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Home My WebLink About2019-07-23-SPRD-min Special Permit Residential Development Committee Minutes(Draft) DPW Building Training Room 7/23/19 Meeting called to order at 8:02am Present:David Trietsch(Facilitator/Consultant),Jill Hai,Taylor Singh,Heather Hartshorn,Joyce Murphy, Scott Cooper,Richard Perry,Richard Canale,Betsey Weiss,Carol Kowalski,Wendy Manz(CEC Liaison) Absent:Matt Daggett Others present:Robert Pressman,Ingrid Klimoff,Charles Horning Lexington staff:Jim Kelley(Lexington Building Commissioner) Sheila Page(Lexington Assistant Planning Director) Minutes from February 7,2019,April 16,2019,April 23,2019,April 25,2019,May 13,2019 and May 29, 2019 were moved,seconded,voted,and accepted. Lexington staff input on SPRD. 1. Jim Kelley who has worked in Lexington about 1 and%years said that he monitors construction and deals with neighborhood concerns. He feels that the present SPRD bylaw has saved a historic structure on Adams St.and added three affordable units on Grove St. 2. Sheila Page said that SPRD has created a lot of opportunities but is difficult to enforce. • Both Victory Gardens on Hancock St.and Journey's End on Shade St.are special permit developments so there is a limitation on impervious surface or site coverage. Ms.Page said that it is important to capture impervious surface limitations in deeds and regulations for future homeowners and future staff.(Sometimes Special Permit Development homeowners come into the Planning Office and do not know about them and want to do a home improvement that is not allowed.) • Regulations can be improved and captured for later planning staff and flag SPRD properties now in the"Cloud". • Another concern is that Balanced Housing units are townhouses or condominiums and are mixed in with private homes so that they may not fit in with the character of the neighborhood. • Is there a way to incentivize building small 3-bedroom homes on a public way? • Private roads are difficult to track and maintain overtime. Also,there are issues with storm water mitigation and climate change problems with private roads. Heather Hartshorn-When do homeowners learn that they have a Special Permit Development home? Sheila Page-It is on the deed,but you need to find out what the special permit covers and what covenants were made with the Homeowners Association,if the development is single family homes.We hope that the SPRD regulation will flag them better. Scott Cooper—A special permit is recorded with the Registry of Deeds and a title search will find it. Joyce Murphy-Real estate documents are subject to review and a real estate attorney should look them over.Title searches may not be done in cash sales. Betsey Weiss-A few impervious surface limitation examples? Sheila Page-A basketball court and a covered deck were not allowed since both increased the impervious surface allocation above the limit and the homeowners were surprised.Condominium Associations have an expectation of limitations but homeowners in a Homeowners'Association,often do not think about limitations. Dick Canale-Special Permit Developments have limitations on the amount of impervious surface. Builders usually build to 80%impervious surface and leave 20%open. Jim Kelley-There is a GFA maximum which you need to be aware of. Carol Kowalski-When more conditions are written out,the better,then conditions will be honored and carried out in the future if you want this condition forever.Therefore,how do you communicate these conditions to future owners? David Trietsch-Ms.Page,any observations of tweaking ofthe bylaw and administration of the bylaw? Sheila Page-The process forthe developers is not clear.It needs to be fixed in the regulations. Developers need to show a proof plan to determine the gross floor area but how far do you take the proof plan so it can really work?The proof plan is what you can build,and the sketch plan is what you want to build.A defined path would help.What is the proper path for developers? Robert Pressman-How many small conventional subdivisions are there? Someone at the meeting answered that Cary Avenue has 4 units.It is important that small houses are required in Balanced Housing. Sheila Page-The benefit of conventional subdivisions is not clear.Building a road is very expensive.How can we incentivize smaller housing? Bob Pressman-Can two-family be required? Jim Kelley-It is really about GFA.The Balanced Housing regulation limits are 2,700 square feet,3,500 square feet and over 3,500 square feet.Maybe make it smaller than 2,700 