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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1988-07-13 STM-min r r7 1988 SPECIAL TOWN MEETING JULY 13, 1988 The meeting was called to order by Moderator Margery M. Battin at 8:01 p.m., in Cary Memorial Hall. There were 180 Town Meeting Members present, this number being sufficient to constitute a quorum (100). 8:02 p.m. - The invocation was offered by Reverend Brian S. Dixon, First Baptist Church. 8:04 p.m. - The Assistant Town Clerk, Mary Louise Herr, read the Warrant for the Meeting until further reading was waived. 8:04 p.m. - The Assistant Town Clerk read the Constable's Return of the Warrant. 8:05 p.m. - The Moderator gave basic and general rules of the meeting, mentioned that Articles 2 and 3 would need a two-third vote to pass and out- lined the order of the presentations. ARTICLE 1 - REPORTS OF COMMITTEES 8:14 p.m. - Michael O'Sullivan, Chairman of the Appropriation Committee, stated an oral presentation would be made later and moved that a copy of the presentation report be accepted and placed on file. 8:15 p.m. - Following a voice vote, the Moderator declared the report to have been accepted and placed on file. ARTICLE 2 - MOTION: (a) That the Selectmen be authorized to purchase, under the authority of G.L.c.61B, or otherwise acquire for golf course, recreation, conservation and other municipal purposes, (i) the land shown as Lot 63 on Assessors' Property Map 66 and, (ii) the land shown as Lot 64 on Assessors' Property Map 66; (b) That $11,000,000 be appropriated for such land acquisition and that to raise such amount the Treasurer with the approval of the Selectmen be authorized to borrow $11,000,000 under G.L.c.44,s.7(3), as amended; provided, however, that this vote shall not take effect until the Town votes to exempt from the limitation on total taxes imposed by G.L.c.59,s.21C (Proposition 2 1/2) amounts required to pay the principal of and interest on the borrowing authorized by this vote; (c) That the Selectmen or their designee be authorized to apply for, accept, expend and borrow in anticipation of federal and state aid that may be available for the project; and (d) That the land acquired hereunder shall continue to be used as a municipal golf course and be available to the public during the winter months for cross country skiing and other winter sports. 8:15 p.m. - Presented by Jacquelyn Smith, Chairman of the Board of Selectmen. 8:17 p.m. - Jacquelyn Smith e7„plained the tax impact of the purchase, with view graph. 8:21 p.m. - Richard White, Town Manager, gave a review of the Towns' finances in the future. 8:29 p.m. - Jacquelyn Smith thanked the many people who worked on gathering the information which will be presented to this Town meeting. 8:33 p.m. - Margaret Rawls, Chairman of the Pine Meadows Advisory Committee, presented background and the proposal of the Committee. 8:47 p.m. - Mr. Gary Larson, a landscape architect, spoke on the site analysis and presented slides. 1988 SPECIAL TOWN MEETING JULY 13, 1988 2 7 9 8:57 p.m. - Mr. Peter Nichols with The Beal Companies for the Pine Meadows Committee presented the process dealing with the sale of land proposed under Article 3 and reviewed the financial elements with a slide. 9:06 p.m. - Mr. Mark Moore for Moore Homes, Inc. spoke briefly, generally on the imput received from all interested parties since the purchase of the land. He introduced the people having worked on the presentation for Moore Homes. 9:08 p.m. - Mr. Frank Carney, Vice President of Moore Homes, Inc. presented the Moore Homes, Inc. proposal. He mentioned providing a significant amount of open space, maintaining a golf course, employing a cluster housing approach and in- creasing the supply of affordable housing, which were objectives established by the Planning Board guidelines to Pine Meadows published in March of 1987. Meager- , ville School Site land was included in the plan. Slides were shown and explained. 9:31 p.m.. - Mr. Mark Moore read a letter to the Selectmen, with respect to Article 4, outlining Moore Homes, Inc. commitment to the Town. 9:35 p.m. - Judith Uhrig, Chairman of the Planning Board, provided a focus on the land use and planning issues involved in the choices. 9:42 p.m. - Robert Bowyer, Planning Director, presented the material in the infor- mation packet prepared for Town Meeting Members by the Planning Board. 10:01 p.m. - Michael O'Sullivan, for the Appropriation Committee updated the committees 1985 recommendations with five major points. He stated a majority of the members of the Appropriation Committee recommended favorable action on Article 2. 10:10 p.m. - Paul Hamburger, for the Capital Expenditures Committee, gave a report of the committee. He stated the committee unanimously agreed that voters should have the opportunity to express themselves on this issue and also the unanimous position of the committee that Article 2 should be passed. 