Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout1987-10-05PLANNING BOARD MINUTES MINUTES FOR OCTOBER 5, 1987 The meeting of the Lexington Planning Board held in Room G-15, Town Office Build- ing, was called to order at 7:34 p.m. by the Chairman, Mrs. Uhrig, with members Klauminzer, Sorensen, Williams, Wood, Planning Director Bowyer, Assistant Planner Rawski and Secretary Peters present. 265. Review of Minutes: The Board reviewed the minutes for the meeting of September 28, 1987. On the motion of Mrs. Klauminzer, seconded by Mr. Sorensen, it was voted unanimously to approve the minutes as written. ******************************** REPORTS ************************************** 266. Planning Director: a. Sheraton Hotel: The owners are considering an addition that would increase the number of rooms by more than 50%, and will soon file an application with the Board of Appeals for a special permit with site plan approval. They may have a problem conforming to the FAR of 0.15 now in effect. b. McNeil, Castelli: A preliminary subdivision plan has been filed for 188/194 Lowell Street. It appears to be incomplete, and the appli- cants will be so informed. c. Philip Road: There have been inquiries about having a section of ' Philip Road accepted by the Town. The street was part of the Minuteman IV subdivision and all the other streets in the subdivision have been accepted. The residents along the street wish to have it accepted; but the question is who will pay for the construction to bring it up to Town standards. The engineering department reported the condition of the sub -surface of the road has stabilized over the past 20 years, and could probably be resurfaced if the utilities are in place. Research has shown the remainder of the surety of $2,000, held by the Town, was released in 1976. d. Middlesex Mall: There have been inquiries from the Northland Company as to whether it would be feasible to try again for a rezoning of abutting residential property to expand the Middlesex Mall. Mr. Bowyer reported he told them it would be more difficult then the last time, given the anti -growth attitude of the Town Meeting, and there would have to be substantial tangible benefits to the Town. ******************* ADMINISTRATION OF LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS ************* PLANS NOT REQUIRING APPROVAL UNDER THE SUBDIVISION CONTROL LAW 267. Form A/87-24, 65 Lincoln St. and 27 Fairland St.: The Board reviewed a plan showing the transfer of a parcel of land, called Lot 3B, from land off Lincoln Street, called Lot 3A, to land off Fairland Street, called Lot A. Lot A and 3A both have frontage on existing ways and there will be no increase in non- conformity. On the motion of Mr. Sorensen, seconded by Mrs. Wood, it was voted unanimously: to endorse the plan entitled "Plan of Land in Lexington, Mass.", dated August 27, 1987 and revised September 15, 1987, by Malcolm N. Johnston Co., Meeting of October 5, 1987 Page 2 Inc., certified by Malcolm N. Johnston, Certified Land Surveyor, for Oscar and Judith Shapiro with Form A/87-24, as it does not require approval under the Subdivision Control Law. SUBDIVISION OF LAND 268. Subdivision Procedures, use of landscape architects: The Board reviewed, making minor editing changes, a revised draft dated October 5, 1987 entitled "Use of Landscape Architects in Subdivisions and Planned Developments". It was agreed the staff would contact the landscape architects contained in the list for per- mission to include their names and/or firms, prior to circulating the document. On the motion of Mrs. Wood, seconded by Mrs. Klauminzer, it was voted unanimously to approve the revised document with the understanding the list can be updated in the future. 269. W. R. Grace, definitive plan, action on request for extension for time: The Board reviewed a letter from Kenneth E. MacKenzie of Goodwin, Procter & Hoar, dated October 2, 1987, requesting an extension of time for action by the Board. On the motion of Mr. Sorensen, seconded by Mrs. Wood, it was voted unanimously to grant the extension of time until January 3, 1988. 270. North Street Development, definitive plan, action on request for extension of time: The Board reviewed a letter from Harry Fuller of Carol R. Johnson & Associates, Inc., dated September 29, 1987, requesting an extension of time for action by the Board. On the motion of Mr. Sorensen, seconded by Mrs. Wood, it ' was voted unanimously to grant the extension of time until November 17, 1987. 