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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Board Minutes, 1993-01-11 PLANNING BOARD MINUTES MEETING OF JANUARY 11, 1993 The meeting of the Lexington Planning Board held in Room G-15, Town Office Building, was called to order at 7 38 p.m. by Chairman Williams, with members Davison, Domnitz, Grant, Wood, and Planning Director Bowyer present. Richard Canale, a candidate for Planning Board, was present. ************************ PLANNING BOARD REGULATIONS ************************** 1 Revision of Subdivision Regulations The Board continued its review of Section 6 of the Subdivision Rules and Regulations, Required Improvements, Design Standards, draft dated July 10, 1992, 6 2.3 Extension to adjoining land, starting on page 10. The review continued through paragraph 6.2.3 7, Reserve Strip Prohibited. ********************************** MINUTES ********************************** 2 Review of Minutes The Board reviewed and corrected the minutes for the meeting of December 14, 1993 On the motion of Mrs Wood, seconded by Mr Grant, it was voted unanimously to approve the minutes, as amended The Board reviewed the minutes for the meeting of December 28, 1993. On the motion of Mrs. Davison, seconded by Mrs Wood, it was voted unanimously to approve the minutes, as written. *********************** ARTICLES FOR 1993 TOWN MEETING *********************** 3. Zoning Articles Peter Kelley was present and gave an update on the Lowell Street development He will be meeting with LexHAB and will offer the seven two-bedroom units they want to meet the conditions of Lexington's inclusionary housing policy. The number of units now planned in the develop- ment is seventy-three. Mr Williams asked Mr. Kelley to convey to LexHAB his belief that at least two of the donated units should have three bedrooms He believes this is very important for families with three children. Erik Mollo-Christensen was also present and explained why he has submitted his petition on drainage The current Zoning By-Law provisions having to do with run off are not strictly enforced. Therefore, much water drains into brooks from impervious surfaces, causing flooding problems. He thinks there ought to be a general by-law that addresses the issue. ************************* PLANNING DEPARTMENT BUDGET ************************* 4. Meeting with the Town Manager concerning his budget recommendation The Town Manager joined the meeting at 9 13. Mr Williams briefly reviewed the budget item in his recommended budget to the Board of Selectmen that shows the removal of the Assistant Planner position from the Planning Department budget and the assignment of Mr. Marino to the Finance Department. Mr Williams repeated the reasons cited in Mr White's budget recommendation as 1. it has been difficult to complete any long range planning projects in the last five years; 2. there is no master plan; 3 the South Lexington study has not been completed; ZZ£ Minutes for the Meeting of January 11, 1993 2 4 staff planning resources can be better utilized elsewhere at this time Mr. White said that he sees the proposed transfer to be a question of the best use of professional staff resources and not a reflection of Mr. Marino's who he values as valuable member of the Town staff. Mr White said that the principal reason is that he is frustrated in his desire to have a planning effort by the Planning Board. Chapter 41, Section 81 of the State law requires communities to have a comprehensive plan and spells out what is to be included in it Lexington does not yet have a comprehensive plan Mr White views the budget as a vehicle to discuss public issues. In the instance of the Planning Board, he has limited involvement in its operation but he does have concern about the utilization of staff In view of all the cuts in staff he has made in other parts of the budget, he has to question how two highly trained people can be used in the most productive way possible. The fact that he believes that those two professionals are not being used effectively now does not mean any reduction in his priority for comprehensive planning He wants an effort by staff and the board to produce a comprehen- sive plan and he is using the budget to focus attention on it There are issues that the town needs to understand and plan for. The compre- hensive planning process is the vehicle by which this happens. There are issues which the town needs to understand on a comprehensive basis including the trade-offs of particular decisions. An incremental approach only develops single-interest lobby groups whose purpose it is to prevent something from happening. The community doesn't get a comprehensive understanding of the traffic, growth, etc. issues that face the community in the next 5-15 years If he got a commitment by the Planning Board to undertake such a comprehensive plan, he would change his budget recommendation He would like to see the comprehensive plan happen and would even try to provide additional funds for it. The Town has allocated money to the Planning Department and, for whatever reasons, the comprehensive planning effort has not happened. Mr Williams said the Board did not necessarily have to come up with solutions Z this evening but