2022-04-06 SB-min - Laserfiche WebLink

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Select Board Meeting April 6, 2022 A remote participation meeting of the Lexington Select Board was called to order at 6:01 p.m. on Wednesday, April 06, 2022 via hybrid meeting services. Ms. Hai, Chair; Mr. Lucente; Vice Chair, Mr. Pato, Ms. Barry and Mr. Sandeen were present, as well as Mr. Malloy, Town Manager; Ms. Axtell, Deputy Town Manager; Ms. Katzenback, Executive Clerk; and Mina Makarious, Town Counsel. Ms. Hai stated that the meeting was being conducted via Zoom as posted, with the agenda on the Town’s website noting that some members and staff were participating in person in the Select Board Meeting Room using the Meeting Owl Pro device. PUBLIC COMMENTS Pam Hoffman, Precinct 7 Town Meeting Member, stated that she is one of more than 300 Lexington residents who have made public their opposition to Article 39 - Rezoning 475 Bedford Street. Everyone agrees Lexington needs more housing diversity, and more places for people to live, but the conversation regarding reasonable housing options at 475 Bedford Street cannot begin until Article 39 is voted down. The Town needs a plan to provide workforce housing options for downsizers and multifamily housing as well. 475 Bedford Street is an excellent parcel for site-sensitive multiunit housing and should be included in Lexington’s town wide plan to meet its housing goals. Doris Wong, 12 Drummer Boy Way, also spoke against Article 39. She stated that this proposed development would have a variety of negative impacts in terms of size, proximity, traffic, noise and vehicular pollution, loss of privacy and risk posed by bio lab accidents and emissions. The potential $1.8M tax revenue from this bio lab is less than 1% of the Town’s annual budget. She noted that there are million-dollar homes located close to the high-tension power lines of this site and thus, that should not be used as reasoning to rezone the site. Arnold Clickstein, 19 Drummer Boy Way, spoke against Article 39. He stated that there is ample space in the business development area of Hartwell Avenue and the south side of Bedford Street. 475 Bedford Street is a bad example of imposing an industrial, commercial, biological building into a residential district. SELECT BOARD MEMBER CONCERNS AND LIAISON REPORTS 1. Select Board Member Concerns and Liaison Reports Ms. Hai noted that the Special Permit Residential Development Ad Hoc Bylaw Committee is meeting tomorrow morning and expects to finalize its report. TOWN MANAGER REPORT – none at this time ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION 1. Request from Lexington Bicycle Advisory Committee for Select Board Support of Bill S.2309 in Clarifying the Definition of Electric Bicycles (E-Bikes) Within Massachusetts General Laws