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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-02-19-HPB-min.pdf 1 Lexington Housing Partnership Board (HPB) Meeting Minutes for February 19, 2026 Attendees: Nanette Byrnes, Ravneet Grewal, Sandra Hackman (COA), Chris Herbert, Vineeta Kumar (Select Board liaison), Paul Linton, Wendy Manz (Chair), Joyce Murphy, Linda Prosnitz (AHT liaison), Michael Schanbacher (Planning Board), Russ Tanner (LexHAB), Melanie Thompson, Betsey Weiss (Vice- Chair) Absent: Cindy Arens (Sustainable Lexington), Harriet Cohen (Clerk), Margaret Heitz Guests: Kunal Botla, Elaine Tung (Lexington AHT) Russ Tanner joined at 7:13 pm, Joyce Murphy at 7:38 pm. The Housing Partnership Board (HPB) meeting was chaired by Wendy Manz and minutes were taken by Paul Linton. The meeting was held remotely via Zoom. 1. Call to Order: Housing Partnership Board Meeting Ms. Manz called the meeting to order at 7:03 pm. The roll was called. 2. Discussion and vote RHSO portion of the HOME Consortium FY27 Annual Action Plan The group discussed the RHSO FY27 (HM26) Annual Action Plan Template. Ms. Manz noted that we did not have to vote on the document tonight, but just to review it. A few typos were noted for clean-up. The funding of two rental units for Lexington listed in section AP-20 was confusing; Ms. Weiss stated that the two units mentioned in the document are part of the 40 units in the Lowell Street project, for which the town would receive HOME funds in FY29 - 30. The discussion also touched on the technical logistics of HOME funds allocation, with Ms. Prosnitz explaining that these funds typically go to the town rather than directly to the Affordable Housing Trust. Mr. Herbert raised questions about the decision-making process for allocating these funds, which remained unclear. Actions • Ms. Tung: Suggest changes and send corrections to the Lexington section of the Regional Housing Services Office Annual Action Plan to Ms. Manz, for submission to Liz Rust. • Ms. Manz: Send questions and feedback (including Ms. Tung's suggested edits) back to Liz Rust regarding the Regional Housing Services Office annual action plan, particularly clarifying the Lexington Woods and Lowell Street project details. 3. Discuss and vote on HPB letter of support for LexHAB’s 4 ADU’s The board reviewed a proposal from LexHAB for 2026, which includes constructing three new affordable ADUs and renovating a gifted single-family house at 77 Wood Street. Mr. Tanner explained that LexHAB is seeking capital subsidies for construction and eight project-based rental subsidies from the MA Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) and Lexington AHT to make the units deeply affordable, with a focus on serving extremely low- income households (two to be under 30% AMI). Ms. Weiss moved to authorize the HPB Chair to write letters to both Lexington AHT and Governor Healey in support of LexHAB’s proposal. Ms. Hackman seconded the motion. The voting results were as follows: 2 In favor: Ms. Weiss, Mr. Linton, Ms. Byrnes, Mr. Herbert, Ms. Grewal, Mr. Tanner, Ms. Thompson, Mr. Schanbacher Ms. Hackman, Ms. Manz Against: <none> Abstain: <none> Action • Ms. Manz: Write and send two letters of support for LexHAB's ADU and renovation proposal; one shall go to Ms. Tung (Affordable Housing Trust) and one to Governor Healey (or appropriate state official), ensuring the letters are shared with the board for review before sending. 4. Finalizing reports of the 4 Working Groups for the SB Housing Policy meeting in March and any specific actions that need to be voted on by the HPB Achieving True 10% affordable Ms. Weiss presented for the group, showing the current draft of their slide deck. The group is focusing on achieving a true 10% affordable housing target. They reviewed current housing units; Lexington currently has 723 deed-restricted units and would need 502 more in order to achieve a true 10% affordable target. Assuming all currently permitted and formally proposed and proposed developments are built, Lexington will still be 394 deed-restricted units short of the goal. Mr. Herbert presented regulatory and financial tools available to the town to promote affordable housing, including inclusionary zoning and various funding sources. The team is working on finalizing charts and figures for the presentation, with plans to present a single final chart. The group discussed strategies for affordable housing, including short-term and long-term approaches. They explored the potential for developing larger parcels of land, such as those owned by LexHAB and LHA, and the importance of meeting the 40-unit threshold for low- income housing tax credits. Ms. Weiss proposed forming a committee to identify suitable parcels for affordable housing overlay districts, similar to Arlington's approach. The group also considered the future use of town-owned properties, such as the National Guard Armory and 173 Bedford Street, though Ms. Kumar noted the Select