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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003-10-29-PB-minPLANNING BOARD MINUTES MEETING OF OCTOBER 29, 2003 The meeting of the Lexington Planning Board held in the Selectmen's Room, Town Office Building, was called to order at 7:35 p.m. by Chairman Harden with members Chase, Davies, Galaitsis, Kastorf and planning staff Garber, McCall- Taylor, and Tap present. * * * * * * * * * * * ** ADMINISTRATION OF LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS * * * * * * * * * * * ** PLANS NOT REQUIRING APPROVAL UNDER THE SUBDIVISION CONTROL LAW ANR 2003 -5, 171 Lincoln Street The Board reviewed an Approval Not Required Plan for land at 171 Lincoln Street filed in the Planning Department on November S, 2003. After some discussion with the staff, on the motion of Mr. Kastorf, seconded by Mr. Davies, it was voted to table the plan, as parts of it were not clearly delineated. Ms. McCall - Taylor will ask the applicant to submit a new plan that shows the intent more accurately. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** ARTICLES FOR 2004 ANNUAL TOWN MEETING * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** Anticipated Rezoning Proposals The Board discussed the feed back they would like to give the three companies who presented their preliminary proposals for the rezoning of land at the Board's October 22, 2003 meeting. Brookhaven at Lexington, Modify RD -6 Zoning District The Board agreed that the following issues should be reasonably addressed in the submission materials for the Preliminary Site Development and Use Plan (PSDUP), minimally by the December 26, 2003 initial submission date, and in final form by the early 2004 final deadline: TRAFFIC/PARKING ISSUES The objective is to understand the sources of traffic trips and on -site parking demand from an expanded complex, what impacts they might have on Waltham ,Street and the immediate vicinity, and to differentiate them from basic transportation needs among the residents, exploring the possible need for local transit links as a mitigation measure. • LEXPRESS - Utilization and support • Surveying of typical parking utilization patterns on -site and on different shifts • Updating of efforts to establish signalized pedestrian crossing on Waltham Street • Completion of traffic impact report • Identification of potential for utilizing local transit links or Lexpress service restoration/expansion FISCAL AND HOUSING ISSUES The objective is to gain a basic understanding of the revenue payments that might emanate from the built - out site, as well as to understand how the new unit mix (based on care levels and room occupancy) might create affordable housing opportunity. • Projecting payments -in- lieu -of -taxes • Designating possible affordable housing mode -- construct units vs. impact fees? • Defining affordability of units- income level of prospective residents, current monthly fees • Estimating number of independent living market rate units needed to subsidize assisted and skilled nursing units SITE ISSUES The objective is to respond to community concerns that the expansion plan will have a significant effect upon the topography and vegetation of the site. • Preserving open space — plan for meeting minimum town standards • Estimating extent of tree removal, earth removal and grading required Minutes for the Meeting of October 29, 2003 2 • Provision of preliminary planting /landscaping concepts. • Consideration of design adjustments to lower site impacts Mr. Galaitsis expressed concern that future expansions would be requested, and would like to see a master plan for the facility or some sort of restriction on how soon another expansion could be sought. Met State Hospital Property Rezoning, Avalon Bay The following issues should be reasonably addressed in the submission materials for the Preliminary Site Development and Use Plan (PSDUP), minimally by the December 26, 2003 initial submission date, and in final form by the early 2004 final deadline: TRAFFIC/PARKING ISSUES The objective is to understand how the bedroom unit mix of the housing impacts traffic generation and at which daily times, and understand what measures to mitigate are feasible for increasing safety and meeting residents' transportation needs. • Completion of traffic impact report • Traffic generation — any significant peak impacts on the local street system • Count of parking spaces - underground versus surface spaces, amount of impervious surface • Potential local transit links to be considered • LEXPRESS — possibilities for utilization and support FISCAL ISSUES The objective is to project an estimate of property tax revenue from the property in comparison with the anticipated increase in costs, due to municipal service increases, particularly those involving school children, and to do so in the context ofpotential mitigation measures. • Expected tax revenue generation • Expected service costs, including number of school -aged children: refine • Potential school impact mitigation being discussed with School Department /Board BUILDING ISSUES The objective is to understand the design vision, bulk, massing and height and preservation -to -new construction ratio of the Avalon Bay complex and what it means in terms of the use and visual impact of the property. • Refining of design, establishing height of buildings, and verifying assumptions regarding adaptive reuse of buildings • Use of Kline Hall HOUSING ISSUES The objective is to arrive at a greater level of clarity in terms of the bedroom unit mix, the integration of affordable and DMH units and the needs that the housing package meets in the community. • Providing bedroom mix of units and intended maximum number of units for the project, if it has changed from the proposal to DCAM. • Designating number of age - restricted units • Clarifying plans on Department of Mental Health units - -on -site or off -site and how many units of each? • Following up on state Local Initiative Program process and application, including working with Department of Housing & Community Development to ensure that units will be credited toward Chapter 40 B affordable housing inventory. Lexington Technology Park Rezoning, Patriot Partners The following issues should be reasonably addressed in the