HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-01-13-PB-min
PLANNING BOARD MINUTES
MEETING OF JANUARY 13, 2021
Minutes of the Lexington Planning Board
Held on January 13, 2021, Virtual Meeting per Governor Baker’s Order at 7:03 pm
Present: Robert Creech, Chair; Robert Peters, Vice-Chair; Richard Canale; Charles Hornig. Also present was
Amanda Loomis, Planning Director, and Sheila Page, Assistant Planning Director. Ginna Johnson was not present
at the meeting.
Robert Creech, Chair, read the agenda into the record, introduced members of the Planning Board and Planning
Department Staff, and called the meeting to order on Wednesday, January 13, 2021.
Mr. Creech read the following statement relative to the recent outbreak of COVID-19.
Good evening. Consistent with Governor Baker's Executive Order of March 12, 2020, suspending specific
provisions of MGL. c. 30A, §18 due to the current State of Emergency in the Commonwealth due to the outbreak
of COVID-19, this meeting of the Lexington Planning Board is being conducted remotely. In-person attendance is
not permitted at this time.
Every effort will be made to ensure that the public can adequately access real-time proceedings via technological
means. In the event access cannot be provided, an audio or video recording of this meeting will be available for
review on the Town of Lexington website or through LexMedia as soon as possible after the meeting.
For this meeting, the Lexington Planning Board is convening by video conference via Zoom. Specific information
for remote participation by the public can be found on the Planning Office’s web page. Please note that this
meeting is being recorded.
At this time, I will provide a brief review of the meeting proceedings.
1. For each public hearing, the Planning Board will request a presentation from the Applicant or petitioner,
followed by an opportunity for the Planning Board to ask questions or provide comments. Then the floor
will be open for public comments.
2. All comments during public participation need to be limited to 2 minutes or less and must be respectful.
3. When the time comes for public participation, if you are dialing in, you may use *6 to mute or unmute
yourself and *9 to raise or lower your hand.
4. If at any time during the meeting you have a question, please use the Q&A feature, and staff will respond.
Development Administration
a. Special Permit Clarification- Building Height- 53 Hancock Special Permit
Residential Development
Mr. Schechner, Attorney, and Mr. Brickman, Applicant, were present. The
Applicant had requested clarification regarding the allowed roof ridge height
requirements for the residential structures on Lots 8 and 9. Mr. Creech asked Ms.
Loomis if staff had any issues with the request. Ms. Loomis responded no.
Mr. Hornig questioned what the Board was being asked to do? Mr. Schechner
Page 2 Minutes for the Meeting of January 13, 2021
responded since the height was not specified in the written decision, they were
requesting that the Planning Board confirm that this was an allowed height as it is
memorialized on the approved plans or the decision. The Applicant was not
requesting any modifications to the plan.
Charles Hornig moved that the Planning Board agree with the height proposed
by Mr. Schechner as it complied with the special permit the Board issued.
Robert Peters seconded the motion. The Planning Board voted to approve the
motion 4-0-0 (Roll Call: Richard Canale – yes; Charles Hornig – yes; Robert
Peters – yes; Robert Creech – yes). MOTION PASSED.
Board Administration
a. LexingtonNext update: Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee (CPAC)
Ms. Loomis said today there was a CPAC liaison meeting. She explained that they were
looking for two new members from precincts 1 and 8. Mr. Creech said he spoke to Larry
Freeman, Town Meeting Member from Precinct 1, and he was willing to participate. Ms.
Loomis will contact him. Ms. Loomis said the CPAC was moving forward with Stantec,
working on the Trend and Existing Condition Reports. Ms. Loomis said they are still
working on a project proposal and reviewed the process for the LexingtonNext pathway
to completion.
Once completed, Ms. Loomis will forward it to the Board Members. Sarah Felton said
they would try to get this to the Planning Board in September for approval and said that
going forward, the impacts of Covid would need to be incorporated.
Mr. Peters asked if that was a realistic time for September. Ms. Felton said it depended
on the public engagement plan once it is in place and is the wild card.
Mr. Canale expressed concerns that the summer is usually hard to get things done due to
vacation, so it is better to do it in September. Ms. Loomis said most of this work should
be done by June.
