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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-09-11-HPB-min.pdf Lexington Housing Partnership Board (HPB) Meeting Minutes for September 11, 2025 Attendees: Nanette Byrnes, Harriet Cohen (Clerk), Ravneet Grewal, Wendy Manz (Chair), Margaret Heitz, Charles Hornig (Planning Board), Paul Linton, Joyce Murphy, Melanie Thompson, Betsey Weiss (Vice-Chair) Absent: Cindy Arens (Sustainable Lexington), Sarah Morrison (LexHAB), Vineet Kumara (Select Board liaison), Guests: Sandra Hackman, Carol Kowalski (Assistant Town Manager for Development), Linda Prosnitz (AHT) The Housing Partnership Board (HPB) meeting was chaired by Wendy Manz and minutes were taken by Harriet Cohen. The meeting was held in person. 1. Call to Order: Housing Partnership Board Meeting Ms. Manz called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm. 2. Continue discussion on Compendium of HPB Housing Policy and Strategy Priorities for SB Ms. Manz said that after the discussion tonight she will meet with the Select Board to determine next steps. She also said that representatives of LexHAB, the Lexington Housing Authority, and the Affordable Housing Trust will be invited to a subsequent HPB meeting to provide input to the policy/strategy document. The HPB then discussed the revised compendium that had been sent out previously and was attached to the minutes of August 28, 2025. The HPB discussed various modifications and additions to the strategies. Mr. Hornig updated the draft document and will provide it to the HPB. It is attached to the minutes of this meeting. 3. Oct. 30th Housing Roundtable at LEXART at 130 Waltham St., Lexington from 5-7pm Ms. Byrnes, Ms. Murphy, and Ms. Weiss met to discuss how the roundtable would be run and who might participate. The goal is to present and discuss some of the key points of the Housing Needs Assessment. There will be a follow-up meeting on Sept. 18. 4. Liaison Reports Affordable Housing Trust: The AHT had a presentation by Causeway Development. They provide and update on the Lowell Street project. The next steps are moving to apply to the Zoning Board of Appeals for a comprehensive permit. The plan is still for forty units. The AHT also had LexHAB and the Lexington Housing Authority (LHA) at the meeting to discuss funding sources. 5. Discuss LHA becoming a liaison instead of voting member since no one from LHA has volunteered to be on the HPB since the winter of 2024 The HPB agreed that both the LHA member and the COA member be liaisons rather than members. The next step is to request that the Select Board change Charge accordingly. 6. Review and approve minutes for August 28 Ms. Weiss moved approval of the minutes. Mr. Linton seconded the motion. Upon a motion duly made and seconded, the HPB voted by roll call of 10 -0-0 to approve the motion. 7. New Business There was no new business. 8. Set Next Meeting Date 9. HPB Adjournment Ms. Weiss moved adjournment. Ms. Cohen seconded the motion. Upon a motion duly made and seconded, the HPB voted by roll call of 10 -0-0 to approve the motion. The meeting adjourned at 9:07 pm. Appendix A: Compendium of HPB Priorities and Strategies after Editing Compendium of HPB Priorities and Strategies as of 8/28 (meeting edits) For Discussion Only Policies/Priorities A. Prioritize mixed use development in Lexington Center A.1 Work with developers, real estate agents, residents, members of the business community, and the Historic Districts Commission to determine what would make development of such housing financially viable for private developers, and set development parameters acceptable to the community. A.2 Offer incentives to create center housing for seniors (to be ADA compliant, with elevators). A.3 Organize a campaign, targeting Town Meeting members as well as residents generally, to restore the previous by right zoning (52’ height, 4 stories) or to change zoning per conclusions of A.1. A.4 Expedite the permit process for mixed use development. A.5 Deliverable: mixed use mid-rise zoning in Lexington Center by 2028. B. Prioritize less expensive housing across town B.1 Bring Lexington ADU zoning into compliance with state law; publicize and promote this option among Lexington homeowners; and expedite the permitting process for this form of priority development. B.2 Create mixed-use zoning overlays for areas for small commercial areas. B.2 Permit housing under MBTA Multifamily Zoning as applications are made. B.4 Change zoning to permit and encourage co-housing. B.5 Establish an intergenerational home-share program in collaboration with area towns which would match seniors with spare bedrooms with students who could perform home services in exchange for lower rent. B.6 Amend zoning to permit smaller individual residential