HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-03-24-SB-ATM-rpt
S ELECT B OARD
T OWN OF L EXINGTON
SELECT BOARD REPORT TO THE
2025 ANNUAL TOWN MEETING
MARCH 24, 2025
Select Board:
Douglas M. Lucente, Chair; Jill I. Hai, Vice-Chair; Joseph N. Pato;
Mark D. Sandeen Vineeta Kumar;
Kim Katzenback, Executive Clerk
Table of Contents
Message from the Select Board Page 1
Town Manager Transition Page 3
Lexington High School Project Page 3
Affordable Housing Initiatives Page 4
Economic Development and Community Vitality Page 6
th
2025: The 250 Anniversary of the Battle of Lexington Page 8
March 2025
Message from the Select Board
As we present this report to the Annual Town Meeting of 2025, we reflect on a year marked by
meaningful progress and investment in Lexington’s infrastructure, community, and
sustainability initiatives. This report includes detailed sections on the Lexington High School
Project, the Town Manager transition, Affordable Housing Initiatives, and Economic
Development and Community Vitality.
Key Updates:
Infrastructure: Significant infrastructure improvements remained a key priority
throughout the past year. Notably, the Hartwell Avenue and Bedford Street Complete
Streets Reconstruction Project advanced considerably, incorporating enhancements
focused on safety, mobility, and accessibility, such as raised medians, sidewalks, and
shared-use paths. Continued community dialogue ensured attention to pedestrian and
cyclist safety concernsfor this project anticipated to be on the State’s Transportation
Improvement Plan in the 2030s. The Board also prioritized sidewalk improvements in the
next several years, especially on Burlington Street and North Street, recognizing their
critical role in pedestrian safety and connectivity. Recent major zoning changes related to
MBTA Zoning have prompted additional municipal planning efforts to meet increased
infrastructure demands across water, sewer, public safety, and transportation services.
Further investments in sidewalk expansions, town-wide traffic signal upgrades, public
parking lot enhancements, and intersection improvements—particularly at the Adams
Street intersections with East and Hancock Streets—underscore our ongoing
commitment to enhancing town-wide safety and accessibility.
ARPA: The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds have now been fully allocated,
marking the completion of strategic investments designed to directly benefit the
community. Key initiatives included expanding free public Wi-Fi in the Town Center,
Center Fields, and Lincoln Field; launching the implementation of SeeClickFix to enhance
communication between residents and town departments, with ongoing development
and improvements; installing a seasonal event tent to support community events;
funding a two-year mental health clinician position; and providing ongoing Diversity,
Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) training initiatives. Throughout the allocation process, the
Board maintained a careful and flexible approach, ensuring compliance with federal
guidelines and reserving funds for impactful projects. Notably, consideration of an
electric or hybrid trolley acquisition was deferred due to cost and timing constraints.
1
Climate Leadership: The Select Board reviewed and approved updates to the Fleet
Electrification Roadmap and Policy, aligning Lexington’s vehicle acquisition goals with
the Massachusetts Climate Leaders Program. Zero waste initiatives, informed by a Tufts
University survey, focused discussions on expanding curbside composting, automated
waste collection, enhanced recycling, and continued community conversations on the
idea of a phased Pay-As-You-Throw program. The Board also considered a phased
Single-Use Plastic Bottle Phase-Out Policy, initially targeting municipal departments.
Further discussions included solar assessments for municipal parking lots and potential
future funding of a Sustainability Coordinator to leverage grant opportunities.
We would like to take a moment to warmly welcome our new Town Manager, Steve Bartha,
whose leadership and fresh perspective will undoubtedly help shape Lexington's continued
growth and prosperity. We also extend a heartfelt welcome to our newest Select Board member,
Vineeta Kumar, who joined us in March 2025. We look forward to her valuable contributions.
We also express our sincere gratitude to Suzie Barry, whose dedicated service and thoughtful
leadership on the Select Board concluded in March 2025. Her contributions have significantly
benefited our community, and we thank her for her years of commitment.
Should you have any questions or comments regarding this report, the Board encourages you to
get in touch with any member of the Board. Select Board meetings are generally held Monday
evenings at 6:30pm in the Select Board meeting room of the Town Office building, and via
Zoom. Board members’ office hours as well as the Select Board meeting packets are posted at
https://www.lexingtonma.gov/755/Select-Board. We can be reached via email (below) or by
calling the Select Board Office (781-698-4580) to schedule a phone conversation or meeting.
dlucente@lexingtonma.gov
jpato@lexingtonma.gov
jhai@lexingtonma.gov
msandeen@lexingtonma.gov
Respectfully submitted,
Lexington Select Board
Douglas M. Lucente, Chair
Joseph N. Pato
Jill I. Hai, Vice Chair
Mark D. Sandeen
Vineeta Kumar
2
Town Manager Transition
On March 21, 2024, Town Manager Jim Malloy announced his intention to retire at the end of his
then current contract, September 30, 2024. The Select Board is grateful to Mr. Malloy for his years
of service and stewardship.
