HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-05-19 SB Packet - ReleasedSELECT BOARD MEETING
Monday, May 19, 2025
Conducted by Remote Participation*
6:30 PM
AGENDA
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Public comments are allowed for up to 10 minutes at the beginning of each meeting. Each speaker is
limited to 2 minutes for comment. Members of the Board will neither comment nor respond, other than to
ask questions of clarification. Speakers are encouraged to notify the Select Board's Office at 781-698-
4580 if they wish to speak during public comment to assist the Chair in managing meeting times.
SELECT BOARD MEMBER CONCERNS AND LIAISON REPORTS
1.Select Board Member Announcements and Liaison Reports
TOWN MANAGER REPORT
1.Town Manager Weekly Update
CONSENT AGENDA
1.Approve: Select Board Committee Appointments
Economic Development Advisory Committee -
Justin Fleming
Steven Kaufman
Jingshi Hu
Lexington Center Committee - Jonathan Wheeler Wakelin
Vision for Lexington - Michael Schanbacher, Planning Board Representative
2.Accept: Select Board Committee Resignation
Economic Development Advisory Committee - Lisa R. Murray
3.Approve: Town Manager Committee Reappointments
Recreation Committee:
Frederick J. DeAngelis
Renen Bassik
Council on Aging:
Sudhir Kumar Jain
Susan Rockwell
Julie-Ann Shapiro
4.Approve: Select Board Minutes
April 9, 2025 Select Board
April 14, 2025 Select Board
April 28, 2025 Select Board
5.Review and Approve: Response to Liquor License Compliance Check Violation
6.Approve: One-Day Liquor License - Dana Home Foundation, Lexington
Community Center, 39 Marrett Road
2025 Dana Home Foundation Awards Reception
June 4, 2025
7.Approve: One-Day Liquor License - Spectacle Management, Inc., 1605
Massachusetts Avenue
Concert Series at Cary Memorial Building:
June 22, 2025 - Todd Rundgren
8.Approve: Battle Green Use Request - Town Celebrations Committee
Placement of Flags at Battle Green Plaques & Wreath Laying at Obelisk for
Memorial Day
Road Closure for Memorial Day Walk on Massachusetts Avenue
Road Closure for Memorial Day Ceremonies in Depot Square
9.Amend: Battle Green Use Request - Air Force Retirement Ceremony
Amend Air Force Retirement Ceremony Battle Green Request to include a
rehearsal date - Monday, June 16, 2025.
10.Approve: Town Meeting Article Submission Timeline Policy
ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION
1.Update: Lexington Center Mural Projects 6:45pm
2.Discussion and Vote: Completion of the Transition for LEXHAB from a Town
Committee to an Independent, Nonprofit Housing Corporation
7:00pm
3.Discussion: Select Board Report for FY2025 Annual Town Report 7:10pm
ADJOURN
1.Anticipated Adjournment 7:20pm
Meeting Packet: https://lexington.novusagenda.com/agendapublic/
*Members of the public can attend the meeting from their computer or tablet by clicking on the
following link at the time of the meeting:
https://lexingtonma.zoom.us/j/82013535294?pwd=mGvKYC9PHOT8ByUHHa0a18jNRhRXpf.1
iPhone one-tap: +13017158592,,82013535294#,,,,*848540#
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Meeting ID: 820 1353 5294
Passcode: 848540
An Act Relative to Extending Certain State of Emergency
Accommodations: https://www.mass.gov/the-open-meeting-law
The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Select Board will be held on Monday, June 9, 2025 at
6:30pm via hybrid participation.
Hearing Assistance Devices Available on Request
All agenda time and the order of items are approximate and
subject to change.
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
LEXINGTON SELECT BOARD MEETING
AGENDA ITEM TITLE:
Select Board Member Announcements and Liaison Reports
PRESENTER:
Doug Lucente, Chair
ITEM
NUMBER:
LR.1
SUMMARY:
Under this item, Select Board Members can provide verbal updates, make announcements, as well as comment
on any additional points or concerns.
SUGGESTED MOTION:
FOLLOW-UP:
DATE AND APPROXIMATE TIME ON AGENDA:
5/19/2025
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
LEXINGTON SELECT BOARD MEETING
AGENDA ITEM TITLE:
Town Manager Weekly Update
PRESENTER:
Steve Bartha, Town Manager
ITEM
NUMBER:
TM.1
SUMMARY:
Under this item, the Town Manager can provide verbal updates, make announcements, as well as comment on
any additional points or concerns.
SUGGESTED MOTION:
FOLLOW-UP:
DATE AND APPROXIMATE TIME ON AGENDA:
5/19/2025
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
LEXINGTON SELECT BOARD MEETING
AGENDA ITEM TITLE:
Approve: Select Board Committee Appointments
PRESENTER:
Doug Lucente, Chair
ITEM
NUMBER:
C.1
SUMMARY:
Category: Decision-making
The Select Board is being asked to appoint members, as identified on the list below, to fill vacancies on the
following committees. Term expiration dates for each appointee are noted:
Economic Development Advisory Committee -
Justin Fleming (term expires September 30, 2027)
Steven Kaufman (term expires September 30, 2027)
Jingshi Hu (term expires September 30, 2026)
Lexington Center Committee - Jonathan Wheeler Wakelin (term expires September 30, 2025)
Vision for Lexington - Michael Schanbacher (term expires September 30, 2027)
SUGGESTED MOTION:
To appoint Justin Fleming and Steven Kaufman to the Economic Development Advisory Committee for a term
set to expire on September 30, 2027 and appoint Jingshi Hu for a term set to expire on September 30, 2026.
To appoint Jonathan Wheeler Wakelin to the Lexington Center Committee for a term set to expire on
September 30, 2025.
To appoint Michael Schanbacher as the Planning Board representative to the Vision for Lexington Committee
for a term set to expire on September 30, 2027.
Move to approve the consent.
FOLLOW-UP:
Select Board Office.
DATE AND APPROXIMATE TIME ON AGENDA:
5/19/2025
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
Economic Development Advisory Committee - Justin Fleming
03.10.25_Redacted Backup Material
Economic Development Advisory Committee - Steven Kaufman
03.01.25_Redacted Backup Material
Economic Development Advisory Committee - Jingshi Hu
02.24.25_Redacted Backup Material
Lexington Center Committee - Jonathan Wheeler Wakelin 02.28.25_Redacted Backup Material
Submit Date: Mar 10, 2025
First Name Middle
Initial
Last Name
Email Address
Home Address Suite or Apt
City State Postal Code
Primary Phone Alternate Phone
Lexington MA Boards & Committees
Application Form
Profile
Attendance to a regularly scheduled meeting of the board or committee of interest is
strongly encouraged when considering applying for membership. All committee
meetings are open to the public and are posted at least 48 hours in advance of the
meeting in our www.lexingtonma.gov/calendar.
If you are appointed to the board or committee for which you have applied, information
from this application will be used to contact you regarding your appointment from the
appointing authority as well as the Town Clerk’s Office. Please do not offer information
on this application you would prefer we not use.
Applications will be kept on file and considered as vacancies occur for up to one year
unless otherwise noted.
If you have any questions or need more information regarding the completion of the
application, please contact either the Select Board Office at 781-698-4580 or the Town
Manager’s Office at 781-698-4540.
Nickname
Preferred Title (i.e. Mr., Ms., Mx., Dr., Rev .....)
Mr.
Alternate Email Address (Optional)
Length of Residence in Lexington (Note: ZBA requirement is a minimum of 8
years)
6 years
What Precinct do you live in?
Precinct 4
Justin A Fleming
@gmail.com
5 Road
Lexington MA 02421
Mobile: (508)
Justin A Fleming
Employer Job Title
Work Address
16 Salem, NH 03079
Which Boards would you like to apply for?
Economic Development Advisory Committee: Submitted
Interests & Experiences
Please tell us about yourself and why you want to serve.
Taymax Group Chief Growth Officer
Justin A Fleming
Upload a Resume
Special Training and/or Qualifications
I grew up in Natick, Massachusetts (where my parents still reside) and have fond memories
from my childhood of traveling to Lexington to ride my bike with friends along the
Minuteman Bikeway. I attended Natick High School, where I played three varsity sports
(Football, Basketball and Tennis), before enrolling in the University of Chicago for college. At
the University of Chicago (BA, 2008), I double majored in Economics and Public Policy
Studies, was a quarterback on the varsity football team, and received recognition for
involvement in various other student organizations. Following college, I moved to New York
City to work in Mergers & Acquisitions Investment Banking for 10 years. In 2018, I moved
back to the Boston area to work at one of the largest Planet Fitness (gym operator)
franchisees, where I focus on Development / Real Estate, Financial Planning & Analysis
(FP&A), and Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A). I currently serve as Chief Growth Officer and have
helped lead growth from ~55 locations to 173 locations today. I am a 6-year resident of
Lexington (the initial consideration to move to Lexington was partially influenced by visits to
Lexington Center, particularly Ride Studio Cafe and the Lexington Battle Green BBQ Festival)
and currently live in town with my wife, our 2.5 year old son (a weekly visitor to Lexington
Center for pastries / cupcakes at Revival Cafe + Kitchen and/or Cake Niche) and our rescue
dog. We love living in Lexington and plan to live in the town long-term. I have covered the
“why you want to serve” portion of the question in the next field for “Why are you interested
in serving on a board or commission?” The key special training and/or qualifications that I
believe are most applicable to the committee in which I am applying are: (i) Retail
development / real estate experience: over the past three years, I have led Development /
Real Estate at my company (Taymax Group), one of the largest franchisees in the Planet
Fitness (gym operator) system. In this role, I am responsible for opening 12-15+ new retail
locations per year across North America, including evaluating and selecting locations
through detailed analysis of site characteristics (demographics, foot traffic, strength of co-
tenants, signage, etc.). Further, I have negotiated and executed over 35 retail leases (plus,
negotiated hundreds of letters of intent) across seven states in the U.S. and four provinces in
Canada. I have directly dealt with Landlords of all sizes (from one-off / mom-and-pop
Landlords to regional Landlords to some of the largest REITs in the U.S. and Canada, such as
Regency, Phillips Edison and SmartCentres) and partner closely with our construction team
to ensure the build-out and successful opening of our new fitness clubs. This has given me a
strong first-hand understanding of not only retail leasing (and its key terms, conditions, etc.),
but also the various construction and municipal complexities / considerations that are
applicable to economic development, such as permitting (including in some of the most
challenging areas of the U.S., such as San Jose, California), accessibility / ADA compliance
considerations, governmental / municipal approvals, use restrictions, zoning, etc. I greatly
enjoy this portion of my role at Taymax Group and look forward to expanding on this
experience through public / town involvement. (ii) Finance experience: I have 15+ years of
finance experience, including 10 years in Investment Banking in the Mergers & Acquisitions
Group at Credit Suisse, most recently as a Vice President. Additionally, in my current role, I
have six years of Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) experience, including leading my
company’s 175+ fitness club budget process each year. This has given me a strong first-
hand understanding of the unit economics and various operating (revenue and expense-
related) considerations of running a business (base rent, additional rent (NNNs), payroll,
utilities, other operating costs, etc.). (iii) Interest in public service / economics: as noted
above, I double majored in Economics and Public Policy Studies at the University of Chicago.
I started college solely as an Economics major, but added Public Policy Studies as a second
major soon thereafter, predominately due to an interest in public economic development. I
believe my studies in both disciplines (Economics and Public Studies) would serve me well as
a member of the committee.
Justin_Fleming_-_March_2025_-
_Town_of_Lexington.pdf
Justin A Fleming
Why are you interested in serving on a board or commission?
My family and I have absolutely loved living in Lexington – from the community of people to
the town’s offerings / retail businesses to the town’s rich history. As such, we moved to
Lexington in February 2019 with the plan for Lexington to be our “forever home” – the town
has more than exceeded our expectations. Given my love for the town (as well as my
interests in retail development and public policy), I have always had an interest in looking for
ways to become more involved. When I received the Town of Lexington e-mail outlining the
various committees, I quickly became excited about the prospect of serving on a board or
commission to continue the exciting growth in Lexington. It is such an exiting time in the
town, especially given the exciting recent retail development downtown and with this year
marking the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Lexington. I would love to be a part of the
continued promotion of balanced, long-term economic development in Lexington. Further, as
noted for the field / question above, I have always had an interest in serving in the public
sector, including studying Public Policy Studies (and Economics) in college. While my career
began in Finance and M&A, my role expanded to also include Development / Real Estate
responsibilities over the last three years. I have greatly enjoyed this role at my company (it
is my favorite part of my job) and I would love the opportunity to expand upon this interest /
knowledge through a new capacity by serving as a committee member for the town of
Lexington. I believe my background matches well with the expectations, responsibilities and
requirements of the committee. Additionally, now is the appropriate time to serve as I
believe I have built the applicable skillset to hopefully meaningfully contribute. I have not yet
attended a committee meeting (I became aware of the offerings through the Town of
Lexington application notice e-mail), but have read through the minutes, which has further
validated my interest in serving. I look forward to hopefully having the opportunity to work
alongside the committee members and vow to remain committed to the committee and long-
term success of the town of Lexington.
How did you hear about the board or commission for which you are applying?
I heard about the board or commission for which I am applying through the Town of
Lexington e-mail on February 19th that highlighted the various openings. That being said,
the economic development changes to Lexington over the past year or so has been quite
notable with the addition of various bakeries / restaurants (for example, Galaray House,
Nouve Bakery, Revival Cafe + Kitchen and Tatte Bakery & Café), which has sparked my
interest in learning more and becoming involved in development in Lexington, including the
Center. The recent energy and activity in Lexington Center in particular is exciting and I look
forward to hopefully working with the committee to continue development across the town
and Lexington Center.
Have you recently attended any meetings of the board or committee for
which you are applying?
Yes No
Have you confirmed your availability to attend the board or committee's
meetings? (i.e. can attend at the time the committee regularly meets)
Yes No
Do you currently serve on another board or committee?
Yes No
If yes, please list date of most recent Conflict of Interest Law Training.
n/a
Justin A Fleming
Conflict of Interest Law Training Certificate
Justin A Fleming
Submit Date: Mar 01, 2025
First Name Middle
Initial
Last Name
Email Address
Home Address Suite or Apt
City State Postal Code
Primary Phone Alternate Phone
Employer Job Title
Lexington MA Boards & Committees
Application Form
Profile
Attendance to a regularly scheduled meeting of the board or committee of interest is
strongly encouraged when considering applying for membership. All committee
meetings are open to the public and are posted at least 48 hours in advance of the
meeting in our www.lexingtonma.gov/calendar.
If you are appointed to the board or committee for which you have applied, information
from this application will be used to contact you regarding your appointment from the
appointing authority as well as the Town Clerk’s Office. Please do not offer information
on this application you would prefer we not use.
Applications will be kept on file and considered as vacancies occur for up to one year
unless otherwise noted.
If you have any questions or need more information regarding the completion of the
application, please contact either the Select Board Office at 781-698-4580 or the Town
Manager’s Office at 781-698-4540.
Nickname
Preferred Title (i.e. Mr., Ms., Mx., Dr., Rev .....)
Alternate Email Address (Optional)
Length of Residence in Lexington (Note: ZBA requirement is a minimum of 8
years)
25 years
What Precinct do you live in?
Precinct 5
Steven B Kaufman
@msn.com
116 Rd
Lexington MA 02420
Home: (781) -8758 Home: (781) -9161
Quasar Holdings Principal
Steven B Kaufman
Upload a Resume
Conflict of Interest Law Training Certificate
Work Address
116 Rd
Which Boards would you like to apply for?
Economic Development Advisory Committee: Submitted
Interests & Experiences
Please tell us about yourself and why you want to serve.
Special Training and/or Qualifications
Have financial experience as 3x CEO, Investor in 30 companies and board member on a
dozen firms. Have public experience in economic development as co-chair of Northeast
Region Economic Devlopment Committee and Lexington Town Meeting Member.
Why are you interested in serving on a board or commission?
I think Lexington is facing a critical period of economic pressure driven by demands of MBTA
housing and new high school combined with a coming slowdown in home price appreciation
and a lack of new commercial construction driven by excess capacity in office and life
science space. We need to plan and budget to manage in this new environment.
How did you hear about the board or commission for which you are applying?
Listing on town site.
Have you recently attended any meetings of the board or committee for
which you are applying?
Yes No
Have you confirmed your availability to attend the board or committee's
meetings? (i.e. can attend at the time the committee regularly meets)
Yes No
Do you currently serve on another board or committee?
Yes No
If yes, please list date of most recent Conflict of Interest Law Training.
September 2023
Steven_B._Kaufman_Resume_2024.pdf
certificate_of_completion.pdf
Steven B Kaufman
Submit Date: Feb 24, 2025
First Name Middle
Initial
Last Name
Email Address
Home Address Suite or Apt
City State Postal Code
Primary Phone Alternate Phone
Lexington MA Boards & Committees
Application Form
Profile
Attendance to a regularly scheduled meeting of the board or committee of interest is
strongly encouraged when considering applying for membership. All committee
meetings are open to the public and are posted at least 48 hours in advance of the
meeting in our www.lexingtonma.gov/calendar.