271. Minuteman Lane, Robert Phelan, sketch plan: Gary Larson of Larson Associ- ates, presented the site analysis. He described the site as rolling terrain with some ledge and some 8 to 12% slopes. Five new buildings containing 6 dwelling units are proposed which, in addition to the three existing homes, make a total of eight buildings in the subdivision. He presented three different plans: 1) a conventional plan off Massachusetts Avenue, which would require the removal of an existing home, of possible histor- ical value; 2) a conventional plan with access off Minuteman Lane, which pro- duces irregular lots in order to get the six additional lots; and 3) a com- bination of a conventional subdivision and a cluster subdivision, with access off Minuteman Lane. He prefers the third plan. In response to questions about the third plan from Mrs. Klauminzer, Mr. Phelan said the lots would run from 15,600 sq.ft. to 20,000 sq. ft. in size, and the homes would be 2 story containing approximately 3,000 sq. ft. of floor area. Mr. Williams asked that more information be shown about what abuts the site. Mr. Sorensen had questions about the location of the 25% open space, required with a cluster plan, and the legality of locating a 2 dwelling unit building in a one family dwelling zoning district. Mrs. Uhrig said she had no problem with the concept of combining two types of subdivisions in one proposal. There were no comments from the other two members or Mr. Frey, an abuttor, also attending the meeting. Mr. Phelan said they will proceed to the preparation of a preliminary plan submission. Meeting of October 5, 1987 Page 3 272. 90 North Hancock Street, Jeffrey Hodgedon: The Board reviewed a draft letter dated October 6, 1987, prepared by Ms. Rawski to Mr. Hodgedon re the preliminary plan submission for his property off Hancock Street. The letter documented the incompleteness of the submission. In the letter, Ms. Rawski also commented that the plans submitted did not reflect an understanding of the pro- cess discussed at the Planning Board meeting of August 8, 1987, and that she hoped this letter would avoid further misunderstanding and clarify what was discussed at that meeting. On the motion of Mrs. Wood, seconded by Mrs. Klaumin- zer, it was voted unanimously to return the preliminary plan submission as incom- plete, and to approve the letter as written. 273. EXECUTIVE SESSION, Litigation against the Town: On the motion of Mrs. Wood, seconded by Mr. Sorensen, after a poll of the Board, it was voted unani- mously to 5-0-0 to go into Executive Session at 8:57 p.m. to discuss litigation against the Town, and to return to open session in approximately 5 to 10 minutes. The Board returned to open session at 9:09 p.m. ***************************** REPORTS 274. Planning Board, Subcommittees a. North Lexington / Bedford Road traffic study: Mrs. Wood reported the Selectmen will meet with the Town's traffic consultant on October 19, 1987 to hear the consultant's recommendations for the area. She also reported that representatives from Precincts 6,7,and 8, and the North Lexington Association had met and voted unanimously they did not want anything done. The Selectmen - appointed North Lexington Road Improvement Study Committee agreed to accept the plan with the exception of the proposed closing of Eldred Street. Instead, they recommend the installation of a traffic light at the intersection of Bedford Road and Eldred Street. The meeting was adjourned at 9:15 p.m. Eleanor Klauminzer, Clerk PLANNING BOARD MINUTES EXECUTIVE SESSION OF OCTOBER 5, 1987 After a unanimous vote of the five members present, by poll of the Board, the Lexington Planning Board met in Executive Session in Room G-15, Town Office Building, at 8:57 p.m. to discuss strategy with respect to litigation which, if if discussed in open session, may have a detrimental effect on the litigating position of the Town. Present were Chairman Uhrig, members Klauminzer, Sorensen, Williams, Wood, Planning Director Bowyer, Secretary Peters and Town Counsel Cohen. Mr. Cohen reported he had been questioned as to whether the Board had acted legally when they endorsed a plan of land on one side of Oakmount Circle on May 26, 1987, (Form A/87-16), and then had refused to endorse a plan on the other side of Oakmount Circle on July 14, 1987, (Form A/87-18). The Board discussed the note they had added to the earlier endorsed plan which stated that the endorsement made no determination of compliance with the Zoning By -Law, or that the lots were building lots, or that Oakmount Circle is now of adequate grade, construction and/or legal status to meet the requirements of the Zoning By -Law for the construction of a new dwelling on an unaccepted street. They noted the condition of the section of Oakmount Circle, adjacent to the land shown in form A/87-18, was of considerably worse grade and construction than the ' section adjacent to the land shown in Form A/87-16. The Board reaffirmed their previous decisions on both applications, and agreed that reversing their decision on Form A/87-18, and endorsing the plan, with the addition of the note discussed in the paragraph above, would produce essentially the same result as produced by the denial of endorsement. The Planning Board returned to open session at 9:09 p.m. Eleanor Klauminzer, Clerk 1