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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1984-06-27 Land Use Subcommittee - rpt.pdf :10° LAND USE SUBCOMMITTEE Center Revitalization Committee LAND USE AND DEVELOPMENT POLICIES Adopted: June 27, 1984 1. THE ROLE OF LEXINGTON CENTER 1.1 The primary role of Lexington center is to serve as a focal point for the community and to serve the needs of the residents of the town. Needs in this con- text means: shopping, personal services, medical services, governmental services, community services, cultural opportunities, religion, civic events, dining and entertainment. 1.2 While making a significant contribution to the town's economic health, Lexing- ton center's role as a source of real estate tax revenue or employment opportuni- ties for residents is secondary to the primary role described above. Other loca- tions in Lexington are better suited to be primary economic development centers: 1) providing the town with commercial real estate tax revenue and 2) providing residents of the town and the region with employment opportunities. 1.3 The development of Lexington center must be sympathetic with the town's stew- ardship responsibility for the Battle Green area, an important part of our nations' history. Comment: These policies envision a more modest economic role than some would desire. The Land Use Subcommittee does not believe the center should attempt to achieve the maximum development the real estate market permits. We see the center primarily as a place for the residents of the town to do business and to take care of their needs. Necessarily, the center must serve residents of nearby communities and employees of businesses in the region in order to sus- tain a large enough "critical mass" to provide a range of goods and services for Lexington residents. 2. RETAIL, PERSONAL SERVICES, OFFICE USES 2.1 Among the commercial activities in the center, the more important are retail stores and personal service establishments. Office development should be princi- pally those offices which serve primarily residents or other businesses in the center. 2.2 A variety of retail and personal service establishments is desirable. Partic- ular attention needs to be given to maintaining small retail and personal services establishments. Comment: Lexington center is the only location within the town offering a variety of retail and personal services. There are several suburban "office park" developments in the town. Any tendency or effort toward developing the center as an office park should be resisted. + AandUse and Development Policies 2 Land Use Subcommittee (CRC) Adopted: l/ ff/ 3. VISUAL FORM /' / 3.1 The scale and "grain" of development in Lexington center should reflect and be fl compatible with a vital and visually attractive residential community. It is important to maintain a healthy, vital and visually attractive center to represent the town symbolically. 3.2 Special efforts are needed to relate to our historic past within the CB district. Adaptive re-use of existing eighteenth, nineteenth and early twentieth century buildings and preservation of the center's earlier "village" characteris- tics should be encouraged. 3.3 Buildings nearest the abutting single residence districts should be residen- I tial in exterior character, although they are commercial in use. 3.4 Special efforts are needed to improve the appearance of: 1) the side streets, and sidewalks, other than Massachusetts Avenue, 2) parking areas and 3) the "backs" of commercial buildings. 4. ADJOINING RESIDENTIAL AREAS i 4.1 The commercial, public and community service activities in the center should be "good neighbors" to the single family residential areas adjoining the center. Special measures may be needed to mitigate the effects of these activities on the single family residential areas. 4.2 The adjoining single family residential areas are not a parking resource for k Lexington center. Use of residential streets or properties or park-recreation land in resider=ial areas for parking for the center is not appropriate. Comment: Central business districts in many communities are bordered by a transitional area of poor housing, rooming houses and mixed uses. Lexington center is bordered by good quality housing that deserves protection from the adverse impacts of a business-community center. 5. LAND USE - PARKING 5.1 A balance between the amount of floor space generating a demand for parking and the supply of parking spaces should be achieved and maintainted. 5.2 The provision of common and shared parking facilities meeting parking demands that vary as to time of day, day of the week and season of the year should be encouraged. 5.3 A compact center at a pedestrian walking scale should be maintained so that a person can reach several commercial or community service establishments from one parking location. 5.4 In the management of parking facilities, the highest priority should be placed on providing the type of parking (often short-term, turnover) that supports the more important land uses, i.e. , retail and personal service establishments. (See 2.1) / / 2 Land Use and Development Policies 3 / Land Use Subcommittee (CRC) Adopted: /',. 5.5 Expansion in the center should be contingent on meeting parking needs of new construction. Comment: Except in locations with ample parking, there is an inevitable conflict between the parking needs (short-term, turnover) of retail, personal service and dining uses and the parking needs (long-term, all day) of office uses. Much of the new development potential in Lexington center is office space whose long term parking requirements could further aggravate the parking conflicts. 6. RESPONSIBILITY FOR PARKING 6.1 The owner-developer should be solely responsible for providing new off-street parking spaces to meet the parking needs of new floor space and the more intensive use of existing floor space and for maintaining existing privately provided spaces (at least in number if not location) . 6.2 The Town should have as a goal achieving and maintaining a balance between parking needs and the supply of parking spaces. 7. GROWTH, EXPANSION 7.1 Some additional commercial growth, if consistent with these policies, is appropriate. 7.2 Additional commercial development which does not provide new off-street parking spaces and does not comply with these policies should not be permitted. 7.3 Additional commercial development should occur within the existing CB dis- trict. Rezoning of land adjacent to the CB district for additional commercial development is not appropriate. 7.5 New commercial development should be of a type that is compatible with the architectural scale and character of the area or permits the adaptive re-use of existing buildings in the CB district. 8. PARKING AS LAND USE 8.1 Off-street parking should be as visually unobtrusive as possible, with ample screening of the perimeter and landscaping within an open air lot. If a multi- level facility is constructed, it should be sensitively designed to blend in with its surroundings or incorporated into a mixed use building which relates well to adjacent buildings. The Land Use Sub-committee takes no position, at this time, on the issue of a park- ing garage or single parking deck. If such a facility is constructed, it should be consistent with these policies.