In April, the Select Board issued a Request for Quotations (RFQ) for an Executive Search firm to
run the recruitment for the next town manager. The Board received four responses to their RFQ
and interviewed three firms, eventually selecting GovHR as the Executive Recruiting Firm to lead
the search.
The Board also created a charge for a Town Manager Search Screening Committee (TMSSC),
seeking a diverse group of residents to assist the Search firm in screening applicants. The TMSSC
was to be comprised of two Select Board members (SB), a Planning Board (PB)member, a
representative of the business community and five at large residents, to be chosen to represent “a
diversity of lived experience, relevant expertise and community involvement”, as well as liaisons
from each of the two finance committees.
The members of the TMSSC were: Sarah Bothwell Allen, Bob Creech (PB), Jill Hai (SB), Heather
Hartshorn (Business Community), Vineeta Kumar, Charles Lamb (CEC liaison), Robert
Mandeville, Sean Osborne (AC liaison), Janet Perry, Mark Sandeen (SB), and Helen Yang
The Select Board appointed Kelly Axtell as Acting Town Manager. Ms. Axtell served in that role
st
from October 1 through November 3, 2024.
Between May and August, the TMSSC created criteria, interview and essay questions, reviewed
two dozen applications and selected 11 candidates for further review. Second round submission
materials, including essay responses to TMSSC questions and work product examples were
reviewed and the committee held a full day of interviews with six semi-final candidates in
August. The committee recommended three applicants to the Select Board for final interviews.
The Select Board interviewed the three recommended candidates and on September 4, 2024, voted
to engage Steve Bartha, then Town Manager of Danvers, as Lexington’s next Town Manager. Mr.
Bartha began work in Lexington November 4, 2024. Since that date, Mr. Bartha has been meeting
with departments, individual staff, committees, and resident groups as he continues to integrate
into the community.
Lexington High School Project
The Lexington High School project is likely to be the most ambitious and expensive project
undertaken by the Town of Lexington. Plans for this project have been brewing for years leading
to the 2017 LHS Visioning process, the 2019 LPS Strategic Plan and the creation of the Master
Planning Advisory Committee during the 2018-2019 year. Beginning in 2019, Lexington
submitted Statement of Interest (SOI) applications each year to the Massachusetts School Building
Authority (MSBA) to evaluate LHS for insufficient educational capacity and system upgrades. In
2022 Lexington was invited into the MSBA Eligibility Period beginning the current process for
the project.
In November, 2024, the Lexington High School Building Committee (SBC) selected the Bloom
option after lengthy consideration of a wide range of alternatives. Bloom was deemed the
3
superior option due to several key advantages over other options which also met the minimum
requirements for satisfying the educational program and safety needs. These advantages include
cost-effectiveness, construction efficiency, and minimized disruption for students and
community users.
On February 26, 2025, the MSBA Board of Directors approved the Town of Lexington’s Preferred
Schematic Report submission. With this approval, the Lexington High School Building project
has successfully progressed into Module 4: Schematic Design phase of the MSBA process. The
proposed Bloom project includes a new building adjacent to the current LHS facility while
maintaining the existing field house with an addition and renovation.
During the schematic design phase, the project design team will refine the Bloom concept and
create a robust schematic design from which the MSBA will generate a scope, budget, schedule,
and MSBA financial grant award. This team is composed of Dore and Whittier, Owner’s Project
Manager; SMMA, Architects; and Turner Construction, Construction Manager at Risk. The team
has been guided by the SBC to produce a responsible design that avoids unnecessary expense.
The team is working with key stakeholders to adjust the Bloom concept to address community
concerns regarding building massing, site traffic, and facility use.
We anticipate that the project will be presented for approval to the MSBA during the summer of
2025 and will then come for community approval through a Special Town Meeting in the fall of
2025 followed by a debt exclusion vote at the end of the year. At the special town meeting we also
expect to seek authorization for an Article 97 land swap to be submitted to the state legislature.
This land swap would relocate some recreation fields to the footprint of the existing LHS and
parking areas while building the new structure on the former field locations. Occupancy in the
new or renovated facility is expected at the end of 2029.
