What's New
Check this page periodically (or follow the page automatically using free third-party
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Content Monitoring) to keep up-to-date on the most important developments in zoning and land use issues in Lexington
6/6/18: Comprehensive Plan Kick-Off Event Held June 4, 2018
On June 4, 2018, the Lexington Planning Board hosted a kickoff event for gathering public input into the Town’s new Comprehensive Plan. This was the first of a number of outreach efforts the Planning Board envisions for Planning staff, elected and appointed officials, and selected consultants to hear feedback on what Lexington is to its residents. A news article on the event can be found in the Lexington Minuteman. More information on the Comprehensive Plan can be found on the Planning Board website.
6/6/18: Proposal for Zoning Committee on Residential Developments
The Board of Selectmen and Planning Board were considering a draft committee charge on Special Permit Residential Developments. The Board of Selectmen last had consideration of the draft charge on its agenda for its meeting on May 21, 2018. The draft charge calls for resident participation in the process, including membership on the committee as well as a "comprehensive listening strategy to garner community and stakeholder input," More information on the proposed committee can be found at DemocracyTodayLex.org.
4/16/18: Democracytodaylex launches today
April 16, 2018 Patriots' Day
Dear Reader,
Keep our Lexington is announcing today the next step in the evolution of our citizen group. Keep Our Lexington will be joining DemocracyTodayLex, a local affiliate of a new civic project called DemocracyTodayUSA.
DemocracyTodayUSA and DemocracyTodayLex were developed in parallel with the Keep Our Lexington effort. Keep Our Lexington was initially formed in February 2018 to provide a rapid response to challenges presented by a zoning proposal for a neighborhood commercial district. The group achieved its goals by better informing residents of what was going on with zoning in their own Town and empowering them to have a voice in zoning decisions that affect them. It was, in short, about participatory democracy as well as transparency and accountability in our local government.
Thus, DemocracyTodayLex is the next logical step for our citizen group and the larger Lexington community we serve. We're expanding our focus beyond zoning and land use issues to include any and all issues impinging upon democracy in our Town.
The website DemocracyTodayLex.org launched this morning and is ready to serve you. The website is, like its predecessor, KEEPOURLEXINGTON.ORG, focused on providing you the information you need and actions you can take. We're particularly focused on doing that while keeping in mind that you have many other demands on your busy lives. So, we try to make learning and doing as quick and easy as possible.
Please check out DemocracyTodayLex.org today and, if you're interested in also doing your part to help defend our democracy at the state and national levels, please check out our parent website at DemocracyTodayUSA.org.
Dear Reader,
Keep our Lexington is announcing today the next step in the evolution of our citizen group. Keep Our Lexington will be joining DemocracyTodayLex, a local affiliate of a new civic project called DemocracyTodayUSA.
DemocracyTodayUSA and DemocracyTodayLex were developed in parallel with the Keep Our Lexington effort. Keep Our Lexington was initially formed in February 2018 to provide a rapid response to challenges presented by a zoning proposal for a neighborhood commercial district. The group achieved its goals by better informing residents of what was going on with zoning in their own Town and empowering them to have a voice in zoning decisions that affect them. It was, in short, about participatory democracy as well as transparency and accountability in our local government.
Thus, DemocracyTodayLex is the next logical step for our citizen group and the larger Lexington community we serve. We're expanding our focus beyond zoning and land use issues to include any and all issues impinging upon democracy in our Town.
The website DemocracyTodayLex.org launched this morning and is ready to serve you. The website is, like its predecessor, KEEPOURLEXINGTON.ORG, focused on providing you the information you need and actions you can take. We're particularly focused on doing that while keeping in mind that you have many other demands on your busy lives. So, we try to make learning and doing as quick and easy as possible.
Please check out DemocracyTodayLex.org today and, if you're interested in also doing your part to help defend our democracy at the state and national levels, please check out our parent website at DemocracyTodayUSA.org.
