2009-03-09-WALKS-min - Laserfiche WebLink

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Minutes of the Lexington Sidewalk Committee Meeting March 9, 2009 11:00 a.m. Selectmen’s Meeting Room, Town Hall Present : Jerry Van Hook, Suzie Barry, Judy Crocker, John Davies, Lucy Fletcher-Jones, Meg Lotz, Francine Stieglitz, Wayne Brooks (DPW), Richard Canale (Planning Board), Elaine Celi (LPS Transportation Mgr.), John Livsey (Town Engineer), Christine McVey (Town Planner) Minutes. The minutes of the December 2008 and January 2009 meetings and the report of the February meeting were approved. Lexington Gardens Project. Jerry reported that were were two public meetings with the Planning Board at which citizens spoke including Carl Oldenberg, an abutter and Lexington architect, who presented an alternative plan to those presented by the builder, Homes Development Corp. Jerry said there were two principal issues of concern to the SRTS and our committee: (1) the need to evaluate the impact of residential development on school access and safety at the adjacent Hancock St roundabout and (2) the advisability of a single entry onto Hancock St away from the roundabout. It was generally agreed that pedestrian safety is a primary concern in the area and that there will be a significant increase in vehicular, bicycle and foot traffic with the new development, whether the final plan is for an 11-home by-right project or a 26-home cluster development plan. The developer has so far declined to help fund a professional evaluation of how the project would impact bicycle and pedestrian safety in the immediate neighborhood. Christine McVay from Town Planning said that the Transportation Safety Advisory Committee (TSAC) should be involved in the process, suggesting that the developer cannot be expected to pay for all of the study and suggested that a public/private cooperation would be best. Richard Canale agreed that an organization, namely TSAC, is already in place and that the SWC should not go it alone. He also said that the Planning Bd regulations would not trigger the need for a traffic study, a 50 home development is the threshold, and that the regulations would not require the developer on his own to address any unsafe conditions at the roundabout. The Selectmen would have to find the money for the professional part of the study using the various committees and boards in town to provide support and to help evaluate the findings. Jerry asked where the money might come from if the developer will not contribute. Richard said to use the is still development as leverage and push the internal staff to do XYZ. Christine said the project in the preliminary stage. Jerry asked who will take the lead on the question of one or two road cuts onto Hancock St. and Richard said that the Planning Bd needs to look at both designs. He said that there was no overwhelming evidence that one design is less safe or more disruptive to traffic than the other. Experts will offer different opinions, but with a compromise we should be able to avoid confusion in the area. Richard said that abutters know where the problems are, and Jerry countered that is why Carl Oldenberg, an abutter and architect, offered his plan.. John Livesey said that a third-party consultant might be the way to go. Richard said that the developer could decide to build ”by right” if he is asked to contribute and that the Planning Board wants the town to take the primary responsibility.