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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-04-11-LCC-min Town of Lexington Lexington Center Commi?ee th Minutes for the mee?ng of April 11, 2024 held in Estabrook Hall, Cary Memorial Building, Massachuse?s Avenue, Lexington, Massachuse?s at 8:30 am. Members present: Eric Ballard, Richard Brown, Upasna Chhabra, Katherine Huang, Frederic Johnson, Jeffery Lyon, Pamela Lyons, Innessa Manning, Jerold Michelson (Chair), and Pamela Shadley Liaisons: Doug Lucente, Select Board, Sandra Shaw, Council on Aging, Heather Hartshorn, Chamber of Commerce, Captain Chris Barry, Lexington Police Department Guests: Kathleen MacDonald, Ting Fang We began with an update from Jerry Michelson @ Town Mee?ng: There was some concern @ TM concerning lack of planning for solar panels in the redesign of the Michelson’s (Muzzey) parking lot. Pam Shadley noted that a good designer will figure out what is possible. There was some discussion of the complexity of the not very big lot where cars, dumpsters, very large trucks and pedestrians all must be accommodated. The water bo?le ar?cle might be Indefinitely Postponed. On the economic development front: Karma (old Dabin space) redesign has received HDC approval. Revival Café (in old Starbucks space) should open the week a?er Patriot’s Day. Bertucci’s will become a Ta?e in September. Fred asked if we could get some historical materials from the Historical Society for the empty windows in the Center – especially the old Signature Sta?oners. We then turned to discussion the report from the Lexington Center Workshop. Fred Johnson noted that the width of Mass Ave (a state highway) combined with the low building heights is a challenge. The Streetscape Project has helped and the MBTA Act rezoning will slowly begin to produce a be?er height/width ra?o. There was a discussion of HDC’s role in the development of Lexington Center. HDC will be upda?ng their guidelines. Pam S. said that the trees in Emery Park that were taken down last year (for good reason) need to replaced. She noted that the trees were an integral part of the overall design. The Center Commi?ee voted Ten to 0 to recommend to the Select Board that new trees be planted that are appropriate to today’s condi?ons. Both Katherine Huang and Jerry Michelson discussed the importance of con?nuing to advance a walkable downtown. Lexington Center is a “drive to walk” downtown. Fred urged that we get a digital kiosk into Grain Mill Alley and noted that the total redesign of the alley was a missed opportunity. Pam S. iden?fied Edison Way, Emery Park, Grain Mill Alley and the Visitors Center as fingers poin?ng the way from the bike path into Lexington Center and we should take advantage of that. Pam S. suggested four kiosks with a consistent design, one at each loca?on. Then we moved on to deploring the orange barriers in GMA. We hoped that the games (including giant checkers) could come back along with the piano. Upasna Chhabra urged the ac?va?on of the alleys. Jeff noted that need for a liaison to the design group for the parking lot. Innessa Manning noted that it was disappoin?ng not to have bike parking in the Michelson’s lot. And that lot seems to be too small to have underground parking. We noted that everything costs money and “Lexington’s way is spending a pot of gold.” Pam Shadley will circulate her professional grade design plans for the CVS lot, Edison Way and the embankment area connec?ng to the bike path. These designs are from 2010 and 2012. Doug noted that we need specific requests to the Select th Board and especially anything that connects with the 250. th Our next mee?ng is on April 25 at 8:30 am to discuss ac?on requests to the Select Board. Jerry noted that we have six applicants for our vacant seat. The th Center Commi?ee was enthused to be a “flip the calendar” group for the 250 calendar in front of Cary Hall. The Center Commi?ee voted Nine to Zero to th approve the minutes for our March 14, 2024 mee?ng.