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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Board minutes 1989-01-09 PLANNING BOARD MINUTES MEETING OF JANUARY 9, 1989 The meeting of the Lexington Planning Board held in Room G-15, Town Office Building, was called to order at 7:37 p.m. by the Chairman, Mrs. Uhrig, with members Klauminzer, Sorensen, Wood, Planning Director Bowyer, Assistant Planner Nordby and Secretary Peters present. Mr. Williams arrived prior to Item 3. ********************** AFFORDABLE HOUSING ************************************ 1. Suggested Guidelines for the Vacant Public Sites: At 7: 38 p.m., the Board recessed its meeting to join the Selectmen in the Selectmen's Meeting Room for a joint discussion of "Suggested Guidelines for the Vacant Public Sites", dated 12/7/87, revised 1/9/89. Mrs. Uhrig asked for comments from the Select- men on the draft. William Spencer, Chairman of the Housing Authority, and William Hays, Chairman of LEXHAB, also joined the discussion. Selectman Eddison stressed the importance of neighborhood involvement, and, under the first guideline, recommended more flexibility in determining the ratio of affordable housing to market rate housing. In response to a question from Mr. Eddison as to why no market rate housing units were proposed, Mrs. Uhrig replied that since the Town was donating the land, it should expect to get 100% affordable housing. Selectman Marshall stated that the possibility of some market rate housing should not be excluded from consideration. He also thought that the sixth guideline, which stated that the town should be responsible for the develop- ment process, eliminated development options before it was necessary to do so. Chairman Smith described Guideline 1, which stated the vacant school sites should be developed entirely for affordable housing, as a "laudable goal", and agreed with Mr. Marshall's assessment of Guideline 6. She also wished to see more work done on clarifying Guideline 4, as to how details dealing with the connection of paper streets, water loops and the Town's infrastructure would be handled, adding that she agreed the Town should be a major partner. Mrs. Klauminzer thought Guideline 6 could be interpreted broadly, but that the Town should have the final authority. There was general consensus that rental units should be the first option for any affordable housing constructed on the sites. Mrs. Smith thanked the Board for joining the Selectmen and Mssrs. Spencer and Hays. She said the next step would be to meet with LEXHAB and the Housing Authority for further discussion. At 8:05 p.m., the Planning Board reconvened its meeting in Room G-15, and discussion of Agenda Item 1 continued. The Board was in agreement with most of the recommendations proposed by the Selectmen, and agreed that the guide- lines should be revised to reflect their recommendations. Minutes for January 9, 1989 2 2. Review of Minutes: The Board reviewed and corrected the minutes for the meeting of December 12, 1988. On the motion of Mrs. Klauminzer, seconded by Mrs. Wood, it was voted 4-0 to approve the minutes as amended. The Board reviewed and corrected the minutes for the meeting of December 19, 1988. On the motion of Mrs. Wood, seconded by Mrs. Klauminzer, it was voted 4-0 to approve the minutes as amended. ************************* ARTICLES FOR 1989 TOWN MEETING ******************* 3. Report on Citizen Articles Submitted: Mr. Bowyer reported that a citi- zen's petition has been filed asking the Town to abandon the Old Allen Street right-of-way. He noted that just as the Board makes a recommendation on whether or not the Town should accept a street, they may have to make a recommendation on whether or not the Town should abandon this street. 4. Board Member Responsibility for Articles: The Board discussed a letter to Mrs. Uhrig from the Selectmen listing the citizen petitions and the Planning Board rezoning articles received prior to the close of the Warrant on December 29, 1989, and which member would present each article to Town Meeting. Members agreed to be responsible for the articles as follows : Hartwell Avenue CD rezoning, Hilton - to be decided later Marrett Rd. CD rezoning, Sheraton - to be decided later Regulation of Concentration of Affordable Housing, Kay citizen petition - Mrs. Klauminzer Technical Corrections - Mr. Sorensen Adjustment; Half Story - Mr. Sorensen Adjustment; Accessory Apartments - Mr. Williams Institutional Uses in Residential Districts - Mrs. Wood Request for Abandonment of Old Allen Street - Mr. Williams 5. CD Petitions, Sequence of Review vs. Public Hearing: The Board agreed they preferred to schedule early public hearings for the two CD petitions in order to get citizen input into the process before the Planning Board starts detailed review. They agreed to schedule the hearings for February 6, 1989. 