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PLANNING BOARD MINUTES
MEETING OF APRIL 1, 2015
A meeting of the Lexington Planning Board, held in the Lexington High School, Room 143, was
called to order 6:00 p.m. by Chairman Charles Hornig, with members Nancy Corcoran-Ronchetti,
Richard Canale, Timothy Dunn, Ginna Johnson and planning staff Maryann McCall-Taylor and
Aaron Henry present.
**************************TOWN MEETING ARTICLES*************************
Positions on non-zoning articles
Article 45 – Ms. Goldberg was present to give a run through of her presentation. She is asking
for the Board of Selectmen to develop specific actions to address safety and report back to the
2016 Annual Town Meeting. She also seeks supplemental short term improvements until the
larger road reconstruction projects take place.
Mr. Canal said that the MPO meeting the following day would be reviewing projects and the
Battle Road Scenic Byway from Pleasant Street to Marrett Road was fourth on the priority list for
2019. He is optimistic that it will be chosen for funding and urges public attendance at the 25 %
design hearing in May.
On a motion duly made and seconded, it was voted 5-0 to recommend the resolution to Town
Meeting. It is in keeping with the common theme of safety for all users, pedestrians, bicyclist and
motorists.
Article 35 – The Board reaffirmed their support of Article 35.
Article 11, Municipal Capital Projects and Equipment – Section 11a (Center Streetscape
improvements and Easements - Phase 1) – This will be separated out from the rest of the article
for individual consideration. Emails indicate that Eph Weiss will move to ban money to be used
for a signal light. Some board members expressed ambivalence about the traffic signal. Ms.
Johnson had specific concerns that she wanted addressed before she would support the article –
remove the center median and use the space freed up for a striped bike land, rearrange the
benches, use different light fixture, address the mystery trees and redesign the plaza area by
Woburn Street. She wanted to make revisions prior to seeking funding at a fall town meeting.
Page 2 Minutes for the Meeting of April 1, 2015
There was discussion about the design process and how firm were the plans being presented for
construction money under Article 11a. The members said they wanted to be more involved in the
design process.
On a motion duly made and seconded, it was voted, 4-0-1, (Ms. Johnson abstaining), to
recommend the passage of Article 11a to Town Meeting.
The Board confirmed their previous votes supporting 11 e, g, h, i and j. Mr. Hornig will make the
point that while the Board supports 11e, going forward it wants to see a separate funding of
sidewalk expansion that does not cut into the maintenance funds.
Reconsideration of Article 49 – At the last session, a town meeting member had urged that the
Board move notice of reconsideration and the Board had done so. The member had been
interested in bringing back the parcels owned by the federal government and the Town of
Arlington. Other members had expressed a desire to have the Planning Board be the special
permit granting authority, not the Board of Selectmen. The Planning Board discussed whether
they should go forward with reconsideration. Ms. Brown, Town Meeting Moderator, who was in
the audience, said that the Board would be creating a hurdle if they came back at this town
meeting and suggested that the matter could be put on a fall town meeting warrant. The Board felt
this might be an opportunity to hear comments and then bring it back to Town Meeting in the fall,
but will discuss it further at the next meeting.
**************************ORGANIZATION & SCHEDULE************************
Work Plan – The Board wanted to schedule public meetings before the summer to get input on
banks in the Center and a more general forum on housing. Ms. Johnson wanted the housing
meeting to be a listening session, after which the concerns that came up would be categorized and
then there would be separate meetings on those issues. Members discussed this format and
expressed some concerns about not having more structure. How it is advertised will be
th
important. The earliest that a meeting could be scheduled would be May 20 as part of a
Planning Board meeting. A flyer should be made available at Town Meeting in addition to other
outreach. A larger venue than the Selectmen’s Meeting Room should be used.
The bank meeting will be sometime in June.
Minutes for the Meeting of April 1, 2015 Page 3
**************************BOARD MEMBER REPORTS************************
Ms. Johnson reported that the Vision2020 Committee had an interest in residential zoning.
*********************************** MINUTES**********************************
On a motion, duly made and seconded, it was voted, 5-0, to approve the minutes of February 25,
March 4 and 18, 2015.
On a motion duly made and seconded, it was voted, 5-0, to adjourn at 7:26 p.m.
The meeting was recorded by LexMedia.
Timothy Dunn, Clerk