If you are appointed to the board or committee for which you have applied, information
from this application will be used to contact you regarding your appointment from the
appointing authority as well as the Town Clerk’s Office. Please do not offer information
on this application you would prefer we not use.
Applications will be kept on file and considered as vacancies occur for up to one year
unless otherwise noted.
If you have any questions or need more information regarding the completion of the
application, please contact either the Select Board Office at 781-698-4580 or the Town
Manager’s Office at 781-698-4540.
Nickname
Jake
Preferred Title (i.e. Mr., Ms., Mx., Dr., Rev .....)
Dr.
Alternate Email Address (Optional)
Length of Residence in Lexington (Note: ZBA requirement is a minimum of 8
years)
10 months
What Precinct do you live in?
Precinct 6
Jingshi Hu
@gmail.com
19 Road
Lexington MA 02420
Mobile: (949) 82
Jingshi Hu
Employer Job Title
Upload a Resume
Work Address
, Boston, MA 02210
Which Boards would you like to apply for?
Economic Development Advisory Committee: Submitted
Interests & Experiences
Please tell us about yourself and why you want to serve.
Special Training and/or Qualifications
I am excited to apply for a position on the Economic Development Advisory Committee of
Lexington. With over two decades of experience in corporate strategy, industrial
transformation, and economic planning, I am eager to bring my expertise to serve our
community. Throughout my career, I have advised Fortune Global 500 companies,
government agencies, and private enterprises on business growth, investment strategies,
and large-scale economic initiatives. I believe these experiences position me to contribute a
fresh, global perspective to the town’s economic development efforts. As a Managing
Director and Global Partner at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), I spearheaded business
development in the chemical and steel sectors across Asia, introducing proprietary solutions
in digital transformation and carbon-neutral industrial operations. Prior to this, I led
Accenture’s Greater China Chemicals and Natural Resources practice, doubling sales growth
while designing and implementing digital transformation strategies for some of the region’s
largest manufacturers. My experience also includes serving as an Associate Partner at
McKinsey & Company, where I helped state-owned enterprises and multinational
corporations optimize supply chains, improve operational efficiency, and develop long-term
growth strategies. Beyond my corporate work, I am passionate about strategic economic
planning that balances industrial growth with sustainability and technological innovation. My
track record includes designing smart factory solutions, implementing digital supply chain
transformations, and leading cross-functional investment projects that align economic
development with long-term competitiveness. I see great potential in leveraging these
insights to enhance Lexington’s local business climate, attract high-value investments, and
ensure sustainable economic growth.
Why are you interested in serving on a board or commission?
I am eager to serve on the board because I care deeply about the future of our town and
want to contribute in a meaningful way. Lexington is not just where my family and I live—it is
a community I want to see thrive. I believe my experience and natural strengths in economic
strategy and business development can be put to practical use in helping shape policies that
support long-term prosperity. Furthermore, I want to be actively engaged in the decisions
that affect our daily lives, ensuring that economic growth is balanced with the needs and
values of our residents. While I have not previously served on a public sector board, my
experience navigating complex, multi-stakeholder environments has prepared me well for
this role. I am eager to collaborate with fellow board members, business leaders, and
residents to help shape policies that foster a thriving local economy.
Boston Consulting Group Managing Director & GlobalPartner
Jingshi_Hu_CV_2025.doc
Jingshi Hu
Conflict of Interest Law Training Certificate
How did you hear about the board or commission for which you are applying?
from town's newsletter subscription
Have you recently attended any meetings of the board or committee for
which you are applying?
Yes No
Have you confirmed your availability to attend the board or committee's
meetings? (i.e. can attend at the time the committee regularly meets)
Yes No
Do you currently serve on another board or committee?
Yes No
If yes, please list date of most recent Conflict of Interest Law Training.
Jingshi Hu
Submit Date: Feb 27, 2025
First Name Middle
Initial
Last Name
Email Address
Home Address Suite or Apt
City State Postal Code
Lexington MA Boards & Committees
Application Form
Profile
Attendance to a regularly scheduled meeting of the board or committee of interest is
strongly encouraged when considering applying for membership. All committee
meetings are open to the public and are posted at least 48 hours in advance of the
meeting in our www.lexingtonma.gov/calendar.
If you are appointed to the board or committee for which you have applied, information
from this application will be used to contact you regarding your appointment from the
appointing authority as well as the Town Clerk’s Office. Please do not offer information
on this application you would prefer we not use.
Applications will be kept on file and considered as vacancies occur for up to one year
unless otherwise noted.
If you have any questions or need more information regarding the completion of the
application, please contact either the Select Board Office at 781-698-4580 or the Town
Manager’s Office at 781-698-4540.
Nickname
Jon
Preferred Title (i.e. Mr., Ms., Mx., Dr., Rev .....)
Mr.
Alternate Email Address (Optional)
jon.wakelin@altmansolon.com
Length of Residence in Lexington (Note: ZBA requirement is a minimum of 8
years)
4 years
What Precinct do you live in?
Precinct 7
Jonathan Wheeler Wakelin
jon.wakelin@gmail.com
17 Ter
Lexington MA 02420
Jonathan Wheeler Wakelin
Work Address
101 , Boston, MA 02210
Which Boards would you like to apply for?
Lexington Center Committee: Submitted
Interests & Experiences
Please tell us about yourself and why you want to serve.
Special Training and/or Qualifications
I previously served on both the Lexington Center Committee and the Economic Development
Advisory Committee. Additionally, I have previously applied to the Tree Committee and am
very passionate about preserving the Town's old growth canopy. In my neighborhood I have
spearheaded collaborative efforts with my neighbors to remove diseased beach trees and re-
plant new trees in their place. I am also an acquaintance of John Marquis, who owns Marquis
Tree Service which is a prominent tree maintenance and removal company in town.
Why are you interested in serving on a board or commission?
My beliefs are that (1) local governments have the biggest impact on their residents' day-to-
day lives, (2) active participation in town government makes a person a better citizen within
their community, and (3) the more people who participate in town affairs, the stronger the
town will be. I have been in love with Lexington since I used to ride my bike out here on the
Minuteman 20 years ago, and I want to help Lexington become the strongest community it
can be for me and my family, my neighbors, and visitors.
How did you hear about the board or commission for which you are applying?
I am familiar with the Lexington Center Committee and the EDAC through my prior
participation in both groups, and I heard about the current vacancies via emails from the
Town.
Have you recently attended any meetings of the board or committee for
which you are applying?
Yes No
Have you confirmed your availability to attend the board or committee's
meetings? (i.e. can attend at the time the committee regularly meets)
Yes No
Home: (917) 051 Home: (617) 23
PwC Partner
Jonathan Wheeler Wakelin
Conflict of Interest Law Training Certificate
Do you currently serve on another board or committee?
Yes No
If yes, please list date of most recent Conflict of Interest Law Training.
02/20/2022
Certificate__1_.pdf
Jonathan Wheeler Wakelin
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
LEXINGTON SELECT BOARD MEETING
AGENDA ITEM TITLE:
Accept: Select Board Committee Resignation
PRESENTER:
Doug Lucente, Chair
ITEM
NUMBER:
C.2
SUMMARY:
Category: Decision-making
Resignation:
Economic Development Advisory Committee
The Select Board is being asked to accept the resignation of Lisa R. Murray from the Economic Development
Advisory Committee effective May 30, 2025.
SUGGESTED MOTION:
To accept the resignation of Lisa R. Murray from the Economic Development Advisory Committee, effective
May 30, 2025.
Move to approve consent.
FOLLOW-UP:
Select Board Office.
DATE AND APPROXIMATE TIME ON AGENDA:
5/19/2025
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
2025.05.05 Lisa R. Murray - Economic Development Advisory
Committee_Redacted Backup Material
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
LEXINGTON SELECT BOARD MEETING
AGENDA ITEM TITLE:
Approve: Town Manager Committee Reappointments
PRESENTER:
Doug Lucente, Chair
ITEM
NUMBER:
C.3
SUMMARY:
Category: Decision-Making
The Town Manager is requesting that the Select Board approve the reappointments of Renen Bassik and
Frederick DeAngelis of the Recreation Committee as well as Sudhiir Kumar Jain, Susan Rockwell and Julie-
Ann Shapiro of the Council on Aging.
State Conflict of Interest Law online training is up-to-date for Renen Bassik and Frederick DeAngelis of the
Recreation Committee as well as Sudhir Kumar Jain, Susan Rockwell and Julie-Ann Shapiro of the Council on
Aging.
SUGGESTED MOTION:
To confirm the Town Manager's reappointments of Renen Bassik and Frederick DeAngelis of the Recreation
Committee as well as Sudhir Kumar Jain, Susan Rockwell and Julie-Ann Shapiro of the Council on Aging. All
with terms set to expire May 31, 2028.
Move to approve the consent.
FOLLOW-UP:
Town Manager's Office
DATE AND APPROXIMATE TIME ON AGENDA:
5/19/2025
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
LEXINGTON SELECT BOARD MEETING
AGENDA ITEM TITLE:
Approve: Select Board Minutes
PRESENTER:
Doug Lucente, Chair
ITEM
NUMBER:
C.4
SUMMARY:
Category: Decision Making
The Select Board is being asked to approve the following set of minutes:
April 9, 2025 Select Board
April 14, 2025 Select Board
April 28, 2025 Select Board
SUGGESTED MOTION:
To approve and release the following minutes:
April 9, 2025 Select Board
April 14, 2025 Select Board
April 28, 2025 Select Board
Move to approve the consent agenda
FOLLOW-UP:
Select Board Office.
DATE AND APPROXIMATE TIME ON AGENDA:
5/19/2025
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
DRAFT 04092025 Select Board minutes Backup Material
DRAFT 04142025 Select Board minutes Backup Material
DRAFT 04282025 Select Board minutes Backup Material
SELECT BOARD MEETING
Wednesday, April 9, 2025
A meeting of the Lexington Select Board was called to order at 6:30p.m. on Wednesday, April 9,
2025, via a hybrid meeting platform. Mr. Lucente, Chair; Mr. Pato; Ms. Hai; Mr. Sandeen and Ms. Kumar
were present, as well as Mr. Bartha, Town Manager; Ms. Axtell, Deputy Town Manager; and Ms.
Katzenback, Executive Clerk.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
None at this time.
SELECT BOARD MEMBER CONCERNS AND LIAISON REPORTS
1. Select Board Member Concerns and Liaison Reports
Mr. Pato stated that recently, during the MAGIC legislative breakfast, there was discussion of a senior
means-tested property tax exemption, which is in the Governor's proposed Municipal Empowerment Act.
He would like for the Board to discuss this and lobby legislators but also to ask Mr. Bartha to write a
letter conveying the importance of that Empowerment Act for communities like Lexington. Mr. Bartha
stated that he would draft a letter for the Board’s review.
DOCUMENTS: Select Board Liaison Report - Joe Pato-2025-04-09
TOWN MANAGER REPORT
1. Town Manager Weekly Update
Nothing additional at this time.
CONSENT AGENDA
1. Approve: Common Victualler License
Post 1917 - 27 Waltham Street
To approve a Common Victualler License for Post 1917, located at 27 Waltham Street, with on-site
manager Jason Carron, for the hours and days of operation as indicated.
2. Approve Town Manager Reappointment
Board of Health - Dr. Jillian Tung
To confirm the Town Manager's reappointment of Dr. Jillian Tung to the Board of Health with a term set
to expire April 30, 2028.
3. Approve Letter of Support for CW Lexington Woods LLC's Developer application
to Housing and Livable Communities for Lowell Street Parcel 68-44
To approve and sign the letter of support, as proposed, for inclusion in Causeway Development's (CW
Lexington Woods) application to the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities for a
determination and a Project Eligibility Letter (PEL) for the Lowell Street Parcel 68-44 affordable housing
project.
DOCUMENTS: Request for Letter of Support, Letter of Support
4. Approve: One-Day Liquor License - Lexington Lodge of Elks, 959 Waltham Street
Annual Breast Cancer Fundraiser - Sunday, May 25, 2025
To approve a One-Day Liquor License for the Lexington Lodge of Elks #2204 to serve beer in the rear
parking lot of the Lodge of Elks, 959 Waltham Street, for the purpose of a Breast Cancer Fundraiser on
Sunday, May 25, 2025 from 1:00pm to 6:00pm.
5. Approve: Battle Green Use Request - United States Air Force Promotion Ceremony
Thursday, May 1, 2025
To approve the request of Hanalei Strege to use the Lexington Battle Green near the Battle Line Boulder
for a United States Air Force Promotion Ceremony on May 1, 2025, from 3:00pm - 3:30pm.
6. Approve: Battle Green Use Request - St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church
Good Friday Procession - Friday, April 18, 2025
To approve the Battle Green Use Request submitted by St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church to hold a
brief 20-minute commemoration during their Good Friday procession on April 18, 2025, beginning at
approximately 8:20pm.
7. Approve and Sign Awards for Patriots' Day
Minuteman Cane Award
Pat Flynn Outstanding Youth Award
To approve and sign a proclamation for the 2025 Minuteman Cane Award.
To approve and sign two proclamations for the 2025 Pat Flynn Outstanding Youth Award.
DOCUMENTS: 2025 Minuteman Cane Award, 2025 Pat Flynn Outstanding Youth Award - Siya Setty,
2025 Pat Flynn Outstanding Youth Award - Isabelle Barbesino
VOTE: Upon a motion duly made and seconded, the Select Board voted by roll call 5-0 to approve the
Consent Agenda.
ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION
1. Update on Level 3 Electric Vehicle Charging Rates- NStar lot
Maggie Peard, Sustainability and Resilience Officer, explained that he Level 3 electric vehicle charging
stations have been installed in the NSTAR parking lot, and will be operational as soon as Verizon installs
a new pole, and Eversource delivers power to the stations. Before the chargers can be opened to the
public, the Board needs to set a rate for charging. This topic was previously discussed during an October
2024 meeting. In the past there were two proposed options. One was a time of use rate, and one was a flat
rate of 45 cents per kilowatt hour. This compares to 30 cents per kilowatt hours at Level 2 chargers. It is
typical to see a higher rate for the fast charging rate. She recommended the flat rate option. The Board
should also consider a potential idle fee. Staff asks that the Board be prepared to make a final decision by
the April 28th meeting.
Mr. Sandeen reviewed the comparable Level 3 chargers in the area. The Tesla Supercharger based in
Lexington has a rate of 26 cents per kilowatt hour off peak and 46 cents per kilowatt hour on peak. The
Tesla Supercharger rate in Burlington has a rate of 25 cents per kilowatt hour off peak, and 43 cents per
kilowatt hour on peak. Thus, the 45-cent proposed flat rate seems very comparable. Eversource rates do
not vary with time in Lexington, and so the Town will not pass along any savings by having a lower rate
at off peak times. He noted that most electric vehicles have a fairly aggressive taper, and he rarely sees
charging rates over 100 kilowatts. He agreed with the 100 kilowatts suggested.
Mr. Pato stated that the other checkpoint Level 2 charger in Town, which is at the Mass DOT service
area, has a rate of 35 cents per kilowatt hour, so 45 cents seems fine. He stated that he believes an idle fee
is needed and should be predictable for the end user.
Ms. Kumar suggested starting at 100 kilowatts and monitoring user feedback. Staff could also monitor
expenses versus the revenue generated, in order to adjust it if necessary.
DOCUMENTS: Memo April 20225
2. 2025 Annual Town Meeting - Select Board Article Discussion and Positions
Regarding Article 30, Mr. Pato stated that he does not see a justification for reconsideration and would
plan to abstain on a reconsideration vote.
Cindy Arens, Town Meeting Member Precinct 3, and also signed onto Mr. Daggett’s application for
reconsideration. She explained that there is new information, which was not clear to Town Meeting,
including that the significant GFA bonus that SRD affords to develop market rate GFA over conventional
developments. The proponents heard that Town Meeting Members wanted to increase GFA for
inclusionary for affordable housing, and to get it to be 15% of the GFA of the total development. Mr.
Daggett did an evaluation of 31 subdivision plans from recent years and found, on average, that SRDs get
a 48% market rate GFA bonus over what can be built in the same new, conventional subdivision.
Mr. Sandeen stated that he believes most Town Meeting Members believed the proposal was for 15%
inclusionary units of the gross floor area, but it was discovered this was actually 13%. His perspective is
that there should be 15% inclusionary units, and so he will vote yes on reconsideration and yes on the
amendment.
Regarding Article 34, Mr. Pato updated his position to a ‘yes’.
Regarding Article 23, Mr. Lucente updated his position to a ‘no.’ He stated that he does not believe this
Article is ready for Annual Town Meeting and that there should be additional discussions with the
neighborhood.