sq.ft.?Then,there are small �Delg¢ed: the houses on small lots.Building a 1,700 sq.ft home can be difficult. Dick Perry-Land is competitive in Lexington and highly priced so if a developer purchases a property, then you need a certain number of lots and FAR.If you want smaller sized units,then you need more dwelling units to have the same amount of square footage as the proof plan. Dick Canale-More units,a density bonus.The price of the land is based on a conventional subdivision. Dick Perry-Price of the land is what you can do by right.If the seller is willing to wait,then you can get more units,smaller units through a special permit. Ingrid Klimoff-Two-family,three-family housing is environmentally more appropriate than one family housing. Jill Hai-An out of state example:"a residential zone is a residential zone"whether it is one family,two family or three family. Jim Kelley-The"Cloud"will now have town permitting,regulations,wetlands,neighborhood conservation districts etc.and be available electronically to everyone in Town. Dick Canale-Can one size,one bylaw fit all situations?One size cannot fit all.Jon Farrington said that Robinson Rd.is different than Bedford St.The present SPRD bylaw has 9 goals.Shade St.,Journey's End saved a historic house and saved a"Great Lawn"and,created smaller units.The Victory Garden SPRD saved the"Victory Garden".The developer wanted cottage style housing,but the neighbors did not want it so the developer built a by-right development with large homes.What if we focus on the 9 goals and not the bylaw?The Planning Board reflects the community. David Trietsch-Ms.Page asked for clarity,a defined path and clear expectations so how do we balance town wide goals and neighborhood goals?What direction and emphasis should the committee take? What did you take away from the May 29th panel? Scott Cooper-What if we tweak the bylaw so there is more clarity for the developers? There Is also a need to incentivize smaller units.We need to ask the development community how to do this.The developers would jike a preliminary indication/hearing,so they have certainty. -Deleted: Betsey Weiss-I agree that we need to tweak the bylaw so there is more clarity/certainty for the developers. Mr.Farrington said that the bylaw should be clear. Taylor Singh-I agree with Mr.Cooper and Ms. Weiss that we need to tweak the bylaw.We also need to think about the impact on the infrastructure,the school impact.The schools are about 70%(73%)of the budget.Definition of urban versus rural.New units on transit lines. (Gov.Baker wants more housing units.)Town wide versus neighborhood goals. A neighborhood review process. Joyce Murphy-Mr.Farrington said that when affordable housing is part of the special permit regulation, then the process is clear.However,when a developer has to add an affordable unit or add smaller housing when it is not part of the regulation,then the process is not clear. David Trietsch-So we need more clarity and what are expectations up front. Dick Perry-Concord has built smaller,more dense cottage style developments for the past 5-7 years.It would be good to have a mechanism to have cottage style housing in Lexington. Dick Canale-The town of Bedford bought land and then planned and zoned a cottage style housing development.How do we integrate affordability throughout town?Affordable housing can be part of SPRD or part of a mega housing development such as 840 Emerson Gardens which is proposing 25% affordable housing,orthe Hartwell Initiative will have many housing units so what does Lexington want? How can SPRD meet our affordable goals?The Comprehensive Plan is important for clarity.Matt Daggett said to look at our 9 goals in SPRD.What do we want our town to be? David Trietsch asked Dick Canale about the role of the Planning Board which is volunteers and the use of professional staff? Dick Cana le-In Lexington,the Planning Board and the professional staff work together.Ina number of towns,the planning staff takes policy direction from the Planning Board and reports to the town manager and in other towns the planning staff reports the Planning Board. David Trietsch- A developer first meets the professional planning staff on a project for input and then when ready goes to the Planning Board.Is that the practice here? Dick Canale-When a large project or rezoning comes to Lexington,a subgroup is formed of Planning staff,two Planning Board members,two Select Board members and the Town Manager to meet with the developer and give guidance. Jill Hai-Next dates,recurring schedule. Adjourned at 9:28am