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PLANNING BOARD MINUTES
MEETING OF MARCH 15, 2017
A meeting of the Lexington Planning Board, held in Battin Hall, Cary Memorial Building was
called to order 6:05 p.m. by Chair, Richard Canale with members Charles Hornig, Nancy
Corcoran-Ronchetti, Bob Creech, and Ginna Johnson and planning staff Aaron Henry, David
Fields, and Lori Kaufman present.
*******************************STAFF REPORTS********************************
Upcoming Meetings and Anticipated Schedule:
There are meetings on Monday, March 20 and Wednesday, March 22 in the Planning Office and
then join the Board of Selectmen during the meeting in the Selectmen’s Meeting Room.
***********2017 ANNUAL TOWN MEETING PUBLIC HEARINGS********************
CONTINUED PUBLIC HEARING
Special Permit Residential Development, Article 40:
Chair Richard Canale opened the continued public hearing at 6:09 p.m. with approximately 6
people in the audience. There is general consensus among Planning Board Members that the
existing Zoning Bylaw for Balanced Housing Developments (BHD) is not achieving the desired
goals of the Board. Staff has provided the best they can offer and the Board needs to decide
tonight how they would like to amend the Special Permit Residential Developments to achieve
what would best benefit the Town. The hope is to have the Board determine what it would like to
see on each individual site rather than waiting for the applicant to provide the visions they see for
the site.
Board Comments:
The matrix would not be successful because the developer would always request the
maximum allowable and so there should be a reasonable limit cap on the site of 1.75
times the proof plan. Also open space should be deeded to Conservation. The amendment
should be more on the restrictive side at 1.8 not counting the affordable units.
Not a fan of the matrix due to the complexity, but do not think 1.8 would provide many
affordable and diverse in sizes of units. This could be done through the matrix or another
method, but anything less than 1.8 would not be cost effective in the RO District. There
needs to be a more nuanced approach for wetlands/conservation land.
Page 2 Minutes for the Meeting of March 15, 2017
Charles Hornig’s proposal would require a certain amount of the lot not be in the
wetlands or in the buffer zone. Take the lot size minus wetlands and other resource areas,
and half of the buffer zone.
By staying out of only half the buffer zone the ecological resources will not be protected.
Mr. Canale wants the matrix, Ms. Corcoran-Ronchetti wants the matrix, Mr. Hornig
wants the matrix with his changes, Mr. Creech wants the strict limit and see what
happens next year, Ms. Johnson wants the stricter limits she wants less profit for
developers so Conservation can buy more land.
The matrix is more responsive for the Planning Board to determine more what goes on
sites and not have only conventional projects done which will take down all the trees.
Audience Comments:
Twelve BHD have been done and a developer is first going to consider a conventional
project since they do not have to listen to the Board since those plans are protected by the
state. Basing information on these developments on how much a developer profits should
not be considered, but rather the diversity of housing sizes and affordable units.
Board Comments:
The matrix provides flexibility to cover all desires of the Planning Board low and high
density, but will prevent only conventional plans being proposed.
Eighty percent above conventional should be fine.
Three votes for Mr. Hornig’s revisions.
There was concern about tree removal and with the matrix, trees would be saved.
The Board recessed this public hearing at 7:08 p.m. and will resume at the conclusion of the
TMMA meeting.
**********************DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION***********************
0 Grove Street, Balanced Housing Development:
Chair Richard Canale opened the public hearing at 7:00 p.m. with approximately 50 people in the
audience.
Mr. Creech said he spoke with Town Counsel and was advised that he should recuse himself from
the Grove Street proposal and Mr. Michael Leon, Associate Planning Board Member will sit in
on this special permit but was unavailable tonight. Mr. Henry spoke with the applicant who will
be available for an April 12 meeting.
Minutes for the Meeting of March 15, 2017 Page 3
On a motion duly made and seconded, it was voted, 4-0, to continue the public hearing without
discussion to April 12 at 6:00 p.m. in the Hudson Room in the Cary Memorial Building.
*********************2017 ANNUAL TOWN MEETING ****************************
Finalize Votes and reports for Town Meeting:
Article 33, Scenic Roads:
Mr. Canale recused himself from the discussion of this article since he lives on Shade Street and
has a stone wall in front of his house.
This Article requires that any roadwork either by the Town or abutters that disturbs the stone
walls on the listed streets will go before the Planning Board for a public hearing and any removal
of trees in the right of way will require a joint public hearing with the Tree Committee and
Planning Board.
On a motion duly made and seconded, it was voted, 4-0, to approve the report as amended.
Article 35, NCD technical changes:
On a motion duly made and seconded, it was voted, 5-0, to approve the report as amended with
the two changes reflected in the updated report.
Article 37, Trees:
The Planning Board will make a statement at Town Meeting.
Article 39, Right to Farm Article:
The Planning Board will discuss this article on Monday.
Article 46, Medical Marijuana:
On a motion duly made and seconded, it was voted, 5-0, to approve the report on Article 46 as
amended by the Planning Board.
Article 32, Cannabis Committee:
Will discuss on Monday.
The Board deferred its session till the end of the TMMA session which began at 7:30 p.m.
***********************TMMA INFORMATION SESSION**************************
Discuss Planning Board Articles, including Article 7 and other Planning Board Articles,
with the TMMA Members:
***********2017 ANNUAL TOWN MEETING PUBLIC HEARINGS********************
At 10:10 p.m. the Planning Board resumed the continued public hearing on Article 40, SPRD.
Discussion ensued on open space regarding this article.
Page 4 Minutes for the Meeting of March 15, 2017
The Board determined that the affordable housing requirement in the SPRD will be rounded up
after .5 for a unit to be created on site and below .5 will require a monetary payment given by the
developer to the Town.
On a motion duly made and seconded, it was voted, 4-0-1 (Ms. Johnson abstained), to continue
the public hearing to Monday, March 20, at 6:00 p.m. in the Parker Room.
On a motion duly made and seconded, it was voted, 5-0, to adjourn at 11:15 p.m.
The meeting was recorded by LexMedia.
The following documents used at the meeting can be found on file with the Planning Department:
Amend Zoning Bylaw medical marijuana, Article 46 (2 pages).
Amend Zoning Bylaw medical marijuana, Article 46 with edits by Mr. Hornig (2 pages).
Amend Zoning Bylaw SPRD, Article 40 (6 pages).
Amend Zoning Bylaw SPRD, Article 40 with edits by Mr. Hornig (6 pages).
Amend Zoning Bylaw NCD, Article 35 (2 pages).
Amend Zoning Bylaw NCD, Article 35 with edits by Mr. Canale (2 pages).
Amend Zoning Bylaw Scenic Roads, Article 33 (1 page).
Ginna Johnson, Clerk