. Salto were present. The hearing began at 7:37 p.m. and at 9:55 p.m. was recessed subject to the call of the Chair, to a date tentatively set as January 17, 1984. The business meeting of the Lexington Planning Board, held in Room G-15, Town Offices, was called to order at 10:26 p.m. by the Chairman Mrs. Smith with members Flemings, Nichols, Sorensen, Uhrig and Planning Director Bowyer present. PLANS NOT REQUIRING SUBDIVISION APPROVAL 243. 103 Pleasant Street, Gerald Cowperthwaite, Form A-83/17: The Board reviewed a plan of land at 103 Pleasant Street, at the corner of Worthen Road East, which showed the division of a parcel of 179,000 square feet into two lots. On the motion of Mr. Sorensen, seconded by Mrs. Flemings, it was voted unanimously that: The plan entitled "Compiled Subdivision Plan of Land in Lexington, Mass.," ' dated October 28, 1983, by Miller & Nylander Company, Lexington, Mass., cer- tified by Donald J. Forand, Registered Land Surveyor, with application Form A-83/17, by Gerald Cowperthwaite, does not require approval under the Subdi- vision Control Law. On the motion of Mrs. Nichols, seconded by Mr. Sorensen, it was voted unanimously to authorize the Planning Director to sign the plan in the Board's behalf. ARTICLES FOR 1984 TOWN MEETING 244. Streets for Acceptance: The Board reviewed a letter dated December 8, 1983 reporting the intent of the Board of Selectmen to lay out certain streets as public ways. The Planning Board agreed with four subdivision streets, Battleview, Circle, Kitson Park Drive, Crest Circle and Ingleside Road. In reviewing the "construc- tion" streets, the Board had questions about what criteria the Board of Selectmen were using. Mr. Bowyer was requested to obtain a copy of the criteria for unac- cepted streets voted by the Board of Selectmen. The Board favored the inclusion of Sunnyknoll Avenue, which has long been a priority of the Board. It expressed con- cern about Emerald Street which appears to open some lots for development. Mrs. Nichols said the residents who want to build houses should construct Emerald Street at their expense by filing a subdivision plan. It was agreed to defer discussion on this item until the streets have been viewed in the field. Mrs. Nichols said she would look at them and report to the Board. 245. CR District: The Board discussed briefly the preliminary 246. Traffic Considerations: draft of these two articles and agreed to defer consideration of them until the next meeting. PLANNING BOARD MINUTES: DECEMBER 12, 1983 2 247. Setback for Swimming Pools: The Board was in receipt of a draft article pre- pared by Eric Clarke which would apply the same setback requirements to swimming pools that apply to buildings. In that way, swimming pools could be constructed on lots with less than 100 feet frontage without being required to comply with the 15 foot setback requirement. Mr. Sorensen thought that no special treatment should be allowed for the construction of swimming pools on lots under 15,500 square feet and they should continue to comply with the 15 foot setback requirement. Mrs. Smith was also not in favor of allowing the same setback as for buildings because build- ings can be quiet but pools are inevitably noisy. Mrs. Nichols was in favor of reducing the setback requirement of substandard lots to seven and one half feet. Mrs. Uhrig and Mrs. Flemings will give the matter further thought. 248. Other Articles: The Board discussed its work load relative to other zoning articles on the priority list approved at the September 19 meeting. It was agreed that Mr. Bowyer would try to pull together a preliminary draft of a revision of the regulations on cluster subdivisions. Depending upon how much progress he is able to make, the Board will decide on whether to submit it as a warrant article. REPORTS 249. Planning Board Members, Subcommittees a. Board of Appeals Hearings of December 8: Mrs. Nichols reported that on the 7 Homestead Street case, the Board of Appeals had approved variances per- mitting side and rear yard setbacks of only two feet for the construction of a garage even though she and one member of the Board of Appeals had pointed out the garage could be constructed elsewhere. b. Minuteman Voc Tech Hotel -Conference Center Proposal: Mrs. Smith reported that she had received a report that the Minuteman School District was consid- ering two proposals for a hotel -conference center. One, from the Howard John- son Corporation, proposed a 211 room hotel, a 125 seat restaurant, an 80 seat cocktail lounge, and a 500 person conference area. The estimated cost is $12,000,000 and the proposal is to pay a ground rent of $200,000 a year to the school district and $160,000 in lieu of taxes to be split between Lincoln and Lexington. The other proposal is from Inn Corp and includes a 200 room hotel, a 100 seat restaurant, a 50 seat coffee shop, a 50 seat cocktail lounge and a 1,000 person conference area. There is little financial infor- mation about this proposal. Mrs. Smith said the report was intended to promote comments from the commu- nity. Several members commented about: 1) the impact of that intense of a development on the currently deficient road system, and 2) the dubious educa- tional benefit of training students for low skill, low wage jobs in the hotel -restaurant industry. Mrs. Smith made two other observations: 1) avail- ability of a conference center so close to Hanscom Field might contribute to more flights and an expanded role for the airport, and 2) the National Park Service has invested substantial public money to restore an 18th century setting for the Minuteman National Park and development of high impact uses of this type is incompatible with the Park Service's objectives. It was agreed that the Planning Board should talk with the Minuteman School District about the Board's zoning attitude about this proposed development. PLANNING BOARD MINUTES: DECEMBER 12, 1983 3 c. Communications: Mrs. Smith distributed drafts of letters to Secretary of Environmental Affairs James Hoyte on the Planning Board's comments on the 1983 Open Space and Recreation Plan, and to DPW Director Walter Tonaszuck about the North Lexington traffic improvements. Board members will review the drafts and make comments, as needed, to the Planning Director. 250. Planning Director a. Kiln Brook IV: Mr. Bowyer reported that Thomas Dupree had called to ex- press his intention to comply with the requirement in the SPS, decision to meet with the Planning Board and attempt to work out peak hour parking limi- tations to reduce the traffic impacts on Hartwell Avenue and Bedford Street. Mr. Dupree explained he had not requested the meeting yet because he did not have a tenant lined up and could not be specific. Mr. Dupree had explained that he had a limited role in the recent change in the wording of the SPS on Kiln Brook IV. He had talked with a member of the Board of Appeals about having the language of the Kiln Brook IV decision being the same as that for Kiln Brook V. The Board of Appeals member said that because the Kiln Brook IV decision had already been filed, another hear- ing and decision would be required to amend it. The Board of Appeals prepared the paper work for the most recent application and Mr. Dupree had merely signed the application. The meeting was adjourned at 11:24 p.m. ;udith J. Ug, Clerk