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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-07-24-PB-minPLANNING BOARD MINUTES MEETING OF JULY 24, 2002 The meeting of the Lexington Planning Board held in the Selectmen's Room, Town Office Building, was called to order at 7:35 p.m. by Chairman Galaitsis with members Chase, Davies, Harden, Kastorf and planning staff McCall- Taylor, Tap and Curtis- Machek present. ***** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** MINUTES ****** x * * * * * * *x * *x * * * * * * *x * * * * * * * * * * ** Review of Minutes The Board reviewed and corrected the minutes for the meetings of February 6, 2002 and June 26, 2002. On a motion duly made and seconded, it was voted unanimously to approve the minutes, as amended. * * * * * * * * * * ** ADMINISTRATION OF LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS * * * * * * * * * * * ** SUBDIVISION OF LAND Clelland Road Sketch Subdivision Plan, Rasko Ojdrovic, Presentation by the Applican Present for this item were Rasko Ojdrovic and Miljana Bovan, the applicants. There were six people in the audience. Mr. Ojdrovic, a civil engineer, presented his drawings for proposed improvement of a section of Clelland Road. Mr. Ojdrovic wants to build two houses on lots at the end of Clelland Road, part of which is unaccepted and part is paper. He had previously presented a sketch plan to the Board on May 29, 2002 and he explained how the current plan responded to suggestions from the members made then. He elaborated on the storm water drainage system and the road's condition and width. He said that a retaining wall would be necessary at one section of the road. He believes improved access will be a result of the proposed roadwork. Questions from the Board The members asked for more details on the proposed width of the road and its slope. Responding to Ms. Chase's request, Mr. Ojdrovic listed the waivers the plan requires. Ms. McCall- Taylor reported that the Assistant Fire Chief, Mr. William Middlemiss, has commented that the road would not allow a hook and ladder truck to make the turn from Lisbeth Street onto Clelland Road without damaging its undercarriage. Derek Fullerton of the engineering department had expressed concern that water runoff might break out further down the hill. Questions from the audience Ms. Laura Pascale and Mr. Peter Galeno, I 1 Lisbeth Street, whose house is at the downhill corner of Clelland and Lisbeth, asked a number of questions about the proposed retaining wall and the grade change at that intersection. Mr. Galeno said that if the road were to be 18 feet wide, their property would be greatly affected. Ms. McCall - Taylor commented that any construction would have to be within the right of way. Mr. Ojdrovic asked Mr. Galeno if the present retaining wall is near his property line. Mr. Galeno answered yes. Mr. Ojdrovic said that a higher wall would be needed. Ms. McCall - Taylor noted that a new wall would require the approval of a structural engineer. The Board examined a cross - section plan of the proposed roadway. The Board members expressed their serious reservations about the proposed road construction plan, especially the number of waivers needed and the comments of the Assistant Fire Chief. They asked the staff to set up a meeting with Assistant Fire Chief Middlemiss and Derek Fullerton of the town engineer's office so their comments can be clarified. Ms. Chase expressed her appreciation for the clarity of Mr. Ojdrovic's drawings and the directness of his presentation. She noted the difficulty of current subdivision projects as more marginal sites are developed. She said she worries about the precedent that approval of Mr. Ojdrovic's plan would set. Mr. Ojdrovic pointed out the positive effects of his plan and noted that the American Society of Civil Engineers accepts 16 foot wide roadways as appropriate for residential communities. A board member responded that this proposed road would have no shoulders and has a steep grade, unlike an average street. Mr. Kastorf said Minutes for the Meeting of July 24, 2002 2 the basic problem is his intention to build two new houses at the end of Clelland Road. Scottish Glen Sketch Cluster Subdivision 25 Summer Street Curran Construction Mid -tem Review Present for this item were Mr. Andrew Schwab, Curran Construction, the applicant, and Mr. Ronald Wood, Guidelines, Inc., landscape architect. There were 5 people in the audience. Mr. Wood presented a cluster plan showing five dwellings clustered around a cul de sac. Four are attached and one is a singl& family. He explained how this plan, "Plan B ", responds to the Board's comments on the preliminary plan presented at the Board's June 12 meeting and Mr. Garber's suggestions at a subsequent meeting with him. He expressed his hopes for an informal work session tonight. Mr. Wood said his plan is as "efficient" as possible though it does not quite conform to the impervious surface limit. He said that requirement has been the most problematic. Asked if his calculations were based on the use of permeable paving materials as before, Mr. Wood answered yes, but that a conventional plan would have even more site coverage. Mr. Galaitsis asked that a complete impact table be provided with the next submission. Planning Board Questions and Comments The members reacted positively in general to the plan but still had serious reservations about the size and number of the dwellings and the amount of impervious surface. They reiterated their belief that five units crowd the site and that long -term permeability of paving materials needs to be determined. Mr. Wood noted that the roadway surface is counted in the impervious surface calculation in a cluster, while in a conventional subdivision it is not, a dis- incentive to cluster scheme, be believes. He also noted that his plan exceeds the amo of common open space required in a cluster by 2 '/2 times. The Board urged the development team to use permeable paving materials creatively and to reduce the number of dwelling to four. The site is small and this plan crowds it. It was mutually agreed to have another mid -term review before a definitive plan is filed. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** PLANNING DIRECTOR'S REPORT Upcoming Subdivision Filing s: Ms. McCall- Taylor reported that a definitive plan might be filed soon for land at 121 Marrett Road (Cotton Farm). She also reported that the Waltham property adjacent to the Middlesex County Hospital land and the proposed Lexington Hills cluster development might be the site of a 200 -unit apartment complex. REGIONAL, INTERTOWN ISSUES Metropolitan State Hospital Site Reuse Mr. Kastorf reported on a July 18 meeting of the Met State Task Force which was called to discuss, 1) a newly issued draft Department of Capital Asset Management (DCAM) request for developer proposals for the Lexington housing development on Lot 3 and, 2) the Chapter 7, Section 40F' /2 hearing on Tuesday, August b, involving a surplus land declaration for Lot 3. Regarding the proposed RFP, task force .members agreed to write a letter to DCAM Commissioner David Perrini strongly urging him to determine whether or not the existing building on the Met State Hospital site can be reused before issuing a request for developer proposals for Lot 3 because without that knowledge, developers would have great difficulty in responding to an RFP. Ms. Chase brought up the issue of the possible historical nature of the Met State Hospital buildings. She suggested that research be done to determine their worth and named a couple of technical briefs on the subject, adding that a report by Candace Jenkins should be brought to DCAM's attention. Mr. Kastorf said that the NPF document is in the appendices and the Task Force discussed it. He added that Mr. Minutes for the Meeting of July 24, 2002 3 Richard Canale had expressed his concern about the State Historical Society's lack of interest in Met State. Board members agreed that any asbestos in the buildings has to be dealt with whether the buildings are retained or demolished. Regarding DCAM's surplus land declaration for Lot 3, Mr. Kastorf said that DCAM held a similar hearing ten years ago and have reassured the stakeholders that the August b hearing is "just a formality ". On a motion duly made and seconded, the Board voted unanimously t adjourn the i eeting at 9:50 p.m. Karl P. Kas orf, Cleric