HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-03-13-PB-min
PLANNING BOARD MINUTES
MEETING OF MARCH 13, 2019
A meeting of the Lexington Planning Board, held in the Selectmen’s Meeting Room, was called
to order at 7:03 p.m. by Chair Ginna Johnson with Members Richard Canale, Charles Hornig,
Robert Peters, Bob Creech, and planning staff Sheila Page and Lori Kaufman present.
*************************BOARD ADMINISTRATION****************************
Article 35 - Citizen’s Petition – Amend Article III of Chapter 118
Mr. Daggett presented a citizen’s petition amendment to the general bylaws to give the Moderator
discretion to not entertain subsidiary motions early in the debate on an Article.
On a motion of Mr. Canale, seconded by Mr. Peters, it was voted, 4-1 (Mr. Hornig opposed), to
recommend approval of this article to Town Meeting.
Article 7 - Citizen’s Petition – Appropriate funds for the creation of a Lexington Economic
Development Strategy
Mr. McGaw presented a citizen’s petition to appropriate funds for the creation of a Lexington
Economic Development Strategy. This will be indefinitely postponed for now but may be brought
back to Town Meeting in the future.
Article 4 - Citizen’s Petition - Reduce Community Preservation Act (CPA) surcharge rate
from 3% to 1%
Mr. McGaw presented his citizen’s petition to reduce the Community Preservation Act (CPA)
surcharge rate from 3% to 1%. This will be indefinitely postponed because it would impact the
repayment of current debt. This will be addressed at a future time.
Individual Board Comments:
It would be a wise strategy to see where we are going before putting this before Town
Meeting.
**********************DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION***********************
186 Bedford Street, Continued Pubic Hearing for Planned Development District:
Chair, Ms. Johnson, opened the continued public hearing at 7:24 p.m. with approximately 60
people in the audience. Mr. Creech and Mr. Peters were invited to meet by the applicant and Mr.
Martignetti and documented the meeting information, which was sent to Ms. Page and will be
shared with the Board tonight in this open meeting. Present were Howard Levin, attorney, Doug
Hartnett, principal engineer, the Ciampa family, Mike McKay, architect, Mike Radner and Dan
Dumas for parking.
Page 2 Minutes for the Meeting of March 13, 2019
Mr. Hartnett reviewed the proposed changes to the project which included the driveway which
was shifted south and saved a tree and provided an enlarged loading area for a second loading
dock, identified the gated dumpster, adjusted site lighting and landscape treatments, revised the
apparatus maneuvering plan to support revised parking, and provided a screening gate from Reed
Street. A supplemental submittal was also made which provided six spaces of overflow parking
and a hydrant. Mr. McKay presented revisions that were made to the plan showing the square
footage and the renderings. The barn will be an operational space to run the business and is not
really a real estate it is an office more for accounting. Dan Dumas presented the parking numbers
that has a total of 49 spaces for residential and retail parking. Mr. Radner discussed the landscape
updates and showed the dumpster screening. Tony Ciampa said the barn will be corporate office
not a real estate office and will be closed on weekends, there is more screening and offer the barn
for TMM meetings. Mr. Levin said these are small spaces and listed several potential visions for
the spaces.
Audience comments:
The uses on Saturday seems to be dedicated to salon uses and are higher then what the
applicant says and the overflow parking would not accommodate parking needs unless
we know what uses will be there.
Please evaluate the plan based on the residents abutting the property. There is concern
with headlights into our bedroom windows. The traffic flow needs to be considered.
The March 7 update turning maneuver study is under the tree they are trying to save.
The Planned Development District (PDD) application was really meant to address larger
tracts of land. The parking is still inadequate and renting space at the Knights of
Columbus could be a good solution. What happens when this property is sold and what
would go there? The size should be limited to what currently exists.
Sometimes one-bedroom units can have more than one car and 13 additional units could
have many children.
The parking is not sufficient for what they are proposing. Some units could have visitors
and one spot per unit is not enough. You need to consider what people will do when there
is not enough parking and start to park on the small surrounding crowded streets.
This is just too big for the site. The 2016 Town Meeting created rules for sizes of
structures on small lots. Approving this is opening the door by using a PDD application
for zoning by developers.
There are still concerns about parking and overflow and light coming into neighbors and
this is too big a project on this small lot.
Minutes for the Meeting of March 13, 2019 Page 3
PDD is not a precedent this project is a benefit to the Town and will bring Lexington lots
of benefits and become a Lexington gem.
Reed Street has been deteriorating over the years. What happens after this PDD is
approved will there be more problems down the line is there a vision of the Planning
Board.
This project may have surrounding buildings upgrade.
Joe Ciampa can put in the lease that residents can only use one parking space.
Individual Board member Comments:
This project is moving in the right direction. Concerns raised are it is too big among
others. Why do we not have a Transportation Management Plan yet and when will we
have it? Mr. Levin said it was submitted to the Board and is anticipated it will be
submitted before a COA is given.
What does it say about off-site parking? Mr. Levin said it is not needed. How will it be
documented? Mr. Levin said it will require employees to park off site, but there is more
than adequate parking available. We added auxiliary parking of six spaces in the green
space but want to keep it green. There will be off-site parking. This needs to be in writing
if it is not written it does not exist. Mr. Levin is waiting for the Town Manager. What are
you offering in writing as part of the mitigation for giving you all this extra density? Mr.
Levin said it will need to be done before goes to Town Meeting.