Ms. Hai stated that she believes Article 23 is seeking authority from Town Meeting to draft an RFP, and
the Board then gets to put restrictions on that. This will allow the Board to continue to move a stalled
project forward, while creating parameters for the RFP. She would like to see a level of trust that the
Board will be pursuing a project that is in the best interest of the community. She supports this proposal.
Mr. Pato agreed and stated that it should plan to proceed under the conditions established by the
numerous public hearings, and the context of the recommendations from the reports which set out an
upper bound on what the number of units would be. He expressed that an RFP would be issued
determining if the proposal is financially viable for someone who would want to move forward with a
project.
Mr. Sandeen stated that the best way to get more information about what is feasible on this property is to
pursue an RFP. There will be an opportunity for the Board to set parameters for the RFP. There is no
obligation for the Board to accept any proposal that comes forward, if it feels they are not viable for any
reason.
DOCUMENTS: Select Board Working Document - Positions 2025 ATM, Moderator's Proposed 2025
ATM article schedule, Art 30 reconsideration motion, Art 34 revised motion redlined, Art 34 revised
motion
ADJOURN
VOTE: Upon a motion duly made and seconded, the Select Board voted by roll call 5-0 to adjourn at
7:15pm.
A true record; Attest:
Kristan Patenaude
Recording Secretary
SELECT BOARD MEETING
Monday, April 14, 2025
A meeting of the Lexington Select Board was called to order at 6:00p.m. on Monday, April 14, 2025, via
a hybrid meeting platform. Mr. Lucente, Chair; Mr. Pato, Ms. Hai, Mr. Sandeen, and Ms. Kumar, were
present, as well as Mr. Bartha, Town Manager; Ms. Axtell, Deputy Town Manager; and Ms. Katzenback,
Executive Clerk.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
None at this time.
SELECT BOARD MEMBER CONCERNS AND LIAISON REPORTS
1. Select Board Member Announcements and Liaison Reports
No additional comments at this time.
TOWN MANAGER REPORT
1. Town Manager Weekly Update
No additional comments at this time.
CONSENT AGENDA
1. Approve: Common Victualler License
Mike & Patty's Breakfast & Sandwiches - 317 Woburn Street
To approve a Common Victualler License for Mike & Patty’s Breakfast & Sandwiches, located at 317
Woburn Street, with on-site manager Vincenzo Pileggi, for the hours and days of operation as indicated.
2. Approve: Town Manager Reappointment
Thomas Romano - Youth Commission
To confirm the Town Manager's reappointment of Thomas Romano to the Youth Commission with a term
set to expire April 30, 2028.
VOTE: Upon a motion duly made and seconded, the Select Board voted by roll call 5-0 to approve the
Consent Agenda.
ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION
1. Approve: Compost Site Rates for 2025
Dave Pinsonneault, Director of Public Works, explained that modest increases to keep the operation
competitive and to cover the cost of the operation are proposed.
There was no public comment at this time
VOTE: Upon a motion duly made and seconded, the Select Board voted by roll call 5-0 to approve the
proposed compost site rates as presented.
DOCUMENTS: Compost Rate Presentation
2. Discussion: Tree Removal on Cedar Street, Per MGL 87D
Mr. Lucente explained that this item was on the agenda in the event the Board may be asked to consider a
vote (pursuant to MGL 87D) to approve the removal of one tree related to the Cedar Street sidewalk
project. A presentation was made to the Tree Committee on April 10th that resolved the issue. On April
14th, Nancy Sofen, Tree Committee Chair, submitted an opinion of the Tree Committee. This memo
confirms that there is no action needed to be taken by the Select Board at this meeting. The Committee
submitted formal feedback earlier today, confirming that they fully support the revised sidewalk design,
which preserves a large oak tree at 48 Cedar Street. They also express no objection to the removal of the
other trees as discussed during a public hearing.
DOCUMENTS: Feedback from Tree Committee
3. Update: Final Design of Cedar Street Sidewalk
Ross Morrow, Assistant Town Engineer, explained that during a survey of this area, it was determined
that a significant portion of the right of way between Hill Street and Mass Ave was initially drafted
incorrectly, and the Town property line was at the edge of the Cedar Street roadway. This meant that the
proposed sidewalk was completely on private property. Staff then reengaged the design consultant and it
was determined that the sidewalk should be moved to the even house number side of the street. The
project has been bid at this time and a contract will be signed shortly. The project cost is approximately
$1M at this time. Staff has spoken with neighbors regarding concerns about this project and worked to
alleviate as many concerns as possible in the design.
4. Update: East Lexington Mural Projects
Jay Abdella, Senior Coordinator Economic Development, explained that the project the project focuses on
three locations in East Lexington: 55 Mass Ave, 131 Mass Ave, and 135-145 Mass Ave. Each of these
locations will receive a mural on their exterior façades which aims to bolster connectivity between the
Minuteman Bikeway and the businesses. Wayfinding signage and landscaping projects are also being
pursued in these areas. After a call for artists, Staff reviewed each application and advanced three
semifinalists who each were awarded a $1,000 stipend to produce a proposal. in addition to these murals,
the artists are working on other programming vectors, including incorporating augmented reality into the
murals to allow people to explore the history on their phones, along with providing historic videos in
collaboration with the Lexington Historical Society. The installation of these murals is funded using
ARPA appropriations. A noise consultant was hired to study the impacts of this work. The cost for this
item was $3,000 which will be funded through the Economic Development Professional Services line
item. There will be a free community paint party on Saturday May 3rd, at the Visitor Center lawn from
11am to 1pm.
Staff will return to the Board in the future for a Special Noise Permit for Mural 1, at 135-145 Mass Ave.
This permit is needed as the artist will require a boom lift to reach to the top areas of the wall. The work
will need to be completed in the evening hours and noise mitigation efforts are being explored.
Ms. Kumar asked about maintenance of the murals. It was noted that the material is very durable, with
minimum maintenance. It is assumed that the murals could last anywhere from 5-10+ years.
DOCUMENTS: Update on East Lexington Mural Project, East Lexington Mural Project - Acoustics
Report
6. 2025 Annual Town Meeting - Select Board Article Discussion and Positions – The Board took up
this item at this time.
The Select Board discussed the potential of Article 30 being reconsidered at the end of 2025 Annual
Town Meeting. Mr. Sandeen noted that the Affordable Housing Trust took a position, 5-0, in favor of the
amendment, and the Planning Board also took a position in support of the amendment, 4-1.
They took the following positions on Reconsideration of Article 30 – Mr. Pato and Ms. Hai are a ‘no’;
Mr. Sandeen is a ‘yes’; and Ms. Kumar and Mr. Lucente are a ‘wait.’
If the reconsideration for Article 30 should prevail, the Board took the following positions on the new
motion: Mr. Pato, Ms. Hai, Ms. Kumar, and Mr. Sandeen are a ‘yes’ and Mr. Lucente is a ‘wait.’
DOCUMENTS: Select Board Working Document - Positions 2025 ATM
7. Update: Patriots' Day Weekend – The Board took up this item at this time.
Mr. Lucente explained that there are approximately 19 events between now and Monday for the Patriots’
Day Weekend celebration. A brief description of the events was discussed. The Board reviewed a
proclamation to be read for the delegates from Antony, France.
VOTE: Upon a motion duly made and seconded, the Select Board voted by roll call 5-0 to approve
Antony Park Rededication Proclamation, as amended.
DOCUMENTS: Antony Park Rededication Proclamation
5. Hearing: Noise Bylaw Permit - Patriots' Day Prep
Mr. Lucente opened the hearing at 7:02pm.
Mr. Lucente explained that this is a regular request from the DPW to be approved for Noise Bylaw
Special Permit to allow the department to perform maintenance tasks associated with the Annual Patriot's
Day Celebration for one week in April. The DPW is seeking a Special Permit. In the past the Board has
approved a three-year permit. In 2025, the DPW plans to begin on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, through
Friday April 18, 2025, earlier than the normal start time of 7AM to perform maintenance tasks along
Bedford Street and Massachusetts Avenue in preparation for the Town's Patriot's Day Celebration. Per the
Noise Bylaw the DPW is requesting for next three years the week prior to Patriot's Day in April 2025,
2026, and 2027, for work to be conducted starting at 5AM on these streets and adjacent areas.
Mr. Lucente closed the hearing at 7:12pm.
In response to a question from Mr. Sandeen, Mr. Pinsonneault stated that, per the bylaw, Staff will use
electric backpack blowers and street sweepers as needed.
Dawn McKenna, 9 Hancock Street, asked that this request only be considered for one year at a time. The
DPW is a great Department to work with and cares what the neighbors think. She requested that the
request be allowed for this year and then considered additionally in future years. Mr. Lucente explained
that the three-year request was due to the cost to notify everyone impacted.
Nancy Rosenfield, 50 Waltham Street, stated that she is worried about being impacted by noise early in
the morning at her condo on Mass Ave. She asked about any recourse available. Mr. Pinsonneault
explained that the areas will not be impacted each day but maintained once and then moved on from. The
5AM time is being requested for the time before Patriots Day in order to minimize conflicts with others
and ensure safety of the crews.
VOTE: Upon a motion duly made and seconded, the Select Board voted by roll call 5-0 to approve a
noise bylaw special permit for the Department of Public Works for the week leading up to Patriots Day in
April to begin the work earlier than normal, with the start time of 5:00am, in order to perform
maintenance tasks associated with the annual Patriots Day celebration in April 2025, April 2026 and April
2027, and for the Select Board to review, at a meeting prior to April 2026, the effectiveness as well any
impacts of the 2025 early work start time.
DOCUMENTS: DPW request for Noise Bylaw Special Permit, Public Comment 1, Public Comment 2
ADJOURN
VOTE: Upon a motion duly made and seconded, the Select Board voted by roll call 5-0 to adjourn at
7:16pm.
A true record; Attest:
Kristan Patenaude
Recording Secretary
SELECT BOARD MEETING
Monday, April 28, 2025
A meeting of the Lexington Select Board was called to order at 6:30p.m. on Monday, April 28, 2025, via
a hybrid meeting platform. Mr. Lucente, Chair; Mr. Pato, Ms. Hai, Mr. Sandeen, and Ms. Kumar, were
present, as well as Mr. Bartha, Town Manager; Ms. Axtell, Deputy Town Manager; and Ms. Katzenback,
Executive Clerk.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
1. Exemption 3: Collective Bargaining - To discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining
(LMEA, LMMA, Fire, Crossing Guard, Police Superior)
VOTE: Upon a motion duly made and seconded, by roll call, the Select Board voted 5-0 at 6:31pm that
the Select Board go into Executive Session under Exemption 3 to discuss strategy with respect to
collective bargaining for the Lexington Municipal Employees Association(LMEA), Lexington Municipal
Management Association(LMMA), Fire Department, Crossing Guard and the Police Superior Unions,
and to reconvene in Open Session. Further, as Chair, it was declared that an open meeting discussion may
have a detrimental effect on the bargaining and litigating position of the Town.
The Board returned to open session at 6:59p.m.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
None at this time.
SELECT BOARD MEMBER CONCERNS AND LIAISON REPORTS
1. Select Board Member Announcements and Liaison Reports
Mr. Sandeen stated that he attended a public community forum being run by the Lowell and North Street
developers. The intention of the forum is to present what has been done to address the comments raised
during the first meeting, and also to present the results of the traffic study that was conducted. In addition,
he said the Permanent Building Committee will be meeting on Thursday May 1, 2025 to discuss the
Lexington High School Project. They are currently engaged in a value engineering process, which
attempts to look at the design of the High School and see if there are any potential savings.
Mr. Pato stated that the School Master Planning Committee is reviewing general trends for the school
district over the next few generations. Current enrollment trends combined with known housing
development plans appear to be within the current district capacity. The group is working to identify
triggers for what might lead the Town to need to make capital investment changes. The school building
project for the High School is progressing. From a design perspective, it should wind down by June, at
which point designs will be sent out for updated price estimations. There will be several more community
sessions between now and then and there will continue to be regular design meetings occurring every
week. Mr. Pato also noted that while costs and tax implications remain topmost on everyone’s mind,
community engagement is also focused on issues like traffic patterns, impact on neighbors, construction
impact on students and recreation, etc. He recommends that Board members attend some abutters’
meetings to hear some of the traffic safety concerns that are present today not just as a result of the
construction project.
Mr. Lucente thanked all of the Staff and volunteers involved in the 250th events.
Ms. Hai stated that the delegates from Lexington’s Sister City Antony France appreciated all of the
community and individual hospitality during the 250th event. During their visit to Lexington, they
presented a gift to Lexington, a bust of the Marquis de Lafayette which was made by Trudon. The
Trudon company was the first and only Royal wax manufacturer, and was based in Antony. Ms. Hai
announced that today is National Workers Memorial Day. She shared a list of names of those who died
serving the community and there was a moment of silence in their remembrance.
Ms. Kumar congratulated the Lex 250th team for a remarkable weeklong celebration.
TOWN MANAGER REPORT
1. Town Manager Weekly Update
Mr. Bartha expressed his thanks and appreciation to those involved in the 250th celebrations. He noted
that the Town’s Health Director, Joanne Belanger, will be retiring in June. She has been a huge asset to
the Town and will be missed. Alicia McCartin, the Assistant Health Director will be serving in the acting
role until a new Health Director position is hired.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Patrick Mehr, 31 Woodcliffe Road, stated that the Board previously heard a presentation from Fourgere
Planning & Development on their report. He said he feels this report is wrong in its conclusion. On page
25 of the report, Table 16, the variable cost to educate a non-SPED student was estimated at $12,093.
This is far too low a number, especially when compared with the $26,000 the Appropriations Committee
used in their report, prepared for Article Two of Special Town Meeting. He stated that he hopes Fougere
will be able to issue a correction, in order to know what the actual numbers. Also, the $12,093 variable
cost per student was developed using school staff, and it appears they may not have the expertise needed
to come up with these numbers.
CONSENT AGENDA
1. Approve: 2025 Limousine License Renewals
To approve the 2025 Annual Limousine License renewals for the following businesses:
Boyadjian Limousine Service: 447 Lowell Street - 2 vehicles
D&O Limo: 3402 Main Campus Drive - 1 vehicle
2. Approve: New Limousine License Application
Backbay Sedan Services: 37 Woburn Street - 1 vehicle
To approve the application and issue one (1) Limousine License to Backbay Sedan Services, operated by
Fusco Enterprises, LLC.
DOCUMENTS: Backbay Sedan Services - Limo Application
3. Approve: One-Day Liquor License - Tapped Beer Trucks, 60 Westview Street
Corporate events for employees at Crosby Property Offices at 60 Westview Street on the
following dates:
o Thursday, May 8, 2025
o Thursday, July 24, 2025
o Thursday, September 4, 2025
To approve three One-Day Liquor Licenses for Tapped Beer Trucks to serve beer and wine at 60
Westview Street on May 8, 2025, July 24, 2025 and September 4, 2025, from 3:00pm to 5:00pm, in
accordance with all applicable laws and regulations.
4. Approve: One-Day Liquor License - Craft Food Halls - 0 Depot Square
Discovery Day Beer Garden - Saturday, May 24, 2025
To approve a One-Day Liquor License for Craft Food Halls – Revolution Hall to serve beer and wine at
Emery Park, 0 Depot Square, on May 24, 2025, from 10:00am to 3:00pm, in accordance with all
applicable laws and regulations.
DOCUMENTS: Beer Garden Map
5. Approve: One-Day Liquor Licenses - Monroe Center for the Arts – 1403 Massachusetts Ave
Seasonal Suites, Tap and Jazz - Wednesday, May 7, 2025
Creative Connections, Social Event - Friday, May 9, 2025
To approve two One-Day Liquor Licenses for the Munroe Center for the Arts to serve beer and wine at
1403 Massachusetts Avenue for the Seasonal Suites, Tap and Jazz Event on May 7, 2025, and for the
Creative Connections, Social Event on May 9, 2025.
DOCUMENTS: Monroe Center Event Map
6. Approve: Entertainment License - Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
28th Annual Cystic Fibrosis Cycle for Life: Revolution Hall - Saturday, October 4, 2025
To approve an Entertainment License for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation for the 28th Annual Cystic
Fibrosis Cycle for Life, to allow for a disc jockey at Revolution Hall, 3 Maguire Road, on October 4,
2025, from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM, contingent upon compliance with all Town regulations.
DOCUMENTS: Cycle for Life Event Layout
7. Approve: Entertainment License - Bhakti Center
Festival of Colors - Saturday, June 14, 2025 at Hastings Park
To approve an Entertainment License for the Bhakti Center to host the Festival of Colors on Saturday,
June 14, 2025, from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM, with live performances and recorded music at Hastings Park.
DOCUMENTS: Festival of Colors Site Plan
8. Accept: Select Board Committee Resignation
Transportation Advisory Committee - Daniel Asta
To accept the resignation of Daniel Asta from the Transportation Advisory Committee effective
immediately.
9. Approve and Sign: Proclamation
Park and Recreation Month - July
To approve and sign a proclamation recognizing the month of July as Park and Recreation Month.
