2019-12-12-CPC-NEEDS.rpt - Laserfiche WebLink

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CURRENT RESOURCES To manage these cultural resources, the Town employs a powerful array of tools. They include oversight by the Lexington Historic Districts Commission, the Lexington Historical Commission, the Design Advisory Committee and, for those resources located in the Town Center, the Lexington Center Committee. Two nationally known historic resources are located within Lexington, the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum and Library and the Minute Man National Historical Park, which is part of the National Park System. In addition, 2016 Spring Town Meeting approved enabling legislation to permit Neighborhood Conservation Districts upon application and approval of the requesting neighborhoods. Two such Districts, the Turning Mill Neighborhood Conservation District and the Pierce-Lockwood Neighborhood Conservation District, were approved by Town Meeting in Spring 2018. Historic Districts Commission (HDC) The Historic Districts Commission of Lexington was established in 1956 by Special Act of the Legislature to "promote the educational, cultural, economic and general welfare of the public through the preservation and protection of historic buildings,places and districts through the development of appropriate settings for said buildings,places and districts and through the maintenance of said buildings,places and districts as landmarks of historic interest." The HDC ensures that development or demolition of properties within the four historic districts may proceed only following a determination of appropriateness. The five full and four alternate members of the HDC are appointed by the Selectmen, to serve at large, and from candidates proposed by the Historical Society, the Arts and Crafts Society, and the Cary Library Trustees. Lexington Historical Commission (LHC) Similarly, the Lexington Historical Commission was created in 1975 by vote of Town Meeting "for the preservation,protection and development of the historical or archeological resources" of the Town. The LHC has prepared an inventory of historical structures located throughout the Town that documents over 2,000 buildings, structures and objects and is accessible through the Town web site. The LHC administers the Town's Demolition Delay Bylaw to ensure that every effort is made to preserve these historically and architecturally significant structures. The LHC also endeavors to educate citizens on the breadth and importance of Lexington's cultural heritage. The five members of the LHC and any alternates are appointed by the Town Manager. Neighborhood Conservation Districts (NCDs) The creation of Neighborhood Conservation Districts was approved under Article 29 of the 2016 Spring Town Meeting "to preserve,protect and enhance" Lexington's "unique and distinctive" neighborhoods by conserving and preserving existing buildings, fostering appropriate reuse and encouraging compatible new construction, all through Town-appointed neighborhood review boards. To date, two neighborhoods have been approved to self-regulate through an NCD: the Turning Mill Neighborhood and the Pierce-Lockwood Neighborhood, both at 2018 Spring Town Meeting. 13