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PLANNING BOARD MINUTES
MEETING OF AUGUST 3, 2016
A meeting of the Lexington Planning Board, held in the Selectmen’s Meeting Room was called to
order 7:01 p.m. by Chair Tim Dunn, with members Charles Hornig, Nancy Corcoran-Ronchetti,
Richard Canale, and Ginna Johnson and planning staff Aaron Henry and Lori Kaufman present.
****************************STAFF MEMBER REPORTS**************************
General updates:
Mr. Lopez filed a conventional preliminary subdivision plan which the Board is required to take
action on by September 12, 2016. Plans will be distributed at the end of this meeting and Board
Members should send comments to staff. Mr. Lopez has filed for an ANRAD with the
Conservation Commission and which will be heard at the August 22, 2016 meeting of the
Commission. There are also sketch plans filed for a 28 unit proposal and another for 33 unit
proposal for the Grove Street site.
A transportation update was prepared by Mr. Kucharsky which included school signage and
striping, on-street bike accommodations, handicapped ramp installation, sidewalk reconstruction
along Outlook Drive, and bike rack purchases for conservation and recreation areas.
************* UPCOMING MEETINGS AND ANTICIPATED SCHEDULE**************
Discussion of upcoming meeting schedule and known agenda items:
The next meeting is August 24 which will include a pre-development meeting with Belmont
Country Club and Hanover Development, the zoning regulation book will be distributed,
subdivision regulations. On September 7, there will be a public hearing for the zoning and
development regulations and the two filings for Grove Street. September 8, there will be a
meeting with the Board of Selectmen.
There is likely to be a Town Meeting on September 19, so the public workshop will be the first
week of October instead of September 21.
*********************DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION************************
PUBLIC HEARING:
3 Mulberry Street, Major Modification for a Site Sensitive Development:
Page 2 Minutes for the Meeting of August 3, 2016
Mr. Dunn called the public hearing to order at 7:03 p.m. There were 2 people in the audience.
Members of the development team in attendance were Michael Novak, of Meridian Associates
and the applicant Steve DeSouza.
The proposed amendment would be to allow an in-ground pool with associated patio and play
area, which will increase impervious surface area and need a modification to the limit of work
(LOW) line. Mr. DeSonza said he did not remember any mention of a special permit.
Board comments:
Where will the pool discharge go? It will go to infiltration system or something
acceptable will be set up.
How many gallons will the pool hold? Not sure no details yet and it will be salt water.
What is currently there? A wooded area.
Landscape treatment? Will be grass and landscape?
Did you reach out to abutters? To immediate abutter and there was notification.
No objection to a pool if oriented within the LOW. Mr. Desouza said he was looking for
some play room for his dog and daughter.
The applicant asked for a continuance to the next meeting August 24, 2016 to address the
intrusion to the previous limit of work line.
Ms. Johnson would be against this proposal since there was no notice given to the other
abutters, the impacts on habitat, storm water filtering, not sure how salt water would
impact the conservation land and she is very concerned about the project. The Site
Sensitive development (SSD) does not require any open space, and remained out of the
100 foot buffer and there is no increase in storm water runoff and the abutter cannot see
what is going on. The LOW is for construction and not a forever limit.
On a motion duly made and seconded, it was voted, 5-0, to continue the public hearing to August
24 at 7:00 p.m. in the Selectmen’s Meeting Room.
Subdivision Regulations, complete draft (first review):
The Board discussed and reviewed the subdivision regulations. Discussion included:
There will be increased fee revisions for all development applications and significant
increases for ANRs and street determinations. Some review needs to be done regarding
cul-de-sacs since the math does not add up and could consider other options such as
change the planning strip to four feet for minor roads and that would make the math
Minutes for the Meeting of August 3, 2016 Page 3
work and does not take away any grass or reduce the width of the pavement. Tree
spacing should be changed and planting to be native to the region and list specific tree
plantings as prescribed in the Commonwealth checklist of Middlesex County.
The overall scheme was to make the September 7 deadline and post a meeting and legal
ad. The Board will see this again at the next meeting August 24, 2016.
This document is on file in the Planning Office file for this meeting.
Zoning Regulations Update:
Section 7.0, Street Determinations (first review):
The Board will discuss this at the next meeting.
