2017-03-22 BOS Packet - Released

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ARTICLE 45 AMEND ZONING BY-LAW—BALANCED HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS (Citizen Article) To see if the Town will vote to amend the Zoning Bylaw related to balanced housing developments in order to return greater oversight to Town Meeting, or act in any other manner in relation thereto. (Inserted at the request of William Rhodes and nine residents) DESCRIPTION This article proposes changes to improve the rigor of the review process of BHDs that have multi-faceted impacts to the town, including infrastructure, traffic, fiscal/budgetary and environmental, which are in some cases outside the purview of the Planning Board. As a result, these proposals should be studied with scrutiny by a larger town-wide body more representative of the voters' interests before approval. In addition much of the balanced housing, town houses and smaller housing that have been developed using special or balanced permits are unaffordable by state standards. We believe if the current permitting trend is allowed to continue, it will negatively impact the residential, conservation, historical and economic environment of Lexington. PROPOSED MOTION That the Zoning Bylaws of the Town be amended as follows: 6.9.2 Applicability. A special permit residential development is a project in which one or more lots, tracts, or parcels of land are to be improved for use as a coordinated site for housing. No special permit residential development shall be initiated without first obtaining a special permit in accordance with the provisions of this section. No special permit shall be issued for a balanced housing development(BHD), as defined below, unless the preliminary site development and use plan for the proposed BHD have first been approved by vote of town meeting pursuant to and in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 7.3 of the Zoning ByLaw of the Town of Lexington, Massachusetts for planned development districts. The purpose of the special permit is to provide detailed review of residential developments that have a substantial impact upon the character of the Town, adjacent residential areas and the provision of public facilities and services.