HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-02-03-MGWG-min.pdf MINUTES OF WORK GROUP MEETING
Title of work Group: Managing Growth: Development and Open Space
Date, Time and Location of Meeting: February 3, 2000, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm, Town Office Bldg. Room 111
Members Present:Suzanne Caton (Chair),John Andrews,Gary Fallick,John Frey(scribe),Ione Garing,Toni
harden,Karl Kastorf,Marianne Lazarus,Karen Longeteig,Jerry Moloney,Donna Rossi.
Staff: Marilyn Nordby. Steering Committee liaison: heather Sweeney
Members Absent: Larry Belvin,Mike Hanauer,Lee Sinai,Ed Vail.
Date, Time and Location of next scheduled meeting: February 15,2000,7:00 pm-9:00 pm,Bird Room
in Cary hall (changed from 2/17/00)
Meeting called to order by Chair Suzanne Caton at 7:05 pm.
Distributed Information:
I. Revised Diagram handed out by John Andrews showing the Vision,Obstacles,Solutions for the Town.
2. Draft Environmental Scan handed out by Suzanne Caton for discussion.
3. email from Mike I lanauer asking that the following be added to last week's minutes:
"The group discussed what the term sustainability means and how it might apply to our workgroup's
vision statement.
Mike Ilanauer proposed that the group adopt the League of Women Voters sustainability statement as a
guiding philosophy for Lexington 2020. (The sustainability statement is contained in the handout that
Mike distributed at the beginning of the meeting.)
Several group members expressed opinions that the LWV statement is too vague. They felt that in order
for us to adopt any sustainability philosophy,it must be more specific and directly applicable to Lexington
and its problems.
At the end of the discussion,the group agreed that they would not adopt the LWV statement but would
continue to discuss the issue and address it in our final vision statement."
The group agreed to include the above plus the following sentence in the minutes of the last meeting:
"Mike was asked to give more specific examples of what other town had done to improve sustainability."
Issues addressed and agreements made:
1. Heather Sweeney presented a list of possible Commercial Developers who might be willing to join the group to
give their perspective to our discussions. The group asked Heather to check on their availability. Heather also
asked if the group would consider allowing Marcus Pinney,a Lexington resident and planner for Concord,to
serve on our working group. After discussion, the group voted 9-1 to invite Mr. Pinney and a Commercial
Developer as citizens to the work group. The dissenting vote was cast because of concern for preserving a
balance on the work group.
2. Environmental Scan discussion: Opened by Chair Suzanne Caton. John Andrews put forth the
following 5 topics that he felt should be included in the Scan: 1. Open Space
2. Healthy Environment
3. Noise
4. Access to Amenities
5. 1 lousing/Residential development
Suzanne presented her proposed outline with the following topics: 1. Residential Development
2. Commercial Development/Town Center
3. Transportation/traffic ili ea%i b i t tf
4. Sustainability
Discussion: Commercial Development and Town Center were really two separate topics.
Marianne Lazarus suggested deleting transportation/traffic because it is being discussed by a
separate work group. Others said it should be included because of our previously stated concern for
accessability and"walkability".
Karl Kastorf recommended that we not use the word"sustainability"because many people do not
understand what it means. Jerry Moloney encouraged us to include it. Others suggested keeping
the idea of sustainability but changing its topic name to Environmental Quality and to include
within it physical appearance,historic character,infrastructure management etc.
Gary Fallick suggested that we were getting too specific too early and that we should first define
the end point in general terms. Marianne said we need to discuss the proper uiix of business,
housing and other types of development. Suzanne suggested that maybe this should be in the
"I lard Question"category. Several suggested that sustainability is included in all of the topics.
The discussion continued until the following list of topics was approved and subcommittees formed to develop
them:
1. Residential development. Jerry Moloney (chair), Marianne Lazarus, Torn I larden
2. Commercial development. Karl Kastorf(chair), Jerry Moloney
3. Town Center. John Frey (Chair), Torn Harden, Suzanne Caton
4. Accessibility. John Andrews (chair)
5, Environmental quality. Gary Fallick (chair), John Andrews, Donna Rossi
6. Open space. Ione Caring (chair), Karen Longeteig,John Andrews
7. Public Property. (schools, infrastructure, gateways, historic property, appearance) No
volunteers for this topic yet.
3. Information: Karl Kastorf volunteered to be in charge of getting demographic information for the group.
Mercer Report and Community Conversations are probably in the Lexington Room at Cary
Library. John Frey has copies of Design Guidelines for Commercial Districts.Volume I:
Public Improvements and Volume II:Private Sector Improvements.
4. Meeting adjourned at about 9 pm.