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Town of Lexington
Economic Development Advisory Committee (EDAC)
Minutes of Meeting January 20, 2016
A meeting of the EDAC was held on Wednesday, January 20, 2016 at 8:13 a.m. in the Parker Room of
the Town Office Building at 1625 Mass Ave.
Members Present:
John McWeeney, Narain Bhatia, Larry Smith, Rick DeAngelis, Kevin McGuire, Sig
Tullman, George Burnell,
Liaisons Present:
Peter Kelly (Board of Selectman) Charles Hornig (Planning Board)
Staff Present:
Melisa Tintocalis, Megan Zammuto
Members Absent:
Lelani Foster, Tom Dusel, David Pronchick, Bob Richards
Action Items:
Invite Robert Addelson and Robert Lent to speak at a future meeting to discuss tax revenue
trends. - Melisa
Plan Hartwell tenant meeting – Melisa/Megan
Invite Hanscom representative to attend a future EDAC meeting – Larry
Create FAQ of new zoning on Hartwell – Melisa
Invite Johannes Fruehauf from LabCentral to attend a future meeting - Melisa
Visit Google building in Cambridge to explore how to connect properties successfully –
Melisa/Megan
Create a Hartwell report that outlines current status - Melisa/Megan
Approval of Minutes:
The committee members approved the November and December minutes. The vote to approve the
minutes was unanimous.
Presentation by Cresset Group:
Mark Vaughan, Senior Partner at Riemer Braunstein spoke to the committee about the property located on
475 Bedford Street in Lexington. The building is owned by Cresset Development and is currently in a
lease with Boston Sports Club. Cresset Development came to the EDAC to discuss potential uses for the
site in the future and what zoning changes would be appropriate. Cresset Development discussed other
projects they have worked on including mixed use development on Liberty Warf, apartments in the
Seaport, and office conversion on Grove Street in Watertown. The group is considering a small scale
mixed use property with retail, restaurants, office or multifamily residential. The committee discussed the
need for more services on Hartwell Avenue to serve the business community and keep the area desirable
for businesses. The committee also discussed challenges to redeveloping the area including wetlands,
access, noise, surrounding residential neighborhoods, and traffic concerns. The committee decided that
despite the challenges, most support the idea of creating a gateway to the Hartwell district. The committee
discussed potential zoning strategies that would allow for a redevelopment. The committee advised that
the Cresset group create a concept and some design work before they ask for zoning changes.
Action Items:
Melisa Tintocalis provided the committee with a list of action items from previous EDAC meetings. She
gave the committee an update on each item and the committee discussed next steps.
Other Business:
John McWeeney brought up the recent news that General Electric is moving their headquarters to Boston.
The committee discussed Boston’s strategy in pursuing G.E., including tax incentives, and how more
Connecticut companies might be interested in moving to the Boston area, specifically Lexington. The
committee discussed planning a tour of surrounding successful business areas, such as Google in
Cambridge. The committee would like to visit other successful areas to bring innovation and vision to
Hartwell Avenue.
Adjournment:
The meeting adjourned at 9:50 a.m.
th
Next Meeting:
Wednesday, February 17 8:00 a.m.
Approved on:
March 16, 2016