HomeMy WebLinkAbout1973-06-07-DAC-LetterROBERTF.BRADFORO
ROBERT 1. HUNNEMAN
TALCOTT M. BANKS
THEODORE CHASE
JOHN A PERKINS
PAUL J. DOLAN
JAMES W. PERKI NS
C /,SI MIR DE RHAM, JR.
D /.NIEL O. MAHONEY
GEORGE I. MULHERN,JR.
ROBERT P. MONCREIFF
ERIC VERRILL
JAMES L.TERRY
ROBERT W. EMMONS, JR.
ROBERT J. McGEE
DAVID F. CAVERS, JR.
NORMAN P. COHEN
VIRGINIA ALDRICH
STANLEY KELLER
MARY G. SULLIVAN
RAYA S. OREBEN
ACHESON H.CALLAGHAN,JR.
DAVID E. RID ED UT
PETER S. TERRIS
DONALD F. WINTER
PALMER & DObGE
28 STATE STREET
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02109
AREA 617 227 -4400
June 7, 1973
Mr. Thomas J. Holzbog
Lexington Design Advisory Committee
5 Hancock Avenue
Lexington, Massachusetts 02173
Dear Tom;
ALFRED GARDNER
WM. DOUGLAS KILBOURN, JR.
LAWRENCE T. PERERA
COUNSEL
THOMAS S. MERRITT
GEORGE M. HUGHES
RICHARD S. OLSON
KEITH L.HUGHES
DAVID R.POKROSS,JR,
DONALD P. RICKLEFS
ROGER P. VACCO
G. LAMAR CFITi c.NDEN,JR.
JOHN G. FARIA
REGINALD H. HOWE
CAROL S. MONE
JEFFREY SWOPE
STUART W. GRAHAM
IRVIN D.GORDON
ROBERT L. KLIVANS
JON E.STEFFENSEN
BARRY R. FURROW
JEAN AVNET MORSE
CABLE ADDRESS 'S TO R EY D I K E,'S O S T O N
The Planning Board gave me a copy of the draft of your questions
relating to a mechanism to insure that developers do not deviate from
plans which they submitted and which were subsequently approved. At
this point, I have only a few general conments to make.
It seems to me that there are three areas to consider. The first
is where a building is being erected.. In such a case, I should think
that you could accomplish what you desire through the building inspector.
The second is,where the project consists of some type of beautifi-
cation. In order to get more control, you would probably need some type
of legislation. Such legislation could be subject to attack in a number
of areas, although we might be able to argue that Lexington is a special
historical area which needs this type of protection.
Mr. Thomas J. Holzbog -2- June 7, 1973
Finally, there are subdivisions. The Planning Board has some power
to require certain conditions along the lines you have suggested. However,
I suspect that what you want may go beyond the powers of the Planning Board
and therefore, require special legislation.
I would be glad to discuss this matter further with you. First, how-
ever, I shall need to know exactly what the Design Advisory Committee now
does. Are there any written guidelines? Secondly, I shall need from you
specific examples of what you wish to accomplish. Perhaps you can relate
these examples to existing projects and point out what action you would
have liked to have taken.
Very truly yours,
Norman P. Cohen
NPC /web
THOMAS J. HOLZBOG & ASSOC. ARCHITECTURE & PLANNING 19 MT. AUBURN ST.. CAMBRIDGE. MASS. 02138 16171 868 -5860
11 June 1973
Norman P. Cohen
Palmer & Dodge
28 State Street
Boston, Mass. 02109
Dear.Norman:
Thank you for your response to my draft and I will try to
answer the questions you ,pose.
Exactly what legisltaion will be necessary to accomplish
what I am suggesting is only an uneducated guess on my part
as I have few precedents to go on, and consequently, must
look to you.
To give you some further background on the D.A.C. I have
enclosed the following for your records: 1) Two pages des-
cribing the history of the D,A.C.; 2) Three pages of D,A.C.
by- slaws; 3) Five pages of brief description of D.A,C, func-
tions - roster of members -- rosters of other committees we
relate to; 4) Two pages of D.A.C. newsletter (announcing
the annual meeting this Thursday which you are welcome to
attend if this reaches you in time),-5) One page of the draft
you already have with some suggested rewording; 6) Four pages
of a legal form draft which might suggest the kinds of func-
tions the D.A,C, could be performing.
This last draft (item 6) might be worth looking into as a
model which could save you some time. I don't know if it has
been developed beyond this draft stage, but . some of the ideas
are good and go beyond what I am prescribing here.
As you well know, there are numerous controls being estab-
lished for new development to curb environmental impact in
the areas of ecology, land use, preservation and
pollution, to mention but a few. My plea here is simply to
establish some controls on visual pollution, to curb some of
the vile and grotesque blemishes developers are presently
condemning us to; i.e., a number of service stations, shop-
Norman P. Cohen
11 June 1973
page two
ping areas, eating places and tennis clubs which cone to
mind. It is not enough to say that this is a highly sub-
jective area and personal taste is beyond the realm of
rational judgement. Relatively universal standards of
good and bad do exist among design professionals and there
should be a means by which these standards can be put to
use for the benefit of the public and the environment,
I look forward to your response to some of this material,
and I will be glad to get more specific on certain devel-
opments when I know exactly what you are after.
Very truly yours,
Thomas J. Holzbog, A.I.A., A.S.L.A.
TJHseac
D R A F T
To create legislation (zoning by -law) which requires a developer to comply with
plans and specifications for which approvals were originally given, and obligates
a developer to retain and compensate a qualified design professional through
project completion, meaning the supervision stage. This method or mechanism of
enforcement procedure would help to insure that a developer holds to the require-
ments of the presentation on which sanctioning boards gave approval.
The developer would be required to sign a form letter of commitment to this effect,
and further, to state that any changes or modifications to the plans would require
notification to the board, and depending upon the magnitude of these changes,
could be subject,to further review.-
Prior to the issuance of certificate of occupancy, a letter from the board would
be sent to the building inspector stating the criterion or plan elements of im-
portance for verification. If these were not complied with the board would have
the ultimate power to withold the certificate of occupancy.
Author: Thomas J. Holzbog, Chairman, Design Advisory Committee
Co- Author: Kenneth Kreutziger
5.31.73