submission materials for the Preliminary Site Development and Use Plan (PSDUP), minimally by the December 26, 2003 initial submission date, and in final form by the early 2004 final deadline: Minutes for the Meeting of October 29, 2003 3 OPERATIONAL ISSUES Objective is to learn much more about biotechnology and biotech manufacturing operations, and the aspects of them requiring regulation. • A description of the type and range of activity that is involved in biotechnology manufacturing and indicators of the scale and intensity of such operations. • Comparison of anticipated employment levels between biotech manufacturing uses; laboratory and research and development uses; and general office uses. + Provision of examples of biotech manufacturing plants already operating in the Commonwealth. + Characterization of the multiple levels of public heath and safety risk that have standing as recognized industry and governmental standards. • Offering of suggested language amending the zoning by -law, that the petitioners feel meets their desired project objectives. TRANSPORATION ISSUES Objective is to understand the likely levels of traffic impact from future site expansion and different use mixes, and the ways in which practical mitigation of those impacts might be considered. + Projections of the points in time when on -site employment and trip generation levels might be of sufficient scope to warrant an owner- operated shuttle bus as a transit link. • Explanation of efforts to join with other businesses in the area and/or regional and local transportation organizations for the purpose of creating or extending transportation demand management and transit programs. • Latest update in terms of possible traffic infrastructure improvements in the project impact area, such as signalization, minor widenings, enforcement and traffic control, signs and pavement markings, modifications to traffic operation movements, etc. FISCAL ISSUES Objective is to offer reasonable projections for the town meeting and public, in terms of potential municipal revenue generation from this development. + Reasonable property tax revenue projections that might be anticipated from the development, at key points in time and at build -out, as well as comparable data from Raytheon from last full year of operation. BUILDING ISSUES Objective is to document the zoning requirements relating to building height and rooftop systems coverage, and how the proposed structures might differ from those standards within the planned development discretionary authority. • Graphic and written documentation of the need for height and roof -top systems coverage relief for the westemmost new building, and portrayal of the fact (possibly via elevation drawings) that the height above grade for this building will, at roof peak, not visually exceed the height -to -peak of the other building on -site, due to that building being constructed at a lower grade. MARKET ISSUES Objective is to be able to respond in a general way to issues of real estate market impact in the area, as well as to explain why the petitioners view this development as such a viable one. • Explain business perspective of developing this site now, despite some softness in the commercial real estate market (it is assumed that factors will be cited such as the positive market status of Minutes for the Meeting of October 29, 2003 4 biotech, the locational advantages of the property within the region, and the particular virtues and land area of the parcel). Be prepared to respond to any concerns expressed that should the development revert to predominantly general office space, the existing office market in Lexington might be negatively impacted. The Board acknowledged that further issues might emerge as the projects go through the process of preparing for Town Meeting. ***** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** REPORTS ***** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** Selectmen's Chairmen's Breakfast Mr. Harden said that he would be attending a breakfast for chairmen of town committees. The breakfast is an annual event hosted by the chair of the Board of Selectmen that gives committee chairmen an opportunity to meet. Center Parking Mr. Harden reported that Sheila Watson, chair of the Lexington Center Committee, had asked him to see if the Board could try to improve the parking situation in the Center, through some amendment to the Zoning Bylaw. Mr. Garber commented that the parking section had been amended just a couple of years ago and a permanent baseline set for parking allocation in the center. Mr. Kastorf indicated that he would like to represent the Planning Board at the Center Committee. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** COMPREHENSIVE PLAN M'LEMENTATION * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** Suggested Changes to Cluster Bylaw, Impervious Surface Open Space: The Board discussed consultant Rick Taintor's memo on impervious surface which points out problems with defining it in the context of a subdivision plan, e.g., which paved areas to count. The current definition is: "prevents water from soaking into previously undeveloped ground ", which raises the question of its applicability to land that is being redeveloped. The matter of so- called pervious paving materials also came up. It was agreed that such materials do not remain completely permeable, and that it would take a laboratory to monitor the on- going permeability of such materials. In the current bylaw useable open space has a grade limit which could lead to a flattening of the site to meet the requirement. Mr. Taintor had noted in his report that not many municipalities differentiate between useable and open space. The Board indicated that the existing geometric requirements were acceptable but that the rest of the requirements might be overly harsh. ****** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** REPORTS ****** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** Battle Green Inn Ms. McCall- Taylor reported that she has had a number of inquiries from developers about what the Battle Green Inn could be used for under current zoning. One hears that it will be sold soon. On a motion duly made and seconded, the Board voted unanimously to journ at m. John L. Davies, Clerk