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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2008-12-10-PB-min PLANNING BOARD MINUTES MEETING OF DECEMBER 10, 2008 A regular meeting of the Lexington Planning Board in the Selectmen’s Meeting Room, Town Office Building was called to order at 7:30 p.m. by Chairman Hornig with members Manz, Galaitsis and Canale and planning staff McCall-Taylor, Henry and Kaufman present. Mr. Zurlo was absent *****************************HARTWELL AVENUE AREA STUDY*********************** Forum on Proposed Zoning Bylaw changes: Mr. Hornig did a power point presentation on the proposed zoning bylaw changes clarifying the goals, guiding principles, process, dimensional controls, site plan review and traffic. Mr. Hornig explained that .35 floor area ratio (FAR) would yield an additional 500,000 square feet of development and that Hartwell Avenue was more appropriate for denser development then Hayden Avenue. The following items were discussed: the sky view ratio and how it was calculated; site plan review with its tiered process; and a district-wide traffic mitigation plan. The Board was now looking for feedback regarding these proposals. Mr. Canale clarified that the Board has not had any formal votes regarding the parameters presented tonight. The Town would need to take some responsibility and make a commitment so the Board could determine what would be needed from the developers. Ms. Manz said pedestrian and bicycle access as well as sustainable buildings would be looked at. Mr. Galaitsis said that this was the first time he was seeing some of these numbers such as the sky view ratio. Audience comments: ?? What would happen if you could not get a majority vote for site plan review? ?? Lexington’s calculations for the FAR have not been discussed tonight with regards to wetlands. ?? How would traffic mitigation fees be collected as a one-time payment or an annual payment? Mr. Hornig said the mitigation would be a one-time payment for improvements spanning over a 10-20 year time frame. ?? Monies could be used for interest and bond payments. ?? The global approach was good, but the devil would be in the details. ?? With sloping lots the height of a building would be critical; how it would affect the sky view, especially in Ledgemont. ?? Garages rather than acres of parking were acceptable, but on Hartwell Avenue it would be much more massive. Page 2 Minutes for the Meeting of December 10, 2008 ?? TAC met last week and prepared the following conceptual comments prior to seeing the proposal. Traffic in one area could affect others and would have a broad impact. ?? They would want support for transportation options such as carpools, vanpools, bikes, ?? etc. Address infrastructure design for bike lanes and sidewalks. ?? Monies would need to be allocated for public transportation. ?? Set a maximum number of parking spaces to discourage the use of single occupancy ?? vehicles. A TDM policy would need to be in the by-law for more credibility and make it strong in ?? the by right development. ?? For abutters traffic was the number one concern. Another consideration should be the connectedness issue with the West Lexington Greenway to Burlington and Lincoln. Encourage access easement. ?? The funds placed in the mitigation funds from Hartwell Avenue should be used only for west Lexington, not the entire Town of Lexington ?? Would the overall traffic mitigation plan be available at the time of Town Meeting? Mr. Hornig said a preliminary plan with a transitional formula would be presented If approved at Town Meeting a consultant would be brought in, a public hearing held and the rules would then be adopted. ?? The order of the goals received from Town Meeting should be reversed; traffic mitigation should be first, then density. Eldred Street would need state action and developers should be required to exert pressure on the State. No development changes should be made until traffic improvements were made. ?? The history of the Planning Board regarding special permits was that applicant always got the maximum. The concerns were special permits would be granted at the .9 FAR maximum. ?? This plan was right on track regarding the following: a specific area plan can set parameters and if additional FAR were sought, under certain conditions the increase in density could be granted as long as it was tied into mitigation; urban design aspects were good; the character of the street would be improved with the sky view ratio; not everything could go to .9 FAR; and traffic mitigation monies should be tied to a specific area. ?? There were concerns that a district-wide mitigation plan was really an infrastructure plan, which would not hold the employers responsible for TDM measures such as a parking space maximum, priority parking for vanpools, carpools and bike racks, establishment of a Transportation Minutes for the Meeting of December 10, 2008 Page 3 Management Association, and shuttle services. Consider the use of measurable reduction incentives. ?? Sustainable development - would it be done by right or by special permit? ?? Concern with the traffic flow down Wood Street. Although traffic is a necessary evil look at non- monetary ways to reduce traffic on the side streets to address concerns for the safety of the residents. Ms. Manz said mitigation monies were not to discourage development, but rather to mitigate the difficulties arising from development. Mr. Galaitsis said that past promises were not effective. He would prefer to see contemplated mitigation measures implemented and demonstrated to be effective before the current conditions were worsened further. ****************************REGIONAL INTERTOWN ISSUES*************************** Mr. Canale said that Thursday, December 18, 2008 there will be a HATS Meeting in the Lincoln Town Office Building at 7:30 p.m., which focuses on parking and zoning. *****************************APPROVAL NOT REQUIRED****************************** 150, 168 and 170 East Street: On a motion duly made and seconded, it was voted to endorse the plan entitled “Plan of Land in Lexington, MA Middlesex County”, dated December 2, 2008, prepared and certified by Kevin E. Danahy, Professional Land Surveyor, Meridian Associates Beverly, MA, with Form A/2008-8, submitted by the Elaine and Guy Doran, applicants, as it does not require approval under the Subdivision Control Law. *******************************BOARD MEMBER REPORTS**************************** Mr. Canale met with the TMMA executive committee and reported that the Communications Advisory Committee had thought about coming in with by-law changes, but it was felt that what they wanted to accomplish could be done within the Zoning Board of Appeals regulations. Ms. Manz said there was a Community Preservation Committee hearing on all applications for CPA funds tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. Mr. Galaitsis said the Noise Advisory Committee was waiting for feed back from the TMMA regarding the noise bylaw changes. On a motion duly made and seconded, it was voted to adjourn the meeting at 9:25 p.m. Wendy Manz, Clerk