HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-06-09-RPC-min
PLANNING BOARD RESIDENTIAL POLICY COMMITTEE MINUTES
JUNE 9, 2015 MEETING
A meeting of the Lexington Planning Board Residential Policy Committee, held in the DPW
Training Room, was called to order at 7:07 p.m.
Members present: Richard Canale, Jeri Foutter, Tom Harden, Ginna Johnson and Michael Leon
and Board of Selectman Liaison Joe Pato.
The following members of the public also participated: Adam Blauer, 46 Robinson Road, Todd
Cataldo, 168 Grant Street, Michael Martignetti, 37 Barberry Road, Bob Pressman, 22 Locust
Avenue.
Scribe:
Ginna Johnson
Documents Attached:
Agenda, Sign-in Sheet, Draft Schedule
1. COMMITTEE ADMINISTRATION
1. Introductions
2. Leadership:
On motion duly made and seconded, it was voted, 5-0, to appoint Ms. Johnson as
chair and Mr. Canale as vice-chair.
3. Minutes:
Ms. Johnson volunteered to be scribe for the 9 June meeting. It was agreed that at
upcoming meetings, committee members would serve as scribe in alphabetical order.
4. Meeting Times:
Meeting time established as Tuesdays from 7:15 to 9:15 pm. Meetings
frequency to be determined. Next meeting date set for 23 June 2015.
***Action Item***Advertise next meeting and reserve a room.
***Action Item***Ms. Johnson requested all members email the Planning Department any
planned vacation schedules through December.
5. Open Meeting Law Documentation:
Town Clerk reported Open Meeting Law packets will be
delivered, committee members are to sign and return to Town Clerk as soon as possible. Mr.
Harden said he had requested that the committee members be designated Special Municipal
Employees by the Board of Selectman. Mr. Henry will coordinate.
6. Communication:
All emails and communication should cc the Planning Department,
Planning@lexingtonma.gov
7. Website:
Aaron Henry reported that the link to the committee webpage will be activated no
later than 19 June. The link will appear on the left column of the Planning Board webpage.
Agendas, meeting summaries, and resident emails and committee correspondence will be
available for review.
Page 2 June 9, 2015 Meeting Minutes
8. Draft Process and Schedule:
A Draft Process and Schedule was circulated for comment. The
schedule suggested establishing a list of potential initiatives to pursue in June, doing precedent
and statistical research over July and August, conducting public outreach in September as the
committee begins to focus on specific initiatives. If agreed, the committee would write draft
articles and revise the drafts as during fall 2015 as the committee gets direction and comment
from the Planning Board and Board of Selectman. The process would work toward reserving
article(s) for 2016 Town Warrant in December of 2015. Mr. Canale advocated for a field trip to
visit Balanced Housing projects and teardowns (scheduled in August) and a public workshop (in
September). Mr. Pato reminded members that Special Town Meeting is scheduled for the first 2
weeks in November. Mr. Pato confirmed that articles could be revised after submittal to the
Warrant in December.
9. Committee Research:
Mr. Canale mentioned that the Town has significant statistical data on
residential development trends (i.e. Affordable Housing Plan) as do other communities (and
Metropolitan Area Planning Council); committee needs to : 1) reach out to other communities, 2)
explore coordinating research with Town of Concord (they have an intern), 3) post relevant
information on committee website.
***Action Item***Coordinate with Town of Concord Planning on intern staffing for research.
2. RESIDENTIAL POLICY DISCUSSION
The committee members and public discussed the public comments made at the May 20 Planning
Board Listening Session Mr. Canale said that the Listening Session reflected a diverse group of
residents with different opinions. Mr. Canale said the committee should give public presentation
on local and commonwealth zoning regulations. Mr. Pato said the Listening Session reflected the
opinion of active, engaged residents, by virtue of the fact they attended the meeting. Ms. Foutter
said that the Listening Session was a vocal minority and we should reach out to the public more.
Discussion on Listening Session topics included:
1. Variances allowed by the Zoning Board of Appeals:
Mr. Harden: that other Towns are
stricter; do not allow residential development on non-conforming lots. Mr. Harden queried, “Why
do we give away as much as we do?” Mr. Leon said Lexington is a liberal town from both a
regulatory and appeal point of view and that the large number of non-conforming lots exacerbate
the situation. Mr. Canale said that we need to understand existing zoning regulations and bylaws
and Zoning Board of Appeals regulations and how they mesh. There was discussion about the
number of non-conforming lots in Town.
June 9, 2015 Meeting Minutes Page 3
2. Effectiveness of Balanced Housing/ Cluster Housing Zoning: The
“smaller” units in
balanced housing developments are not affordable. Environmental benefits not always achieved.