If we close the hearing it should be based on the recommendation that you are offering
tonight and there is nothing in writing. The agreement is with the Town not with the
Planning Board. The wording will be with Town Counsel and the Town Manager.
When will you have the MOU ready? The meeting is scheduled for March 22 we will
include the additional terms that the Board would like.
We would like to see this project come to a good conclusion. We can’t control number of
children. The spaces seem adequate especially with the empty building they own across
the way. If the parking goes in with the PSDUP it will go with the property if sold.
Four units of affordable housing is a big deal. Are the disability spaces based on a
formula? Yes.
Ms. Johnson presented her PowerPoint document. Move the transformer and dumpster
closer to Bedford Street by the commercial properties and away from residential
properties. Either choose uses to bring spaces to 43 spaces or reduce the size of the
project’s GFA on the Vaille Avenue side. Abutter footprints should be on the plans. The
two closest abutting residential properties should be given money for landscaping in the
Page 4 Minutes for the Meeting of March 13, 2019
PSDUP, reduce lighting on Reed Street from the parking light, replace ornamental trees
with canopy trees, need more snow storage, the number of trees being removed is wrong,
and the survey and the total need to be corrected. Add more trees, make accommodations
for the utility pole, consider angle parking cars, repair fence on Vaille Avenue, provide
the details on the fieldstone walls on landscape plan, realign the crosswalk, provide a new
sidewalk and a detail of the signage. List the setbacks in the PSDUP, the size of parcel,
and frontage actual numbers just in case the property gets sold in slivers. If it is not in
writing it does not exist. Vegetation must be native to Middlesex County. These details
can make or break the project. What provision have you made for sustainable renewable
energy? Mr. Hartnett said there have been none, but can explore them. Please correct the
typos in the PSDUP. Wordsmithing and corrections were listed and elimination of some
uses. List a maximum square footage uses for medical/ offices.
Want to know what you will put in writing in the MOU before we vote.
Mr. Levin said they will include off-site parking for employees if more spaces are needed in the
MOU and energy will meet the LEED silver requirements, but not be certified by LEED. We
cannot accommodate every point of view and reduce the project any further and still incorporate
13 units with 4 affordable units. It’s expensive to renovate and cannot reduce the project any
further. Will be open to adjusting the project to some extent, but not reduce the scale.
On a motion of Mr. Canale, seconded by Robert Peters, it was voted, 3-1-1, (Mr. Hornig opposed
Mr. Peters abstained), to continue the public hearing to March 20, 2019, in the Selectmen’s
Meeting Room at 7:00p.m.
Potential revote to confirm report on Article 37 zoning amendment to change “Board of
Selectmen” to “Select Board”:
On a motion of Mr. Hornig, seconded by Mr. Canale, it was voted, 4-0, to recommend approval
to Town Meeting.
On a motion of Mr. Hornig, seconded by Mr. Canale, it was voted, 5-0, to approve the draft report
to Town Meeting.
Potential revote to confirm report on Article 39 Citizen’s Petition zoning amendment for
“Limited Site Plan Review”:
Minutes for the Meeting of March 13, 2019 Page 5
On a motion of Mr. Hornig, seconded by Mr. Canale, it was voted, 4-0, to recommend approval
to Town Meeting.
On a motion of Mr. Hornig, seconded by Mr. Canale, it was voted, 5-0, to approve the draft report
to Town Meeting.
On a motion of Mr. Hornig, seconded by Mr. Canale, it was voted, 5-0, to recommend indefinite
postponement of Article 7.
On a motion of Mr. Hornig, seconded by Mr. Canale, it was voted, 5-0, to recommend
disapproval of Article 4 to Town Meeting.
241 Grove Street, Approval Not Required (ANR):
This matter is postponed to next week.
*************************BOARD ADMINISTRATION****************************
Board Member Updates:
MAGIC met last week and discussed aging friendly in place.
School Master Plan Committee is dealing with high school for the next 10 years until a new
school gets built.
The Tree Committee discussed tree canopy loss and how to address that issue.
Last week there was a demographics meeting with approximately 90 people in attendance.
Upcoming Meetings and Anticipated Schedule:
March 20: will discuss article 16.
April 11: Minuteman athletic fields in Battin hall.
Mr. Peters will attend the HATS meeting in Nancy’s place.
Mr. Peters will present Select Board article 37 to Town Meeting.
Mr. Peters will make the motion and Mr. Hornig will present the report for Article 39 to Town
Meeting.
Mr. Canale will present Articles 4 and 7 to Town Meeting.
Mr. Creech will present Article 35 to Town Meeting.
On a motion, duly made and seconded, it was voted to adjourn the meeting at 10:40 p.m.
The meeting was recorded by LexMedia.
Page 6 Minutes for the Meeting of March 13, 2019
The following documents used at the meeting can be found on the Planning Board website in
Planning Board packets.
241 Grove Street:
Form A Application (5 pages).
ANR Plan (1 page).
186 Bedford Street:
Grading Utility Plan 3/7/19 (1 page).
Landscape Plan 3/7/19 (1 page).
Fire Truck maneuvering Plan 3/7/19 (1 page).
Cover Letter 3/7/19 (2 pages).
Revised Zoning Article (6 pages).
Ms. Johnson power point (15 pages).
Proposed article 38 (7 pages).
Article 4 Citizen’s petition reduce Community Preservation Act surcharge rate (3 pages).
Draft Article 37 and Article 39 Reports
Robert Peters, Clerk