Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-03-28-BLMNCD-minMeeting Minutes, FINAL Neighborhood Conservation District Study Committee meeting Byron, Lockwood, Mass Ave Area March 28, 2017 Convened at 7:30pm, Town Office Building, Lexington MA Present: Richard Canale, Planning Board; Chris Neurath; Donna Moultrup, Richard Goldhammer Absent: David Kelland Agenda item 2. Donna hand delivered letter to neighbors in proposed NCD and to houses within 100 foot of border on March 5, 2017. Letter announces formation of NCD Study Committee. Letter was mailed to Town of Lexington, MBTA (owners of bikeway), and The Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library. Packets were hand delivered to 11 Byron Ae and 1155 Maple St., which is currently vacant. Agenda item 3. Discussed the name of the NCD with suggestion that it be shortened, with possibilities being Lockwood Area NCD and Pierce/Lockwood Area NCD. Chris suggested we should tell neighbors it would not be named for the street but for the person, so that residents of Byron Ave and Mass Ave would not feel slighted. We also discussed desirability of those outside the neighborhood seeing it as a distinctly bounded area. Bounded by conservation land and Tower Park to the North, the bikeway to the East, the former woods of 14 Maple St, and by the busy Maple St and Mass Ave on the South and West. In discussion of Lockwood Area NCD versus Pierce/Lockwood Area NCD there was concern that including "Pierce" might imply a larger area without clear boundaries, since historically, farms on the other side of Mass Ave and Maple St were also owned by members of the Pierce family. Agenda item 4. First draft of Study Report, discussion. Planning Board wants bylaw that is clear and has well described procedures. Historical Commision wants to see cohesiveness of neighborhood and historical justification. Town Meeting members might be concerned if any of the neighbors express concern that the process of establishing an NCD had faults. Discussed state conflict of interest law and the special issues that could arise for our NCD because it is so small and NCD Commission members could easily be abutters or abutters to abutters and therefore have to recuse themselves. It could be difficult to get a quorum, and the un -recused members might be mostly from outside the NCD (the Planning Board and Historical Commission members). Discussed having alternate neighborhood NCD members, and if necessary, getting permission to use necessity clause of conflict of interest law. Agenda item 5. Continued discussion of criteria for exempting proposals from review, and criteria for requiring review. Question was raised over whether the term "roof line" was clear enough, and "changing the roof line". Further discussion on what the basis of square footage criteria would be. Would it be the existing footprint? The original footprint? The lot square footage? Would the criteria be different for the houses on Mass Ave that had much larger lots? Discussed whether roof solar panels, to be exempt, should be mounted flush or close to the existing roof rather than on elevated or angled racks. Agreement that solar panels that were not parallel and close to roof would require review. Need to reword criteria. Meeting concluded at 9:30 pm.