asked if the Board had questions. Mr. Domnitz said that last year the Board was asked to prepare zoning amendments themselves because the staff said it didn't have enough time because of the demands placed on it. He 01 asked for an estimate of the time the staff spends working on projects for the 0 Town Manager and how much for Planning Board work Mr White views this as an integrated town administration. He does not separate out subjects like development issues, budgetary issues and by board or department. He expects all the Town staff, including the planning staff, to work in an integrated manner as well. Mr. Bowyer estimated the staff spent about 15-25 percent of its time working with the Town Manager and other committees, such as the Metropolitan State Hospital Land Use Task Force and the computer network He noted that the Town Manager had asked him to concentrate on long range planning projects other than zoning amendments. While he did work on the capital budget for the Town IZ£ Minutes for the Meeting of January 11, 1993 3 Manager, he spent a great deal of time on two Planning Board related projects C IOne was drafting the revised "Development Regulations" and second was the "Land Use Change" report — an example of a long range planning study needed for the comprehensive plan. Mr. Williams commented that in the last five years the Planning Board has done studies that are part of the comprehensive plan. He cited the open space study, the analysis of Town-owned sites for affordable housing, the resi- dential characteristics study by Joe Marino. He thought that if the Board had a deadline to do the comprehensive plan, much of the preparatory work had been done because of the staff's work. Mr. White commented that there is a public participation component of a comprehensive plan that is important for the community to be engaged in. Then there is the coordination and centralization focus of the plan that helps the community to put all the pieces together As Town Manager, he has taken initiatives toward planning with little involvement by the Planning Board. He stressed that the process will not work if it is only the Town Manager's initiative It will only work if the people who were elected to perform the function take the project and lead the community. Mr. Grant said the Board ought to recognize there is an issue of financial accountability. Rick White has to justify his position before town meeting From his discussions with planning board members in towns with no staff, we should recognize how lucky we are to have staff with Bob and Joe's expertise A master plan is important just from a legal position because it gives the context for Board decisions and to be consistent. Planning is one of the reasons people move to Lexington and maintain our reputation as one of the best towns in Massachusetts. We have different opinions on planning issues — that is to be expected — but we can do this planning project. Mr. Williams noted that when he was on the Conservation Commission, a compre- hensive open space plan was a prerequisite for obtaining state aid for land acquisition. Mr. White said that the Town has received money through various zoning permits that is just sitting in a fund unused. Someone is going to ask what are you going to do with it and nobody is making a decision to use or not use it Mr. Bowyer reported there is over a quarter of a million dollars in the South Lexington Transportation account. Mrs Davison commented that a comprehensive plan would be useful to decide issues like Dunkin Donuts at an entry point into town. We need to have a comprehensive attitude so that one part of town is not pitted against other parts of town Mr White left the meeting at this point to return to the Selectmen's meeting. Mr. Williams said the matter was simply if the Planning Board is committed to working on a master plan, the Assistant Planner position will be restored; if not the position will be removed from the Planning Department budget Mr Williams asked if the staff finds it difficult to keep up now, how can it undertake the work involved in a comprehensive plan. .17Z£ Minutes for the Meeting of January 11, 1993 4 Mr. Bowyer responded that it was a matter of priorities and time management Some members suggested the Board should meet more often. He said the Board puts in enough time now; it doesn't manage its time effectively. Earlier Planning Boards in Lexington, such as those in the sixties, have managed much heavier subdivision and zoning work loads and undertake planning studies as well He observed that many people in town, including some members who came on the Board, believe the Planning Board's principal responsibility is to make amendments to the Zoning By-Law. That is zoning, not planning. It misses the Board's major responsibility under the statute to prepare a plan. He said the Board could undertake a comprehensive planning program without additional meeting time if the Board concentrates on priorities and studies that are important and manages its time. Mr. Williams commented that the Board was largely reactive. Mr. Bowyer observed that the Board in its regulatory capacity would be reactive and in its planning capacity would be proactive — thinking ahead. Mrs. Wood recalled