DOCUMENTS: 04282025 Park and Recreation Month Proclamation
10. Approve: Select Board Minutes
To approve and release the following minutes:
March 10, 2025 Select Board
March 17, 2025 Select Board
March 24, 2025 Select Board
March 26, 2025 Select Board
April 2, 2025 Select Board
April 7, 2025 Select Board
DOCUMENTS: DRAFT 03102025 Select Board Minutes; DRAFT 03172025 Select Board Minutes;
DRAFT 03242025 Select Board Minutes; DRAFT 03262025 Select Board Minutes; DRAFT 04022025
Select Board Minutes; DRAFT 04072025 Select Board Minutes
11. Approve: Request for Water and Sewer Deferral
To approve deferral of the FY2025 water and sewer payments for 27 Lawrence Lane.
DOCUMENTS: Water and Sewer Deferral Application
12. Approve: Select Board Appointment of Town Counsel
Anderson & Kreiger LLP
To appoint Anderson & Kreiger LLP as Town of Lexington’s Counsel, with Mina S. Makarious serving
as Town Counsel, for a one-year term to expire March 31, 2026.
13. Approve: Select Board Committee Reappointment
Affordable Housing Trust: Tiffany Payne, Linda Prosnitz, and William M. Erickson
To reappoint Tiffany Payne, Linda Prosnitz, and William M. Erickson to the Affordable Housing Trust
for two-year terms set to expire on April 30, 2027.
VOTE: Upon a motion duly made and seconded, the Select Board voted 5-0 to approve the Consent
Agenda.
ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION
1. Hearing: Liquor License Amendment Application - Akame Nigeri and Sake Change of Officers
and Ownership Interest
Mr. Lucente opened the hearing at 7:22pm.
Mr. Lucente stated that M Block LLC d/b/a Akame Nigiri and Sake, located at 1707 Massachusetts
Avenue, #2, has submitted all the necessary paperwork needed to request a Change of Officers and a
Change of Ownership Interest on their Wine and Malt Common Victualler Liquor License. Christopher
Bonasoro sold his interest in M Block LLC and is no longer an owner, he had a 35% ownership interest.
Michael Monaco, current owner and manager on record of the liquor license, purchased Mr. Bonasoro’s
ownership percentage. Mr. Monaco now holds 100% ownership interest in M Block LLC. M Block
LLC’s business structure documents have been updated with the State reflecting this change of officers
and ownership interest.
There was no public comment at this time.
Mr. Lucente closed the hearing at 7:23pm.
VOTE: Upon a motion duly made and seconded, the Select Board voted 5-0 to approve M Block LLC’s
application for a Change of Officers and a Change of Ownership Interest on their Wine and Malt
Common Victualler Liquor License at 1707 Massachusetts Avenue #2.
DOCUMENTS: Amendment Application
2. Review and Approve: Updated Liquor License Transfer Application - Neillio's Wine and Spirits
55 Bedford Street
Mr. Lucente explained that, on December 11, 2024, the Select Board approved the transfer of the Package
Store Liquor License located at 55 Bedford Street to 55 Bedford St LLC d/b/a Neillio’s Wine and Spirits.
The ABCC sent a "return no action" notification to the 55 Bedford St LLC copying the Select Board
Office regarding the transfer license application citing that the applicant needs to submit the following
UPDATED information to the local licensing authority for their approval of the amended application
pages/additional supporting documents:
Page 1, section 4 description of the premises must indicate the same sq. ft. and number of
floors as indicated on the submitted lease
Page 2, section 6 correct Name of Principal Title on form to be: Manager/Member
Corrected Page 3
Page 5 – corrected figures on section 10 Financial Disclosure. Applicant Statement Page -
correct the title Corporate Vote requires date of meeting of applicant
In addition, the applicant must provide:
Real Estate Purchase and Sale Agreement,
a commitment letter from Leader Bank
Commercial Promissory Note
Pledge Agreement regarding the pledge of license and inventory
This is an administrative action and no hearing is required.
VOTE: Upon a motion duly made and seconded, the Select Board voted 5-0 to approve 55 Bedford St
LLC d/b/a Neillio’s Wine and Spirits submission of the required updated paperwork to be sent to ABCC
for ABCC's reconsideration of 55 Bedford St LLC d/b/a Neillio’s Wine and Spirits Package Store Liquor
License transfer application.
DOCUMENTS: Amended Application pages and supplemental documents
3. Discussion: Letter of Support for the Municipal Empowerment Act
Mr. Bartha explained the draft letter was developed in response to a request from Mr. Pato that the Board
offer its support to the Governor's Municipal Empowerment Act, which was filed last year, and was
refiled in January 2025.
There was discussion regarding making the double pole provision more explicit in the letter.
VOTE: Upon a motion duly made and seconded, the Select Board voted 5-0 to approve the signing of the
Letter of Support for the Municipal Empowerment Act by both the Select Board and Mr. Bartha, as
edited.
DOCUMENTS: MEA Letter
4. Discussion: Worthen Road School Safety Zone - This Item will be rescheduled to a future agenda
5. Approve: Level 3 Electric Vehicle Charging Rates for NStar Lot
Maggie Peard, Sustainability & Resilience Officer, explained that, at the last meeting, it seemed that there
was consensus on setting a flat rate of $0.45 per kilowatt hour. There would also be an underlying parking
fee collected at the charging stations. Regarding the idle fee, there seemed to be consensus regarding a $1
per minute fee for any car parked for over two hours after a ten-minute grace period. There was also
discussion regarding whether or not the idle fee should be conditioned on if there is another car at the
second port. The consensus was not to make the fee conditional, so as to provide clarity. Staff also looks
to limit the maximum charging rate to 100 kilowatts in order to avoid demand charges from Eversource.
The Board noted that it could revisit this in the future depending on how this proposal works out.
VOTE: Upon a motion duly made and seconded, the Select Board voted by roll call 5-0 to approve a flat
rate of $0.45 per kilowatt-hour for charging at Town-managed Level 3 EV charging stations with a
$1.00/minute idle fee after a 10-minute grace period for cars parked at the stations for more than 2 hours.
DOCUMENTS: Level 3 Charging Rate
ADJOURN
VOTE: Upon a motion duly made and seconded, the Select Board voted by roll call 5-0 to adjourn at
7:49pm.
A true record; Attest:
Kristan Patenaude
Recording Secretary
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
LEXINGTON SELECT BOARD MEETING
AGENDA ITEM TITLE:
Review and Approve: Response to Liquor License Compliance Check Violation
PRESENTER:
Doug Lucente, Chair
ITEM
NUMBER:
C.5
SUMMARY:
Category: Decision-Making
On April 29, 2025 and May 1, 2025 the Lexington Police Department conducted alcohol compliance checks
on a total of 27 liquor licensed establishments. The purpose of the compliance checks is to ensure that
establishments who hold liquor licenses obey the laws pertaining to the sale/service of alcohol.
On Tuesday, April 29, 2025 the following establishment was found in violation of serving a minor during the
compliance check.
Love At First Bite 1710 Massachusetts Avenue
Attached is a copy of the Select Board's Regulation regarding Alcoholic Beverages Enforcement. In
accordance with this regulation, a written warning will be sent to the above establishments informing them of the
actions that need to be taken regarding the liquor license violations found as a result of the April 29, 2025
compliance checks conducted by the Lexington Police Department.
The Board is being asked to approve the letter to be sent to this establishment.
SUGGESTED MOTION:
to approve and authorize the Select Board Chair to sign the letters to be sent to Love at First Bite, informing
them of the actions to be taken regarding the liquor license violations found during April 29, 2025 compliance
checks conducted by the Lexington Police Department.
Move to approve the consent
FOLLOW-UP:
Select Board Office
DATE AND APPROXIMATE TIME ON AGENDA:
5/19/2025
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
1st offense letter - love at first bite Backup Material
Alcohol Regulations - Enforcement Backup Material
Town of Lexington, Massachusetts
SELECT BOARD OFFICE
DOUGLAS M. LUCENTE, CHAIR
JOSEPH N. PATO
JILL I. HAI
MARK D. SANDEEN TEL: (781) 698-4580
VINEETA A. KUMAR FAX: (781) 863-9468
1625 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE · LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02420
e-mail selectboard@lexingtonma.gov
Love at First Bite Thai Kitchen and Bar
1710 Massachusetts Avenue
Lexington, MA 02420
Attn: Apichat Chuenprapa
May 19, 2025
Dear Mr. Chuenprapa,
On Tuesday, April 29, 2025 Alcohol Compliance Checks were conducted on establishments in Lexington
that serve alcoholic beverages. Lexington Police Officers advised Manunya Polboonsri, manager on duty, of
the incident that occurred at Love at First Bite and that there would be a follow up from the Select Board to
the incident.
Sale or delivery of alcohol to under age persons is a violation of Massachusetts General Laws and the
Lexington Alcohol Licensing Board. See enclosed copy of the Alcoholic Beverages Enforcement
Regulation. The following course of action will be taken upon violations occurring within 3 years: 1st
offense – written warning placed in the licensing file and required training for personnel; 2nd offense –
hearing before the Select Board to determine action, including suspension and revocation of license.
Extenuating circumstances may necessitate more serious consequences on any violations.
For your 1st offense you must have all bartenders, servers and managers trained/retrained using a
recognized alcohol awareness training organization such as TIPS or SafeServe. You must provide the
Select Board Office, by June 30, 2025, a list of all the bartenders, servers and managers trained along,
with a copy of the new training certificate(s) for each. If there is a second violation of any kind, Love at
First Bite will be required to have a hearing before the Select Board to discuss the consequences.
The Lexington Select Board and Police Department share with you, as business owners/manager and
members of the Lexington community, the common goal of consistent responsible sale and service of
alcohol.
Regards,
Douglas M. Lucente, Chair
BOARD OF SELECTMEN REGULATION
ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES – ENFORCEMENT
Date Approved by BOS: Signature of Chair:
March 15, 2010 Norman P. Cohen
I. PURPOSE AND SCOPE
The Board of Selectmen is duly authorized by statute to issue and to regulate alcoholic
beverage licenses. As a result, the Board of Selectmen is the primary enforcement agency
for compliance with ABCC, and town regulations governing alcohol. The Police
Department also conducts compliance checks on all establishments that hold alcohol
beverage licenses. The purpose of enforcement is not punitive, but for education and to
ensure these regulations are consistently followed and applied. It is in the community’s
best interest for all to understand the benefits of complying with the laws governing
alcohol.
II. APPLICATION
1. The licensee is responsible, whether present or not, for ensuring that no
disorder, disturbance, or illegality takes place in or on a licensed premises.
2. Violations may include, but not be limited to, service to an underage person,
sale or delivery to intoxicated persons, use of narcotics on the premises,
gambling, failure to meet any of the terms of the regulations of the Board of
Selectmen.
3. Periodically, the police conduct stings and checks at licensed locations for
compliance. When checks take place, the police shall use the guidelines from
the ABCC for compliance checks.
4. The following course of action will be taken upon violations occurring within
3 years: 1st offense – written warning placed in the licensing file and required
training for personnel involved; 2nd offense – hearing before the Board of
Selectmen to determine action including suspension and revocation of license.
Circumstances may necessitate more serious consequences on any violations.
5. Violations of other rules and regulations will be brought to the attention of the
Board of Selectmen who shall determine whether or not a hearing is
necessary. In most cases, a hearing will be held to determine what, if any,
action should be taken.
6. All violations and complaints received about licensed establishments shall be
in writing and placed in the file of the licensee.
7. At the time of license renewal and/or changes to the license, the Board of
Selectmen will be made aware of any violations or complaints in the last three
years and may use that as a basis for action on the license renewal or change.
8. Upon notice of violations or complaints, the license holder shall provide to the
Board of Selectmen evidence of steps taken to address the violation or of
mitigating circumstances. Failure to respond could result in revocation or
suspension of liquor license. Information provided to the Board shall be
placed in the licensee’s file and may be considered as a basis for action on the
license renewal or change.
9. The license holder has the right to appeal any decision of the Board of
Selectmen within five (5) days of the decision to ABCC.
III. BACKGROUND
When violations occur to the rules and regulations regarding alcohol license, it is the
Board of Selectmen who is ultimately responsible for enforcing the regulations in
conjunction with the Police Department. This enforcement policy is intended to provide
guidance to all licensees of their obligations and the consequences for not following
applicable laws and regulations.
IV. REFERENCE
Adopted by the Board of Selectmen October 4, 2004.
This regulation was amended by the Board of Selectmen on March 15, 2010.
MGL Chapter 138
ABCC Guide to Liquor Laws of the Commonwealth
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
LEXINGTON SELECT BOARD MEETING
AGENDA ITEM TITLE:
Approve: One-Day Liquor License - Dana Home Foundation, Lexington Community Center,
39 Marrett Road
PRESENTER:
Doug Lucente, Chair
ITEM
NUMBER:
C.6
SUMMARY:
Category: Decision-Making
Dana Home Foundation:
The Dana Home Foundation has requested a One-Day Liquor License to serve beer and wine for the purpose
of their 2025 Dana Home Foundation Awards Reception to be held in the Dining Room of the Lexington
Community Center, 39 Marrett Road, on Wednesday, June 4, 2025 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm.
The request has been reviewed by the Police Department, Fire Department and Lexington Community Center
with no concerns.
SUGGESTED MOTION:
To approve a One-Day Liquor License for the Dana Home Foundation for the purpose of the 2025 Dana
Home Foundation Awards Reception to be held in the Dining Room of the Lexington Community Center, 39
Marrett Road, on Wednesday, June 4, 2025 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm.
Move to approve the consent.
FOLLOW-UP:
Select Board Office.
DATE AND APPROXIMATE TIME ON AGENDA:
5/19/2025
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
Dana Foundation Event Diagram Backup Material
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
LEXINGTON SELECT BOARD MEETING
AGENDA ITEM TITLE:
Approve: One-Day Liquor License - Spectacle Management, Inc., 1605 Massachusetts
Avenue
PRESENTER:
Doug Lucente, Chair
ITEM
NUMBER:
C.7
SUMMARY:
Category: Decision-Making
Spectacle Management:
Spectacle Management, Inc. has requested a One-Day Liquor License to serve beer and wine in the lobby of
Cary Memorial Building, 1605 Massachusetts Avenue, for the purpose of their Summer Concert Series events
on the following date from 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm.
June 22, 2025 - Todd Rundgren
The requests have been reviewed by the Department of Public Facilities with no concerns.
SUGGESTED MOTION:
To approve a One-Day Liquor License for Spectacle Management, Inc. to serve beer and wine in the lobby of
Cary Memorial Building, 1605 Massachusetts Avenue, for the purpose of their concert series on the following
date from 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm:
June 22, 2025 - Todd Rundgren
Move to approve the consent.
FOLLOW-UP:
Select Board Office.
DATE AND APPROXIMATE TIME ON AGENDA:
5/19/2025
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
LEXINGTON SELECT BOARD MEETING
AGENDA ITEM TITLE:
Approve: Battle Green Use Request - Town Celebrations Committee
PRESENTER:
Doug Lucente, Chair
ITEM
NUMBER:
C.8
SUMMARY:
Category: Decision-Making
Town Celebrations Committee:
The Town Celebrations Committee has requested permission to place small flags at the WWI memorial
plaques around the Battle Green in memory of Lexington residents who died in World War I. Upon approval, a
representative of the Committee will place the flags on the morning of Friday, May 23, 2025 at approximately
6:45am, and remove them the morning of Tuesday, May 27, 2025.
The Committee also requests use of the Battle Green for the purpose of a wreath laying ceremony at the
obelisk on Monday, May 26, 2025 at approximately 8:15am, which will be part of the larger Memorial Day
Wreath Walk that visits all memorials across town.
Memorial Walk on Massachusetts Avenue & Memorial Day Ceremony in Depot Square: The Town
Celebrations Committee requests Select Board approval for the closure of the west side of Massachusetts
Avenue from the driveway at Munroe Cemetery (1557 Massachusetts Avenue) west to the Police Station and
Cary Memorial Building lawn, continuing west to Depot Square, to all but emergency traffic for the Memorial
Walk on Monday, May 26, 2025.
Participants will line up at 9:30am, step off at 10:00am, and conclude with the Memorial Day Ceremony at
Emery Park at Depot Square, beginning at approximately 11:00am and lasting one hour.
The Police Department, Department of Public Works, Fire Department, and Town Manager’s Office have no
objections to these requests. The Town Manager has given permission for the use of Emery Park.
SUGGESTED MOTION:
To approve the request of the Town Celebrations Committee to place small flags at the memorial plaques
around the Battle Green on the morning of Friday, May 23, 2025, to be removed on the morning of Tuesday,
May 27, 2025.
To approve the request of the Town Celebrations Committee to use the Battle Green for the purpose of a
wreath laying ceremony at the obelisk on Monday, May 26, 2025 at approximately 8:15am.
