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Y Minutes of the Lexington Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC) Meeting April 25, 2018 APRIL 19'" �d N4i„'47�r Location and Time: Town Office Building, Parker Room; 7:30 A.M. Members Present: Charles Lamb, Chair; David Kanter, Vice-Chair & Clerk; Rod Cole; Frank Smith; and Sandy Beebee (remote participation) Member Absent: Wendy Manz Others Present: Melissa Tintocalis, Economic Development Director; Megan Zammuto, Economic Development Coordinator; Sara Arnold, Recording Secretary Documents Presented: • Notice of CEC Meeting, April 25, 2018 • Hartwell Zoning Initiative: Vision and Market Alternatives, March 8, 2018, Slide Presentation prepared by Economic Development Department • Draft Minutes of CEC Meeting, April 23, 2018 Call to Order: Mr. Lamb called the meeting to order at 7:30 a.m. He authorized Ms. Beebee to participate remotely because she was unable to attend the meeting in person. He identified all those in attendance and indicated that all votes would be by roll call. Economic Development Office Presentation on Hartwell Avenue Zoning Initiative ("Initiative"): Ms. Zammuto reported that, at the request of the Board of Selectmen, 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 some changes are made to Lexington's zoning bylaws, such as increasing the allowed floor area ratio and building height. Using presentation 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. Feasibility assessments of the identified area favored research and development laboratories, some office space, and incorporating up to 500, small, residential units that would be added over approximately 30 years, using about 10-15% of the space. Before participating in the discussion, Mr. Kanter advised that he lives in the condominium complex that abuts the Hartwell Avenue/Bedford Street ("Jug Handle") intersection, but he saw no need for him to recuse himself from this information discussion of the Initiative. He then noted that the traffic issues all along Bedford Street (including into Bedford), through that intersection, and on Harwell Avenue have long been problematic and numerous previous efforts have not identified any practical solutions. Therefore, his opinion is that this Initiative has already gone at least far enough—if not too far—without there being a completed traffic study that covers the potential range of net, additional, traffic resulting from the increased activity with the Initiative and identifies credible, timely, opportunities to address what is most likely to be the further exacerbated traffic flow. Otherwise, he sees it Page 1 of 3