Resident's Guides
The Resident's Guides provided here are intended to educate the public so that citizens may be better informed about planning, zoning and other land use in Lexington, in general, and specific issues and proposals, in particular.
Resident's Guides are prepared while keeping in mind your likely limited time to spend on the issues and likely desire to get informed as
quickly and easily as possible.
These Resident's Guides were written by residents and for residents. They are works in progress, so please check back periodically for updates. We welcome your questions, comments and suggestions. To contact us, please use the convenient button at the bottom of this page or go to the Contact page.
Resident's Guides are prepared while keeping in mind your likely limited time to spend on the issues and likely desire to get informed as
quickly and easily as possible.
These Resident's Guides were written by residents and for residents. They are works in progress, so please check back periodically for updates. We welcome your questions, comments and suggestions. To contact us, please use the convenient button at the bottom of this page or go to the Contact page.
General Guides
resident's guide on how to Testify at town meeting
TESTIFYING AT TOWN MEETING (next meeting is April 23, 2018)
Town Meeting is open to the public and any resident may testify or ask questions. Any voter may speak at Town Meeting, however, only Town Meeting members may cast votes on articles. Find more information on the Lexington website or under Town Resources and Meetings Schedule.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR TESTIFYING AT TOWN MEETING
Town Meeting Moderator Deborah Brown has kindly provided us with instructions on how residents may testify on Articles.
First, if you plan to testify, please contact Moderator Brown in advance. It's helpful (although not required) to let her know whether you'll be speaking for or against an Article. Ms. Brown says that it's best to email her at campbrown@gmail.com.
Second, please be advised that residents who are not Town Meeting members may attend Town Meeting in the balcony seating reserved for the public. If you plan to testify, be sure to be on the same side of the balcony as the microphone. You may, after being recognized by the Moderator, speak once for or against the motion under discussion, but you may not pose questions. (Only Town Meeting members may pose questions.) You will be subject to the same 3 minute time limit as Town Meeting members responding to the motion. When the Moderator calls on you, please give your name and address first before beginning your remarks.
Editor's Note: (This portion is based on remarks made by Moderator Brown at Town Meeting)
Third, please note that a Town Meeting Member may call the question at any time. Town Meeting will then vote on whether or not to close debate. If Town Meeting votes to close debate, then no more testimony will be heard. If you have not yet been recognized to speak, this does not mean that Town Meeting is uninterested in your views. Rather, it means that Town Meeting has determined that they feel they have heard sufficient debate on the issues to warrant closing debate and putting the Article to a vote.
Town Meeting is open to the public and any resident may testify or ask questions. Any voter may speak at Town Meeting, however, only Town Meeting members may cast votes on articles. Find more information on the Lexington website or under Town Resources and Meetings Schedule.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR TESTIFYING AT TOWN MEETING
Town Meeting Moderator Deborah Brown has kindly provided us with instructions on how residents may testify on Articles.
First, if you plan to testify, please contact Moderator Brown in advance. It's helpful (although not required) to let her know whether you'll be speaking for or against an Article. Ms. Brown says that it's best to email her at campbrown@gmail.com.
Second, please be advised that residents who are not Town Meeting members may attend Town Meeting in the balcony seating reserved for the public. If you plan to testify, be sure to be on the same side of the balcony as the microphone. You may, after being recognized by the Moderator, speak once for or against the motion under discussion, but you may not pose questions. (Only Town Meeting members may pose questions.) You will be subject to the same 3 minute time limit as Town Meeting members responding to the motion. When the Moderator calls on you, please give your name and address first before beginning your remarks.
Editor's Note: (This portion is based on remarks made by Moderator Brown at Town Meeting)
Third, please note that a Town Meeting Member may call the question at any time. Town Meeting will then vote on whether or not to close debate. If Town Meeting votes to close debate, then no more testimony will be heard. If you have not yet been recognized to speak, this does not mean that Town Meeting is uninterested in your views. Rather, it means that Town Meeting has determined that they feel they have heard sufficient debate on the issues to warrant closing debate and putting the Article to a vote.
Resident's Quick Guide to
Lexington Zoning Bylaw
A quick and easy course in "Lexington Zoning Bylaw 101"
Resident's Quick Guides to Article 38
Resident's Quick Guide for the Survey on the Proposal
In this Quick Guide, originally designed to accompany an online survey, we provide an overview of the final version of 2018 ATM Article 38 that was approved by Town Meeting. For a quick overview, simply skip directly to the four key Tables in the Guide and refer to the Overview and/or other supporting information as needed.
Resident's Quick Guide to Affected Neighborhoods & Abutters' Maps
Would you like to know if you're a 500 foot abutter* to one or both of the zones in the Marrett/Spring commercial district or another potentially affected neighborhood commercial district?
Don't have the time or inclination to use the GIS system yourself right now?
Or maybe you do have the time to use the GIS system but would like some quick and easy instructions on how to use it?
Click the button below for maps of 500 foot abutters previously downloaded from the Lexington GIS system for each of 4 neighborhood commercial districts in Lexington potentially impacted by Zoning Article 2018 ATM Article 38.* Also includes instructions on how to use the GIS system.
Don't have the time or inclination to use the GIS system yourself right now?
Or maybe you do have the time to use the GIS system but would like some quick and easy instructions on how to use it?
Click the button below for maps of 500 foot abutters previously downloaded from the Lexington GIS system for each of 4 neighborhood commercial districts in Lexington potentially impacted by Zoning Article 2018 ATM Article 38.* Also includes instructions on how to use the GIS system.
*NOTE: IF you're not a 500 foot abutter
If you're not a 500 foot abutter that doesn't mean you can't or don't have an interest in the Article. Every Lexington resident has an equal right to have her or his voice heard in this matter should it become an issue for other neighborhood commercial districts. That includes renters, who are residents, too. And you don't have to be registered to vote in order to have your voice heard on this zoning matter.