Mr. Hornig expressed concerns there will be a lot of trouble doing outreach in March and
April due to the Town Meeting and should double down in May and June.
Mr. Canal said the consultant would need to determine who would be the match mates for
our community and discuss who they should be.
Mr. Creech asked what the process would be for once we received the trend reports. Ms.
Felton was not sure, and public outreach would need to be discussed further to provide
information for the next steps.
Mr. Canale said the real work would be trying to determine the real goals since some
could be opposing goals and resolve it. Maybe using the 2020 survey would help. Mr.
Peters said the next survey would be going out in early 2022 and would not help develop
the plan due to the timing. Ms. Felton said there are many conflicting goals as in many
communities, making it more complicated. The final vote is still hopeful for September
2021.
Minutes for the Meeting of January 13, 2021 Page 3
If Board Members know of anyone interested in joining the CPAC, reach out to them in
precinct 8 or anyone with transportation and pedestrian expertise, which would be more
valuable. Ms. Felton and Ms. Loomis would be looking at the applications to see how to
round out the CPAC.
Ms. Loomis said the letters of support were sent to our representatives in the United States
Congress, and they all responded to thank the Board for its kind words.
Town Meeting
a. Review and Discussion of Potential Town Meeting Articles: Hartwell Innovation
Park (HIP); Table of Uses; Hartwell Avenue Area TMOD; Mixed-use
Transition Zoning Bedford Street; Floodplain Management; Sheds in
Setbacks; Special Permit Walls; Historic Preservation Incentives, Trees,
and Stormwater.
Mr. Hornig said there is a huge amount of material and articles that the Board wanted to
see going forward. What do we want to come out of this for tonight? Ms. Loomis said we
would need to confirm recommendations tonight.
Mr. Peters recused himself from the 475 Bedford Street discussion.
Mr. Nardi spoke regarding 475 Bedford Street and explained that they were in
discussions with various committees and staff for potential development of this site in the
past few years. They showed a possible mixed-use for commercial and multi-family,
shared parking structure, and some retail. He was asking for Planning Board feedback.
Mr. Creech expressed concerns about the entrance to the site.
Mr. Canale said this provides a good starting point but expressed concerns that staff
would not be looking at the housing component before Town Meeting, and this needed to
wait for staff to look at it. Ms. Loomis said making these two parcels a transition parcel
to the single-family and townhouses is what we are trying to figure out.
Mr. Hornig said we should do the right thing and need to figure out what Town Meeting
felt was missing that would not allow them to approve this at the last Town Meeting. The
access would need to be figured out and would be taken care of in the process. He was
concerned this would not get any lab, which was our highest value for this area. We
would need to see the draft zoning on one side of Bedford Street compared to the other
side. Ms. Loomis said the question is, could this side of Bedford Street be rezoned as a
mixed-use for the 2021 Annual Town Meeting. Mr. Canale said it would be inappropriate
since Town Meeting turned it down last time and consider looking at a zoning proposal
for the Fall Special Town Meeting.
Mr. Creech asked how many stories would there be for the apartments, and would
everyone use the garage? Mr. Nardi responded five stories for the apartments, and
everyone would use the garage. Mr. Creech expressed concern we were not ready yet
based on what we were told by Town Meeting. Ms. Loomis said the goal would be to
look at this holistically and get the conversation started. This was a great opportunity.
Page 4 Minutes for the Meeting of January 13, 2021
Audience comments
Ms. Lin Jensen expressed concerns that Town Meeting thought the pool should be kept as
an option for the community and a gym for the residents and employees. Ms. Loomis said
there was a site visit by the Town officials, and the condition of the building and pool
was discussed. Based on that information, it was determined not to move forward with
that. Ms. Iyer shared the memo based on the site visit. Mr. Nardi explained that the
building, systems equipment, and pool was old and had many challenges to restore.
Mr. Creech suggested we should take this off the warrant for this annual Town Meeting.
Mr. Hornig said that Economic Development Advisory Committee (EDAC) was very
unhappy that this property would remain vacant for another year. Ms. Loomis said, let’s
wait a week, and then we can decide to leave it on or take it off.
Mr. Canale said he could not support anything on this parcel since we have not addressed
the housing piece. This should go forward on the Fall Special Town Meeting.
