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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-09-13-LCC-min Town of Lexington Lexington Center Committee Minutes for the meeting held Thursday, September 13th, 2018 Parker Room, ground floor, 1625 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington, Massachusetts Center Committee members: Michael Boudett, Richard Brown, Katherine Huang, Frederic Johnson, Howard Levin, Jeffery Lyon, Pamela Lyons, Jerold Michelson (Chair), Pamela Shadley, David Tabeling Liaisons: Joe Pato, Board of Selectmen, Frank Smith, Capital Expenditures Committee, Megan Zammuto, ED, Melisa Tintocalis, EDD, David Pinsonneault, DPW Guests: Sean Tully, Eversource, Mark Sandeen, Sustainable Lexington, Judith Glixon, Jason Denoncourt, Donna Hooper, Historical Society, Dawn McKenna Tourism Committee. Dave Pinsonneault gave the DPW update. It's increasingly difficult to find replacements for the ornamental light bulbs (failing sockets.) These bulbs will be replaced en masse in the Streetscape Plan. Proposal is out to bid for replacing trees on the south side of Mass Ave. Like the bulbs, these trees will be replaced in the Streetscape Plan and trees in good condition will be moved elsewhere. The "Big Belly" waste receptacles (which have been successful) are aging. These too, will be replaced in the Streetscape Plan. Refurbishing of the Minuteman statue will commence on October 151h The Battle Green Project is moving forward. The Epoch Times placed a newspaper box in the center having obtained HDC approval and nothing else. Some years ago the SOS voted to have only aggregate newspaper boxes. So this poses something of a dilemma. Joint meeting of the Center Committee and the Parking Management Group: Sean Tully, Melisa Tintocalis and Mark Sandeen pitched additional car charging stations in the center. There was an informal consensus that additional stations would be located next to the existing ones and placed together in the Muzzey Street lot. Jerry Michelson and Pamela Lyons inquired as to who would pay for the charging. When the first stations were installed a federal grant paid for the charging cost for two years. Since then the Town of Lexington has paid for the charge unless the driver pays through Chargepoint. What to do as more stations come on line? The Lexington Center Committee voted 10-0 to support the expansion of charging stations at the end of the NSTAR lot and install new stations at the Muzzey Street lot. The discussion of payment was deferred. Laurie Cadigan of Barrett Sotheby's gave a presentation requesting the support of the Center Committee to obtain a special permit from the Board of Appeals to lease the adjacent space 1686 Mass Ave. (For more details please see Barrett Sotheby's presentation to the Center Committee dated September 13th, 2018 and accompanying letter from Frederick V.Gilgun, Jr. dated September 12th, 2018.) Briefly, Barrett Sotheby's seeks to move their Muzzey Street operations to the vacant narrow space next door to their current Mass Ave location (in the Panera building.) Howard noted that under state law there would be a grandfathering of the real estate use (at Muzzey Street) for perhaps two years. Richard was concerned that we would be setting a bad precedent. The Lexington Center Committee voted 10-0 to approve the minutes for the June and July, 2018 meetings. At 9:50 am the Center Committee went into executive session concerning the Historical Society Parking Spaces near the Depot Building because a public discussion would be detrimental to negotiations. Frederic Johnson recused himself because he is on the Board of the Historical Society. Howard Levin recused himself because he represents an owner of property adjacent to these spaces. All members present agreed that they would not return to public session and would only adjourn after the executive session. Mike Boudett was unable to stay for the executive session due to time constraints.