*NOTE: OTHER NEIGHBorhoods potentially impacted
With respect to neighborhood commercial districts potentially impacted by Article 38, Keep Our Lexington does not subscribe to Planning Board claims that the re-zoning will be limited to the Marrett/Spring district. The reasoning is as follows:
[Disclaimer: Please note that the above fourth point re: spot-zoning is not intended to represent a legal opinion by Keep Our Lexington; rather, it is a lay interpretation of others' legal opinions]
- First, now that a new zone category, "CSX" (Commercial Service Business Extended), will be on the books, any commercial property owner in Lexington will be able to request re-zoning to the new category and there's good incentive to do so.
- Second, since Town Meeting overwhelming passed Article 38, over the objections of the Planning Board, evidently Town Meeting believes CSX designation is a good thing for sustainable economic growth in Lexington. Thus, Town Meeting would be hard-pressed to deny new proposals to revitalize other neighborhood commercial districts by conversion to CSX, and it would be counter-productive to deny such conversion.
- Third, since Town Meeting has already established that all CS (Commercial Service Business) zones are, by their designation in Zoning Bylaw, equivalent, it would be inconsistent for Town Meeting to deny conversion of another CS zone to CSX.
- Fourth, if the above three reasons are not sufficient for Town Meeting should it be faced with a proposal for conversion of another CS to CSX, it should be recognized that there could be legal exposure should Town Meeting deny such a proposal. That is because Article 38 could possibly be found by a court of jurisdiction to have been "spot-zoning". Spot-zoning could potentially be legally challenged by a proponent whose own proposal was denied by Town Meeting on the basis of Article 38's "rezoning's representing an unreasonable inequality in the treatment of similarly situated lands".
[Disclaimer: Please note that the above fourth point re: spot-zoning is not intended to represent a legal opinion by Keep Our Lexington; rather, it is a lay interpretation of others' legal opinions]
ARCHIVE
The Resident's Guides below are being archived because they are out-of-date with respect to the version of 2018 ATM Article 38 that was approved by Town Meeting on March 28, 2018. That version of the proposal is the one summarized in the above Resident's Quick Guide for the Survey on the Proposal.
We are maintaining these documents here in this open archive for reference by anyone interested in the history of Article 38. The Article and proposal represents a remarkable turnaround, going from a far-reaching, one-sided proposal that was vehemently opposed by the neighborhood to an evidence-based, collaborative one, designed with neighborhood input, in only 2 weeks. The collaborative proposal was affirmed by Town Meeting overwhelmingly, over the objections of the Planning (Zoning) Board. It is a testament to what can be achieved by a commercial property owner and neighborhood working together toward common goals.
We are maintaining these documents here in this open archive for reference by anyone interested in the history of Article 38. The Article and proposal represents a remarkable turnaround, going from a far-reaching, one-sided proposal that was vehemently opposed by the neighborhood to an evidence-based, collaborative one, designed with neighborhood input, in only 2 weeks. The collaborative proposal was affirmed by Town Meeting overwhelmingly, over the objections of the Planning (Zoning) Board. It is a testament to what can be achieved by a commercial property owner and neighborhood working together toward common goals.
Resident's Guides to 2018 ATM Article 38
Resident’s Guide to Common Questions
A brief compendium of common questions that residents have raised about the proposed new commercial zone on Marrett Road near Spring Street. These questions may be helpful for residents to consider when discussing the proposal with Town Meeting members and other elected officials or when asking questions or testifying at Town Meeting.
Note: Updated to reflect fourth, collaborative version of proposal posted on or about March 16, 2018 on Planning Board website. We recommend when using this Guide readers also refer to the Resident's Guide on the Proposal immediately below as well as the Town Meeting website. The latter has the full Article text, motion, presentation and Planning Board Recommendation Report
Note: Updated to reflect fourth, collaborative version of proposal posted on or about March 16, 2018 on Planning Board website. We recommend when using this Guide readers also refer to the Resident's Guide on the Proposal immediately below as well as the Town Meeting website. The latter has the full Article text, motion, presentation and Planning Board Recommendation Report
Resident's Guide to the Documents on the Planning Board Website
2018 ATM Article 38 (Owner's Citizen Petition for new commercial zone on Marrett near Spring)
- Proposed Motion of March 14, 2018
- Presentation for Annual Town Meeting
- Note: other documents on Article 38 webpage relate to earlier proposals. See FAQs for further information.
Resident's Quick Guide to the Third Version of the Proposal
In this first of a new series of Quick Guides, we take a new approach to getting you the information you need faster, with less wading through detail (i.e., less wonkish and more user-friendly). For a quick overview, simply skip directly to the two key Tables in this Guide and refer to the Executive Summary and/or other supporting information as needed.
Resident's Guide to Three Versions of the Proposal
A Citizen’s Comparative Guide to 2018 ATM Article 38 (commercial zoning proposal for Marrett Road near Spring Street). Includes summary comparison table and timeline of the proposals.
Updated analysis in preparation for the February 28 Public Hearing shows the purported 15 new uses in the latest proposal actually present residents with 95 different proposals wrapped into a single document.
Updated analysis in preparation for the February 28 Public Hearing shows the purported 15 new uses in the latest proposal actually present residents with 95 different proposals wrapped into a single document.
Hint: To read this landscape document in Adobe Acrobat Reader without printing, select View, Rotate View, Counterclockwise
Resident's Guide: What the Proposal Doesn't Say
A Citizen’s Interpretive Guide to 2018 ATM Article 38 (commercial zoning proposal for Marrett Road near Spring Street)
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