To approve the Town Celebrations Committee request for road closures on Massachusetts Avenue and Depot
Square as described in the event details, to all but emergency traffic, for the Memorial Walk and the Memorial
Day Ceremony taking place at Emery Park on Monday, May 26, 2025 from 9:30am to 12:00pm, subject to
coordination with the Lexington Police Department, Fire Department, Department of Public Works, and Town
Manager’s Office.
Move to approve the consent.
FOLLOW-UP:
Select Board Office.
DATE AND APPROXIMATE TIME ON AGENDA:
5/19/2025
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
Memorial Day Event Details Backup Material
Town of Lexington’s Memorial Day Events for May 26, 2025
Concept: Lexington will re-establish the 8 WWI memorials on the Baftle Green on Friday, May
23, by placing a small American Flag at the site of each plaque honoring a Lexingtonian who
died in WWI, hold a Memorial Day Wreath Walk on Monday, May 26 from 8:15am to 11:00 am,
and a Memorial Day Ceremony on Monday, May 26 from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm. The Wreath
Walk will be a casual parade that visits each war memorial, fire memorial and police memorial
in town. The Ceremony will take place in Emery Park at Depot Square.
Date and Start fime of the event
Flag Placement on Baftle Green (to re-establish WWI Memorials) – Friday, May 23, 2025 at
6:45am
Wreath Walk from WWII memorial behind Buckman Tavern, to Obelisk on Baftle Green to Fire
Stafion, to Westview Cemetery, to Munroe Cemetery, to Police Stafion, to Korea and Vietnam
Memorials, to Emery Park - Monday, May 26, 2025 at 8:15 am
Ceremony at Every Park at Depot Square – Monday, May 26, 2025 at 11:00 am
Durafion of the event
30 minutes, 3 hours & 1 hour
Nature of the event
Small Flags: to place small flags at the memorial plaques around the Baftle Green on the
morning of Friday, May 23, 2025 at approximately 6:45am to be removed on the morning of
Tuesday, May 27, 2025.*
Wreath Laying Ceremony: to hold a wreath laying ceremony at the obelisk on the morning of
Monday, May 26, 2025 at approximately 8:15am.*
Memorial Walk/Road Closures: parade down Massachusefts Avenue from the Munroe
Cemetery driveway westerly to the Police Stafion & Cary Memorial Building lawn, and then onto
Depot Square for the Memorial Day Ceremony in Emery Park on Monday, May 26, 2025. The
parade will line up at 9:30am and step off at 10:00am from the Munroe Cemetery driveway.
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
LEXINGTON SELECT BOARD MEETING
AGENDA ITEM TITLE:
Amend: Battle Green Use Request - Air Force Retirement Ceremony
PRESENTER:
Doug Lucente, Chair
ITEM
NUMBER:
C.9
SUMMARY:
Category: Decision-Making
At their February 24, 2025 meeting the Select Board approved use of the Battle Green on Tuesday, June 17,
2025 for the purpose of conducting an Air Force Retirement Ceremony.
Kathryne Friess is respectfully requesting to amend her application to also use the Battle Green on Monday, June
16, 2025 for a rehearsal from 10:00am to 12:00pm.
The P olice Department, Department of Public Works, and the Fire Department have no objections to this request.
SUGGESTED MOTION:
Move to amend the previously approved Battle Green Use Request for the Air Force Retirement Ceremony to
include use of the Battle Green on Monday, June 16, 2025, from 10:00am to 12:00pm for the purpose of
conducting a rehearsal.
FOLLOW-UP:
Select Board Office.
DATE AND APPROXIMATE TIME ON AGENDA:
5/19/2025
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
LEXINGTON SELECT BOARD MEETING
AGENDA ITEM TITLE:
Approve: Town Meeting Article Submission Timeline Policy
PRESENTER:
Doug Lucente, Chair
ITEM
NUMBER:
C.10
SUMMARY:
Category: Decision-making
The Board reviewed a draft of the Town Meeting Article Submission Timeline Policy. The draft policy was
also distributed to Town Department staff as well as committee chairs. Suggested edits been incorporated in
the the Final Version of the Town Meeting Article Submission Timeline Policy attached to this packet.
SUGGESTED MOTION:
To approve the Town Meeting Article Submission Timeline Policy as presented.
Move to approve the consent.
FOLLOW-UP:
Distribute and post the approved Town Meeting Article Submission Timeline Policy
DATE AND APPROXIMATE TIME ON AGENDA:
5/19/2025
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
Town Meeting Article Submission Timeline Policy Backup Material
Town Meeting Article Submission Timeline Policy - redlined Backup Material
SELECT BOARD POLICY
Town Meeting Warrant Article Submission Timeline Policy
Date Approved by Select Board: Signature of Chair:
______________________________ ______________________________
I. PURPOSE & SCOPE
Establish a standardized timeline and procedures for developing and submitting warrant articles for Town
Meeting.
Ensure clarity, consistency, and accountability among boards, committees, and Town departments for Annual
Town Meeting (ATM) and Special Town Meetings (STM).
The Select Board has final authority to determine which articles are placed on the warrant. No proposal is
guaranteed placement without an affirmative Select Board vote.
Nothing in this policy precludes any proponent from pursuing a citizen petition article as an alternative path
if the Select Board declines to sponsor a proposal.
II. ANNUAL TOWN MEETING WARRANT ARTICLE TIMELINE & PROCESS
(Typical schedule for a spring Annual Town Meeting)
A.Preliminary Article Planning (Late Summer): By the last business day in August, all boards and
committees shall identify any articles under consideration and notify both the Deputy Town Manager as well
as their assigned Select Board liaison. Drafting of article ideas should begin at this stage to ensure readiness
for fall review.
B.Concept Presentation (Mid-September): By the second week of September, all proponents must be
prepared to present draft article concepts to the Select Board at a scheduled public meeting. The purpose of
this presentation is to receive early feedback from the Select Board on the proposed direction, scope, and
readiness of the article. Presentations shall include a clear summary of the issue, the proposed action, the
rationale, the intended article sponsor, and anticipated consultation or outreach needed.
C.Warrant Opening (November): The Select Board officially opens the Annual Town Meeting (ATM)
warrant by vote (typically early to mid-November). This serves as public notice that article submissions are
being accepted.
D.Board/Committee/Town Department Article Deadline (Late November): Town boards, committees, and
departments must submit final versions of all proposed warrant articles by the last week in November.
Submissions must incorporate any preliminary feedback from the Select Board and be complete with all
required content outlined in Section IV. Articles must be emailed to the Deputy Town Manager by the
deadline. Late or incomplete submissions will not be considered for inclusion.
E.Select Board Review and Determination (Early-December): During the first week of December, the
Select Board shall hold a public meeting to review all warrant article submissions from boards, committees,
and departments. The Board will evaluate each article for completeness, readiness, alignment with Town
goals, and overall suitability for inclusion in the Warrant. This review may include requests for clarification,
revisions, or consolidation of similar proposals. Articles not approved for inclusion may still be pursued
through a citizen petition, subject to the petition deadline.
F.Citizen Petition Deadline (Mid-December): All citizen petition articles for the Annual Town Meeting must
be submitted to the Select Board Office no later than mid-December, typically 6–7 weeks after the warrant
opens. The exact date and time will be publicly posted by the Select Board each year. Petitions must include
at least ten (10) original signatures from registered Lexington voters and be certified by the Town Clerk.
Petition forms are available from the Town Clerk’s Office and must be submitted in hard copy by the stated
deadline. This deadline also serves as the final opportunity to place an article on the Warrant by right.
G.Article Finalization (Mid-January): By mid-January, all article language and draft motions are finalized.
Proponents shall coordinate through the Town Manager’s Office to work with Town Counsel to refine
wording and ensure legality. Any presentation materials (e.g. background slides or explanatory videos)
should be completed at this stage. Final draft motions submitted in January are for review and publication
purposes only; all motions remain subject to amendment or refinement until moved and voted on at Town
Meeting.
H.Warrant Finalization (Late January): The Select Board votes to close the warrant and approve the final
list and order of ATM articles (typically late January). The final Warrant is then published and posted per
legal requirements.
I.Pre-Town Meeting Review (February – Early March): In the weeks before Town Meeting, article
proponents may be asked to present their articles to the Select Board and relevant committees (e.g.
Appropriation Committee, Capital Expenditures Committee). The Select Board and other committees will
review and often vote on recommendations for each article during this period.
J.Town Meeting Convenes (Late March): The Annual Town Meeting begins on the date set in the Warrant
(usually the 3rd or 4th Monday in March, after the Annual Town Election typically held on the first Monday
in March). Town Meeting Members debate and vote on all Warrant articles in one or more sessions until all
business is concluded.
III. SPECIAL TOWN MEETINGS (STM)
A.Calling a Special Town Meeting: A Special Town Meeting (STM) may be called by the Select Board at
any point in the year, but only for matters deemed urgent, time-sensitive, or exceptional in nature. STM is
not intended for routine or non-critical articles. The Select Board shall determine if an issue necessitates a
Special Town Meeting and will set the warrant opening and closing dates accordingly, providing as much
notice as feasible.
B.Compressed Timeline: Because STM is convened only for specific, non-routine purposes, the article
submission process will follow a significantly accelerated timeline. The period between warrant opening and
closing may be as short as one week. Proponents must be prepared to act quickly and ensure article
development, legal review, and committee coordination are completed within this condensed schedule.
C.Citizen Petition Requirements: Citizen petitions for STMs require at least one hundred (100) signatures
from registered Lexington voters, or 10% of the Town's registered voters, whichever is fewer. Signed
originals must be submitted to the Select Board Office by the posted deadline. Due to the accelerated timeline,
petitioners are strongly encouraged to begin early and coordinate with Town staff as needed.
D.Citizen Petition Requirements – Unscheduled Special Town Meetings: Citizen petitions to call an
unscheduled Special Town Meeting require at least two hundred (200) signatures from registered Lexington
voters, or 20% of the Town's registered voters, whichever is fewer. Signed originals must be submitted to
the Select Board Office by the posted deadline. Due to the accelerated timeline, petitioners are strongly
encouraged to begin early and coordinate with Town staff as needed.
E.Content & Coordination: All STM article submissions must meet the same content and formatting
standards as Annual Town Meeting articles (see Section IV) and follow the same coordination expectations
(see Section V). Proponents must work with the Town Manager’s Office, Town Counsel, and relevant boards
or committees as early as possible to ensure readiness.
IV. WARRANT ARTICLE SUBMISSION CONTENT REQUIREMENTS
Each proposed warrant article submission must include the following information:
o Title: A concise title or description of the article subject.
o Draft Motion: Proposed motion text to be moved under the article at Town Meeting (what action
Town Meeting is being asked to take).
o Summary: A brief summary explaining the article’s purpose and background.
o Goal Alignment: A statement of how the article aligns with adopted Town goals or policies (if
applicable).
o Outreach & Support: Description of any community outreach undertaken and evidence of support
(for example, endorsements from committees or community groups, or the vote of the sponsoring
board).
o Funding Info (if applicable): For articles involving Town funds or budget impacts, an initial
estimate of costs or funding sources and any relevant financial analysis.
V. COORDINATION AND REVIEW
A.Legal Review: All article language submitted by boards, committees, and Town departments will be
coordinated through the Town Manager’s Office for review by Town Counsel as needed. Access to legal
review for citizen petitioners is not guaranteed and may be limited. Petitioners are encouraged to seek
independent legal guidance or consult the Town Clerk’s Office for procedural assistance.
B.Financial Consultation: If an article has financial or budget implications (e.g. appropriations, capital
projects), the proponent is required to consult with the Town’s finance officials and committees. Proponents
should engage the Finance Department and Financial Committees (Appropriation Committee (and Capital
Expenditures Committee) early to review costs, funding options, and impacts on Town finances.
C.Board/Committee Input: Coordinate with any boards or committees related to the article’s subject matter.
Proponents should brief and seek input from those bodies to ensure awareness and address any concerns or
overlapping issues. (For example, a zoning article might be coordinated with the Planning Board; a general
bylaw change might involve multiple committees.)
D.Select Board Liaison: If a Select Board member is assigned as a liaison to the proponent’s committee or
issue area, inform that liaison early in the process. Regular communication with the liaison is encouraged,
especially for complex or potentially controversial articles.
E.Town Manager’s Office Support: The Town Manager or Deputy Town Manager will assist in coordinating
reviews and meetings as needed. All final article text and motions will be compiled by the Town Manager’s
Office for inclusion in the Warrant.
VI. SUBMISSION PROCEDURES
A.Town Board/Committee/Town Department Submissions: Boards, committees, and Town departments
(through their overseeing board or the Town Manager) must submit articles by emailing all materials to the
Deputy Town Manager by the announced deadline. The email should include the required content (Section
IV) in an attachment or body. The sponsoring board or committee should vote to approve the article before
submission, and that vote or an endorsement letter should be included as evidence of support.
B.Citizen Petition Submissions: Petitioners must obtain an official petition form from the Town Clerk and
collect at least 10 signatures for an ATM or at least 100 for an STM from registered Lexington voters, or 200
to call an unscheduled Special Town Meeting. All signatures must be original ink. Completed forms must be
submitted to the Select Board Office by the deadline for certification. Petitioners are encouraged to email the
article text and draft motion to the Deputy Town Manager and consult the Town Clerk’s Office for assistance
with formatting and process. Legal review by Town Counsel is not routinely available for citizen petitions.
See the Town Clerk’s Office for full petition instructions and requirements.
VII. KEY CONTACT INFORMATION
A.Deputy Town Manager – Contact for Article Submissions and Process Coordination: Deputy Town
Manager, Phone: 781-698-4541
B.Select Board Office – Submission Delivery: 1625 Massachusetts Ave, Lexington, MA 02420 (Town Office
Building, 2nd Floor). Phone: 781-698-4580 (Office of the Select Board).
C.Town Clerk’s Office – Citizen Petition Assistance: 1625 Massachusetts Ave, Lexington, MA 02420 (1st
Floor). Phone: 781-698-4558. The Town Clerk provides petition forms and certifies voter signatures.
VIII. REFERENCES
M.G.L. Chapter 39, §§9 & 10 – Notice of Town Meeting.
Town of Lexington Bylaws, Chapter 118 – Calling and Notice of Town Meetings.
SELECT BOARD POLICY
Town Meeting Warrant Article Submission Timeline Policy
Date Approved by Select Board: Signature of Chair:
______________________________ ______________________________
I. PURPOSE & SCOPE
Establish a standardized timeline and procedures for developing and submitting warrant articles for Town
Meeting.
Ensure clarity, consistency, and accountability among boards, committees, and Town departments for Annual
Town Meeting (ATM) and Special Town Meetings (STM).
The Select Board has final authority to determine which articles are placed on the warrant. No proposal is
guaranteed placement without an affirmative Select Board vote.
Nothing in this policy precludes any proponent from pursuing a citizen petition article as an alternative path
if the Select Board declines to sponsor a proposal.
II. ANNUAL TOWN MEETING WARRANT ARTICLE TIMELINE & PROCESS
(Typical schedule for a spring Annual Town Meeting)
A.Preliminary Article Planning (Late Summer): By the last business day in August, all boards and
committees shall identify any articles under consideration and notify both the Deputy Town Manager as well
as their assigned Select Board liaison. Drafting of article ideas should begin at this stage to ensure readiness
for fall review.
B.Concept Presentation (Mid-September): By the second week of September, all proponents must be
prepared to present draft article concepts to the Select Board at a scheduled public meeting. The purpose of
this presentation is to receive early feedback from the Select Board on the proposed direction, scope, and
readiness of the article. Presentations shall include a clear summary of the issue, the proposed action, the
rationale, the intended article sponsor, and anticipated consultation or outreach needed.
C.Warrant Opening (November): The Select Board officially opens the Annual Town Meeting (ATM)
warrant by vote (typically around early to mid-November). This serves as public notice that article
submissions are being accepted.
D.Board/Committee/Town Department Article Deadline (Late November): Town boards, committees, and
departments must submit final versions of all proposed warrant articles by the last week in November.
Submissions must incorporate any preliminary feedback from the Select Board and be complete with all
required content outlined in Section IV. Articles must be emailed to the Deputy Town Manager by the
deadline. Late or incomplete submissions will not be considered for inclusion.
E.Select Board Review and Determination (Early-December): During the first week of December, the
Select Board shall hold a public meeting to review all warrant article submissions from boards, committees,
and departments. The Board will evaluate each article for completeness, readiness, alignment with Town
goals, and overall suitability for inclusion in the Warrant. This review may include requests for clarification,
revisions, or consolidation of similar proposals. Articles not approved for inclusion may still be pursued
through a citizen petition, subject to the petition deadline.
F.Citizen Petition Deadline (Mid-December): All citizen petition articles for the Annual Town Meeting must
be submitted to the Select Board Office no later than mid-December, typically 6–7 weeks after the warrant
opens. The exact date and time will be publicly posted by the Select Board each year. Petitions must include
at least ten (10) original signatures from registered Lexington voters and be certified by the Town Clerk.
