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04/23/2018 AC Minutes Minutes Town of Lexington Appropriation Committee(AC) April 23, 2018 Place and Time: Ellen Stone Room, Cary Memorial Building, 6:30 p.m. Members Present: John Bartenstein, Chair; Alan Levine, Vice-Chair & Secretary; Ellen Basch; Eric Michelson; Richard Neumeier; Sanjay Padaki; Andrei Radulescu-Banu; Lily Manhua Yan; Jian Helen Yang; Carolyn Kosnoff, Assistant Town Manager, Finance(non-voting, ex-officio) Member(s)Absent: None Other Attendees: Melissa Tintocalis, Economic Development Director; Megan Zammuto, Economic Development Coordinator The meeting was called to order at 6:37 p.m. 1. Economic Development Office Presentation on Hartwell Zoning Initiative Ms. Zammuto reported that the Economic Development Department has been working with the Economic Development Advisory Committee and consultants to explore opportunities for increasing commercial activity in Lexington that would help decrease the current disproportionately high local tax burden on residents. Hartwell Avenue,between Bedford Street and Maguire Road, has been identified as having the most potential for such growth, assuming that Lexington's zoning bylaws are relaxed to allow denser commercial and residential construction in the area. Using PowerPoint slides, Ms. Zammuto reviewed seven planning principles and provided examples of how those principles might enhance the look and functionality of today's Hartwell Avenue businesses. The feasibility plan proposed 4-5 story buildings with research and development laboratories and some office space on the higher floors, dining facilities and small retail on the first floor. In order to make the area viable for dining and retail, the plan proposes incorporating up to 500 small residential units in about 10-15% of the identified area. Next steps for the feasibility study will include a cost benefit analysis and identifying ways to pay for enhancements. A traffic study is also getting started. Ms. Tintocalis said that the Board of Selectmen (BoS) is interested in having recommended zoning changes prepared for a fall 2018 Special Town Meeting. Questions/concerns raised by AC members, included, but were not limited to, the following: • If there are residential units, even small one-bedroom units, we must assume an increase in the school age population and should understand the impact of the additional demand on limited classroom space. • Laboratories generate waste material, which would likely have environmental implications. • Residential housing and laboratories sound incompatible because of environmental issues. • Will there be an impact on the sewer system, and more specifically on the Route 128 pumping station? • It would be helpful to look comparatively at other areas in Burlington, Somerville and similar towns where zoning was recently updated to allow for the type of construction proposed at Hartwell Ave 1