HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-01-20-HPB-min.docx (working group)
Housing Partnership Board – Jan 20, 2026, Achieving 10% Working Group Minutes
Meeting was called to order at 4:31pm by Betsey Weiss.
Roll call taken and members present: Betsey Weiss, Harriet Cohen, and Chris Herbert. Having a quorum
the meeting was called to order.
Carol Kowalski and Margaret Heitz joined the meeting at 4:37.
The group discussed a draft letter to the Select Board summarizing the history of the town’s ownership
of land on Vine Street and a 2025 Town Meeting Article 23 that called for an RFP to be issued for the
development of affordable housing on the site. After discussion the working group voted unanimously
to table the letter while gathering further information on the situation.
Bob Pressman joined the meeting at 5:04.
Bob expressed his strong desire to see the town follow through on their commitment to produce
affordable housing on the Vine Street site.
The group discussed the idea of adopting an Affordable Housing Overlay in Lexington and reviewed
steps taken in Arlington to explore this approach as an example for what Lexington might do. There was
a consensus that this was an idea worth exploring and including in our report out to the Select Board.
Chris will draft a summary of progress of the group for the Thursday HPB meeting and continue working
to revise his draft memo to share with the group ahead of the full HPB on Thursday 1/22/2026 evening
meeting.
Margaret has done some further exploration of the potential for using the Armory site for affordable
housing and will draft up a summary of her findings.
Harriet moved and Margaret seconded a motion to approve the minutes for the working group meeting
th
on January 6. The minutes were unanimously approved on a roll call vote.
rd
The group will meet next on February 3 at 4:30 pm.
The meeting was adjourned at 5:48 pm. Harriet Cohen moved adjournment and Margaret seconded the
motion. Adjournment was unanimously approved on a roll call vote.