Petition forms are available from the Town Clerk’s Office and must be submitted in hard copy by the stated
deadline. This deadline also serves as the final opportunity to place an article on the Warrant by right.
G.Article Finalization (Mid-January): By mid-January, all article language and draft motions are finalized.
Proponents shall coordinate through the Town Manager’s Office to work with Town Counsel to refine
wording and ensure legality. Any presentation materials (e.g. background slides or explanatory videos)
should be completed at this stage. Final draft motions submitted in January are for review and publication
purposes only; all motions remain subject to amendment or refinement until moved and voted on at Town
Meeting.
H.Warrant Finalization (Late January): The Select Board votes to close the warrant and approve the final
list and order of ATM articles (typically late January). The final Warrant is then published and posted per
legal requirements.
I.Pre-Town Meeting Review (February – Early March): In the weeks before Town Meeting, article
proponents may be asked to present their articles to the Select Board and relevant committees (e.g.
Appropriation Committee, Capital Expenditures Committee). The Select Board and other committees will
review and often vote on recommendations for each article during this period.
J.Town Meeting Convenes (Late March): The Annual Town Meeting begins on the date set in the Warrant
(usually the 3rd or 4th Monday in March, after the Annual Town Election typically held on the first Monday
in March). Town Meeting Members debate and vote on all Warrant articles in one or more sessions until all
business is concluded.
III. SPECIAL TOWN MEETINGS (STM)
A.Calling a Special Town Meeting: A Special Town Meeting (STM) may be called by the Select Board at
any point in the year, but only for matters deemed urgent, time-sensitive, or exceptional in nature. STMs
areSTM is not intended for routine or non-critical articles. The Select Board shall determine if an issue
necessitates a Special Town Meeting and will set the warrant opening and closing dates accordingly,
providing as much notice as feasible.
B.Compressed Timeline: Because STMs areSTM is convened only for specific, non-routine purposes, the
article submission process will follow a significantly accelerated timeline. The period between warrant
opening and closing may be as short as one week. Proponents must be prepared to act quickly and ensure
article development, legal review, and committee coordination are completed within this condensed schedule.
C.Citizen Petition Requirements: Citizen petitions for STMs require at least one hundred (100) signatures
from registered Lexington voters, or 10% of the Town's registered voters, whichever is fewer. Signed
originals must be submitted to the Select Board Office by the posted deadline. Due to the accelerated timeline,
petitioners are strongly encouraged to begin early and coordinate with Town staff as needed.
D.Citizen Petition Requirements – Unscheduled Special Town Meetings: Citizen petitions to call an
unscheduled Special Town Meeting require at least two hundred (200) signatures from registered Lexington
voters, or 20% of the Town's registered voters, whichever is fewer. Signed originals must be submitted to
the Select Board Office by the posted deadline. Due to the accelerated timeline, petitioners are strongly
encouraged to begin early and coordinate with Town staff as needed.
E.Content & Coordination: All STM article submissions must meet the same content and formatting
standards as Annual Town Meeting articles (see Section IV) and follow the same coordination expectations
(see Section V). Proponents must work with the Town Manager’s Office, Town Counsel, and relevant boards
or committees as early as possible to ensure readiness.
IV. WARRANT ARTICLE SUBMISSION CONTENT REQUIREMENTS
Each proposed warrant article submission must include the following information:
o Title: A concise title or description of the article subject.
o Draft Motion: Proposed motion text to be moved under the article at Town Meeting (what action
Town Meeting is being asked to take).
o Summary: A brief summary explaining the article’s purpose and background.
o Goal Alignment: A statement of how the article aligns with adopted Town goals or policies (if
applicable).
o Outreach & Support: Description of any community outreach undertaken and evidence of support
(for example, endorsements from committees or community groups, or the vote of the sponsoring
board).
o Funding Info (if applicable): For articles involving Town funds or budget impacts, an initial
estimate of costs or funding sources and any relevant financial analysis.
V. COORDINATION AND REVIEW
A.Legal Review: All article language submitted by boards, committees, and Town departments will be
coordinated through the Town Manager’s Office for review by Town Counsel as needed. Access to legal
review for citizen petitioners is not guaranteed and may be limited. Petitioners are encouraged to seek
independent legal guidance or consult the Town Clerk’s Office for procedural assistance.
B.Financial Consultation: If an article has financial or budget implications (e.g. appropriations, capital
projects), the proponent is required to consult with the Town’s finance officials and committees. Proponents
should engage the Finance Department, and Financial Committees (Appropriation Committee (Finance
Committee), and Capital Expenditures Committee) early to review costs, funding options, and impacts on
Town finances.
C.Board/Committee Input: Coordinate with any boards or committees related to the article’s subject matter.
Proponents should brief and seek input from those bodies to ensure awareness and address any concerns or
overlapping issues. (For example, a zoning article might be coordinated with the Planning Board; a general
bylaw change might involve multiple committees.)
D.Select Board Liaison: If a Select Board member is assigned as a liaison to the proponent’s committee or
issue area, inform that liaison early in the process. Regular communication with the liaison is encouraged,
especially for complex or potentially controversial articles.
E.Town Manager’s Office Support: The Town Manager or Deputy Town Manager will assist in coordinating
reviews and meetings as needed. All final article textstext and motions will be compiled by the Town
Manager’s Office for inclusion in the Warrant.
VI. SUBMISSION PROCEDURES
A.Town Board/Committee/Town Department Submissions: Boards, committees, and Town departments
(through their overseeing board or the Town Manager) must submit articles by emailing all materials to the
Deputy Town Manager by the announced deadline. The email should include the required content (Section
IV) in an attachment or body. The sponsoring board or committee should vote to approve the article before
submission, and that vote or an endorsement letter should be included as evidence of support.
B.Citizen Petition Submissions: Petitioners must obtain an official petition form from the Town Clerk and
collect at least 10 signatures for an ATM or at least 100 for an STM from registered Lexington voters, or 200
to call an unscheduled Special Town Meeting. All signatures must be original ink. Completed forms must be
submitted to the Select Board Office by the deadline for certification. Petitioners are encouraged to email the
article text and draft motion to the Deputy Town Manager and consult the Town Clerk’s Office for assistance
with formatting and process. Legal review by Town Counsel is not routinely available for citizen petitions.
See the Town Clerk’s Office for full petition instructions and requirements.
VII. KEY CONTACT INFORMATION
A.Deputy Town Manager – Contact for Article Submissions and Process Coordination: Kelly
AxtellDeputy Town Manager, Phone: 781-698-4541, Email: KAxtell@lexingtonma.gov
B.Select Board Office – Submission Delivery: 1625 Massachusetts Ave, Lexington, MA 02420 (Town Office
Building, 2nd Floor). Phone: 781-698-45404580 (Office of the Select Board).
C.Town Clerk’s Office – Citizen Petition Assistance: 1625 Massachusetts Ave, Lexington, MA 02420 (1st
Floor). Phone: 781-698-4558. The Town Clerk provides petition forms and certifies voter signatures.
VIII. REFERENCES
M.G.L. Chapter 39, §§9 & 10 – Notice of Town Meeting.
Town of Lexington Bylaws, Chapter 118 – Calling and Notice of Town Meetings.
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
LEXINGTON SELECT BOARD MEETING
AGENDA ITEM TITLE:
Update: Lexington Center Mural Projects
PRESENTER:
Jay Abdella, Senior Economic
Development Coordinator
ITEM
NUMBER:
I.1
SUMMARY:
Category: Informing
Jay Abdella, Senior Economic Development Coordinator, will provide an update to the Select Board about the
progress of the Lexington Center Mural and Area Activation Project. This presentation will include costs,
public outreach, process, and alignment with the Center Retail Strategy Report.
SUGGESTED MOTION:
N/A
FOLLOW-UP:
N/A
DATE AND APPROXIMATE TIME ON AGENDA:
5/19/2025 6:45pm
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
Lexington Center Mural Project Select Board Update Backup Material
Lexington History Museum Letter of Support Backup Material
LEXINGTON CENTER MURAL AND
AREA ACTIVATION PROJECT UPDATE
MAY 19, 2025
LEXINGTON CENTER MURAL AND AREA ACTIVATION
•Partnership between the Lexington History Museums, Lexington Center
Committee, and Economic Development Office.
•Informed by the Center Retail Strategy Report
•Goal is to boost foot traffic from the Minuteman Bikeway to surrounding businesses/Linger
in Lexington Traffic;
•Brighten up the Center, incorporate art and history in a creative way.
PROCESS:
Call For Artist Opened Friday, October 30, 2024
Call for Artists Closed Friday, November 22, 2024
Phase 2 Begins Wednesday, December 11,
2024
Phase 2 Ends Sunday, December 22, 2024
Contract Awarded Monday, December 30,
2024
Project Design and
Revisions
January-April 2025
Historic District Commission
Approved
Thursday, April 3, 2025
Mural Installation June-July, 2025
•19 Artists submitted qualifications for the Call For
Artists;
•A selection panel made out of residents and staff
reviewed submissions and advanced semi-finalists;
•Semi-finalists received ten days to produce conceptual
designs;
•Selection panel reviewed submissions and awarded
the contract to artist Kit Collins
•Proposal design was workshopped and discussed with
Selection Panel, Tourism Committee, Center Committee,
Lexington History Museums, and Lexington Bikeway
Committee.
DESIGN 1
•Initial design submitted to Selection Panel. Was reworked after concerns about art being distracting.
DESIGN 2
•1st revision submitted after taking in feedback from Panel and other Committees
REVISION 2
•Colors were toned
down
•Reduced amount of
symbolism to make it
less distracting.
REVISION 3
•Changes in revision three incorporated further feedback and to align closer with Lexington’s History.
•Design that was approved by the Lexington Historic District Commission with a sunset date of five years (July 30, 2030)
REVISION 3
FUNDING SOURCES AND COSTS
•Installation is funded through ARPA
Exterior Store back Improvements
approved by Select Board.
•ARPA cost of $12,000
•$3,000 came from Stipends awarded to semi-
finalists to produce conceptual drawings
•$9,000 is being disbursed as part of the awarded
contract.
NEXT STEPS
•Site has been reviewed with DPW/Police.
•Artist will be using cones/plastic cows to
mark out sections where she will be working.
•At least one full lane of the bikeway will be
open to the public.
•Lexington Economic Development/Tour Lexington
will have a section and QR codes for a webpage
featuring information/key about each motif.
•QR code/signage will be incorporated in
protected space at the Lexington Depot.
SPECIAL THANKS
Selection Panel:
•Eric Michelson
•Jim Shaw
•Cristina Burwell
•Lee Noel Chase
•Upasna Chhabra
•Anne Lee
Community Partners:
•Lexington History
Museums
•Lexington Center
Committee
•Lexington Tourism
Committee
•Lexington Bikeway
Advisory
Committee/Friends of
the Bikeway
THANK YOU!
•Questions?
Tourism Committee
March 25, 2025
Doug Lucente
Chair
Select Board
Lexington, MA
Dear Mr. Lucente,
At the March 24, 2025 of the Lexington Tourism Committee, a unanimous vote was taken to
approve the Lexington Center Mural Project on the columns behind the Lexington Depot, facing
the Lexington Bikeway.
The Lexington History Museums has approved the installation of the murals for the next five
years with an option to continue them.
The Committee is pleased to see these projects advancing as we continue to look for ways to
increase tourism in Lexington year round.
Sincerely,
Margaret Coppe
Chair
Lexington Tourism Committee
March 25, 2025
Lexington Economic Development Office
1625 Massachusefts Avenue
Lexington, MA 02420
To Whom It May Concern:
On behalf of the Lexington Chamber of Commerce, I am wrifing to express our enthusiasfic
support for the Lexington Economic Development Office’s plans for the East Lexington Mural
and Area Acfivafion project, the Lexington Center Mural Project, the Lexington Center
Wayfinding Signage, and the East Lexington Landscaping project. These inifiafives, made
possible through the American Rescue Plan Act funding, are vital to enhancing the community’s
vibrancy and encouraging further engagement with our local businesses.
The East Lexington Mural and Area Acfivafion project stands as an excifing opportunity to
showcase Lexington's rich history and cultural diversity. The murals, which will explore themes
of immigrafion, community, and the town’s evolufion, will not only beaufify the area but also
serve as a dynamic draw for both residents and visitors. By brightening the facades of
businesses along Massachusefts Avenue, these murals will encourage explorafion of East
Lexington’s unique offerings, fostering a stronger sense of place and boosfing foot traffic to local
businesses.
The Lexington Center Mural Project, with its historical themes and symbolic explorafion of
Lexington’s past, adds another layer of cultural depth to our town. This mural will undoubtedly
inspire both locals and visitors to spend more fime in Lexington Center, further benefifing the
area’s businesses and enriching the experience of those traveling along the Minuteman
Bikeway.
We also fully support the confinued efforts to expand wayfinding signage within the town. The
success of the signage in East Lexington, coupled with the upcoming installafion in Lexington
Center, will enhance the navigability of our community for cyclists and pedestrians alike. The
addifion of dynamic kiosks, like the one planned for Grain Mill Alley, will provide real-fime
informafion and keep residents and visitors engaged with the variety of events and acfivifies
that Lexington has to offer.
Lastly, the landscaping improvements along the Minuteman Bikeway will create a more invifing
and accessible environment for all users. The clearing of brush and invasive species, along with
the addifion of seafing areas, will not only beaufify the space but also encourage people to take
a moment to rest, enjoy their surroundings, and explore the businesses nearby.
We believe that these projects will have a transformafive impact on Lexington’s business
districts, making them more accessible, engaging, and aftracfive to both locals and visitors. We
commend the Lexington Economic Development Office for its vision and leadership and look
forward to supporfing the projects as they move toward final approval.
Sincerely,
Olivia Kelley
Execufive Director
Lexington Chamber of Commerce
Call for Artists
Mural Design, Fabrication, Installation, and Area Activation in Lexington Center
Mission
The Town of Lexington (Town) is inviting Artists interested in creating murals on an exterior wall
of a property, and the design and execution of an activation plan on the respective surrounding
area of a privately-owned building in Lexington Center.
This is a two-phase process where, artists/artists teams will first submit their qualifications, and
then a selection committee will select 3 finalists to submit concept plans for murals and space
usage. Groups may assume this mural can be produced in your studio and installed on a frame or
painted directly at the location.
The activation design should push the boundaries of land use, and explore new possible uses for
such space. Once selected, the muralist will prepare a design and install packet, which must be
acceptable to the property owner, the Town of Lexington, and all responsible committees. This
project would enhance the surrounding area to encourage users on the Minuteman Bikeway to
stop and utilize the commercial offerings that Lexington provides.
This project is inspired by Center Retail Strategy Report (CRS), a plan to evaluate and inform
future revitalization in Lexington Center. The CRS found that one advantage of Lexington Center
was its closeness to the Minuteman Bikeway, and that businesses were interested in improving
access between the Minuteman Bikeway and the Center. Improving visibility through artwork and
area activation would brighten the surrounding façades and catch Bikeway users’ attention.
Furthermore, out of the residents surveyed, 74% would find public art installation’s desirable for
Lexington Center. Utilizing mural work and activating the surrounding area would also open up
the opportunity for play areas for children, which was supported by 64% of consumers surveyed.
Additionally, the Lexington Center Charrette Report highlights the importance of activating the
area and creating pedestrian connections from Massachusetts Avenue to the Minuteman
Bikeway. The report came from a two-day workshop where residents came together for to discuss
on how to improve Lexington Center. Residents were interested reviewing the amount of
unnecessary pavement that does not afford parking, and presents the area as uninviting. Opening
up the area would allow Lexington to engage residents and users of the Bikeway to come and
utilize Lexington Center Businesses. Emphasis was placed on the ability to design the surrounding
alleys to connect the Bikeway to the streets.
Funding/Budget Information:
This funding comes from the American Rescue Plan Act passed by Congress in March of 2021. The
act gave municipalities an influx of funds to assist in recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic. The
selected Artist/Artist team will enter into Public Art Grant Agreement with the Town of Lexington
for the development, creation and implementation of a public art mural and area activation plan.
The Town’s Mural and Site activation program represents an investment of approximately
$100,000 in public art at two locations and multiple sites across the length of the Minuteman
Bike path in Lexington’s Business Districts for businesses abutting the bike path. The three
finalists will each receive a stipend of $1,000 to submit their concept plans.
1
Selected finalists will be required to submit a budget template found in Appendix C to provide a
cost breakdown. The budget may include but is not limited to artist design fees, supplies,
equipment, equipment training costs, labor, liability insurance, and police detail if needed. The
initial stipend payment and the total project payment will come in the form of a grant agreement
between the Town and the Artist.
Site Selection:
The target site will focus on the property at 13 Depot Street (Lexington Historical Society),
pending Right of Entry agreements with property owners as detailed in Appendix B. The
approximate space of the mural will be painted on ten columns which are approximately 8 inches
by 9 feet. There will be a virtual site walk for artists and Q&A on Thursday November 14, 2024 at
2pm ET on Zoom. Please RSVP to Senior Economic Development Coordinator Jay Abdella at
Jabdella@lexingtonma.gov.