4/12/18: UPDATE: ARTICLE 45 TO BE RETURNED TO COMMITTEE
Apr. 12, 2018
Dear Reader,
Town Meeting voted last night to refer 2018 ATM Article 45 back to the Board of Selectmen (BOS) and the Historic Districts Commission 40C Study Committee (Ad Hoc). The Study Committee had made a motion to that effect and Town Meeting affirmed it overwhelmingly.
The Committee and BOS hope to bring a new Article before Town Meeting in the fall, including considering citizens' input. This is a positive step toward rational and reasoned policy-making on the issues of Article 45.
Article 45 had proposed to change the rules governing land use in Lexington's historic districts. The Article would have expanded the Historic Districts Commission's (HDC) authority while at the same time diminishing public input into HDC's actions. Moreover, the Article was fast-tracked withtout justification and new rules were drafted largely outside of the public's view.
Hopefully, the Committee and BOS will do a better job next time in having a transparent, public process. The bodies' past failures to properly notify residents of what was going on with Article 45 raised serious concerns about lack of transparency and accountability.
In this regard, Keep Our Lexington's founder testified about the lack of transparency at the Selectmen's meeting on Mar. 26, 2018 and filed two Open Meeting Law Complaints in late March. For the Selectmen's meetings on Apr. 4 and Apr. 9, 2018, Keep Our Lexington's founder submitted comparative analyses of rules for Historic Districts in Massachusetts and offered alternative amendments more in line with those of most other cities and towns. The recommended amendments call for maintaining the HDC's current authority, providing for broader representation of the community on the HDC and ensuring better balance in the HDC's activities.
To learn more and get informed about Article 45, visit the Historic Districts Commission page.
Dear Reader,
Town Meeting voted last night to refer 2018 ATM Article 45 back to the Board of Selectmen (BOS) and the Historic Districts Commission 40C Study Committee (Ad Hoc). The Study Committee had made a motion to that effect and Town Meeting affirmed it overwhelmingly.
The Committee and BOS hope to bring a new Article before Town Meeting in the fall, including considering citizens' input. This is a positive step toward rational and reasoned policy-making on the issues of Article 45.
Article 45 had proposed to change the rules governing land use in Lexington's historic districts. The Article would have expanded the Historic Districts Commission's (HDC) authority while at the same time diminishing public input into HDC's actions. Moreover, the Article was fast-tracked withtout justification and new rules were drafted largely outside of the public's view.
Hopefully, the Committee and BOS will do a better job next time in having a transparent, public process. The bodies' past failures to properly notify residents of what was going on with Article 45 raised serious concerns about lack of transparency and accountability.
In this regard, Keep Our Lexington's founder testified about the lack of transparency at the Selectmen's meeting on Mar. 26, 2018 and filed two Open Meeting Law Complaints in late March. For the Selectmen's meetings on Apr. 4 and Apr. 9, 2018, Keep Our Lexington's founder submitted comparative analyses of rules for Historic Districts in Massachusetts and offered alternative amendments more in line with those of most other cities and towns. The recommended amendments call for maintaining the HDC's current authority, providing for broader representation of the community on the HDC and ensuring better balance in the HDC's activities.
To learn more and get informed about Article 45, visit the Historic Districts Commission page.
3/29/18: THANK YOU!
Mar. 29, 2018
Dear Reader,
Last night, Town Meeting voted overwhelmingly to approve 2018 ATM Article 38, which consisted of the collaborative proposal developed by the commercial property owner in partnership with neighbors and Keep Our Lexington.
This could not have been achieved without you! You stood up and showed up to oppose the original far-reaching and one-sided proposals and thereby demonstrated you wanted a reasoned and rational approach. And you got it!
So thank you to:
Editor's Note: We now turn our sights to 2018 ATM Article 45, which proposes to change the rules governing land use in Lexington's historic districts. The failure of the Historic Districts Commission to properly notify residents of what's going on with Article 45 raises serious concerns about lack of transparency. To learn more and get informed about Article 45, see below and visit the new Historic Districts Commission page.
Dear Reader,
Last night, Town Meeting voted overwhelmingly to approve 2018 ATM Article 38, which consisted of the collaborative proposal developed by the commercial property owner in partnership with neighbors and Keep Our Lexington.