Detailed information about the project is publicly available at:
https://lhsproject.lexingtonma.org
Affordable Housing Initiatives
One of the Select Board’s highest priority goals is to enhance community vibrancy by increasing
the diversity of housing stock in size, accessibility, and price including increasing the availability
of affordable housing.
Lexington has a serious affordable housing crisis that has been decades in the making. Housing
prices are rising much faster than household incomes. The average sale price of a Lexington home
rose to over $1.9 million in 2024, with the average price of a new construction home reaching $3
million. The Massachusetts Municipal Association data also shows that Lexington’s median gross
rents are the highest of any municipality in the Commonwealth. 24% of Lexington homeowners
and 44% of Lexington renters are housing cost burdened, spending at least 30% to 50% of their
income on housing.
Currently only 6% of Lexington’s housing stock is truly affordable, while 21% of Lexington
households qualify as low-income. The result is that the demand for affordable housing is quite
high, with 10 to 20 applicants per each newly available affordable home. That translates into
families waiting between 5 and 8 years to secure affordable housing in Lexington.
4
Between 2011 and June of 2023, Lexington had a net gain of zero affordable housing units on the
Subsidized Housing Inventory or SHI. Since that time Lexington has had a net gain of 11 truly
affordable units on the SHI, largely due to the creation of 21 units of affordable housing as part
of the Waterstone/Bridges project approved by 2018 Special Town Meeting.
The Select Board and Town Meeting have taken several recent actions to increase the availability
of affordable housing in Lexington. Special Town Meeting 2022-3 approved the creation of the
Affordable Housing Trust and the reorganization of LexHAB as an independent 501(c)3
organization.
The legislature approved the reorganization of LexHAB in September of 2024, which will allow
the reorganized LexHAB to access more diverse sources of funding, including private donations,
federal and state funding, in addition to local appropriations. The reorganization also enables
faster, more efficient, and lower cost housing production. Soon after the reorganization, LexHAB
received a donation of a property that LexHAB will convert to an affordable home for Lexington
residents in perpetuity.
The Affordable Housing Trust was formed to preserve and create affordable housing, with a
structure that provides the ability to respond to opportunities and funding requests from
Lexington housing partners like LexHAB and the Lexington Housing Authority in real time.
The Affordable Housing Trust funded two LexHAB property purchases in its first year of
operation, creating affordable housing for three families in response to highly time sensitive
opportunities.
2024 Annual Town Meeting overwhelmingly approved Article 33 authorizing the Select Board
and the Affordable Housing Trust to create 40 units of 100% truly affordable housing at an
average of 60% of Area Median Income on Town owned property located near Lowell and North
Street. The Town received 7 proposals and has signed a land disposition agreement with the
winning team. The developer has begun the community engagement and due diligence process
defined in the RFP.
The proposed design significantly exceeds the RFP requirements in many ways, including
providing housing that is well integrated with the neighborhood, designed to feel like 8
individual buildings, with a community meeting area and a common space walking area, dark
sky compliant lighting, thoughtfully designed landscaping that preserves as many existing native
trees as possible, supplemented with new native plants to enhance ecological systems, and almost
an acre of protected woodland area. Each home will have ample natural daylight, outdoor space,
in unit laundry, elevator accessibility, universally accessible design, communal storage space,
bike storage, and covered parking.
They will be all-electric, solar powered homes, built to Passive House standards. The economics
of building to these standards are excellent for both the residents and the developer.
The residents will live in a home with incredibly healthy indoor air quality, that is extremely
quiet, provides amazing thermal comfort, and exceptional resilience. Massachusetts Dept of
Energy Resources studies show that multi-family buildings built to Passive House standards have
such excellent thermal resilience that they can go a week without electric power on the coldest
week of the year, with indoor temperatures dropping only 6 or 7° F. No backup power
needed. The selected developer has built several affordable housing Passive House buildings and
has now made it their design standard.
5
That excellent thermal performance also lowers the cost of HVAC equipment, as the heating loads
for a Passive House building are roughly an order of magnitude lower than a standard building
code building. Because those heating and cooling loads are so low, a central heating and cooling
system for all of the units will be entirely powered by solar panels on the roof. That means the
residents will have zero cost for heating or cooling their homes.
And because that power is provided entirely by the sun, it will be insulated from the dramatic
energy price spikes we've seen over the last few years. This is especially important because low-
income households in the Boston area have the highest median energy burden in the country,
spending 14% of their income on energy.
Building affordable housing to Passive House standards is among the best ways the Town can
address both the housing cost burden and the energy cost burden of its low-income residents.
