2024-03-18 - PB Report Article 49

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R IE C IE II V IE IF.) r�oA Town ofLexington y11 MI a'� , Mair 01 2024 Robert D.Peters, Chair PLANNING BOARD Michael Schanbacher, Vice Chair 1625 Massachusetts Avenue Lexin ton MA 02420 V OWN til ENt It Melanie Thompson, Clerk "tip sf g Robert Creech Member et�i Tel (781) 698-4560 1..V� IV0 G"w VOO� II VA Charles Hornig Member APRIL 15r plannim4&lexin tog nma.gov www.lexingtonma.gov/planning Michael Leon, Associate Member RECOMMENDATION REPORT OF THE LEXINGTON PLANNING BOARD ARTICLE 49: PERMITTED USES& DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS RECOMMENDATION The Planning Board recommends that Town Meeting approve the motion under Article 49 to amend the Zoning Bylaw for definitions and the table of permitted uses. AMENDMENT PROPOSAL This amendment does the following: • Updates the definition of restaurants to focus on businesses where food and drinks are consumed on the premises. Coffee shops, tea houses, smoothie places, and fast-food type venues would now be considered restaurants. • Permits restaurants in all business districts either by-right or by special permit. • Creates a new definition for"Craft Beverage Establishments"that will allow venues to produce less than 15,000 barrels or 465,000 gallons of beer, wine, cider per year. Establishments must be licensed under state law and beverages may be consumed on or off premises. • Prohibits large breweries/cideries/wineries that manufacture more than 15,000 barrels per year. • Permits Craft Beverage Establishments in all business districts by special permit. • Removes all references to fast-food because fast-food is now categorized as a restaurant. • Allows private postal services in the CB(Center Business) District.This use is not a distribution center but a retail mailing service as defined in §10.0. RATIONALE FOR RECOMMENDATION This zoning amendment will update Lexington's zoning definitions for eating and drinking establishments to meet current industry standards. Allowing more food venues in all business districts and permitting craft and microbreweries will make Lexington more competitive with surrounding communities. At recent community outreach events, residents desired more eating and drinking establishments. PUBLIC PROCESS The Planning Board held four public work sessions between November and January to consider zoning amendments for Annual Town Meeting. On Wednesday, February 7, 2024, after publication of the legal advertisement in the Lexington Minuteman newspaper on January 18 and January 25, 2024, the Planning Board Planning Board Report to 2024 Annual Town Meeting Article 49