This could not have been achieved without you! You stood up and showed up to oppose the original far-reaching and one-sided proposals and thereby demonstrated you wanted a reasoned and rational approach. And you got it!
So thank you to:
- 93 signatories to petitions to the Planning Board to stop the original proposals
- Approx. 50 attendees at the Feb. 28 Public Hearing, including 23 who signed in for this issue
- Residents who offered support and advice including dozens of households who took the time to speak with Keep Our Lexington's founder at your doorsteps
- Approx. 40 attendees at the March 19 Residents' Informational Meeting
- Over 300 followers of KEEPOURLEXINGTON.ORG with over 3,400 page views in the first 47 days after launch
- Town Meeting Members and other elected officials who listened to our concerns
- The Planning Board for upholding the principal of having a valid Public Hearing process
- The Board of Selectmen for encouraging the property owner to incorporate neighborhood feedback
- The property owners and their supporters for working collaboratively with us
Editor's Note: We now turn our sights to 2018 ATM Article 45, which proposes to change the rules governing land use in Lexington's historic districts. The failure of the Historic Districts Commission to properly notify residents of what's going on with Article 45 raises serious concerns about lack of transparency. To learn more and get informed about Article 45, see below and visit the new Historic Districts Commission page.
3/29/18: NEWS: RE-ZONING PROPOSAL (ARTICLE 38) PASSED BY TOWN MEETING
On March 28, 2018, Town Meeting voted overwhelmingly to approve 2018 ATM Article 38, which consisted of the collaborative proposal developed by the commercial property owner in partnership with neighbors and Keep Our Lexington.
Please note that a resident has made Keep Our Lexington aware this morning that reporting by the Lexington Minuteman is misleading because the publication reproduced the language of the Warrant Article rather than describe the actual content of the proposal.
The proposal passed last night was not the same proposal presented to the Planning Board for its last Public Hearing on the matter on Feb. 28, 2018. Instead, the proposal passed by Town Meeting concerned the CS zone only and did not change density. The content of the proposal that was passed can be found on the Town Meeting website here. Additional information on the collaborative proposal that was passed can be found on the KeepOurLexington.Org website.
Please note that a resident has made Keep Our Lexington aware this morning that reporting by the Lexington Minuteman is misleading because the publication reproduced the language of the Warrant Article rather than describe the actual content of the proposal.
The proposal passed last night was not the same proposal presented to the Planning Board for its last Public Hearing on the matter on Feb. 28, 2018. Instead, the proposal passed by Town Meeting concerned the CS zone only and did not change density. The content of the proposal that was passed can be found on the Town Meeting website here. Additional information on the collaborative proposal that was passed can be found on the KeepOurLexington.Org website.
3/29/18: New! Historic Districts Commission
Learn about the Historic Districts Commission's actions on 2018 ATM Article 45 to be voted on by Town Meeting on April 11, 2018. Go to the new page.
3/26/18: DEAR READER RE: TESTIFYING AT TOWN MEETING
Mar. 26, 2018
Dear Reader,
As Town Meeting begins tonight (see Meetings Schedule), 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. 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 by but not directly from Moderator Brown)
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.
These instructions are also included in the Menu of Action Steps on this website. For more information, see the Massachusetts Citizen's Guide to Town Meetings.
Keep Our Lexington thanks Moderator Brown for providing these instructions to share with residents.
Dear Reader,
As Town Meeting begins tonight (see Meetings Schedule), 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. 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 by but not directly from Moderator Brown)
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.
These instructions are also included in the Menu of Action Steps on this website. For more information, see the Massachusetts Citizen's Guide to Town Meetings.
Keep Our Lexington thanks Moderator Brown for providing these instructions to share with residents.
3/23/18: New! Updated Quick & Easy Action Steps
Quick & Easy Ways to Have Your Voice Heard: see ActNow!/Action Steps for a menu of options
3/23/18: New! Resident's Quick Guide to Lexington Zoning Bylaw
A quick and easy course in "Lexington Zoning Bylaw 101"
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