Section 8.0, Site Plan Review (first review):
This will include Planned Development Districts. Staff was looking for guidance from the Board
on things that may create potential conflicts. The Board Members should email the staff
recommendations regarding this document.
See the document on file in the Planning Office file for this meeting.
****************************BOARD ADMINISTRATION*************************
FY 17 Work plan Follow Up:
Comprehensive Plan:
It was recommended that a working group be created to meet informally to work on creating a
process. The Board will be critical in trying to get funds by Board support and advocacy to
request funding for a Comprehensive Plan. There will be a meeting on Thursday, September 8
with BOS and by next meeting the Planning Board needs to have this proposal ready.
Review proposed Payment in Lieu of Parking Policy (PILOP):
Ms. Tintocalis has been coordinating and coming to a close on this project and was looking for
feedback from the Board. The proposal was $8,000 per parking space. Some suggestions include:
Put transit in the use and more emphasis to not create as many parking spaces, a one-time
payment and may compound the problem, to create one policy seems inappropriate since every
use is non- conforming.
There will be a meeting September 25 and Ms. Tintocalis would like input from the Board before
September 12, 2016. A formal comment and position will be given to the Board of Selectmen.
Page 4 Minutes for the Meeting of August 3, 2016
Special Permit Residential Developments:
Combine Balanced Housing Developments and Public Benefits Developments to be one type and
units sizes should be brought down. Need to come up with something a package of changes that
would be more attractive than conventional developments.
CRO standards and ZBL Definitions (GFA-related):
Staff has started to make changes on these definitions and are working on a draft warrant article
that is not yet complete. Regarding the CRO standards, staff has some draft documents similar to
what was done in CM District in the past.
Confirm Board and Committee Representatives:
There is no bylaw and many things have to be done before forming a committee for
Neighborhood Conservation District (NCD). The Board decided to appointing a Board Member
may help facilitate getting bylaws started.
Motion duly made and seconded, it was voted, 5-0, to appoint Mr. Canale as the Board Member
representative for the Turning Mill NCD.
Board and Committee Reps:
The Planning Board Representatives/Liaisons to Town Committees and Commissions were
discussed and the assignments for the upcoming year were as follows:
Economic Development Advisory Committee Mr. Hornig
Greenways Corridor Committee Ms. Johnson
Historic Districts Commission Mr. Hornig
Historical Commission Mr. Hornig
Lexington Bicycle Advisory Committee Mr. Canale
Community Preservation Committee Mr. Hornig
MAGIC Mr. Canale
Lexington Center Committee Mr. Hornig
Energy Conservation Committee Mr. Dunn
Vision 2020/Executive Committee Ms. Johnson
Sustainability Committee Ms. Johnson
Transportation Advisory Committee Mr. Canale
Housing Partnership Board Ms. Corcoran-Ronchetti
Design Advisory Committee Ms. Corcoran-Ronchetti
Hanscom Area Towns Committee Mr. Dunn
Minutes for the Meeting of August 3, 2016 Page 5
Tree Committee Ms. Johnson
Conservation Commission Mr. Johnson
Turning Mill NCD Mr. Canale
Center Street Scape Ms. Corcoran-Ronchetti
Zoning Board of Appeals Mr. Dunn
Net Zero Energy Task Force Ms. Corcoran-Ronchetti
MPO Mr. Canale
MAPC Mr. Canale
On a motion duly made and seconded, it was voted, 5-0, to appoint Mr. Hornig as the
representative to the Community Preservation Committee for a term ending June 30, 2017.
On a motion duly made and seconded, it was voted, 5-0, to approve the above list of liaisons and
representatives to the Town Committees and Commissions.
On a motion duly made and seconded, it was voted, 5-0, to adjourn at 9:40 p.m.
The meeting was recorded by LexMedia.
The following documents used at the meeting can be found on file with the Planning Department:
Draft Site Plan Review §176-8.0 (7 pages).
Draft proposed regulation on Post-Approval Decision/Plan Changes (2 pages).
Application for modification to special permit for 3 Mulberry Lane, sketch plan, dated
June 10, 2016 (5 pages).
3 Mulberry Lane Plan permit site plan dated June 8, 2016 (1 page).
Update on Transportation from David Kucharsky (1 page).
Planning Board Representatives/Liaisons to Town Committees and Commissions (1
page).
Ginna Johnson, Clerk