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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2001-05-02-PB-minPLANNING BOARD MINUTES MEETING OF MAY 2, 2001 The meeting of the Lexington Planning Board held at the Museum of Our National Heritage began shortly after 7:00 p.m. with Chairman Galaitsis, members Davies, Harden, Planning Director Garber, and Assistant Planner McCall - Taylor present. Philip Herr and Sarah James, of Herr and James and Associates, planning consultants co -led the evening's discussions. Members of the Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee — Tom DeNoto, Karl Kastorf, Jeanne Krieger, Wendy Manz, Jerry Moloney, Lee Sinai, and Susan Solomon, Elaine Dratch, and Iris Wheaton— were present as well as Peter Bunzick, 39 Vine Street, and Debbie Tyson, a Clark University student. COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING Lexington citizens participated in a workshop to view the Town's planning process through the "lens" of community sustainability, and to identify additional steps the Town might take to move toward this goal. In reviewing the proposals that have already emerged in the comprehensive planning process and also the Vision 2020 process, it became clear that many planning proposals already further this goal. Many creative suggestions developed to augment or enhance existing proposals. Using a framework of four sustainability objectives introduced at the onset of the workshop, participants worked in four groups that corresponded to the four elements of the Comprehensive Plan, applying the principles to their particular topic – Land Use, Economic Development, Housing, and, Natural Resources. The sustainability objectives are based upon an approach to sustainability known as the Natural Step, developed by a group of scientists in Sweden. Those same principles are also the guiding objectives for the American. Planning Association's Planning for Sustainability Policy Guide. In brief, the objectives are to support or develop planning policies and approaches that 1) reduce dependence on activities that use fossil fuels, underground metals, and minerals; 2) reduce dependence upon activities that use chemicals and other synthetic substances; 3) reduce dependence upon activities that encroach upon nature; and, 4) meet human needs fairly and efficiently, giving priority to basic needs (food, water, shelter, means of livelihood, etc.) Finally, participants identified particular actions they felt to be of highest priority for the Town to move toward. The results were an interweaving web of actions that can serve both to interrelate those four elements of the Comprehensive Plan and to guide Town actions more toward sustainable practices. In the continuing comprehensive planning process, participants will be exploring additional strategies through which the Town might use sustainability objectives as a means of providing interrelationships and internal consistency among the range of Town policies and practices. One idea that emerged strongly was that the Town could make itself into an exemplar through re- orienting municipal practices and operations in the direction of these four objectives. This notion, among others, will be explored in the next phase of the planning process. Results were tabulated by first organizing ideas by sustainability objective, then by the topic groups in which attendees participated (making clear the willing creativity of groups in going outside the borders of their assignments). Each group selected five items as being of the highest priority, and, by next "voting" with red dots, all those participating gave farther priority to their favorites among those selected items. Of the 78 actions listed, the participants gave highest priority to the development of more sidewalks and bike paths throughout town to encourage less car use. Passage of the Community Preservation Act was cited within the context of natural resources, economic development and affordable housing. Actions with the next priority level were revision of zoning to encourage energy - efficient development that is clustered, multi - functional with retail services, and the promotion of non - mansionization. Minutes for the Meeting of May 2, 2001 2 The third level of priority actions would be to: increase use of solar panels on Town buildings, commercial buildings, and new development — possibly through use of tax incentives; establish use of alternative energy sources (solar panels, alternative heat sources) in public and commercial buildings; increase public transit alternatives, including shuttle busses; and, encourage /zone for natural planting and low maintenance, reducing pesticides. Other priorities expressed were: focus new development on previously developed areas (e.g. Hartwell Avenue); require new construction projects to contribute to an open space fund; use town actions as exemplar; educate about needed land tract size to preserve forests; and, encourage mixed land use. The meeting was adjourned at 10:00 p.m. Tom Harden, Acting Clerk