HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Board minutes 09-30-1996 L
PLANNING BOARD MINUTES
MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 30, 1996
The meeting of the Lexington Planning Board held in Room G-15, Town Office Building, was called to order
at 7 42 p.m. by Chairman Canale with members Colman, Davies, Davison, Planning Director Bowyer, and
Assistant Planner Marino present. Mr Merrill was absent.
*************************** REGIONAL, INTERTOWN ISSUES **************************
183 Middlesex County Hosnital Land Reuse: After an informal vote, in preparation for joining the
Selectmen's meeting on the subject of the Middlesex County Hospital Land Reuse later in the evening, the
Board approved a draft, prepared by the staff, of the charge to the new committee appointed to deal with the
Hospital Officers and Trustees during the disposition process. of the Middlesex County Hospital property The
Board objected to language in the draft charge the Town Manager prepared for the Selectmen that implied that
the Committee was to look at the development plan already approved by the Middlesex County Commissioners
That development plan was approved without consulting with Lexington and Waltham. It is contrary to the
Planning Board's objectives in obtaining approval of amendments to the Zoning By-Law's that encourage a new
type of cluster subdivision development. These are the provisions that were supported by the Board of Selectmen
and adopted at the 1996 Town Meeting.
Mr Canale likened the draft of the charge, prepared by the staff, to the Town's approach to the Met. State
Hospital Land Reuse. Early in that process, some of the parties involved wanted to bypass some of the steps,
but the Town convinced the State Division of Capital Planning and Operations that if there is a good process,
the result will be satisfactory to all who are affected.
184 Hanscom Area Towns Committee_ Four Town Planning Study
Mr Canale reported that he informed the Board of Selectmen he intended to make comments tonight on a
citizen petition requesting a moratorium on Massport's development plans for Hanscom Air Force Base. He
believes it is important for the Planning Board to be involved in all steps of the process to ensure that the Four
Town Planning Study gets off on the right foot.
The Board agreed that the issues at Hanscom and the Middlesex County Hospital reuse are land use issues, and
are central to the Planning Board's responsibilities.
185 West Lexington. General Discussion of Issues: The Board started discussion of issues in "West
Lexington" working from a Questionnaire and Outline prepared by the staff. Barbara Lucas, Lexington
Transportation Coordinator, had been invited to the meeting and also took part in the discussion.
Mr Bowyer said there is no geographically recognized area known as "West Lexington" He used the term to
describe the area between Route 128 and the Town boundary including the parts of Hanscom Field and the
National Park in Lexington, bounded on the south by Route 2 and on the north by Bedford Street (Routes 4 and
225). Mr Bowyer said that two issues occurring now are the Generic Environmental Impact Report (GEIR)
update being prepared by Massport, and the General Planning Study for Hanscom Field and the surrounding
towns usually referred to as the Four Town Master Plan Study In addition, the National Park Service is
beginning a "Neighboring Lands Study" with the Minuteman National Historical Park at the center All these
activities affect the adjacent towns and Lexington and will impact the Planning Board as it prepares the land use
element of the comprehensive plan.
( The same land area is in all of these studies but some activities, such as aircraft noise affect a larger geographic
area. Other issues, such as economic development, affects all parts of town.
The members read their prioritized lists of areas of concern in West Lexington. These included: Hanscom Air
2 Minutes for the Meeting of September 30, 1996
Force Base, the former Town dump (sanitary land fill) off Hartwell Ave., the Route 2A corridor, the Bedford
Street/Hartwell Avenue corridor, the 160/170 Wood Street property scheduled for subdivision development,
the Minuteman National Historical Park, revisiting the Floor Area Ratio imposed in 1987, the intersection of
Bedford and Winter Street, and transportation and traffic in connection with all of these subjects.
Mrs. Lucas said she has been working with some of the property owners along Hartwell Avenue in the course
of trying to set up a transportation management association for the area. She offered some insight into the
amount of space available, number of employees, etc., and the efforts of business along Hartwell Avenue to
manage transportation problems. In general, the commercial area appears to be returning to the peak economic
activity of the mid-80s with nearly full occupancy of the floor space.
These issues were discussed at length. The Board was able to reach agreement on several issues while many
more will require further discussion.
The Board agreed on the following points: whatever Massport does at Hanscom will have a major effect on
West Lexington and, in some aspects, the whole town; there should be no expansion of commercial activity on
_ the Route 2A/Marrett Road corridor; increased commercial activity is likely and desirable for Hartwell Avenue
and that alternatives to one-occupant private vehicles must be part of the picture there; there must be a balance
between infrastructure capacity and development potential.
The meeting was recessed at 9:29 p.m. so that the Planning Board could attend the Board of Selectmen's
meeting to hear a discussion of Hanscom Field issues and to meet jointly with the Board of Selectmen about the
Middlesex County Hospital Land Reuse Committee. Planning Board members, Colman and Merrill, were
appointed to serve on the nine person Committee.
The meeting was reconvened at 11 10 and was adjourned at 1 : 1 p
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%ohn . Davies, Clerk
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