lots to encourage smaller dwellings. B.7 Amend zoning to permit sustainable missing middle housing types or multiple one- family dwellings (SRDs are a start). B.8 Deliverable: 500 additional homes of diverse types (single family, town house, multifamily, ADU) and prices by 2035. C. Prioritize preservation of existing homes under 2,000 square feet C.1 Introduce programs to support current owners of smaller homes in maintaining and upgrading their homes, to make demolition and replacement less likely: C.1(a) Low interest loan funds or grants for critical repairs, energy efficiency improvements, and accessibility upgrades (AHT?) C.1(b) Tax abatements for homeowners who preserve their homes rather than selling them for teardowns C.1(c)) Partnerships with non-profits or vocational program for lower cost rehab and repair services C.1(d) Voluntary deed restrictions or covenants to keep properties attainable for a set period of time in return for repair assistance. C.2 Encourage owners of smaller homes to test the market for their homes as they are, before selling to developers for demolition (real estate agents). C.3 Deliverable: Reduce the rate of teardowns by 10% by 2030. D. Increase the number of subsidized (deed-restricted) housing units in town to at least 10% of Lexington’s housing units (whether or not eligible for inclusion in the Subsidized Housing Inventory) D.1 Adopt an Affordable Housing Overlay (AHO) District focused on transportation corridors, with limited parking requirements. D.2 Expedite the permit process for this form of priority development. D.3 Work with the Affordable Housing Trust and LexHAB to find ways to subsidize or support affordable home ownership as well as rentals. D.4 Deliverable: 10% of Lexington housing units to be subsidized by 2035. E. Expand funding sources for subsidized housing E.1 Support robust funding for the Affordable Housing Trust and other housing programs from the Community Preservation Fund, commensurate with the allocations for historical resources, open space, and recreation. E.2 Adopt a Select Board policy that takes Lexington’s housing needs into consideration when appointments are made to town boards and committees, particularly the finance committees, so that this issue is adequately represented in their deliberations. E.3 Stay abreast of state and federal grants, training programs, and other resources, and make timely applications on behalf of the town when appropriate. E.4 Advocate in the state legislature for Lexington’s pending home rule petitions, which would allow surcharges on certain real estate transactions to be earmarked for housing needs. E.5 Support other potential state legislation, such as the statewide Real Estate Transfer Fee (RETF) which would supply additional funds for housing. E.6 Deliverable: Continuing reliable funding stream for support of subsidized housing. F. Umbrella Priority: Communication, education and engagement of the community regarding Lexington’s continuing housing needs F.1 Plan and manage a multi-pronged campaign over a one-year to three-year period to listen to the community’s housing goals and concerns and to engage residents and stakeholders across the community in a long-term housing enterprise they can support. F.1(a) Stakeholders include: the Select Board, the Planning Board, the Community Preservation Committee, the finance committees, the Affordable Housing Trust, LexHAB, the Lexington Housing Authority, the Housing Partnership Board, the Regional Housing Services Office (including staff), Lexington business leaders, Lexington lending institutions, local real estate agents, the Council on Aging, the Historical Commission, and the Conservation Commission. F.1(b) Submit a non-binding resolution to the next Town Meeting acknowledging the existence of a housing crisis and expressing the Town’s support for increasing the housing stock. F.1(c) Carry out ongoing training sessions for housing advocates, including housing needs and data, and listening and negotiating skills. F1(d) Plan and carry out a program of listening meetings, discussions, engagement programs, and planning sessions to acquaint the community with current accurate data on Lexington’s housing stock and housing needs and to discuss realistic strategies for dealing with housing issues. F1(e) Organize a campaign, specifically targeting supportive Town Meeting members as well as residents generally, around the goal of increasing missing middle housing. F.2 Ensure that professional resources are available to implement housing strategies, such as creating a full-time or part-time position of Housing Officer F.3 Deliverable: A wide community consensus in Lexington on housing needs and goals and a plan to move forward supported by Town Meeting and the wider community.