Perhaps most importantly the homes built on Lowell & North Street will be incredibly healthy,
comfortable, and resilient homes for the residents.
All affordable housing initiatives require significant sources of funding. The Community
Preservation Committee currently provides the majority of affordable housing funds to LexHAB
and is the only significant source of funding for the Affordable Housing Trust. The anticipated
requests from the Lexington Housing Authority, LexHAB, and the Affordable Housing Trust for
community housing initiatives are likely to exceed the amount of available Community
Preservation Act funds in the coming years.
Lexington 2021 Annual Town Meeting approved Article 36 to submit a home rule petition
requesting legislative authority to establish a surcharge on specific commercial development
activities for the purpose of funding affordable housing. The legislature recently approved that
home rule petition by passing H.2740 “An Act to establish a surcharge on specific commercial
development activities for the purpose of funding the creation of community housing.” The
Governor signed the bill on January 8, 2025.
The Select Board is now required to set a linkage fee rate within a year. The Select Board
authorized Town staff to commission a study funded under Article 36, to assess commercial
development and housing inventory trends before recommending an appropriate range of
linkage fee rates. Given that commercial development trends have slowed considerably since
2021, expectations for this source of funds are fairly modest. Any funds generated from the
linkage fee would be transferred to the Affordable Housing Trust.
Another potential source of funding was not approved by the legislature. Lexington 2020 Special
Town Meeting approved Article 6 to submit a home rule petition requesting legislative authority
to establish a surcharge on residential development for the purpose of funding affordable
housing. Unfortunately, the legislature took no action on that home rule petition during this or
the previous legislative session. For that reason, that Article 6 home rule petition failed and can
only be reconsidered by the legislature after another vote of Lexington Town Meeting.
Economic Development and Community Vitality Initiatives
In 2024-25 the Select Board continued to support initiatives which stimulate economic
development and commercial expansion within the town, including revitalizing the downtown.
Among the key strategies has been the formation of strong partnerships with local business
6
associations and individual businesses including through the Select Board’s advisory committees,
the Economic Development Advisory Committee and the Center Committee. Additionally, the
Select Board Chair and Vice Chair continue to participate in the Quarterly Small Business
Roundtable discussions organized by the Economic Development Department.
These are some highlights from the Economic Development Department’s efforts in 2024-25.
Lex 250 and Tourism: The Visitors Center has seen 60,000 visitors come through our doors
since July 2024, compared to 51,000 travelers in the year prior. The increase in foot traffic
stems from Lex250th promotion, advertising and marketing efforts with National
Geographic, BBC, WCVB, and NYT which have reached at least 15 million people around
the world to promote the 250th Celebrations in Lexington. Furthermore,
TourLexington.us, Lexington’s main tourism website, which was launched in January
2024, has hit over 100,000 users and over 300,000 page views. These efforts have led to
increases in foot traffic, merchandise revenue and a 56% increase in revenue through
online tour booking channels. The Lexington Visitors Center has received new
merchandise to accommodate the influx of tourists who will come for Patriots’ Day
Weekend.
Local Economic Policy Enhancements: 2024 ATM passed Article 39 Home Rule Petition to
Adjust the Number of On-Premise Wine and Malt Alcohol Licenses. State Representative
Michelle Ciccolo brought filed House Bill HD.3893 requesting our home rule petition
which was referred to the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional
Licensure on 3/13/2025. At their June 24, 2024 meeting the Select Board voted for a
revised Alcohol Beverage License Regulations updated to include the new zoning. This
2024 policy expands the scope to include event spaces and craft beverage establishments,
not just restaurants, for eligibility for a License to serve alcoholic beverages. This includes
locations such as Pinot’s Palette, The Venue, Galaray House, and Craft Foods who could
apply for a liquor license to serve liquor as part of their operations.
Wayfinding Signs: In East Lexington, wayfinding signs have been installed at Bow Street
to direct travelers to restaurants, coffee shops, and businesses. People who may not have
known these options exist can now go enjoy a cup of coffee, buy a bagel, or find a new
place to get their haircut. In addition to East Lexington, new signage is coming to
Lexington Center. The Economic Development Department is bringing a large kiosk at
the Grain Mill Alley Bike Node next to the solar bench to direct visitors and travelers to
Lexington’s historic amenities, businesses, and restaurants. Similar to East Lexington,
these signs will appear along the Minuteman Bikeway. In addition to this initiative, work
is being done in Lexington Center and in East Lexington to connect the Minuteman
Bikeway to our business community. In East Lexington, Wayfinding Signs
Art Installations and Vibrancy efforts: Later this year, travelers on the bikeway may see new
art installations at 55 Massachusetts Avenue, 131 Massachusetts Avenue, and the shops
at 135-145 Massachusetts Avenue. This work was funded through the American Rescue
Plan Act and is part of the Rapid Recovery Plan that began during the COVID-19
pandemic. Finally, the Economic Development Department is working with landscape
architects and the Department of Public Works to landscape that area to open up the
space and install new benches. In addition to these signs, the Economic Development
Department is also working on bringing murals to businesses along the bikeway.
