Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-05-26-HPB-minLexington Housing Partnership Meeting Minutes for Thursday, May 26, 2016 Attendees: Harriet Cohen, Jeri Foutter, Bob Pressman, Melinda Walker, Wendy Manz, Mary Haskell Absent: Joe Pato, Paul Linton, Betsey Weiss, Nancy Corcoran - Ronchetti Guests: Desiree Pelletier The meeting was chaired by Melinda Walker and the minutes were taken by Harriet Cohen. The meeting was called to order at 7:45 pm. 1. Approval of minutes of April 28, 2016 Minor corrections were made to the minutes. Ms. Haskell moved approval of the minutes as amended. Mr. Pressman seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. 2. Announcement of Lexington Housing Authority designee to the Community Preservation Committee / Walker Bob Peters will be the representative for the Lexington Housing Authority to the Community Preservation Committee, replacing Leo McSweeney, who had resigned from the LHA. 3. Discussion of Lexington Housing Foundation / Foutter The LHP recessed briefly. A meeting of the Lexington Housing Foundation was convened during the recess. 4. Preparation of LHP's response to the Board of Selectmen's request for boards & committees to provide "input and suggestions" for the BoS's upcoming goal setting process /Walker et al. The LHP reviewed the goals submitted in 2015 for applicability in 2016. Ms. Foutter moved acceptance of the letter as written and Ms. Cohen seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously. The letter is shown in Attachment A. 5. Report on LexHAB Activities / Pressman Issues at Fairview have been worked out and one of the projects, the triplex, is moving forward with a target date of November. The single family house has a longer lead time because it is being built in part by Minuteman Tech students who are now on summer break. Busa status: The application to DHCD to allow the site to be considered affordable by state standards is in progress. Wright Farm status: LexHAB will be filing Local Initiative Program (LIP) application for Wright Farm given the building plan and the lot size. Keeler Farm status: no significant progress. 6. Discussion of Upcoming Planning Board Activities / Walker et al. The LHP discussed the Grove Street development. 7. New Business The committee shared information about various proposed housing developments. Ms. Walker mentioned that she and Ms. Cohen had each received a call from a reporter at the Lexington Housing Partnership Boston Globe who wants to talk to a family with school -aged children who have moved into affordable housing in Lexington for a human interest story. Ms. Walker will attempt to identify families who might be willing to talk to the reporter. 8. Set next meeting date The next LHP meeting will be on June 23, 2016. 9. Meeting adjournment Ms. Foutter moved that the meeting be adjourned and Ms. Walker seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. The meeting adjourned at approximately 9:26 pm. Lexington Housing Partnership Attachment A: 2015 and 2016 LHP Suggestions for the Selectman's Annual Goal Setting Process Lexington Housing Partnership Building a Diverse, lAbr ant Lexington Melinda Walker. Char Lexington Housing Partnership To:! The Board of Selectmen Town of Lexington 'Date: June 9. 2015 Re:! Suggestions for Selectmen's Annual Goal Setting Process The Lexington. Housing Partnership reconnnends the Board of Selectme.n take the following actions: 1. Make an application to the Community Preservation Committee before 11-1-2015 ,for funds for design and construction drawings for community housing on the Leary parcel in accord with the recommendation of the BOS-appothted Ad Hoc Committee. 2.. Make an application to the Community Preservation Committee before 11-1-2015 for 5750000 to be available to purcha.se a site in Town for .use for a community housing project similar to the LexHA project on Fairview Avenue or the one on the BUSA each of which the BOS has approved. 3. Request that the Planning Department develop approaches for affordable housing on several Town-owned sites already identified by that Department 4.. Propose an annual allocation of levy funds for affordable housing purposes. The rationale for these proposals, is as follows: A. Lexington is afford.ability-challenged.. Evidence abounds.. Both median and average home sale prices have risen above $1,000,000. The unending replacement of modest homes has exacerbated related rising housing costs. And the inark.et rate rents Bar apartments in Lexington are also rising rapidly. In mid -May ,of .this year, rents for two - bedroom apartment ranged from $2„.200 at the Mile Green Apartments to $2,635 at Captain Parker Arms (Avalon)., to 52„930 at Lexington Ridge (Avalon), to $2,340 to 52,520 at ..Katandin Woods with some units at Lexington Hills, (Avalon) renting for above 54,000. Only half of the housing units counted in determining the Town's compliance with Chapter 40-B are actually affordable; 665 units are not affordable. There are generally long waiting lists for affordable units both at private-owned developments and M. units owned by LexHA.4, and the Lexington Housing Authority. Lexington Housing Partnership B The 2002 Comprehensive Plan provides: ''''"Lexington seeks, to have a socially and economically diverse connnunity, both over the whole of the community and within its neighborhoods. In support, of that :ftmdamental social goal, a basic housing goal is to provide housing opportunities supportive of the population diversity we seek..- The 2020 Vision Statement includes the 'following -triving . to maintain a range of affordability." It is evident from the facts set forth m A (above) and the Towns statements of core values that Town officials and entities should. pursue available approaches to increasing affordable housing with vigor.. C. A. request for funding: for design at the Leary site at the 2016 ATM will come 7 years after the 2009 ATM set aside about 6 percent of this 1,4 acre parcel for housing and 4 years after the .1 OS-appointed committee reported ideas for housing there The Town . should act without ifurther delay. D. There are several distinctions between the Leary. Fairview and Busa parcels. Town. Meeting identified a housing parcel on the Leary land whereas on the usa site, Town. Meeting did not specify uses for the land.. The committee appointed to identify the housing plan for the Leary land favored substantial housnig on the site whereas the committee charged with making recommendations to the loaicI of Sel.ectm.en on the Busa parcel supported only minimal housing. Vine Street is not a -cut through- street, whereas abutters to the Fairview parcel expressed concerns about cut through traffic_ In contrast to the Busa land on Lowell Street, Vine Street does not have a high volume of :fa.st- moving traffic.. The three sites are of different size. The Leary site, at about 29,000 square feet, is larger than Fair.view Avenue (2.5, .200 square feet) and the Busa site (20,190 square feet). E. We can determine from LexHA.B's plans for Fairview Avenue and USA parcels (approved by the Board of Selectman), that competing with developers for the purchase of lots offers a. cost-effective method of creating a substantial nuniber of apartments, which are much needed and of a construction type consistent with Town sus:tat:liability goals. F. Town Meeting has recognized the need to support affordable housing. During, the 2014 ATM, 78 percent of those voting supported use of $1,250,000 for housing on the Busa site after 3-4 years of considerable .opposition to housing on that site G. As of March 1, 2015, the amounts appropriated to the four CPA categories were as follows: Recreational Resources, $4,202392: Community Housing, $7,797,857: Open. Space„ $13„932,015„ and. Historic Resources: $33,983,629.. Recreation's position is attributable to original CPA provisions.„ which have been revised to expand the reach of recreation handing.. The Town now has an a.ggressive 5-year plan for seeking CPA, funding for recreation projects The partnership hopes to see a more aggressive approach to CPA ifunding for community housing as well..