Board's reluctance to commit to long- term housing use without further discussion. Mr. Herbert outlined the next steps, including exploring affordable housing overlay districts and investigating potential housing on town and state-owned land. The group reviewed progress on several housing initiatives, including a development chart frozen as of February 3rd and discussions about MBTA zoning requirements where they achieved a 15% affordable housing requirement but faced challenges with smaller developments. Exploring Housing in the Center Ms. Byrnes reported ongoing research into housing in the center, including interviews with comparable towns and monitoring of the 16 Clark Street project. They plan to present to the 3 Select Board in March or April. Smaller, more diverse, less expensive housing Ms. Grewal presented findings on preventing mansionization through density considerations, using state definitions of low, medium, and high-density residential areas. She noted that while teardowns have resulted in homes 258% larger and more expensive than replaced properties, they are working to preserve character through careful consideration of rhythm, spacing, and scaling. Ms. Grewal presented a plan to address housing density and preservation in Lexington, focusing on short-term and long-term strategies. She explained that the current data on lot density was taken from a 2010 hazard mitigation plan and would need to be clarified. The short-term strategies included reducing demolition delays for middle housing, increasing two-family zoning, protecting historic facades, and expanding accessory dwelling unit options. The long-term strategies involved creating standardized plans and guidelines to reduce costs for homeowners and developers. Ms. Grewal used AI-generated visuals to present the proposed changes; some suggestions for improvement / correction of those visuals came about during the discussion. The group discussed various housing strategies and initiatives, including the potential implementation of 40Y districts, which would allow for smaller, more sustainable housing developments while preserving neighborhood character. They explored options for encouraging duplexes and smaller homes, as well as the challenges associated with building codes and regulations. ADUs are another option. Communication, education, and community engagement The community engagement group presented plans for a housing partnership website to provide information and facilitate community involvement in housing projects. The “Design Hive” student club at Lexington High is enthusiastically helping the group design the web site; the club’s faculty sponsor has professional web design experience. Actions: • All Working Groups: Continue to refine and finalize presentations/recommendations for the Select Board, aiming for a presentation date in late April. • Ms. Kumar: Check with Jill (Select Board Chair) to confirm if moving the Select Board presentation to April is acceptable and report back to the board. • Smaller, more diverse housing group: Refine and reorganize the presentation on smaller/more diverse housing options, including clarifying charts, definitions, and recommendations, before the next HPB meeting. • Ms. Manz: Meet with the town manager to request funding for the initial setup of the housing partnership website and report back to the board. 4 • All Working Group Chairs: Prepare updated presentations and materials for the next HPB meeting (March 18), incorporating feedback and aiming for a coherent, organized final report for the Select Board in April. 5. Discussion of final Working Groups power point for SB and discussion of SB presentation date The working groups will continue to refine their presentation, presenting their next drafts at the March HPB meeting. HPB is targeting late April for presenting the final package to the Select Board. 6. Liaison Reports No reports were presented. 7. Review and approve minutes for Jan. 22nd, 2026 There were no suggested amendments to the minutes. Ms. Weiss moved approval of the minutes for January 22, 2026. Mr. Herbert seconded the motion. The voting results were as follows: In favor: Ms. Weiss, Mr. Linton, Ms. Byrnes, Mr. Herbert, Ms. Grewal, Mr. Tanner, Ms. Thompson, Mr. Schanbacher, Ms. Murphy, Ms. Hackman, Ms. Manz Against: <none> Abstain: <none> 8. New Business Ms. Manz announced her intention to step down as chair of the board after April, once the Housing Policy presentation has been made to the Select Board. Ms. Weiss will also be stepping down as vice chair. Both wish to remain members of the HPB. 9. Set next meeting date Ms. Manz noted that there have been suggestions to “regularize” the HPB meeting schedule. The next meeting will be on Wednesday March 18, 2026 at 7:00 pm on Zoom. 10. Adjournment Ms. Weiss moved for adjournment. Ms. Hackman seconded the motion. Upon a motion duly made and seconded, the HPB voted by roll call of 11-0-0 to approve the motion. The meeting adjourned at 9:05 pm.