10:10 p.m. - Paul Newman, Chairman of the School Committee, repotted on the im- pact to the schools. He stated the School Committee had no position on the advisability of purchasing the golf course. 10:16 p.m. - William Spencer, pr. 6, Chairman of the Lexington Housing Authority, stated that Article 2 did not in any way address the balance of open space and affordable housing. He added that the Lexington Housing Authority had not taken a formal position. He stated that he would vote no on Articles 2 and 3 if they were not amended to provide for affordable housing. 10:19 p.m. - Joyce Miller, Chairman of the Conservation Commission, stated that the commission supports Town ownership of the Pine Meadows land, and urged a vote for acquisition. 10:22 p.m. - Renee Cochin, pr. 7, stated her intention to amend Article 3, explaining how it would read. 10:29 p.m. - Albert Zabin, pr. 1, spoke in favor of Article 2, without joy, since it did not address the issue of affordable housing. 10:34 p.m. - Robert Rotberg, pr. 3, commented on beginning the voting. 10:35 p.m. - Jacquelyn Smith expressed the position of John Eddison, of the Board of Selectmen, who was not present, as in favor of indefinite postponement of Article 4 and in favor of Article 3. 10:36 p.m. - Jacquelyn Smith remarked on her opposition to acquisition, mentioning needs for other overrides of proposition 2 1/2. 10:44 p.m. - Mr. Alan Levine, 54 Reed Street, pr. 8, as citizen and as President of a Townwide grass roots organization Citizens for Lexington Conservation, urged Town Meeting to allow citizens to approve purchase of the property. 10:45 p.m. - Mr. Larry Crowes spoke for the Coalition to Save Pine Meadows. 10:47 p.m. - Mr. Richard Eaton, 128 Emerson Gardens, Chairman of the Emerson Gardens Tenants Association, spoke on affordable housing. He spoke in favor of the Moore Homes, Inc. plan. 0 rA 1988 SPECIAL TOWN MEETING JULY 13, 1988 10:55 p.m. - Judith Marshall, pr. 6, Chairman of the Recreation Committee, stated that the committee indorsed Article 3 and recommended a favorable vote. 10:55 p.m. - Catherine Abbott, pr. 7, President of the League of Woman Voters, urged a vote to acquire Pine Meadows conditioned on a vote to override proposition 2 1/2. 10:56 p.m. - Robert Whitman, pr. 7, questioned if in the future there could be reconsideration of the uses of the land if Article 2 was adopted. He asked if the motion was vague in its restrictions. 10:57 p.m. - Norman Cohen, Town Counsel, answered that the wording of the motion may appear vague to Mr. Whitman but that to him the wording appeared to be flexible. 10:58 p.m. - Paul Marshall, Board of Selectmen, spoke in favor of Article 2. 11:02 p.m. - Carolyn Tiffany, pr. 8 and James Barry, pr. 1, also spoke in favor of Article 2. 11:06 p.m. - Patricia McLaughlin, pr. 4, stated that she would not support purchase. 11:10 p.m. - Sam Silverman, pr. 5 and David Radlo, pr. 1, mentioned negative points of the options presented to the meeting. 11:15 p.m. - Mrs. Joanne Fray, 2361A Massachusetts Avenue, pr. 8, spoke on revenue and taxation mentioning the value of the land around open space land. She asked to be able to vote on the spending of the money and the preserving of the space. 11:19 p.m. - Mrs. Rita Glover, 107 Cedar Street, pr. 8, spoke of traffic con- cern with development. 11:20 p.m. - James McLaughlin, pr. 8, moved the question. Following a voice vote, the Moderator declared the question to have been moved. 11:23 p.m. - A request was made for a roll call vote. Following a call by the Moderator for fifty Town Meeting Members wishing a roll call vote to stand, the Moderator not having counted fifty members declared it would be a standing vote rather than a roll call vote as requested. 11:24 p.m. - Eugene Lee, pr. 5, moved to adjourn until Thursday, July 14, 1988, at 8 p.m., in Cary Hall. Following a voice vote, the Moderator declared the meeting not adjourned. 11:24 p.m. - Jacquelyn Smith did not wish to use the ten minutes of time re- maining to her. The Moderator called for a standing vote which was tallied as follows: Precinct Yes No 1 11 9 2 12 5 3 11 7 4 16 2 5 10 7 6 13 6 7 12 4 8 16 4 9 13 5 At large 11 5 Totals 125 54 11:30 p.m. - The Moderator declared the motion carried by more than the two-thirds required. 01 1988 SPECIAL TOWN MEETING JULY 13, 1988 9 0.1 ARTICLE 3 - MOTION: That this article be indefinitely postponed. 11:30 p.m. - Presented by Jacquelyn Smith, Chairman of the Board of Selectmen. 11:31 p.m. - The Moderator declared indefinite postponement following a voice vote. ARTICLE 4 - MOTION: That this article be indefinitely postponed. 11:31 p.m. - Presented by Jacquelyn Smith, Chairman of the Board of Selectmen. 11:32 p.m. - The Moderator declared indefinite postponement following a voice vote. 11:32 p.m. - Jacquelyn Smith, Chairman of the Board of Selectmen moved dissolution of the Town Meeting. 11:32 p.m. - The Moderator declared the Special Town Meeting to be dissolved following a voice vote. A true copy. Attest: Mary Louisfirr Assistant Town Clerk