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PLANNING BOARD MINUTES
MEETING OF JULY 22, 2015
A meeting of the Lexington Planning Board, held in the Selectmen’s Meeting Room, was called to
order 7:01 p.m. by Chair Nancy Corcoran-Ronchetti, with members, Tim Dunn, Charles Hornig,
Ginna Johnson, and planning staff Aaron Henry and Lori Kaufman present. Richard Canale was
absent.
*********************************STAFF REPORTS*****************************
General updates:
PILOP
Melisa Tintocalis, Economic Development Officer (EDO), was working on a draft policy
and will review it with staff and the Town Manager and then bring to Planning Board and Board
of Selectmen (BOS) for comment.
Banks in the Center
– Melisa Tintocalis, EDO, was convening a small working group with
banking and real estate professionals, Mr. Canale, BOS, and staff to determine what direction to go
with the banking moratorium.
Zoning Board Appeals (ZBA) applications
– The applicant for 12 Crescent Hill Avenue and
Madison Avenue a property on the border of Arlington and Lexington was asking for a variance
and staff wanted to bring to your attention to see if the Board wanted to comment. The Board did
not see justification for an approval of this variance and could not guarantee approval for a
subdivision plan that would be required along with the waiver for frontage. The Town has good
bylaws and should be followed. Staff will forward materials to the Board.
On a motion duly made and seconded, it was voted, 4-0, the Planning Director will forward a letter
to the ZBA on the Board’s behalf to express its opposition to this variance since it would not meet
the criteria for a variance under the zoning act.
Ledgemont
- The special permit granted by the ZBA to Hobbs Brook to create Ledgemont 3 has
been over turned and thrown out by the Court and was now invalid. Hobbs Brook will probably
appeal it.
Page 2 Minutes for the Meeting of July 22, 2015
***********************DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION**********************
ANR
7-11 Mountain Road, Approval not Required (ANR):
The applicant was requesting an ANR for Mountain Road. In lieu of waiving the many standards
the Board discussed no parking being allowed on way for safety reasons. There was also discussion
that this was making the lots more conforming. The Board was asking that the Town be given the
right to regulate parking, which would have to go to BOS for that to happen if conditioned on the
ANR.
On a motion duly made and seconded, it was voted, 3-1 (Mr. Dunn opposed), to endorse the plan
for 7-11 Mountain Road as being of adequate grade and construction with the condition the owner
of 7 Mountain Road will deliver an instrument to the BOS giving the Town the right to regulate
parking on the relevant portion of the road in front of 7 Mountain Road.
Zoning Regulations:
There has not been any progress on the regulations at this time.
*********************ZONING & LONG RANGE PLANNING***********************
Comment Letters to Boston MPO:
There were no comments made on the letters Mr. Kucharsky drafted with the advice and consent
of Mr. Canale to the MPO.
On a motion duly made and seconded, it was voted 4-0, the Board endorse both letters and direct
the Planning director to forward the letters to the MPO.
Update on Residential Policy Committee (RPC):
There has been great participation from members and residents. There is a second Residential
Policy Group (RPC) /Planning Board Workshop proposed for Thursday, September 24. Planning
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Board meetings would be held August 5 and 19 and August 25 Tuesday for a joint site visit.
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September the meetings would be the 16th and a joint meeting on the 24 with the RPC and for a
public forum. Ms. Johnson gave an update of the RPC items that were being discussed. RPC will
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meet on August 4 and 18.
Ms. Johnson reviewed the list of proposed initiatives and asked the Planning Board for feedback
over the next month. (This draft of proposed initiatives was submitted to the Planning Board and
can be found on file in the Planning office). The Board would discuss the proposed initiatives in
Minutes for the Meeting July 22, 2015 Page 3
more details after given time to review the material submitted. It was suggested to consider some
items that are not in the ZBL and regulations that would not need to go to Town Meeting.
*********************** ORGANIZATION AND SCHEDULE************************
There will be Planning Board meetings on August 5, 19 and 24, September 16 and 24, and October
7 and 21. The regulations would be ready for the August 19 meeting. Mr. Hornig will not be at
October meetings but would be willing to participate remotely.
There were currently seven to eight zoning articles from RPC for the Annual Town Meeting plus
citizen’s articles. This will be a busy Town Meeting season and the Board and staff will need to do
as much as possible in fall.
Mr. Henry will be meeting with Human Resources on Friday to discuss the two open positions and
hope they would be ready to post the Assistant Planning Director soon and then the planner
position. Mr. Henry was recommending a small reorganization of the Planning Department. The
hope was that the Planning office would be fully staffed by October.
***********************************MINUTES*********************************
On a motion duly made and seconded, it was voted, 4-0, to approve the minutes for June 17, 2015,
as amended.
On a motion duly made and seconded, it was voted, 4-0, to adjourn at 8:27 p.m.
The meeting was recorded by LexMedia.
The following documents used at the meeting can be found on file with the Planning Department:
RPC draft proposed initiatives dated July 22, 2015 (3 pages)
Memo from staff regarding 7-11 Mountain Road, dated July 15, 2015 (1 page).
Two proposed letters to MPO dated July 7, 2015 (2 pages).
Ginna Johnson, Clerk