Alix Turner votes against recommending the zoning changes to benefit the Capital Group

 

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

Citing that the related Memorandums of Agreement haven't been signed yet, and citing concerns about the content of the drafts of those agreements, Select Board member Alix Turner voted against recommending that the town take action adopt the the proposed EZ expansion and 40R district articles.

Turner openly supported the idea of development in that area, but felt that the Agreements had shifted to mostly benefit the Capital Group with much more limited protections and benefits for the town and abutting neighborhoods.   (I agree -- I was on the MOA drafting committee in the spring, and what's left of the agreement is very different.)

The proposals will be Article 3 and Article 4 at the Special Town Meeting on November 14th.   

The draft Memorandums of Agreement, particularly the agreement relative to the EZ expansion, have attracted widespread criticism as they approach their final form.   Among the concerns:

• The 40R memorandum doesn't cover all the parcels in the 40R district -- some parcels are simply not controlled by the Capital Group's development company.   This leaves them open to high-density residential development at just under 20 units/acre, beyond what was presented.
• The EZ district memorandum commits the town to use arbitrators to enforce the agreement.
• The EZ memorandum places intense pressure on the town to quickly approve applications from the applicant at the risk of being out of compliance.   The assertion seems to be that Capital Group will get special treatment.

Select Board member Jason Allison drew some funny commentary from the attendees on Monday:  he asserted that Lancaster should be proud that we're not working on these agreements "...at the 11th hour."   With less than two weeks before town meeting, and the agreements unsigned, Lancaster is entitled to wonder what he considers the "11th Hour" to mean.   The town will not have long to discuss the final document.

In April, when Allison repeated accused the Planning Board for holding back a town vote on the two articles, he asserted that the memorandums were ready to go and were not an obstacle.   

Six months later, they remain unsigned.

Link to the meeting Meeting Video:  LINK
Link to the warrant they're discussing: LINK