HomeMy WebLinkAbout1973-10-16 T
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'HISTORIC DISTRICTS' COM~RSSION
An informs], meeting of the Historic Dis.trlcts Commission was held at ;
7x50 P. M. on Tuesday, 4ctober.i6, 1:973, in Room G15, Town .Office Building,
` Lexington. Present were_Caamdssioners Wilbur M, Jaquith, Chairman; Philip -
B. Parsons,- Secretary; Thomas J. Holsbogs and Georgia: H. Williams..
' Present for the Planning Office for Urban Affairs, Inc. o'f the Areh~
diocese of the ,Roz+~an Catholic Church of Boston were James G. Dolan,. Jr.,
General Counsels Stephen Diamond, Architect.; and,. John Truslow~ Architect.
` Witki them was Alexander Cvi3anovic, Architect, of The Architects Collabora»
five, Mr. Jaquith stated that the Commission would have to hold a public
hearing and that this. was dust an informal meeting. $e said that the His-
-tonic Districts Commission cannot legally make any commitment to anything
until after a public hearing. ~Mr. Dolan said that the Planning Office had
Piled an appeal of the Board of Appeals"' decision and expected to have a
hearing the end o€ October. dlr. Jaquith informed Mr. Dolan that the Com-
mission had no control over the use of the property in question but.-only, _
the exterior architectural features cf the proposed. housing units.' '
Mr. Diamond.submitted~the seven drawings which had been su~nitted to.,;
the Town Meeting and to the Board of Appeals Site Plan, First Floor Plan,.
Second Floor Flan, two Typical Elevations, Utility and Drainage Plan, and
Survey•of Existing Ground Conditions. He said that the property frontage
on Worthen $oad includes ali of the pine grove and approximately 40 feet p$.
the .parking lot' ad~,Ge~nt.,to the p~.r~e grmrp. This property consists of app-
proximately two and one~quart~r acres+~ 'There would be three separate build
sugar four 2-bedroom, eight 3-bedroom, and four 4-bedroom units fora total
of ib units ofF townhouse, style, . Thq 'band of :trees .bettgeen the three towns ~ .
house units and Massachu$ettg avenue wovil,ci'be; s®~ved so that he believes
that the units would not be too visible from Massachusetts Avenue. The de•-,,
velopment `t~ril.i be clsari~r visible from Worthen .Road and #'xom .,the parking
lot. If they can, reso3Fve ttie ~ problem..wifih^'St. ;;~$rigid~~ Chi~cht tk?ere .will
be an entrance at one side :and an, exit'at the other side f the parking `lot'
with a i00' x 20"'band of glant3.ng at the end of the pang lat. They do
. nc~t feel that taking part of the parking lot will cause any problems. they
will have to remove soma trees but xiLt remove as few as possible, There
would be 30` setback from the boundary line on'Niorthen Road a:nd s total of
26 parking spaces reserved for the townhouse units.
Mr. Dolan .said that the Conservation Commission had asked for a cen~
servati.on easement to prevent future building and that this might be givon.,
He explained that a'conservation easement would mean that the P].ann.ng Of~
fice would retain ownership of the ].and but could not build additional ussits.
Mr. Cvi3anovio said that these units would. be attached townhouses :in
three s®ctions consisting of 8, 3, and 5 townhouses respective7,y.
mould be wood frame with wood stained vertieaT siding., darl~ anodired alt7uai-
num windows, and have asphalt roof shi.rigles. He said that they would not
be prefabricated buildings, He said that they are. currently pricing wood ,
clapboard siding.,whioh would be painted'chitsif chosen. In ans~rer.to X
questions Mar. Cvi~anovic said that the windows would be single paned witdi
s'so muntins.
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. HI5TORZC DTS~,LCTS COkI~S5101~~"~ ,page 2 October 1$, 1973,. ~
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` Mr. Do7.an, said that- the Planning Office was trying tb .make 'their avail,, .
. • ' able .money go as far as~. possi.ble; .
These units would be Msssaehusetts`~o
. , using
° F~:nance Agency. Cooperati~re~s and that'the people living in them would ~veri~+ ;
tuall own t,}sem with the: Church be ~ sed out of ownershi
y pha
t1~ ~ P1a Office he's ~<had considerable p -sa3c~.that ~ `
• nnng experience .and feels that.:individual - ,
bomership°is vastly superior to rental. He said that cooperatives are the ,
only type alloxsd`under the 1~3PA which, is a self~eupporting organiaation
'through bond issues.. He said that 12 of .the 16 wisuld be mod®rate ,negme ar~d
4 .t~oitld be low inco~te type housing.. '
Following 'considerable discussion an stained siding versus white ;painted
clapboardsi Mr '''.Jaquith :said that the must important items to the Commission,
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. ~he be].isvel would be' the type;of 'siding, .the windows, and'the roof lines,
Mr~.,Parsons asked if there would bs any xindows on,ths ends o,£ the units ;
and Mr. Cv~aridatc -said that. as designed flier`s would not tae but that windows .
could be incorporated in-the design,. Considerable discussiori't'allowed on the'
siding. Mr', Pa~sozus asked if these could be made more on the colonial type,
g 3
• aesig~.~Then
foi~oxed co
siderable disc
the nthi:s would require a ma3or re-
n the roofline and parts-
cularly'the cler+~story windows, Mr, Doland said ,that he feels t1~at the,~Cciar- -.y_ ~
mission,~ovld like to see modifications in the roof line erns elimination b~-
the clerestory trindews. The mes.ting was acl~ourned at 1~s20 P.M.. • 1 r
Mr. Pardons ~aa1d that ~i~ d afot• vo~Fe f
~ 'fit t~s.Y ~sre~stted at this
mesti:ng.. Mr."Jaques said that hs :does not 'feel the design~is compatible
wi#h_other buildings in that section of. Massachusetts Avenue and that he wbuid
s roe
nod approve. Mr. Holstidg~`"aid that he wisttl~t not apg ; e this design .and tie
referred to the Tod'd'~F'orid townhouses in Linboln as an ecample of townhouses •t~
whioh blend.3n ws]:~ with they ourrounding area.. , .
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- Tare meeting was ad~ourne~ at 1 a. ~ ~ `r
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Ehilip ' B. Paar`sons
Secretary
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