HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-02-03-STM1 Warrant TOWN OF LEXINGTON WARRANT
SPECIAL TOWN MEETING 2025-1
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Middlesex, ss.
To the Constable or Town Clerk of the Town of Lexington,in said County, Greetings:
In the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, you are directed to notify the inhabitants of the Town of
Lexington qualified to vote in elections and in Town affairs to meet either at Margery Milne Baffin Hall in the Cary
Memorial Building, 1605 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington, or by means of the audio/video conferencing platform
described more particularly below on
Monday,the third day of February 2025 at 7:30pm
at which time and place the following articles are to be acted upon and determined exclusively by the Town
Meeting Members in accordance with Chapter 215 of the Acts of 1929, as amended, and subject to the referendum
provided for by Section eight of said Chapter, as amended.
Pursuant to Chapter 92 of the Acts of 2020, as amended, including without limitation by Chapter 2 of the Acts of
2023, the Town Meeting shall be held through a hybrid of in person meeting and remote participation by the means
requested by the Moderator as follows:
Town Meeting members will either attend the meeting in person at Margery Milne Baffin Hall, or via remote
participation. The meeting will be facilitated by use of (1) the Zoom videoconferencing platform, (2) the online
voting tool developed by Select Board member Joe Pato and (3) an online queuing function developed by Select
Board member Joe Pato to facilitate debate. Other Town residents who wish to follow the proceedings may do so by
attending the meeting in person in the areas reserved for non-Town Meeting Members, or via LexMedia at https://
www.youtube.com/user/LexMediaMATV. Other residents who wish to participate in the Meeting may email the
Town Clerk's Office at clerk c,lexington a.,®oovv and by completing the online form at www.LexingtonMA.gov/
STM .
For more information, please see the Moderator's letter dated December 30, 2024 to the Select Board attached to
this warrant as Attachment A.
ARTICLE 1 REPORTS OF TOWN BOARDS, OFFICERS AND COMMITTEES
To receive the reports of any Board or Town Officer or of any Committee of the Town; or act in any other manner
in relation thereto.
(Inserted by the Select Board)
DESCRIPTION: This article remains open throughout Town Meeting and reports may be presented at any Town
Meeting session by boards, officers, or committees.
ARTICLE 2 AMEND SECTION 7.5 OF THE ZONING BYLAW TO REDUCE
MULTI-FAMILY DWELLING UNIT CAPACITY (Citizen Petition)
To see if the Town will vote to: (1) amend Section 7.5 of the Zoning Bylaw and Map to reduce the multi-family
dwelling unit capacity it allows by making changes to said section including, but not limited to, reduction or
removal of districts, modification of height, setback and other dimensional standards, modification of parking
requirements, and imposition of density limits; and (2) place a temporary moratorium, in order to allow the Town a
sufficient opportunity to reexamine the operational, capital, financial, and other impacts of Section 7.5 on the Town,
on: (a) developments permitted subject to site plan review under Section 7.5, and (b) applications for preliminary or
definitive subdivision plans, insofar as such applications are submitted to freeze zoning requirements under Section
7.5; or act in any other manner in relation thereto.
(Inserted by Carol Sacerdote and 200 or more registered voters)
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DESCRIPTION: This article would allow amendment of the Zoning Bylaw and Map adopted under Article 34 of
the 2023 Annual Town Meeting,which provides for MBTA Communities overlay districts. The Executive Office of
Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) has specified a target capacity for Lexington, under the MBTA
Communities Act, G.L. c. 40A, §3A, of 1,231 new multifamily dwelling units. EOHLC subsequently certified that
the capacity created by the adoption of Section 7.5 is 12,546 units. This number of units, if fully built out, would
double the number of dwelling units in Lexington. The goal of this article is to amend Section 7.5 to reduce its
development capacity to a level closer to the state's target, and thereby reduce potential worst-case impacts on the
Town, including financial impacts, while complying fully with the MBTA Zoning Act. Alternatively, or in addition,
this article seeks a temporary moratorium on the development of new projects for a time sufficient to allow a
reexamination of the impacts of Section 7.5 on the Town.
And you are directed to serve this warrant not less than fourteen days at least before the time of said meeting, as
provided in the Bylaws of the Town.
Hereof fail not and make due return of this warrant, with your doings thereon, to the Town Clerk, on or before the
time of said meeting.
Given under our hands this 6th day of January, 2025.
Douglas M. Lucente, Chair
Joseph N. Pato
Select Board
Suzanne E. Barry of
Jill I. Hai Lexington
Mark D. Sandeen
A true copy,Attest:
Constable of Lexington
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ATTACHMENT A
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Town of Lexington
MODERATOR
DEBORAH BROWN
December 30, 2024 DELIVERED BY EMAIL
Dear Select Board Members,
Pursuant to Massachusetts Section 26 of Chapter 22 of the Acts of 2022, as amended by Section 47 of
Chapter 2 of the Acts of 2023, I request approval to conduct the 2025 Special Town Meeting 41 (2025
STM1) as a hybrid meeting. I propose to use a combination of (1) the Zoom videoconferencing platform,
(2) the online voting tool developed by Select Board member Joe Pato, and (3) an online queuing function
developed by Select Board member Joe Pato to facilitate the process of debate.
I certify that all components of the system described above have been fully tested and utilized successfully
for prior Town Meetings, and I am satisfied that this system enables our meetings to be conducted in
substantially the same manner whether a member is participating in person or remotely. I certify that the
system for those opting for remote participation (i) allows the moderator, town meeting members, town
officials and any other interested members of the public to identify and hear the moderator and each town
meeting member who attends and participates in the remote meeting, as well as any other individuals who
participate in the meeting; (ii) provides the ability to determine whether a quorum is present; (iii) allows
participants to request recognition by the moderator and makes such requests visible to the meeting
participants and the public; (iv) allows the moderator to determine when a town meeting member wishes to
be recognized to speak, make a motion, or raise a point of order or personal privilege; (v) enables the
moderator to recognize a town meeting member, town official or other individual and enable that person to
speak; (vi) provides the ability to conduct a roll call or electronically recorded vote; (vii) allows any
interested members of the public to access the meeting remotely through LexMedia for purposes of
witnessing the deliberations and actions taken at the town meeting; (viii) allows members of the public to
participate in debate in-person or through the submission of statements for or against a motion; and (ix)
provides for the town meeting to be recorded and available for future viewing. I further confirm that I have
consulted with Lexington's Commission on Disability regarding system accessibility.
Sincerely,
Deborah Brown
Town Moderator
617-512-7901
1625 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE•LEXINGTON,MASSACHUSETTS 02420
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