2004-03-10-PB-min - Laserfiche WebLink

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PLANNING BOARD MINUTES MEETING OF MARCH 10, 2004 The meeting of the Lexington Planning Board held in the Clarke Middle School auditorium, was called to order at 7:30 p.m. by Chairman Harden with members Davies, Galaitsis, Kastorf, Manz, and planning staff Garber, McCall- Taylor, and Tap present. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** ARTICLES FOR 2004 TOWN MEETING Articles 12 Amendment to RD Standards; and 13 and RO to RD Metropolitan State Hospital Site Public Hearings Mr. Harden opened the hearing at 7:35 p.m. Present were Mr. Michael Roberts and Ms. Liz Smith of AvalonBay Communities, Inc.; Mr. Steve Schwartz and Mr. Dan Reynolds, Goulston & Storrs, attorneys; Mr. Edmund Grant, local attorney, Mr. Rick Bryant, Rizzo Associates, traffic consultant; Mr. Michael Thomas and Mr. Robert Cohen, Department of Capital Asset Management. There were about 50 people in the audience. Mr. Roberts presented Avalon Bay's development scheme for the 22 -acre campus of the former Met State Hospital site, noting that it responds to many of the requests heard in their meetings with Lexington residents over the past year. Instead of the 430 rental units first proposed, they have reduced the number by 10 percent, for a total of 387 units in a mix of one two and three - bedrooms: 60 units for 55+ households and 43 for Department of Mental Health clients. Ninety -seven units will be affordable to people with moderate incomes, defined by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development as those earning 80 percent of the PMSA median income in the Boston metropolitan area. The building envelope is surrounded by 300 acres of protected open space. A multi- generational community amid attractive open space comprise two prime criteria named by the Lexington Met State Task Force for the site. Another is preservation of a portion of the historically significant hospital buildings. AvalonBay will renovate close to 50 percent of the buildings. Mr. Roberts indicated that AvalonBay projects that the community will produce 104 school age children, an updated calculation using Avalon at Lexington as an example as well as other Lexington data. They believe that the community will be fiscally neutral for the town and Mr. Larry Koff, who performed a peer review of the data, confirms this. School enrollment is projected to move downward in 2007 -2008. Mr. Bryant presented updated traffic information. He indicated that some of the intersections that the AvalonBay community will affect are already "broken" and that AvalonBay's "fair share" of responsibility for "fixing" them needs to be determined. At this point, a contribution of $250,000 is being offered to the town for transportation mitigations, which could include bringing Lexpress on site. Avalon Bay would provide a "stop" near Kline Hall. Mr. Roberts ran through the list of other benefits being offered as follows: a $75,000 upfront contribution to Lexpress plus $15,000 /year for five years; fully subsidizing Lexpress passes for five years; providing a shuttle to Alewife, possibly with the 128 Business Council, for a period of five years at an approximate cost of $500,000; an on -site transportation coordinator; on -site sale of transit passes; bike storage; $200,000 to School Department; restoration of Kline Hall with approximately 13,000 square feet available for community use; construction permit fees to the Town could be as much as $500,000 in 2005 -2006; affordable housing that will allow the town to meet DHCD 10% target; an intergenerational community; diverse housing, and historic preservation of the hospital site layout and buildings. Board Comments and Questions: Board members indicated their pleasure at the 10 percent reduction in units, bringing the number down to 387 with significant reduction in the impacts of the development. Mr. Harden still believes that transportation demand management needs improvement and any program should be ongoing, not end after five years. Mr. Roberts responded that he expects that the service would have established itself among the residents by then — it is AvalonBay's intent to support it through the