7
Additionally, there is a collaborative effort from Lexington Economic Development, the
Lexington Center Committee, and the Lexington History Museum to bring art to
Lexington Depot.
Commercial Development: Lexington welcomed more than six small businesses including
new cafes in the Center and three large life sciences businesses in 2024. These cafés have
transformed Lexington Center into a breakfast destination for all. Major vacancies have
been filled including the former Starbucks which is now Revival Café, and the Bertucci’s
Pizza location which is now Tatte. Additionally, long-term vacancies in the center and
across town have seen increased interest. More cafes and restaurants are slated to open
their doors this summer and fall in Lexington Center. Lexington and Cambridge current
lab market vacancy rates are both close to 19%, while Burlington and Waltham have
higher vacancy rates of 29% and 22%, respectively.
Center Revitalization: On December 16, 2024 the Economic Development Advisory
Committee and Lexington Center Committee presented to the Select Board, a set of
recommendations based on Lexington Center: The Journey Forward. The recommendations
were the following:
1)Focus on ways to create more welcoming and inviting entryways from key access
points (parking lots, bike path, Visitors Center)
2)Convene a forum of relevant municipal bodies and committees to ensure alignment
around application of new bylaws
3)Evaluating options for supporting Lexington Center programming.
4)Prioritize decision(s) regarding use of town-owned land in Lexington Center.
The Select Board has made Center Revitalization a major goal to work on over the next two years.
2025: The 250th Anniversary of the Battle of Lexington
Preparations for Lexington’s landmark 250th Anniversary of the Battle have been extensive and
community-oriented, reflecting both historical reverence and inclusive celebration. Throughout the past
year, the Select Board has actively engaged in a range of discussions, projects, and events designed to
honor this momentous occasion thoughtfully and collaboratively.
Monument Project: Extensive deliberation occurred regarding the proposed 250th Anniversary
Monument at Belfry Hill Park. Community discussions provided valuable insights and raised
critical considerations about the monument's scale, symbolic design, ongoing maintenance, and
site suitability. Despite thorough evaluation and dialogue, the Historic Districts Commission
(HDC) ultimately denied the Certificate of Appropriateness, effectively concluding the project.
Inter Municipal Collaboration: Lexington continued strengthening historical and celebratory ties
with neighboring communities through an Inter Municipal Agreement (IMA) with Arlington,
Concord, and Lincoln, collectively allocating $200,000 towards collaborative planning and event
execution for the 250th celebration.
US Army Participation and Special Events: The Select Board received and considered a special
request from the US Army Military District of Washington DC, involving several prestigious
Army units, notably the Golden Knights Parachute Team, for participation in commemorative
activities on April 19, 2025. Recognizing the exceptional historical significance of the anniversary,
the Board granted a unique, one-time exemption to the Select Board’s Battle Green Regulation,
which typically prohibits parachuting onto the Battle Green. Careful consideration was given to
8
balancing the historical gravity and ceremonial appropriateness of these events against
established town regulations and historical site protections.
Invitation to Dignitaries: The Select Board voted to approve the Semiquincentennial Commission
(Lex250)’s recommendation to extend invitations to local, state, federal and international
dignitaries to attend the 250th Anniversary celebrations. Board discussions surrounding this vote
were comprehensive, underscoring an important consideration: ensuring the dignitary presence
does not overshadow the celebration’s primary focus—the Lexington community and its
heritage. The Board emphasized thoughtful selection to maintain the event’s community-centric
spirit.
International Engagement – Antony, France: Recognizing Lexington’s global historical connections,
the Select Board strongly supported inviting our longstanding sister city, Antony, France, to
participate in the anniversary celebrations. This international collaboration underscores our
town’s historical significance, celebrating longstanding international relationships and fostering
meaningful cultural exchange.
As we approach the commemorative date, we acknowledge with gratitude the numerous volunteers,
community groups, historical organizations, town staff, and regional partners working diligently toward
a meaningful and memorable celebration. The Select Board remains committed to ensuring the 250th
Anniversary of the Battle of Lexington is commemorated in a manner that honors our history, celebrates
our vibrant community, and fosters connections both local and global.
9