2019-11-04 Joint BOS and HPB-min

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Joint Meeting Board of Selectmen and Housing Partnership Board November 4, 2019 A Joint Meeting of the Lexington Board of Selectmen and Housing Partnership Board was called to order at 8:32 p.m. on Monday, November 4, 2019 in the Selectmen’s Meeting Room, Town Office Building, 1625 Massachusetts Avenue. Mr. Lucente, Chair; Mr. Pato; Ms. Barry; Ms. Hai; and Mr. Sandeen were present, as well as Mr. Malloy, Town Manager; Ms. Axtell, Deputy Town Manager; and Ms. Katzenback, Executive Clerk. Present for the Housing Partnership Board were: Jeri Foutter, Chair; Bob Peters, Planning Board Liaison; Betsey Weiss, Vice-Chair; Harriet Cohen, Clerk; Bob Pressman; Wendy Manz, Capital Expenditures Committee Liaison; Melanie Thompson; and Paul Linton. ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION 1. Presentation on Chapter 40R & Chapter 40S - Smart Growth Districts The Board of Selectmen and the Housing Partnership Board met to discuss Chapter 40R and Chapter 40S - Smart Growth Districts. Mr. Lucente stated that the presentation will be made by Mark Racicot, Director of the Land Use Division at the Metropolitan Area Planning Council. Mr. Racicot stated that Chapter 40R is a voluntary program for individual municipalities to provide options to adopt and implement zoning that allows for compact, mixed-income, by-right development in areas with existing or planned infrastructure. The minimum affordability component would be 20% of the units and the affordable units would have to be dispersed proportionally throughout the development. This type of development would have to be in an existing area with public infrastructure and adequate water, sewer, and roadways to serve it. The development would have better access to retail and services by offering both direct and indirect financial incentives, as well as a tool to better manage residential growth. The one-time zoning incentive payment to the municipality would be based on the size of the district and the total potential increased number of housing units. The amount ranges from $10,000 for a small site to $600,000 for a large site with a lot of units. There is a second payment when the building permit is issued for the building units. Chapters 40R and 40S serve to reimburse cities and towns for the additional costs of educating new school-age children in smart growth districts. Mr. Racicot explained that the area of concentrated development has to contain at least 50% of an existing commercial/mixed-use zone and at least 50% must also be previously developed (characterized by substantially developed land, even if such land qualifies as underutilized). The non-commercial portions of an Area of Concentrated Development cannot exceed 50% of the district. The Town would not be allowed to put age restrictions on the residential portion of the units. Mr. Sandeen inquired if the Chapter 40S payments were a one-time incentive like the Chapter 40R zoning incentive payment.