that the justification for hiring a full time Assistant Planner was to concentrate more on planning studies such as the South Lexing- ton study Mrs. Davison said the Board needed a mission statement — to set goals for the Board and to define relationships between the p Board and the staff Mr Domnitz observed that the Board of Selectmen does not have a Town finan- cial plan because it is philosophically divided. He said the Planning Board should not minimize the difficulty of preparing a comprehensive plan because there are philosophical differences within the Planning Board. Mrs Davison expressed concern about adherence to adopted housing policies when dealing with developers She had bought into the Inclusionary Housing Policy and now the Board is backing away from it Mr. Williams asked if this Board accepts the challenge laid down by the Town z Manager, will the staff have time to help us? Mr. Bowyer responded the Board could make progress on several elements of the comprehensive plan by December 31, without completing the whole planning process, and meet its regular regulatory responsibilities with behavior modification — a combination of effective time management and psychologically what the Board concentrates on. Q Mr. Grant observed that now there is pressure to prioritize He views the Town Manager's action as a positive. Mrs Davison said she believes the Board can meet Mr White's challenge but the staff has to produce material to present to the Board. She asked that the staff produce a timetable. Mr. Grant suggested the staff project a timetable that they feel is workable and can be presented to the Town Manager. Mr. Bowyer agreed that a realistic schedule is important because the Board and staff should not over commit. He said no one should underestimate the time to prepare a comprehensive plan The most time consuming part is discussion of £Z£ Minutes for the Meeting of January 11, 1993 5 policy because it forces Board members to think about, and commit yourself to what you want the future to be. The staff does have a lot of work to do in analysis but a comprehensive plan is not simply a data collection exercise. The staff has an important role in posing questions that provoke discussion among the Board about what can be divisive issues Mr. Williams expressed concern that if the Board's work on the revision of the Development Regulations is any indicator, a comprehensive plan will be very difficult. Mr. Domnitz suggested that an informal subcommittee be appointed to work outside these meeting to finish the Development Regulations. Mr. Bowyer stressed that the cycle in which the staff works is different that the cycle of Board meeting. Important studies, such as the Land Use Change report or the draft of an element of the comprehensive plan may require two to six months — far more time than a one or two week interval between Board meetings. Because major projects appear infrequently, small projects such as a two or four lot subdivision, become major projects and more time is spent on them than is needed. The staff needs time to work on the major projects without spending excessive time on small projects Mrs. Davison urged that preparation of a land use plan have a high priority The Carroll land is an example of why a land use plan is needed. Mr. Williams sensed agreement of all members on a commitment to the Town Manager to concentrate on comprehensive planning. He volunteered to work with the Planning Director on a draft letter outlining the Board's commitment. It was agreed that a timetable will be included. The draft will be circulated to all Board members by the weekend and they should respond to the Chairman with comments. Later in the evening, Mr White returned to the Planning Board meeting. Mr. Williams summarized for him the Board's position 1 to accept the Town Manager's challenge and to commit to preparing a comprehensive plan; 2. to submit a timetable for 1993 that the staff and Board believe is workable Mr. White responded that, based on that commitment, he would revise his budget recommendation to restore the funds to the Planning Department. He commented that the issue was not just Joe Marino or the Assistant Planner position It was an allocation of money for professional planning services and included the time of both the Planning Director and the Assistant Planner Mr. White urged that the Board focus on all publicly owned land as part of the comprehensive plan so that there is less need for special single purpose com- mittees like the Metropolitan State Hospital Land Task Force. Mr Williams asked to see examples of comprehensive plans from other towns. Mr Bowyer assured the Board that he would provide examples when he provides an orientation on the comprehensive planning process. ********************************** REPORTS ********************************** 5. Planning Board. Subcommittees a. Minuteman Bikeway• Mr Williams reported that good progress is being made on the bikeway. The landscaping is nearly complete 9Z£ Minutes for the Meeting of January 11 , 1993 6 b Moderator's Meeting Mr Williams will represent the Planning Board at Mrs Battin's pre-town meeting information meeting. The meeting was adjourned at 10 58 p.m. TQC it Edmund C Gran , Clerk Z 01 0 SZ£