Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-10-19-SPRD-minSpecial Permit Residential Development (SPRD) Ad-hoc Committee Meeting Minutes of October 19, 2021 Special Permit Residential Development (SPRD) Ad-hoc Committee Members present for the Public Meeting: Jill Hai, Chair; Scott Cooper, Joyce Murphy, Charles Hornig, Richard Perry, Wendy Manz, Heather Hartshorn, Betsey Weiss, Taylor Singh Lexington Staff present for the Public Meeting: Carol Kowalski, Assistant Town Manager for Development; Amanda Loomis, Planning Director. Ms. Hai conducted a roll call to ensure all the members of the SPRD ad-hoc committee and members of staff present could hear and be heard. Ms. Hai chaired the meeting and called the meeting to order at 8:32 am. The meeting was recorded by LexMedia for future on-demand viewing. Discussion on Open Space Residential Development The members discussed the position of the committee with regards to the Planning Board’s OSRD article. Mr. Hornig said that the committee should advise the Select Board on what position it should take. Ms. Murphy stated that it would be very helpful for all to be educated with presentations. Mr. Hornig presented his slides and summarized the salient features of OSRD. Mr. Hornig informed the committee about the public hearings and that the Planning Board has voted that the article can be recommended to the Town Meeting. Ms. Hai asked the committee members if they wanted to establish a position on the OSRD article, by a roll call vote. The SPRD Committee voted in favor5-2-2 (Roll Call Cooper-yes, Hartshorn- yes, Hornig- abstain, Manz- yes, Murphy- yes, Weiss- yes, Perry- No, Singh – No, Hai- abstain). Mr. Perry and Ms. Singh voted no because they did not have enough details to base their decision. Town Meeting Planning Schedule Ms. Loomis went over the process for the committee to get ready for the annual Town Meeting and explained the deadlines for the Public Hearings and legal ads. Public Outreach Schedule Ms. Loomis and Ms. Kowalski explained the Public Outreach process in detail and the deadlines required by the law and asked the committee’s inputs on the type of public outreach they envisioned. Mr. Cooper said that he felt it is important for the provisions of the by-law to be implementable by builders. Ms. Weiss liked to have either a panel or a presentation followed by Q & A for public outreach. Mr. Perry and Ms. Manz agreed with Ms. Weiss. Ms. Murphy also felt that a panel or presentation followed by questions, but stressed the need for at least two concrete examples of how the projects could look. Ms. Singh agreed with all the committee members and reiterated that meetings should be held with the guidance of a consultant hired by the Town. Ms. Hai asked if the committee would recommend the Planning Board’s proposed OSRD article, as it was currently presented, to the Select Board. The SPRD Committee voted in favor 6-2-0 (Roll Call Cooper-yes, Hartshorn- yes, Hornig- yes, Manz- yes, Murphy- yes, Perry- No, Singh – No, Weiss- yes). Ms. Singh informed the committee that she voted no because she had not seen the final motion and the she did not have enough information and discussion with the committee. Mr. Perry agreed with Ms. Singh. Ms. Hai said that the concerns of Mr. Perry and Ms. Singh were valid and felt that more details would help the committee. The committee decided that since the Roll Call vote was not a fully informed vote, they will treat the vote as a straw vote. It was concluded that the committee was not largely unanimously supportive of the proposed OSRD regulations. Adjourn Mr. Perry moved that the SPRD committee adjourn the meeting of October 19 2021. Ms. Murphy seconded the motion. The SPRD Committee voted in favor of the motion 8-0-0 (Roll Call Cooper- yes, Murphy-yes, Hornig- yes, Manz- yes, Hartshorn -yes, Perry- yes, Singh- yes, Weiss- yes). MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. The meeting was adjourned at 10.15 a.m.