Sarah Maren from the MBTA Zoning Committee’s consultant, Barrett Planning Group, presented its compliance model results at its meeting on July 10.
The MBTA Zoning Committee is made up of Select Board Chair Dick Dalton, Planning Board Chair Page Wilkins, who serves as committee chair, Planning Board Vice Chair Katherine Flaws, Board of Appeals Chair Anthony Moccia, Board of Assessors member Richard O’Neil.
Town Administrator Rob Dolan and Director of Planning & Conservation Emilie Cademartori also serve on the committee as town staff members, with Department of Public Works Deputy Director and Town Engineer John Tomasz in attendance.
Taidgh McClory, who was a senior executive with regional real-estate firm CBRE Group Inc., serves on the committee as an alternate.
The committee listened to the presentation and prepared to present them at the Select Board meeting on Monday, July 22.
Maren presented five options for the district which will be zoned for a minimum of 600 multi-family housing units.
Cademartori asked the committee if the selectboard presentation should be about a specific location option, or an overall presentation about the process.
“We did talk about the importance of engagement both in terms of why we’re doing this being a focus — why compliance is important — and how this group has gone about the thoughtful process of trying to do it in a way that’s not harmful to the town,” she said. “But I do think that we should be prepared to have at least a hint of the locations being considered.”
Wilkins said the committee plans to provide the public with information including MBTA law, frequently asked questions about zoning, and the Lynnfield specific maps and proposed model.
Dalton said presenting the pros and cons of all five proposed options to the public at the Select Board meeting is a great “kickoff” to show what the committee has done over the past months.
Wilkins and Dalton agreed that presenting the five options to the public allows for more public engagement and feedback.
Cademartori said it is important that the public understands that these locations were picked through thorough consideration.
“We didn’t just pick these areas by throwing a dart at a map,” she said. “We picked areas based on realistic considerations to consider high-density housing.”
O’Neil said there will be no decisions made at the meeting on July 22 and the goal is to present the information to the public.
Cademartori said it is important to add how many communities across the state are already in compliance, have to comply, or have failed to comply.
“We’re not some outlier trying to do this,” she said. “We are complying just like everybody else is trying to comply.”