Site photo of 13 Depot Street can be found on Appendix D.
Mural Content:
The mural’s final design should be consistent with the Center Charette and assist in restoring
pre-COVID foot traffic for business along the Minuteman Bikeway. This public art should be
relevant to Lexington and not misrepresent history or distract from the history of the Town, a
specific building or site, or a natural feature. The mural as public art should enhance the
connection between business and the Bikeway in conjunction with activating the surrounding
area to be welcoming to the public. In accordance with Lexington bylaws, the mural should not
feature any logos, numbers, symbols or language.
Mural content could include aspects of the following:
·Battle of Lexington
·The Revolutionary War
·Railroad History/Bike path history
·Colonial Town Meeting
·Important Figures of Lexington
·Lexington Battle Green
·Minuteman National Park
·Buckman Tavern
·Gateway to Lexington
·Historic attributes including clothing
Activation Content:
The activation plan should highlight and imagine new capabilities for an industrial and commercial
environment. Photos are attached to Appendix D that demonstrate the area that the artist would
be working with. We encourage out-of-the box-thinking to find creative uses for how to improve
foot traffic and interest in the area. The activation plan could include aspects of the following:
·Changes to the physical or social components of the space 1
·Lexington’s community bonds and history
·Spaces for performances
·Outdoor seating
·Bike Racks
Resources
·The Center Retail Strategy Report can be found on the Lexington Economic Development
Department’s Webpage:
·https://www.lexingtonma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/607/Center-Retail-Strategy-Report-
2019
·
·The Center Charrette Report can be found on the Lexington Select Board’s Webpage:
·https://lexingtonma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/11364/Center-Charrette-Report?bidId=
·Lexington’s historical information and photos can be found at the following
websites:
·https://www.lexingtonma.gov/805/Historical-Period-Summaries
·https://lexingtonhistory.pastperfectonline.com/
·https://www.tourlexington.us/
Submission of Qualification Application:
1.Contact Information for Team Lead (Full name, email, phone number, and mailing
address)
2.Biographic information for lead artist and key members if applicable
3.CV for lead artist and key members if applicable
4.Written descriptions and photos of 3 examples of similar sized projects with focus on
public art design and fabrication. Applicants can add the descriptions directly to the
submittal form/ or provide a link to a website. We encourage applicants to put the size of the
project in the written description.
Artist Statement
1.Please submit a two-paragraph artist statement outlining the following:
a.Why is this opportunity interesting to you/your team?
b.What is your guiding philosophy with public art?
c.How do you approach community engagement with your artwork?
d.How do you respond to feedback from commissions and committees?
Evaluative and Review Criteria
Minimum Eligibility Requirements:
·Applicants must be 18 years of age or older.
Application Submittal:
·Submitted applications must be complete and include all required documents as detailed
in “Submission of Qualification Application” (Artist information, statement, CV and
previous project descriptions). Applications with missing or incomplete documents with be
considered ineligible.
Expertise and Experience:
·Artistic quality demonstrated in application work samples and statements
·Ability to work within the approved budget
·Ability to work with multiple groups. Applicant should expect to work with property
owners, Town Departments and committees/commissions.
·Ability to be flexible with design.
·Ability to think outside the box and reimagine outdoor space usage.
Submitting Qualifications:
Submissions will be received via an online form here: https://form.jotform.com/242966108112150
If you have any issues with the online form, please reach out to Senior Economic Development
Coordinator Jay Abdella (Jabdella@lexingtonma.gov)
Submissions will be accepted until 11:59pm on Friday, November 22, 2024
If artist/artist teams would prefer to submit a physical copy of their qualifications, please mail or
deliver materials to:
ATTN: Elizabeth Mancini
1625 Massachusetts Avenue Lexington, MA 02420
An optional Artist Q&A/Virtual Site Walk will be held via Zoom on Thursday, November 14, 2024
at 2:00pm ET. Please RSVP to jabdella@lexingtonma.gov
Selection Process:
The Selection Committee will be composed of Town of Lexington Economic Development Staff, a
representative of the Center Committee, a representative of the Retailer Association, a
representative of the Historic District Commission, a representative from the Chamber of
Commerce, a representative from the Lexington Historical Society and a representative of the
artist community.
Outline of Process:
Phase 1: Artist/Artist Teams Selected for Concept Development
·Artists/Artist teams will submit applications as outlined in the “Call for Artists”.
·The Town of Lexington’s Economic Office in collaboration with the selection committee
will review initial artist/artist team’s applications and qualifications.
·The selection committee will identify three selected artists/artist teams as semi-finalists
and will be invited to submit concept proposals.
·Artists/Artist teams identified as semi-finalists who accept the invitation will be required to
enter into a finalist grant agreement to receive a maximum stipend of $1,000 per artist/artist
team for initial concept and design development with $500 paid up front and $500 awarded post
completion.
Phase 2: Concept Development and Final Artist/Artist Teams Selection
·Contracted semi-finalist artists/artist teams will be given 2 weeks for initial concept and
design development.
·Semi-finalists will be invited to discussion meetings with the business and property owner
to discuss aspirations and direction of the mural work.
·Semi-finalists will submit concept proposals for review, including detailed sketches/images
of concept designs, description of design/concept, proposed project timeline, technical
requirements, general installation needs/plan, itemized project budget (see example in Appendix
C), and a recommended maintenance plan.
·The Town of Lexington’s selection committee will review the Semi-finalists' concept
designs.
·Using details submitted in the concept proposals and input from property owners, the
selection committee will identify one Artist/Artist Team as the awardee.
·The Final Artist/Artist team will enter into a grant agreement with the Town of Lexington
for the development, creation, and implementation of murals and area activation outlined in this
Call for Artist in exchange for a grant stipend. Funding is inclusive of all associated project costs as
specifically outlined on this Call for Artists. A copy of this public art grant agreement will be
provided to all selected Semi-Finalist Artists/Artist Teams when invited to submit concepts. The
artist will also be required to sign the Right of Entry Agreement with the property owner and their
designee.
Project Timeline:
The timeline is a basic outline of potential tasks. The tasks are amendable per discussion with
Artist once the project is awarded. As per ARPA guidelines, funds for this project must be
encumbered by December 31, 2024 and the project must be completed by December 31, 2026.
Task Completion Date
Call for Artists Launched Friday, November 8, 2024
Optional Q&A/Virtual Site Walk Session for Artists Thursday, November 14, 2024
Qualifications due to Lexington Economic
Development Friday, November 22, 2024 at 11:59 pm
Selection Committee picks finalists to receive $1000
stipends to design and submit concept designs.By Wednesday, November 27, 2024
Finalists notified and can begin conceptual drawings By Friday, November 29, 2024
Virtual Meeting for further specific site
specifications and Q&A. Meet with property
owners/businesses.
Week of November 29-December 13, 2024
Finalist submits final designs Friday, December 13 2024
Selection Committee selects final designs By Friday December 20, 2024
Project Awarded to Finalist/Grant Agreement is
signed Monday, December 23, 2024
Project Kickoff – Begin working with permitting/HDC Week of Jan 4, 2025
Project Check-in 1 Week of January 24, 2025
Project Check-in 2 Week of March 28, 2025
Target for Completion Week of June 30, 2025
Inquiries Concerning This Call for Artists:
Please direct any questions or comments about this project to jabdella@lexingtonma.gov by
12:00 PM on November 22, 2024:
T h e T o w n o f L e x i n g t o n r e s e r v e s t h e r i g h t t o a c c e p t o r r e j e c t , i n w h o l e o r i n p a r t , a n y a n d a l l
p r o p o s a l s r e c e i v e d i n r e s p o n s e t o t h i s C a l l F o r A r t i s t s ; t o w a i v e o r p e r m i t c u r e o f m i n o r
i r r e g u l a r i t i e s ; a n d t o c o n d u c t d i s c u s s i o n s w i t h a n y o r a l l q u a l i f i e d C o m p a n i e s o r A r t i s t s i n
a n y m a n n e r n e c e s s a r y t o s e r v e t h e b e s t i n t e r e s t s o f t h e T o w n . T h i s C a l l F o r A r t i s t c r e a t e s n o
o b l i g a t i o n o n t h e p a r t o f t h e T o w n t o a w a r d a c o n t r a c t .
Appendices:
·Appendix A: Concept Development Grant Agreement
·Appendix B: Right of Entry Agreement with Property Owners
·Appendix C: Sample Budget Template for Finalists
·Appendix D: Site Photo
·Appendix E: Criteria for Finalist Artist Review
To: Doug Lucente, Select Board Chair
From: Anne Lee, Executive Director, Lexington History Museums
Re: Letter of Support for the Town’s Depot mural and site activation proposal
May 12, 2025
Dear Doug,
On March 20, 2025, the Board of Directors of Lexington History Museums voted enthusiastically to
accept artist Kit Collins’ proposal to paint the 10 columns behind our building, the Lexington Depot.
As we continue to welcome visitors for the Semiquincentennial, this project will enhance and
activate the visitor experience both around the Depot and throughout the town.
The Depot was considered the only choice for Lexington Center, due to its proximity to the
Minuteman Bikeway, parking, and retail locations. Improving visibility through artwork and area
activation will brighten the surrounding façades and catch Bikeway users’ attention. This project
will further enhance the surrounding area to encourage users on the Minuteman Bikeway to stop,
learn about Lexington, and utilize the many commercial offerings that we provide.
Kit Collins spent a great deal of effort researching the area’s history, listened carefully to
suggestions and comments, and revised her designs considerably. Her ability to represent all of the
area’s history through time mirrors LHM’s mission to share all our stories, and complements the
exhibitions in the new museum. The use of a key to describe objects and elements is a creative way
to encourage viewers to explore further and discover all that the town has to offer. Visually the
color scheme is active without being overwhelming. The level of intricacy is enough to be intriguing,
but not so much that people will need to move very close to view the art. Also, the decision to
maintain the outer face of the columns white means that the building, from the straight on rear
perspective, will retain its original look.
We are excited to be working with the Town of Lexington again and have Kit’s work become a long-
term part of our transformed Depot!
Kind regards,
Anne
Anne W. Lee
Executive Director
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
LEXINGTON SELECT BOARD MEETING
AGENDA ITEM TITLE:
Discussion and Vote: Completion of the Transition for LEXHAB from a Town Committee to
an Independent, Nonprofit Housing Corporation
PRESENTER:
Doug Lucente, Chair
ITEM
NUMBER:
I.2
SUMMARY:
Category: Decision-Making
LexHAB was originally established in 1983 as a town-affiliated housing board under a special act of the
Legislature. For nearly four decades, the Select Board appointed its members and maintained general
oversight. In 2022, Town Meeting voted to support LexHAB’s reorganization as an independent nonprofit to
improve operational flexibility, especially regarding procurement and development processes. This transition
was codified by the Massachusetts Legislature in Chapter 192 of the Acts of 2024, signed into law in
September 2024.
Under the new legislation:
LexHAB now operates independently from the Town.
The Select Board no longer appoints its members, but confirms appointments made by the LexHAB
board.
Oversight is limited to confirming directors, reviewing annual reports, approving any PILOT
agreements, and monitoring the use of any Town-appropriated funds.
LexHAB’s transformation is now complete, and it no longer functions as a committee within the Town’s
organizational structure. The Select Board will discuss and potentially vote to formally dissolve the original
town-appointed LexHAB committee from the Town of Lexington’s list of standing boards and committees, in
recognition of its legal reconstitution as an independent nonprofit entity.
SUGGESTED MOTION:
Move to dissolve the town-appointed Lexington Housing Assistance Board (LexHAB) as a committee of the
Town of Lexington, effective immediately, consistent with Chapter 192 of the Acts of 2024.
FOLLOW-UP:
Select Board Office.
DATE AND APPROXIMATE TIME ON AGENDA:
5/19/2025 7:00pm
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
LEXINGTON SELECT BOARD MEETING
AGENDA ITEM TITLE:
Discussion: Select Board Report for FY2025 Annual Town Report
PRESENTER:
Board Discussion
ITEM
NUMBER:
I.3
SUMMARY:
Category: Brainstorming
As the Town’s fiscal year, FY2025, is drawing to a close, the Board is being asked to begin preparations for
the Select Board submission for the FY25 (July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2025) Annual Town Report. The final
report will be due for submission to the Town report Coordinator by September 15, 2025.
The following is a draft schedule for writing this years Select Board Report:
Action Due Date
Determine topics and Select Board Scribe Monday, May 19, 2025
Select Board Members submit write-up to
SB office
As soon as possible but no later than Wednesday, August
13, 2025
Select Board Reviews 1st draft of report at
meeting Monday, August 18, 2025
Date any edits submitted to Select Board
office Wednesday September 3, 2025
Select Board Votes Final Report Monday, September 8, 2025
For reference attached is a copy of the Select Board Report in the FY24 Annual Town Report as well as a
copy of Select Board Report to 2025 Annual Town Meeting.
Select Board Report to 2025 Annual Town Meeting
Scribed by
Opening Message Doug Lucente
Lexington High School Project Joe Pato
Town Manager Transition Jill Hai
250th Anniversary of the Battle of Lexington Doug Lucente
Affordable Housing Initiatives Mark Sandeen
Economic Development and Community Vitality Vineeta Kumar
FY2024 Annual Town Report Topics Scribed by
Select Board Doug Lucente
Select Board Priorities for American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Spending Suzie Barry
Lexington High School Building Project Joe Pato
Economic Development and Commercial Initiatives Jill Hai
Housing Initiatives and Updates Mark Sandeen
Municipal Building Projects Mark Sandeen
SUGGESTED MOTION:
N/A
FOLLOW-UP:
Select Board Office will send out the list of topics/assigned scribes to the Board.
DATE AND APPROXIMATE TIME ON AGENDA:
5/19/2025 7:10pm
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
FY2024 Annual Town Report - Select Board report Backup Material
Select Board Report to 2025 ATM Backup Material
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MESSAGE OF THE SELECT BOARD
Massachusetts law requires that the Select Board, prior to the Annual Town Meeting, issue an
Annual Report for use by the residents of the Town. The 2024 Annual Town Report presented
here provides, among other things, financial data relating to the Town for the fiscal year 2024,
covering the period from July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024. Additionally, the report includes
highlights of accomplishments from the many departments, boards, committees, and
commissions responsible for the governance of Lexington.
This Annual Town Report is just one of several ways for residents to stay informed about what
is happening in the Town. The Town’s website at lexingtonma.gov remains a valuable resource
for accessing information about meetings, budgets, and committee work. All meetings of the
elected boards—Select Board, School Committee, and Planning Board—are covered by
LexMedia, our Public, Educational, and Governmental (PEG) access provider, and broadcast by
all three of the Town’s cable television providers. Additionally, LexMedia continues to cover
other town meetings and community events.
Residents are encouraged to sign up for CodeRED, the Town’s emergency notification system,
which provides texts, emails, and automated phone calls about closings, detours, or
emergencies. You can also sign up for the Townwide news email, or periodic emails and e-
newsletters from specific departments and boards/committees. Follow the Town’s social media
accounts on Facebook and X.com for more real-time updates on town happenings.
The Select Board extends its thanks and appreciation to the Town Manager, James Malloy, his
exceptional staff, and the dedicated town employees whose hard work makes Lexington a
desirable place to live, work, and visit. The Select Board would like to formally acknowledge the
many residents who volunteer their time to serve on our boards, committees, and
commissions. Their tireless efforts contribute immensely to Lexington’s success and vitality. As
we move forward, the continued civic engagement of our community will be key to meeting
future challenges and ensuring that Lexington remains a vibrant and thriving Town for all.
Douglas M. Lucente
Joseph N. Pato
Suzanne E. Barry
Jill I. Hai
Mark D. Sandeen
SELECT BOARD
Five members, elected by the voters at-large to overlapping 3-year terms: Joseph N. Pato,
Chair, Suzanne E. Barry, Vice-Chair, Jill I. Hai, Douglas M. Lucente, and Mark D. Sandeen. In
March 2024, Ms. Hai was re-elected to a three-year term. At their annual reorganization after
the conclusion of Town Meeting in April, the Board appointed Mr. Lucente Chair and Ms. Hai
Vice-Chair.
FY2024 was a productive year for the Select Board, marked by progress in housing,
infrastructure, and sustainability. The completion of the Battle Green Streetscape Project
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enhanced the accessibility and appeal of Lexington’s historic center, while the Town welcomed
new businesses to the Center and East Lexington, enriching the local economy and community
spaces.
The Select Board took significant strides in environmental sustainability, completing the new
solar-ready Police Station and advancing plans for additional solar energy projects expected to
be completed by Spring 2025. These efforts align with the Town’s long-term net-zero emissions
goals and continue to build Lexington’s reputation as a leader in sustainable development.
