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Page 1 of 2 Affordable Housing Trust Meeting Minutes of February 22, 2024 10:00 am Hybrid meeting on Zoom and attended in-person in the Parker room, Town Office Building Affordable Housing Trust Board Members present: Elaine Tung, Chair; Mark Sandeen, Tiffany Payne, Linda Prosnitz, William Erickson (joined at 10:50am) Staff present: Carol Kowalski, Assistant Town Manager for Development; Liz Rust, RHSO Director; Ragi Ramachandran, Administrative Assistant Other attendees: Margaret Heitz, Bob Pressman, Lin Jensen, Tina McBride, Mark Lang Ms. Tung chaired the hybrid meeting and called the meeting to order at 10:07 am. 1. Approve Meeting Minutes Ms. Tung requested a motion to approve the minutes of 12/20/23 AHT meeting. Ms. Payne moved. Mr. Sandeen seconded. The Trustees voted in favor of the motion 4-0-0, by a roll call vote (Sandeen – yes, Payne – yes, Prosnitz – yes, Tung – yes). Meeting minutes approved. 2. Lowell Street and North Street Ms. Tung reviewed and recited the concerns and public comments received by the Affordable Housing Trust through emails and at the Feb. 15 information session on Article 33. Ms. McBride asked about the comment that the Lowell St development is exclusionary. She wanted to know what the comment was based on. Mr. Sandeen responded that the Trust cannot speak for someone else or what their motivations were, but that they were only acknowledging that the comment was made. The Trustees felt an affordable housing development builds vibrant community, is more inclusionary, and it aligns with the Town priorities and goals set forth in the Lexington Next plan. Ms. Jensen felt that affordable housing should be built near the Town center, by the MBTA bus routes and in locations with better transit options as is done. She asked about the process once Town Meeting approves the article. She felt Select Board should have more authority to review the further progression of this project. Ms. Tung responded that the Trust is constantly looking at other sites in Town in addition to Lowell St. The need for housing is very high, and parcel 68 - 44 is the only town owned land presently available where development is feasible. There are no other sites currently available, and the parcel is a gift from the state with one of the identified uses being for housing. Ms. Heitz commented that the Article 33 delegated more authority to the Select Board and the article was not giving up authority to the Select Board. Mr. Lang asked the Trust why the three Town owned sites in Lexington center where the housing feasibility study was conducted are not available for affordable housing development. Ms. Kowalski explained the easement and environmental restrictions, physical and financial constraints that operate on the three sites. Ms. Tung responded that parcel 68 -44 doesn’t have any competing priorities, a large amount of due diligence was done on the site, and that the Trust was looking for affordable housing opportunities everywhere in Town. Mr. Lang