Committee should analyze built projects, what the Town wants to incentivize, and change the
regulations accordingly. Mr. Leon suggested as of right districts with increased density and site
plan review. Mr. Harden noted the Town is ambivalent about density. Mr. Cataldo said
developers don’t want to deal with lengthy process or appeals. Mr. Cataldo said that there are not
any large sites to do significant open spaces like Doran Farms and neighbors don’t like smaller
but more units due to traffic and increased school population.
3. Neighborhood Conservation Districts:
A high percentage of neighbors must support a
District for it to be enacted. Mr. Leon noted that people don’t like to be regulated, but that some
of the most regulated communities are the most desirable, like Nantucket and Beacon Hill. Mr.
Martignetti said that he would support restrictions on character but not in expansion. Mr. Blauer
said the Turning Mill neighborhood is investigating a neighborhood conservation district.
4. Dimensional controls/ physical impacts of new residential construction (massing, height,
lot coverage):
Committee should review precedents and propose regulations. Mr. Cataldo said
that out of scale houses are most noticeable on small lots; he suggested limiting height on 50’
frontage lots. Mr. Leon referenced a successful Weston bylaw requiring a large house site plan
review. Ms. Foutter said the committee should analyze the pro and cons of mansionization to
avoid unintended consequences. Ms. Johnson said, re: public comments like loss of tree canopy
and traffic, she is concerned about the environmental impacts of development and would like
dimensional controls consider tree protection, air quality, water quality, etc.
5. Impact of Teardowns:
Group discussed the failed citizens’ article on Demolition Delay at
2015 Town Meeting. Mr. Cataldo said that some houses on the market are uninhabitable, and that
the interval for reconstruction might actually lower school population. Ms. Johnson said that she
supported the failed article; that the citizen effort spoke to the importance of neighborhood scale
and character to residents. The group thought teardown statistics should be analyzed. The
number of teardowns per year has a larger effect on changing town character than the fewer
number of new housing units in subdivisions.
6. Decline of diversity of housing types on the market and lack of affordable housing:
Mr.
Leon said as many as 15 neighboring towns have dealt with this and it would be important to
document how the market has responded to the zoning mechanisms. Mr. Leon suggested that the
Town should establish incentives for mixed use and multi-family projects. Mr. Pressman said he
was concerned about families in real need of housing. Mr. Pressman asked if current projects,
including the Kelley development on Woburn Street and the McSweeney development on
Page 4 June 9, 2015 Meeting Minutes
Lincoln Street would add to affordable housing stock. Mr. Pressman said that the Town should
establish a policy of subsidized housing, continue scattered site housing and also look at project
with greater density like the Kelley project.
7. Lack of Senior Housing:
Mr. Cataldo cited Drummer Boy and Potter Pond as options for
senior housing; may be that these locations are not close enough to the Center. Mr. Cataldo
suggested an “exit interview” to find out why seniors leave and where they go.
8. Economics of Development:
Other topics touched upon included: Amount of annual revenue
generated by new growth (2-4 million), commercial vs. residential tax base, impact of the low
mortgage rates on housing cost and sales, increasing commercial tax base vs. traffic impacts
(30K+ trips generated by commercial development in Lexington per day), availability of private
land and Town land for housing development in Lexington (not much), possibility of mixed use
development in commercial districts (King Street biotech demand strong this is currently unlikely
along Hartwell without town incentives), impacts of school system on real estate market
(distinguishes Lexington from other study models), public concern about increasing school
population, NIMBYism, interest in green building, and committee would benefit from including
perspectives of additional zoning attorneys and additional developers.
3. LIST OF POSSIBLE RESIDENTIAL POLICY COMMITTEE INITIATIVES:
1. Zoning Board of Appeals Variances: Coordinate with ZBA and Town boards and committees
to establish Town objectives, zoning, and regulations for granting variances and special
permits.
2. Zoning Policy:
2.1 Analyze current “balanced and cluster housing” zoning bylaws and regulations (6.9.3
Special Permit Residential Development) for effectiveness, consider revisions.
2.2 Neighborhood Conservation Districts: Research policy precedents, identify and establish
districts
2.3 Analyze zoning dimensional controls, research precedent policies, and recommend
changes. One example: consider height restrictions for 50’ frontage lots.
2.4 Analyze teardowns and positive and negative impacts of trend on multiple scales
3. Affordable Housing and Diversity of Housing Types: Establish policy and annual funding for
town affordable housing initiatives, identify specific project(s) and/or establish incentives for
private developers. Research precedents, analyze benefits, and consider areas for increased
density districts.
June 9, 2015 Meeting Minutes Page 5
4. Senior Housing: Analyze benefits of senior housing, research precedent policies and projects,
identify specific project(s) and/or establish incentives
Clerk pro temp:
Ginna Johnson
Documents Attached:
Agenda, Sign-in Sheet, Draft Schedule