Mr. Burnell asked if this could be discussed if it could go for this Town Meeting or the
Fall Special Town Meeting. Mr. Creech said the Board would discuss this further next
week.
Town Meeting 1
The Planning Board discussed the following placeholders due on Friday, January 15,
2021, for the warrant.
Article 38 - Stormwater Management
The Planning Board reviewed Article 38 and agreed to move these items forward.
Article 39 – Trees
The Planning Board discussed Article 38, questioned the Tree Committee’s
articles, and how they would fit with the General Bylaws vs. Hartwell Innovation
Park Bylaw. The Planning Board agreed to move this article forward.
Mr. Canale said there are other proposed changes by the Tree Committee, so why
not group them to simplify the Town Meeting process. Ms. Loomis said she
would reach out to see if that can be done.
Article 40 - Preservation Incentives; Article 41; Retaining Walls
The Planning Board reviewed Articles 40 and 41 and agreed to move these items
forward.
Article 42 - Structures in the setbacks
The Planning Board discussed Article 42, which would allow very small detached
structures and not inhabitable and five feet off the lot line. Staff and the Building
Department were working on the wording. The Planning Board agreed to move
Article 42 forward.
Article 43 - Floodplain Management; Article 44 - Technical Corrections; Article
45 - Use Regulations; Article 46 - Hartwell Innovation Park (HIP)
Minutes for the Meeting of January 13, 2021 Page 5
The Planning Board reviewed Articles 43-46 and agreed to move these articles
forward. The Planning Board agreed to modify the Hartwell Innovation District
(HIP) to include all of the Manufacturing (CM) Zoning District and the two (2)
parcels on Tracer Lane.
Article 48 - Hartwell Avenue Area (Transportation Management Overlay District)
Sheila Page, Assistant Planning Director, provided a brief overview of the
Transportation Management Overlay District (TMOD) and its need to be a place
holder. The Planning Board agreed to move Article 48 forward.
Board Administration
b. Staff Updates
The next meeting will be a work session for the proposed language for the public hearings
plus an ANR.
The Planning Board candidates should be getting emails that the Board Members receive
until elections day.
c. Board Member Updates
Mr. Hornig said there would be the Hartwell coffee on Friday morning.
Mr. Canale said MAPC had a panel discussion on grants they gave to local communities.
Today, there was an email that grant money was available for non-profits who have not
gotten funds during the pandemic. Mr. Canale will send the email to the planning staff
and Economic Development.
Mr. Hornig said there was another Hartwell Avenue rollout on January 21.
Mr. Hornig said he spoke to the SPRD committee chair and reported that nothing has
been happening due to the lack of funds.
Mr. Creech said that the Town got a grant of $100,000 for Lexpress from MassDOT.
The Town is going to transfer from Zoom to WebEx. Ms. Loomis will look into that.
d. The Planning Board Meeting Minutes will be deferred to next week.
Adjournment
Bob Creech moved that the Planning Board adjourn the meeting of January 13, 2021. Robert
Peters seconded the motion. The Planning Board voted in favor of the motion 4-0-0 (Roll call:
Robert Peters – yes; Richard Canale – yes; Charles Hornig – yes; Robert Creech - yes).
MOTION PASSED
Meeting adjourned at 9:20 p.m.
The following documents used at the meeting can be found on the Planning Board website in
Planning Board packets.
Special Permit Clarification- Building Height- 53 Hancock Special Permit Residential
Development
Memo dated January 11, 2020 (8 pages).
Page 6 Minutes for the Meeting of January 13, 2021
Lot 5 dated July 1, 2020 (3 pages).
Lot 6 dated July 1, 2020 (3 pages).
Height information (1 page).
Hartwell Avenue Zoning Articles
Draft language Hartwell Avenue Zoning dated January 7, 2021 (6 pages).
Draft Hartwell Avenue Table and Uses dated January 8, 2021 (16 pages).
Historic Preservation Incentive Amendments, dated December 2, 2020 (2 pages).
Hartwell Avenue Map dated January 12, 2021 (1 page).
Proposed Warrant language (5 pages).
Ginna Johnson, Clerk of the Planning Board