HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-08-17-SPRD-min Special Permit Residential Development (SPRD)
Meeting Minutes of August 17, 2021
Special Permit Residential Development (SPRD) Ad-hoc Committee Members present for the
Public Meeting:Jill Hai, Chair; Taylor Singh, Clerk; Scott Cooper; Heather Hartshorn, Charles
Hornig; Wendy Manz;Joyce Murphy; Richard Perry; Betsey Weiss
Lexington Staff present for the Public Meeting: Carol Kowalski, Assistant Town Manager for
Development; Amanda Loomis, Planning Director: Sheila Page, Assistant Planning Director
Other Attendees: Mike Hurt; Margaret Heitz
Jill Hai, Chair of the Special Permit Residential Development (SPRD) Ad-hoc Committee, called
the meeting to order at 8:34am
Amanda Loomis recorded to the town cloud account as LexMedia was not present at the start.
1. OSRD Update
Jill Hai announces Amanda Loomis has created a document that combines all of what we have
been discussing at our committee meetings: both OSRD and revised SPRD.
One avenue for the committee is joining the Planning Board and promoting OSRD as a possible
tool. The second, middle ground, is letting the Planning Board take lead on OSRD and we'll
make some changes to SPRD. The third is to leave OSRD to the Planning Board and we will wait
and see, and we will decide whether to eliminate SPRD if it becomes irrelevant.
Right now, we are looking at the middle path. We would be promoting the revised SPRD which
would incorporate revisions of SPRD and the best of OSRD.
Currently, the Planning Board has decided to move forward with OSRD and the Select Board
voted that Special Town Meeting will happen.
What Amanda Loomis put together are the highlights of what we have discussed as a
committee.
2. Discuss SPRD possible revisions
Amanda Loomis presents her synthesized document. Keeps the Site Sensitive Developments
and removes Balanced Housing Developments and Public Benefit Developments. Site Sensitive
Developments would be required to go through site plan review and design regulations, but
they would be by-right to be competitive with conventional subdivisions.
Scott Cooper asked if SSD needed inclusionary housing.
Joyce Murphy added that a phrase was removed from the purpose and inquired if concerned
neighbors would bring that removal up at public hearings.
Richard Perry agreed with Scott Copper that SSD should not require inclusionary housing.
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Betsey Weiss requested a linkage fee for SSDs. She wants incentive for moderate units
included. She wants clarity on the density bonus. Betsey does not believe Open Space is the
correct moniker for this bylaw.
Wendy Manz asked if we have abandoned the inclusion of workforse housing. She inquired if
the SSD would compete with OSRD if there is no inclusionary housing requirement.
Richard Perry responded to Wendy by saying the incentives are ecomonically driven and that
right now developers are leaning to conventional subdivisions. Richard noted that he has been
doing this a long, long time and he has never seen a market like we have right now.
Charles Hornig agreed with Scott Cooper and Richard Perry. Charles does not think SSD and
OSRD should merge together at this point. OSRD will be moving forward to at least the
September Public Hearing to be held by the Planning Board.
Betsey Weiss would like at least a small percentage to be added to the linkage fee. Not enough
to discourage builders from using this bylaw over the conventional.
Richard Perry asked what the difference was between what Amanda Loomis presented today
and the OSRD article.
Scott Cooper asked for clarification between OSRD and the state model and if the state model
included inclusionary housing. He asked if we are trying to do too much in the OSRD article.
Taylor Singh thanked Amanda Loomis for the removal of BHDs. Taylor agreed with Richard
Perry that the current market favors conventional, but noted that SPRDs were used more often
than the conventional prior to the pandemic. The Planning Board is moving forward with OSRD
on their own and the committee working in parallel is confusing. Taylor agrees with Betsey
Weiss that at least a linkage fee should be included as a requirement for SSDs. Taylor gave the
example of Kay Tiffany Way, a conventional subdivision that is being developed off Reed St and
how the OSRD would be the better option for the neighbors and the town. The 50% Open
Space is good for the environment and the abutters and the inclusionary is good for the town.
Jill Hai asked the committee if they wanted to support the Planning Board initiative, or does the
committee want to wait and see how the Planning Board's OSRD initiative turns out and then
make revisions to SPRD afterward, or does the committee want to work on an inclusionary
housing bylaw, or does the board want to work on SPRD in parallel to what the Planning Board
is bringing forth to town meeting?
3. Plan for Public Outreach
Jill Hai said we need to decide what our direction is before we do a public listening session, or
we could let the public decide for us. Her recommendation is that the committee decide on a
path first before the public listening session.
4. Fall Town Meeting Plan
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Jill Hai asked the committee how they wanted to move forward.
Taylor Singh requested that we take an official vote and requested that the committee work on
SPRD after we know the result of OSRD at Special Town Meeting.
Charles Hornig restated that the Planning Board is moving forward on OSRD, but is very open to
working with the SPRD committee on OSRD and/or SPRD.
Scott Cooper supports allowing OSRD to play out.
Richard Perry agreed with Taylor Singh. He does not think the committee should do a parallel
path, but that the committee should work with the Planning Board.
Carol Kowalski noted that OSRD could be voted back to the Planning Board at STM.
Joyce Murphy supports having the Planning Board continue with OSRD.
Betsey Weiss supports having the Planning Board continue with OSRD, but wants to see the
final version. Betsey noted that standalone inclusionary zoning was brought before Town
Meeting in the past and it did not pass.
Carol Kowalski spoke in favor of making sure there is an inclusionary housing component.
Wendy Manz said we need to support the Planning Board's OSRD initiative.
Heather Hartshorn said we need to support the Planning Board's OSRD initiative.
Jill Hai asked Charles Horning if the committee should make adjustments to SPRD before STM
and Charles responded that the timing is possibly too tight to make zoning changes before STM.
Jill Hai proposed that the committee hold the SPRD revision to follow the OSRD warrant article
that the Planning Board is bringing forward to STM. Depending on how Town Meeting handles
OSRD, the SPRD committee will take action on revisions afterward.
Jill Hai took a vote on holding the revisions to SPRD bylaw following the Town Meeting vote at
Fall STM on OSRD presented by the Planning Board.
Taylor Singh seconded the motion.
The committee voted unanimously in favor(8-0; Charles Hornig had to leave before the vote).
S. Approval of Minutes
We ran out of time before the minutes for 7/27/21 could be approved.
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