On housing, the Select Board established the Affordable Housing Trust and moved forward with
development plans on Town-owned property to address local housing needs. Lexington’s early
adoption of state-mandated MBTA zoning requirements set a precedent for inclusive and
diverse housing options.
A key focus of our fiscal and planning efforts this year has been the Lexington High School
Building Project, anticipated to be the largest capital project in the Town’s history. The Board is
working closely with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) through an ongoing
Feasibility Study. Final design and funding decisions are expected in the next fiscal year.
The Board also took action to address community concerns about the proposed Hanscom Field
expansion, working with neighboring towns to advocate against increased noise and
environmental impacts. Through careful planning, leveraging state and federal funds, and
prioritizing community engagement, the Select Board remains committed to ensuring balanced
growth and sustainability as the Town prepares to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Battle
of Lexington in 2025.
Many of these initiatives are detailed further in the sections below. The Select Board remains
dedicated to fostering a vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable community. FY 2024 was a
testament to our collective resilience and commitment to proactive governance. We look
forward to continuing our work with residents, businesses, and community organizations to
make Lexington an even better place to live, work, and thrive.
Select Board Priorities for American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Spending
The Town of Lexington was allocated a total of $ 9,903,381 in American Recue Act Funding
(ARPA), aimed at addressing the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and fostering recovery
across critical sectors.
As of June 30, 2024, the Select Board has approved spending totaling $ 9,378,551 The funds
have been allocated to the following initiative areas:
Economic Stimulus & Resiliency: The largest portion, approximately 36% of the funds or
$3,331,261 was earmarked to support our local economy, including bolstering the cultural
sector, aiding small businesses, enhancing community events, updating digital platforms,
improving public spaces, and fostering bikeway mobility and engagement.
Public Health & Safety: With 27% of the funding or $2,515487, this area focused on bolstering
the town's health department, public safety, mental health measures and training in response
to the pandemic.
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Housing: 15% of the funds or $1,440,545 were allocated to address housing needs, ensuring
support for those affected by the pandemic in securing stable housing.
Pandemic Response: 13% of the funds or $1,370,986 were directly used for pandemic-related
expenditures, including testing, vaccination programs, other immediate health needs and
technology upgrades.
PIRs (Program Improvement Requests): 6% of the funds or $540,204 have been utilized for
enhancing the Food Waste Program, acquiring a new electric vehicle for the Health
Department, and formulating an ADA Town Building Self Evaluation and Transition Plan.
Food Insecurity: A smaller, yet crucial 2% of the funds or $180,068 addressed food insecurity,
ensuring that residents affected by the pandemic have access to necessary resources.
The Participatory Budgeting (PB) process implemented in the previous year, which actively
engaged our residents in the decision- making process, leading to impactful community
projects. However, given the stipulation that all ARPA funds must be committed by December
31, 2024, the continuation of the PB process will not be feasible this calendar year. Further, it is
important to note that, despite concerted efforts, the initiative to establish a Dog Park will not
proceed due to the inability to identify a suitable location within the time frames for ARPA
spending. We extend our gratitude to all residents who participated in the PB process,
contributing valuable insights and demonstrating the strength of our community's collective
vision.
With an available balance of $524,830, the Select Board is dedicated to navigate the final phase
of ARPA fund allocation and utilization. The Select Board remains committed to ensuring that
these resources are deployed in a manner that maximizes benefits for our community, adhering
to the guiding principles of transparency, equity, and strategic impact.
Lexington High School Building Project
Updating Lexington High School through renovation and addition or as a new build is likely to
be the most ambitious and expensive project undertaken by the Town of Lexington. Planning
for this project has been ongoing 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. In 2022 Lexington was invited into the Massachusetts School Building
Authority (MSBA) program beginning the current process for the project. As required by the
MSBA, The School Building Committee (SBC) was appointed to oversee and facilitate the
project.
Progress and Milestones:
Significant FY24 Milestones:
Winter 2022, Completion of Module 1: Eligibility – The MSBA determined that the
district was eligible to proceed with developing a project and set the enrollment
capacity for the project to be 2395 students.
Fall 2023, Completion of Module 2: Formation of Team –
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o Owner’s Project Manager – this firm provides project management guidance to
Lexington throughout the life of the project and shepherds the project through
the MSBA process. The MSBA accepted Lexington’s recommendation to hire
Dore and Whittier.
o Design Team – this is the architecture firm that develops the design for the
project. SMMA was hired having been the top finalist as determined by the
MSBA selection panel.
Ongoing, Module 3: Feasibility Study – in which the MSBA and Lexington stakeholders
will determine if a new high school is warranted or if a combination of new and
renovated spaces is the best path forward.
The design team held 5 community outreach sessions, numerous focus group meetings
and developed 18 project concepts that satisfy the educational program as presented to
the MSBA. In the spring of 2024, the School Building Committee reduced this set to 5.
Three of the concepts are new construction on existing fields. One concept is a partial
renovation with a substantial addition on the current area of the high school. One
concept is an all-new phased in-place construction project replacing the old high school.
Looking forward, the SBC expects to select a single concept in November of 2024. This
concept will be submitted to the MSBA and if accepted will be the subject of detailed
designs.
Financial Planning:
2024 Annual Town Meeting appropriated $10M for design funds for the project via article 26.
The next major funding action by Town Meeting is expected to occur at a Special Town Meeting
near the end of 2025 followed by a town-wide debt exclusion vote.
The Town established the Capital Stabilization Fund (CSF) almost a decade ago anticipating the
needs of large capital projects like the high school. A policy revision in Fall 2021 allocated new
levy growth from specified commercial and industrial development to the CSF, rather than that
growth becoming part of general revenue. The CSF plays a crucial role in our fiscal strategy and
this dedicated income stream is planned to be allocated to offset a portion of the debt service
for the high school project.
Challenges and Solutions:
Cost: For the past decade, the Town anticipated that this project would cost between
$350M and $500M. Preliminary ballpark estimates developed by professional estimating
firms, however, place the cost at more than $600M. The estimators have taken the
experience of other Massachusetts high school building projects and added Covid-era
construction inflation to develop these projections. Actual costs won’t be known until
the design is complete and construction bids have been submitted.
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Enrollment Size: The MSBA authorized an enrollment target of 2395 students. This level
was increased from their initial target based on the likely effects of changes to zoning in
response to the MBTA Communities Act. Nonetheless, there is concern that the
community may grow larger than projected and that space will be insufficient. The
designers are including expansion plans in their proposals and the SBC is considering
including central administration space in the initial facility designed to be easily
converted to classrooms if needed. Note that the cost of necessary repairs at the old
Harrington School is roughly comparable to the cost of new space at LHS.
Athletic Programs: Some disruption to academic and municipal athletic programs is
anticipated. Some concepts involve relocating playing fields to the general area of the
existing high school if a new building is built on existing fields. In-place concepts, new
and renovation/addition, also disrupt some fields during construction to host temporary
classrooms and/or construction lay-down areas. Creation of new fields replacing the old
Harrington School (currently central administration) is being explored to mitigate some
of the disruption during construction but are not included in current cost projections.
Additional mitigation measures are being explored.
Field House and Aquatics: Some members of the community seek a new significantly
larger field house. Others seek the addition of an indoor pool facility. The MSBA does
not allow new field houses or pools to be included in a project. They do allow
renovations to existing field houses. Community discussions are ongoing to see if or how
these projects should be factored into the high school project.
Detailed information about the project is publicly available at:
https://lhsproject.lexingtonma.org The current expected timeline for the LHS Project is
illustrated below. Occupancy in the new or renovated facility is expected at the end of this
decade or early in the next.
Economic Development and Commercial Initiatives
In the past fiscal year, the Select Board has been working to support initiatives which stimulate
economic development and commercial expansion within the town, revitalize the downtown
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area and support activation in East Lexington. Among the key strategies has been the formation
of strong partnerships with local business 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 Roundtable discussions organized by the Economic
Development Department. These meetings involve the Town Manager, two Select Board
Members, the Assistant Town Manager for Development, and Economic Development staff.
Business owners from various parts of the town, including the Center and East Lexington,
participate in these discussions to provide direct feedback on issues they face in opening,
operating and sustaining their businesses. This collaborative approach has allowed the Board to
understand unique challenges faced by local businesses.
In November 2023, the Select Board engaged Mullin Associates and Fuss and O’Neill to conduct
a community charette on our collective vision and opportunities for the Center. Approximately
150 residents participated over two days of workshops to create guidance and incentives
toward the future of a vibrant, prosperous, walkable center. The report - “Lexington Center:
The Journey Forward”. (https://lexingtonma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/11364/Center-Charrette-
Report?bidId=) is available on the Select Board webpage.
The Battle Green Streetscape project was completed during FY24. Aimed at enhancing
pedestrian and traffic safety, this initiative also serves to support connectivity and accessibility.
Several new proposals, compliant with the zoning changes introduced via the MBTA Zoning
initiative were also introduced.
Welcoming new businesses continues to be a focus of the Board. In FY24 we welcomed three
delicious new small businesses to Lexington Center, Nouve Bakery, Galaray House and Revival
Café, as well as two new life science facilities, Novo Nordisk and Nikon. These new businesses
not only diversify the local economy and provide jobs and new gathering spots for the
community, but also add to the town's tax revenue.
The new state designation of our cultural district, which spans Massachusetts Avenue from
Hastings Park to Pleasant Street, is poised to become a focal point for both cultural and
economic growth. Preparations for the 250th anniversary of the historic Battle of Lexington in
2025 are in full swing, with kick off events held on April 19, 2024 attracting state leaders and
international diplomats.
Financial investments have also been strategically employed to stimulate growth. Among these
were funding for the new tourism website (https://www.tourlexington.us), the continuing Senior
Parking Pass Program, which offers free parking to residents aged 65 or older, and the
allocation of ARPA funds for arts and culture events. Additionally, ARPA funds have been
deployed to improve connectivity between East Lexington businesses and the Minuteman
Bikeway.
The Select Board aims to achieve a harmonious balance between economic growth and
community values; providing access to a diverse mix of businesses and fostering quality job
opportunities across various industries. Furthermore, the Board is committed to a balanced tax
policy that benefits both residents and businesses. Through these multifaceted initiatives,
Lexington is striving for a future that is economically robust and inclusively sustainable.
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Housing Initiatives and Updates
Affordable Housing Trust: One of the Select Board’s goals is “increasing diversity of housing
stock”. Town Meeting adopted a motion creating the Lexington Affordable Housing Trust (AHT)
via Article 12 of STM 22-3. The AHT was officially established February 28, 2023. Annual Town
Meeting 2023 and 2024 approved funding of the AHT. This funding allows the AHT to operate
nimbly in the market, independent of Town Meeting timing. The Affordable Housing Trust
approved funding requests from LexHAB to enable the purchase of two properties, a 2-family
home and a single-family home with 4 bedrooms.
Annual Town Meeting 2024 also approved Article 33 by a vote of 171-5-5, authorizing the Select
Board to seek affordable housing on Town owned property located on Lowell Street near the
northeast corner of North Street. The Select Board has issued an RFP seeking proposals to build
100% affordable housing on this parcel.
Zoning Initiatives: State law adopted in 2021 requires all communities served by, or adjacent to
communities served by, the MBTA to adopt zoning which permits by-right, multi-family housing
under specific conditions. The Planning Board brought Article 34 to Annual Town Meeting 2023
to fulfill these requirements and further the goals of the Town’s 2022 Comprehensive Plan.
Article 34 created several overlay districts with inclusionary housing requirements. Lexington
was widely recognized as the first community to fulfill this state obligation. Town staff are
currently reviewing multi-family housing proposals in several MBTA zoning overlay districts that
are expected to produce over 1,000 units of multi-family housing and over 150 units of
inclusionary housing.
Annual Town Meeting 2023 approved Article 33 Special Residential Development (SRD) by a
vote of 146-22-10. The Planning Board has approved the first SRD proposal for 10 units of
housing, including one unit of inclusionary housing.
Lexington Housing Assistance Board (LexHAB): The Select Board allocated $1,455,000 in
American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for the acquisition of one- and two-family houses by
LexHAB, which are now included in the Subsidized Housing Index.
Special Town Meeting 2022-3 overwhelmingly approved Article 14, authorizing the Select Board
to submit a Home Rule Petition to amend LexHAB’s enabling legislation, to make it an
independent non-profit entity. Upon approval, LexHAB will become a 501(c)(3) organization,
able to use a combination of state, federal, and private funding sources to acquire or develop
affordable housing. This will enhance LexHAB’s ability to create affordable housing more
efficiently and cost effectively. The Select Board approved changes to the proposed Home Rule
legislation requested by the legislature. Final legislative approval is expected before the end of
2024.
Update on Municipal Building Projects
The Board continues to address the issues of maintaining and improving our municipal and
school building infrastructure. The following section includes the current status of Lexington’s
building projects. The Lexington High School building project is covered in the Lexington High
School section of this report.
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Westview Cemetery Administration Building
Start Date: April 2022
Project Completion Date: August 2023
Project Budget: $4,330,000
Funding: ATM 2017-Article 12o /ATM 2020-Article 16k / STM 2021-1 Article 7
Design funding of $270,000 was approved at ATM 2017. Initial construction funding of
$3,290,000 was approved at ATM 2020 under Article 16k. Initial construction bids came in
higher than the appropriated amount. As a result, Town Meeting approved additional
construction funding of $770,000 at STM 2021-1 under Article 7. Construction was completed
and the building occupied in August 2023. A solar energy system will be installed in compliance
with the Town’s net zero renewable energy policy goals. Construction of the solar energy
system is expected to be completed during the summer of 2024.
Lexington Police Station
Appropriation: $34,517,622
Status: Police Station Construction Complete – June 2024
Funding: ATM 2018-Article 14 / STM 2021-1 Article 5a /STM 2022-1 Article 2 / ATM 2023 Article
16(i)
The Lexington Police Department moved into the new Police Station facility in June 2024. The
Police Station building was constructed in compliance with the Town’s Integrated Building
Design and Construction Policy and is solar ready in furtherance of the Town’s net zero
renewable energy policy goals. The building design and construction includes all of the
infrastructure necessary to support onsite solar energy generation and energy storage systems
designed to reduce the building’s energy consumption and peak demand charges, while
improving the building’s resilience in the event of power outages and enabling high speed
electric vehicle charging for the Police Department’s electric vehicle fleet.
The solar energy canopy design went through an extensive public process to secure approval of
a design that is appropriate for the neighborhood and meets the requirements of the Historic
Districts Commission. The Historic Districts Commission issued a Certificate of Appropriateness
in November 2023. Construction of the footings for the canopy has been completed. Solar
canopy and energy storage system construction is expected to be completed by the Spring of
2025.
Old Reservoir Bath House Renovation
Appropriation: $620,000
Status: Construction start July 2024
Funding: ATM 2019-Article 14g
Initial bids received by the Town exceeded the appropriation approved by Town Meeting. The
Department of Public Facilities and Recreation Department staff proposed design changes and
procurement alternatives to lower overall project costs. DPF went out to bid a second time and
the bids received were still well above the appropriation approved by Town Meeting. The
Department of Public Facilities is now working with the Lexington Recreation Department to
renovate the inside of the building to meet the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
requirements as recommended in the 2017 ADA study.
A new standing seam metal roof has been installed and site work is underway. The renovations
will include a check-in counter and program space, as well as three ADA rest rooms with hands
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free fixtures. ADA parking will also be added at the head of the trail to the building. The
renovation project will also address accessibility issues in the Bathhouse, as well as the walkway
and surrounding site. The project is due to be completed by the end of 2024.
Center Bathroom & Maintenance Building Renovation
Appropriation: $780,000
Project Completion Date: November 2023
Funding: ATM 2020-Article 16b / ATM 2021-Article 16g / ATM 2022-Article 10e
2020 Annual Town Meeting approved $100,000 in design and engineering funds for the Center
Bathroom building renovation project. At the 2021 Annual Town Meeting, the Select Board
recommended indefinite postponement of warrant article 16g requesting $915,000 in
construction funding to a future Town Meeting. 2022 ATM approved warrant article 10e
requesting $680,000 in funding for this project. The renovation of the Center Bathroom facility
was completed in November 2023 with an official opening and ribbon cutting ceremony in April
2024.
SELECT BOARD
TOWN OF LEXINGTON
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
2025: The 250th Anniversary of the Battle of Lexington Page 8
1
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 concerns for 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.
2
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.
● Doug Lucente, Chair: dlucente@lexingtonma.gov
● Joe Pato: jpato@lexingtonma.gov
● Jill Hai, Vice Chair: jhai@lexingtonma.gov
● Mark Sandeen: msandeen@lexingtonma.gov
● Vineeta Kumar: vkumar@lexingtonma.gov
Respectfully submitted,
Lexington Select Board
Douglas M. Lucente, Chair
Joseph N. Pato
Jill I. Hai, Vice Chair
Mark D. Sandeen
Vineeta Kumar
3
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
from October 1st 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
4
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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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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.