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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1985-04-03PLANNING BOARD MINUTES MEETING OF APRIL 3, 1985 The meeting of the Lexington Planning Board held in Room G-15, Town Offices, was called to order at 8:05 p.m. by the Chairman, Mrs. Smith, with members Cripps, Sorensen and Planning Director Bowyer present. Mrs. Uhrig joined the meeting during Item 101. Mrs. Flemings was absent as she was out of town on business. PLANS NOT REQUIRING SUBDIVISION APPROVAL: 101. 11 Castle Road, Clare Reed, Form A-85/6: The Board reviewed a plan of land at the corner of Castle Road and Hayes Avenue in which a lot 11B is to be joined with a lot I of Clare Reed and a lot 11A is to be joined with a lot of Gordon Baty. On the motion of Mr. Sorensen seconded by Mr. Cripps it was voted 3-0: to endorse the plan entitled "Compiled Subdivision Plan of Land in Lexington, Mass." dated March 15, 1985 by Miller and Nylander Company, and certified by Donald J. Forand, professional Land Surveyor, with application form A-85/6 by Clare W. Reed as it does not require approval under the Subdivision Control Law. ARTICLES FOR 1985 TOWN MEETING 102. Article 23, Franklin School: The Board reviewed a draft of the report on the conversion of the Franklin School. It was agreed to add a comment in the recom- mendations section recognizing that Greater Boston Development Corporation has demonstrated extraordinary skill and resourcefulness in the development of low and moderate income housing. Mr. Sorensen suggested the order of the recommen- dations in the draft be rearranged to emphasize the suitability of the site for multi -family housing so that it does not appear that the Planning Board is making a favorable recommendation just because it is low and moderate housing. On the motion of Mrs Uhrig, seconded by Mr. Sorensen, it was voted 4-0 to recommend that the conversion of the Franklin School to low and moderate income housing, as proposed by GBCD Inc, be approved and to approve the report, as amended. 103. Minuteman Conference Center: The Board reviewed the draft of a report dated March 29, 1985. It was agreed to revise the recommendation section by changing the order of the recommendations from the draft, to give greater emphasis to the high impacts of the development, to give greater attention to the impacts on the Minuteman National Park, to delete the comments about the educational benefits of the proximity of the hotel/conference center and to clarify the section about the exemption of land from real estate assessment. Mrs. Uhrig suggested changes in the table on page 3 to improve its readability. On the motion of Mr. Cripps, seconded by Mr. Sorensen, it was voted 4-0 to recommend that the proposed hotel/ - conference center not be approved and to approve the report as amended. SUBDIVISION OF LAND: 104. Farmhurst V, off Bridge Street_. William Hamilton was present for further discussion of the undersized lots. (see number 73, March 18, 1985) Hamilton admitted that the intention had been that lot 115C would be combined with other lots to create a building lot. The intention was that 114C would be connected to lot 1. After discussion it was agreed that lot 115C has no "grandfathered" status as its only frontage at present is on a paper right-of-way. The Board Minutes, April 3, 1985 page 2 agreed that the two undersized lots would either have to be joined with another lot within the subdivision or excluded from the subdivision. Hamilton will submit a request for a two week extension of time to revise the drawings. 105. Ridge Estates III, Certificate of Action: Mrs. Smith read from a letter from Theodore Freeman dated April 2, 1985 in which he states that there is no 25 foot landscape easement along lot 38. He said the engineer should not have shown that on the plan; the engineer was sent a copy of the purchase and sale agreement with Mr. Colangelo. Freeman denied that construction on the subdivision road had started. He said there was an excavation along the property line in anticipation of the correct grading needed for lot 38. He said that excavation and grading was being done so that the landscaping of Mr. Colangelo's lot could proceed without interference from the construction of the road. Mr. Freeman referred to several items in a March 21, 1985 memo from Town Engi- neer, Francis Fields. He promised to make what ever changes the Town wanted. The Board had a lengthy discussion of the 8% and 10% grade of the road. It appears there will be deep cuts, of 10 or 15 feet in some places. Mrs. Smith noted the driveway for lot 3 has a 15% grade. The Board concluded there were significant cuts at either 8% or 10% Mr. Sorensen and Mr. Cripps observed that if another alignment of the road were considered, the problem of the grade of the road could be reduced. Mrs. Smith suggested that the subdivision be disapproved because: 1) it includes inaccurate information about the 25 foot easement and 2) the proposed.10% road grade was not on the plan that was before the Board. She asked if there were other deficiencies in the plan. Mr. Bowyer said there was a problem with a hydrant and that the survey of the property referred to stone bounds along the right-of-way East Emerson Road but that he could not find the bounds in the field. He reminded the Board of the problems of the layout of Scott Road which, as a result of faulty surveying, ended up with many of the houses being construc- ted in violation of yard setback requirements. There were also proceedural questions about the submission of the plan to the Board of Health in a timely manner and adequate documentation about the right to convey the rounding easement to the Town on lot 55-115. There was also the question whether the excavation on lot 37 was a start of construction of the roadway. On the motion of Mrs. Uhrig and seconded by Mr. Cripps, it was voted 4-0 to disapprove the Ridge Estates III definitive subdivision plan. The Board reviewed a Cerrificate of Action and signed it. 106. Graystone, off Pleasant Street: Mr. Bowyer reported that a definitive subdivision plan, for 11 lots, including 2 existing houses, had been filed by Boyd Smith, Inc. on March 29, 1985 for a 5 acre parcel off Pleasant Street near Worthen Road East. Minutes, April 3, 1985 page 3 107. APPLICATIONS TO THE BOARD OF APPEALS The Board reviewed cases to be heard by the Board of Appeals on April 11, 1985. 130 Pleasant Street, Montesorri School: SP, addition: The plan is for a metal Butler Building to house three classrooms quite close to the property line of single family homes on Lawrence Lane. On the motion of Mr. Sorensen, seconded by Mrs. Uhrig, it was voted 4-0 to recommmend against granting a special permit because that type of metal building is incompatible with single family residen- tial development. Montesorri should investigate another plan for a building elsewhere on the lot with screening to make the building compatible with a single family residential neighborhood. On the motion of Mr. Cripps seconded by Mr. Sorensen, it was voted 4-0 to make no recommendations on the follow 3 cases: 14 Curve Street, Elizabeth Collins; Variance, sideyard setback. 915 Waltham Street, Texaco, Inc.; Variance, frontyard setback. 22 Woodpark Circle, Judith Farr; SP, Pool. COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING, POLICIES 108. Transportation policy for Marrett Road, Hartwell Avenue: Mr. Bowyer noted that the report on Article 24 on Minuteman Hotel Conference Center, included as an attachment the Board's policy "Relationship Between Additional Traffic and The ' Rezoning of Land in the Bedford Street -Hartwell Avenue Area and in the Marrett Road Area". This policy origionally adopted in 1981 and revised in 1982 and 1983 said that the provisions of the policy affecting limitations on peak hour travel would remain in effect until January 1, 1988. That date is fast approaching. On the motion of Mrs. Uhrig seconded by Mr. Cripps, it was voted 4-0 to amend the policy to change the expiration date from January 1, 1988 to January 1, 1992. The meeting was adjourned at 10:32 p.m. 1 GJudith J. rig, Clerk.