2015-03-23-PB-ATM-rpt (Article 2)

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Meeting under Article 11(h). Our efforts are having some success, with a landowner currently before the Board for permits for what could be the first new building on Hartwell Avenue in twenty years. We also have our work cut out for us over the next year. • At the urging of the Center Committee, the Economic Development Director and the Board of Selectmen, the Planning Board will study the effects of banks and credit unions, and possibly other uses, on the vitality of the Center. Mr. Canale will discuss this in more detail under Article 53. • We intend to take a hard look at our current residential zoning, which may have become a barrier to achieving our goals of proving diverse and affordable housing. That process is likely to start shortly after Town Meeting with an effort to identify community concerns. • Looking a bit further to the future,the time has come to revisit the Town's comprehensive plan, titled"The Lexington We Want",which was adopted in 2003. This will be a major effort to try to understand the changes the last decade has brought and how'what we want'has changed. We expect to start by looking at the Economic Development element, but the whole effort will extend over several years and is dependent on funding. I would like to thank Ginna Johnson,who stepped up from associate member to a full board member, filling the vacancy created by the resignation of Gregory Zurlo. I also thank Mr. Zurlo for his years of service on the Planning Board. We have a new Associate Member, Michael Leon, whose help is much appreciated. Finally, I would like to express my appreciation for the long hours and hard work put in by Board members Richard Canale,Nancy Corcoran-Ronchetti, and Tim Dunn. With our very different backgrounds, we each bring an individual perspective to our discussions that makes it possible for us to represent the whole Town. On a less happy note, Maryann McCall-Taylor, a part of our Planning staff for 15 years and Planning Director for the last 10, will be retiring after this Town Meeting. For my entire time serving on the Board, I have depended on her skill and professionalism to help me and the rest of our volunteer board understand the planning issues and implications of our work. We will miss her. The Town Manager has started the process of hiring a new Planning Director, with the goal of filling the position by the end of June. We continue to depend on our other Town staff: Assistant Planning Director Aaron Henry;Planner David Kucharsky; and Clerk Lori Kaufman. They are the ones who actually make things happen every day. Thank you. Charles Hornig, Chair 2015-03-25