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<br />Page 1 of 2 <br /> <br />Affordable Housing Trust <br />Meeting Minutes of February 27, 2024 7:00 pm <br /> <br />Remote meeting on Zoom <br />Article 33: Information session for Precinct 5 and 6 Town Meeting Members and Lowell <br />Street/North Street neighbors <br /> <br />Affordable Housing Trust Board Members present: Elaine Tung, Chair; Mark Sandeen, Tiffany <br />Payne, Linda Prosnitz, William Erickson <br />Staff present: Carol Kowalski, Assistant Town Manager for Development; Ragi Ramachandran, <br />Administrative Assistant <br />Ms. Tung chaired the remote meeting on Zoom, and called the meeting to order at 7:01pm. The <br />meeting was attended by Precinct 5 and 6 Town Meeting Members, Parcel 68-44 neighbors, <br />and members of the public. <br />Ms. Tung and Mr. Sandeen explained the format of the meeting. There was an initial slide <br />presentation from the Trust on the need for affordable housing, the site analysis of Lowell St <br />parcel 68-44, the concerns raised by the community, how the Trust plan to address the <br />concerns, and ‘the process’ once Article 33 passes, the opportunities for community <br />engagement and inputs. <br />The attendees shared their concerns, questions and comments after the introductory <br />presentation: <br />1) Is parcel 68-44 the right site and is it appropriate for 50 units. What risks have been <br />identified for development on this parcel? Is Warrant Article 33 the right process to go <br />forward and build housing? <br />2) What steps have been taken and how is the Trust responding to the concerns raised ? <br />3) Is there a comparable precedent to this project that the Trust could share with the <br />community? <br />4) The importance of starting the process now because it is a long process <br />5) Who is the landlord once the RFP is selected? Does the entity have the resources and <br />staffing to manage a property that might be larger than what they have managed in the <br />past? <br />6) The due diligence that has been conducted, concerns about the financial cost to town <br />7) No feasibility study has been done specifically for this site. <br />8) What is the threshold for economic viability? <br />9) Are there other sites more suited to the density proposed? <br />10) Concerns raised about transparency in the process <br />11) It is an isolated location, an affordable housing development in Lexington at this <br />location is exclusionary. <br />12) This is a very early exploration of how the land will be used for housing. This is not a <br />vote to approve a specific development plan. There will be plenty of opportunity for <br />public input and comment.