Planning Board minutes 1989-03-13

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Minutes for the Meeting of March 13, 1989 2 precious a resource to use for any more market rate housing." Mrs. Klauminzer noted this was a compromise with the Board of Selectmen, who were concerned about how to finance this housing. Mrs. Wood noted that the Guidelines are generic and applied to all vacant sites over a period of time, and therefore should be kept as flexible as possible. At 8: 13 p.m., the Board recessed its meeting to join the Selectmen in their meeting room for more discussion on affordable housing. 81. Meeting with the Selectmen on Affordable Housing: Selectmen Chairman Smith said that adoption of the "Suggested Guidelines for the Development of Affordable Housing on Vacant Public Sites" by the Board of Selectmen and the Planning Board should be provisional, pending response from the community. Mrs Uhrig commented that some Planning Board members prefer that all develop- ment be affordable housing, and that they are reluctant to include any market rate units on proposals involving public land. On the motion of Selectman Eddison, seconded by Selectman McSweeney, it was voted unanimously by the Selectmen to accept and endorse the "Suggested Guidelines for the Development of Affordable Housing on Vacant Public Sites," for purposes of discussion and to obtain reactions from neighborhood and community groups . Discussion followed on the "Policy Positions and Comments about the Construc- tion of Affordable Housing on the Meagherville-Pine Meadows Property." It was reported there was general endorsement of this position by individual members of the Board of Selectmen, the Lexington Housing Authority and LexHAB. Mrs. Uhrig commented that the Planning Board did not want to sell off Town- owned land to make the Meagherville-Pine Meadows project feasible. Mr. Williams noted he opposed the sale of Town-owned land for large homes to finance affordable housing. At 9:24 p.m. , the Planning Board ended its joint meeting with the Board of Selectmen, left their meeting room and at 9:29 p.m. the Planning Board reconvened its meeting in Room G-15. The Board continued their discussion of Item 81. Mrs. Uhrig commented that the statement had been proposed to produce a joint position of the four boards and that this has not happened. Mrs. Klauminzer commented it would have been good to have the Town boards in general agreement before meeting with neigh- borhood and community groups to get their input. The Board discussed the "Policy Positions and Comments about the Construction of Affordable Housing on the Meagherville-Pine Meadows Property." They agreed to revise the fifth item to read "5. Alternative development scenarios, eval- uating various financial and site planning considerations, need to be develop- ed, analyzed and ranked."