6. Institutional Uses in Residential Districts: The Board discussed the amount of time it would take to research and collect data for a revision to regulations governing institutional uses in residential districts. They agreed the staff should draft the wording of the amendment for discussion at the next meeting. ************** ADMINISTRATION OF LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS *********** RECOMMENDATIONS ON APPLICATIONS TO THE BOARD OF APPEALS 7. Hearings scheduled for January 26, 1989: Mr. Sorensen gave an oral review of the following hearings: 1 Minutes for January 9, 1989 3 Corner Lot Abutting 10 Greenwood Street, Robert and Gloria Cady, Vari- ance, to establish a legal building lot with less than required frontage and lot area in the RS District. Mr. Sorensen reported that the applicant's justification for requesting the variance was that the lot was the only vacant, treed and undeveloped lot in the neighborhood. The Board agreed they found no hardship had been demonstrated relating to topographic conditions as defined in Section 10 of Chapter 40A. They also noted that the application contradicted an objective adopted by the most recent Town Meeting when it approved a new Section 6 of the Zoning By-Law, which stated that a conforming lot can not be divided so as to create a non-conforming lot, and that a non-conforming lot can not be changed in any way that would make it more non-conforming. On the motion of Mrs. Wood, seconded by Mrs. Klauminzer, it was voted un- animously to recommend the variance be denied. 39 Bedford Street, Bank of Boston, modify a SP (granted 10/11/84), for auto service facility to convert one auto bay into a 24 hour ATM facility. The Board reviewed the plan accompanying the application, and noted that no landscaping was proposed for the property, and that even some of the existing landscaping had been eliminated. It appeared that the impervious surface coverage was almost 100%. Concern was also expressed by Board members about potential changes in traffic patterns resulting from this change of use, and it was felt the applicant should be required to do a traffic study. On the motion of Mrs. Wood, seconded by Mr. Williams, it was voted 3-2 (with Mrs. Klauminzer and Mr. Soren- sen voting in the negative) to recommend the special permit be denied 1 unless a traffic study is required. II' The Board also agreed to make no comment on the following two applications: 108 Bedford Street, Bernard & Katheryn Flynn, SP and Variance, combined hearing; and 15 Richard Road, Barbara A. Holleman, SP, for office in home. SUBDIVISION OF LAND 8. North Street, Bruno Gallinelli, Preliminary Plan: The Board looked at a "rollout" of the plan, showing a two lot subdivision, prior to staff review. 9. Turnburry Hill, Hill Street, Otis Brown: The Board reviewed and corrected a draft Certificate of Action approving the definitive subdivision plan. On the motion of Mr. Williams, seconded by Mrs. Klauminzer, it was voted unani- mously to approve the definitive subdivision plan entitled "Turnburry Hill" and the Certificate of Action, as corrected. 10. Eaton Road, Kevin Duffy, Preliminary Plan: The Board reviewed and corrected a draft decision disapproving the preliminary plan. On the motion of Mr. Sorensen, seconded by Mrs. Klauminzer, it was voted unanimously to disapprove the preliminary subdivision plan entitled "Eaton and Blake Roads Subdivision", dated May, 1988, because it does not comply with the minimum dimensional requirements of the Zoning By-Law. 1 Minutes for January 9, 1989 4 l *********************** REPORTS ******** c* ********************************* 11. Planning Board, Subcommittees a. Annual Report: The Board reviewed and corrected a draft of its report for the 1988 Annual Report. On the motion of Mr. Williams, seconded by Mrs. Klauminzer, it was voted unanimously to approve the report, as corrected. b. Street Lighting: Mrs. Uhrig reported there would be a "Lighting Tour" on January 23, 1989 to view different types of lighting throughout the town, especially sodium vapor lights. Mrs. Wood and Mr. Williams will try to attend. c. Lexington Center Committee: Mrs. Uhrig announced the next meeting of the Lexington Center Committee will be held on January 19, at noon, in the Selectmen's Meeting Room. Mrs. Wood hopes to attend. 12. EXECUTIVE SESSION, Litigation Against the Town: At 10:58 p.m., on the motion of Mr. Williams, seconded by Mrs. Wood, and after an individual poll of the five members present, it was voted unanimously (5-0) to go into Executive Session to discuss litigation against the Town, where discussion in open session may have an adverse impact on the outcome of the litigation, and to reconvene in open session only for the purpose of adjourning. The Board returned to open session at 11:08 p.m. The meeting was adjourned at 11:09 p.m. ó / t- Eleanor Klauminzer, Clerk