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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-07-21-LCC-minTown of Lexington Lexington Center Committee Minutes for the meeting of July 21, 2022, held in the Estabrook Room of Cary Hall, Mass Ave, Lexington, Massachusetts beginning about 8:35 am. Committee members present: T. Eric Ballard, Upasna Chhabra, Frederic Johnson, Pamela Lyons, Innessa Manning, Jerold Michelson (Chair), Pamela Shadley, Jon Wakelin Liaisons present: Sandra Shaw (Council on Aging) remotely, Casey Hagerty, EDD, John Livsey, Town Engineer, Chris Barry, LPD, Heather Hartshorn Chamber of Commerce We began with the introduction of Heather Hartshorn who is the new executive director of the Chamber of Commerce. John Livsey gave the DPW update: The sidewalk from Kandi Nails to Muzzey Street should be completed this week as well as the curbing from Conte Bikes to Waltham Street. Concrete will go down the following week. The Project is somewhat ahead of schedule. More benches are going in today and the carousel tables are arriving. There will be a new charging station on Edison Way. The new big belly trash receptacles are coming in and the old ones are going out. The Battle Green construction is not a part of the Streetscape Project. Its purpose is to improve access to the monuments. The Center parking lot reconstructions are in the queue for action but still a few years out. The project must be funded and designed first. It might not make it before 2025. Fred Johnson explained that the CVS lot is an impediment to the Center’s economic vitality. Anything we can do to accelerate the lots ahead of 2025 would be most helpful. There was some discussion of the parking lots reconstruction. Grain Mill Alley is going in as part of the Streetscape. There will be no action on the privately owned middle section between Mass Ave and the locus of the Bicycle Node. Casey Hagerty discussed the popups coming in the building next to the Historic Depot: two clothing stores and a shoe company. The Nigiri and Sake restaurant on Edison Way will open soon. Hitrons is going out, Conte Bikes is open, and the liquor store in the old Catch a Falling Star space will open soon with minor renovations. Fiorella’s (new Italian restaurant on Waltham Street) is shooting for a fall opening. A tea and cakes shop is coming in at 21 Muzzey Street. Discovery Day is coming back on October 8th! The Chamber of Commerce’s Friday night concerts at Emery Park have been well-attended. Innessa Manning informed us that Artwalk will commence right after Discovery Day and run through November. There was a lively discussion of the potential ramifications of the MBTA Communities in the Center. John Livsey noted the current carrying capacity of water and sewer service in the Center. This might need significant upgrading. Fred outlined the relationship between housing, transportation and economic development. Jerry noted that height is going to be a key issue. And then we talked about outdoor dining next year. Pam Shadley noted that there’s a process for restaurants and that we need a policy for sidewalk cleaning. There was general agreement that we need to get a policy in place by the end of 2022 because it is important to protect our investment in the Streetscape. There was some discussion about the LexSeeHer monument and the conflict between those who want the monument placed near Mass Ave in front of the Visitors Center and those who feel that it should be located elsewhere. Our next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, September 8th. We will not meet in August.