Inn at Hastings Park Proposal Passes Town Meeting

Lexington's annual Town Meeting voted Wednesday, May 9 to approve a zoning amendment to rezone the Dana Home and an adjacent property on Mass Ave for commercial use in a residential zone under the town’s CD zoning.

If the proposal was divisive, then the vote was decisive. By a vote of 138 to 44, Lexington’s annual Town Meeting last night approved Article 34, a citizen’s petition to rezone parcels at 2027 and 2013 Massachusetts Ave. to allow for commercial redevelopment of the Dana Home and the adjacent property as a hotel and restaurant concept known as the Inn at Hastings Park. After a long road to annual Town Meeting and a lengthy discussion when Article 34 finally hit the floor on Wednesday, May 9, it would have made sense for the proponent, Trisha Perez Kennealy, to be feeling relieved or vindicated. Instead, she said her team would be going right back to work.  “The work is only just begun,” Perez Kennealy, a Town Meeting member from Precinct 6…

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Selectmen Support Inn at Hastings Park Proposal

Before Article 34 heads to Town Meeting, the Board of Selectmen approved a Memorandum of Understanding with the applicant and voted to recommend approval of the controversial redevelopment proposal.

After months of meetings, hearings and town boards mulling the proposal, a controversial citizen’s petition to rezone and redevelop the Dana Home as an upscale hotel and restaurant concept known as The Inn at Hastings Park heads to Town Meeting with backing from the Board of Selectmen. Annual Town Meeting, which last gathered on Monday, April 24, reconvenes at 7:30 p.m. tonight at Cary Hall to take up remaining articles dealing with the Wright Farm Land Acquisition and, possibly, Article 34, the Dana Home proposal. Last week, the Planning Board voted to recommend approval of a Preliminary Site Development and Use Plan, conditioned upon the execution of an acceptable Memorandum of Understanding between petitioner Trisha Perez Kennealy’s …

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With Planning Board Support, Inn at Hastings Park Heads to BOS

The Board of Selectmen's consideration of a Memorandum of Understanding this Thursday could be the last step before Town Meeting takes up a proposal to redevelop the Dana Home as a hotel and restaurant.

Monday night was a step in the right direction for Trisha Perez Keneally, the Lexington resident looking to redevelop the Dana Home as an upscale hotel and restaurant concept known as The Inn at Hastings Park. By at 3 to 1 vote with one board member not present for the vote, Kennealy’s concept earned a measure of support from the Planning Board, which recommended approval of a Preliminary Site Development and Use Plan, conditioned upon the execution of an acceptable Memorandum of Understanding with the Board of Selectmen. To read the Planning Board’s full report, check out the PDF posted to your right. The MOU is on the the Board of Selectmen’s agenda for tomorrow evening, a meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Cary Hall. “We’re very pleased…

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Town Meeting Wraps Up -- Until May 9

Monday night had Town Meeting rolling along. Below is a rundown of articles and actions from the seventh night of Lexington's annual Town Meeting.

  Annual Town Meeting worked through most of its remaining business on Monday, April 23,  before adjourning until Wednesday, May 9 at 7:30 p.m. when high interest articles dealing with Wright Farm and the Dana Home hit the floor.  Here's a look at Monday night's action at Cary Hall: Article 4 - Appropriate FY2013 Operating Budget (amendment) Motion: Line item 2210 (payment on funded debt) reconsidered that $4,367,186 be changed to $4,767,186. Vote: Passed unanimously. What it means: $400,000 more will be appropriated into the FY2013 operating budget for payment on funded debt to “ease the taxpayer's debt burden” according to the selectmen. Article 5: Appropriate FY2013 Enterprise Fund Budgets Motion: To approve both the Water and Sewer …

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Patch Facts

Five Things You Need to Know Today: April 23

Town Meeting, conservation, high school sports and more today in Lexington.

1. Town Meeting Tonight: After more than a week off, annual Town Meeting reconvenes tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Cary Hall. Still ahead after tonight's business will be petition to rezone the Dana Home for redevelompent as an inn and restaurant and a bid to purchase the Wright Farm propert on Grove Street. 2. Today in High School Sports: Lexington High athletic action today includes girls varisty tennis at 3:30 p.m. at Melrose High; boys freshmen and JV baseball at 3:45 p.m. at Reading Memorial High School; girls varsity and JV softball at 4:45 p.m. at Reading and boys varsity tennis at 4 p.m. at home against Melrose. According to High School Sports.net, all of today's scheduled games have been postponed until tomorrow. 3. Citizens for …

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Town Meeting OKs White House Stabilization, Other Capital Projects

A quick recap of articles and actions taken up during the sixth session of Lexington's annual Town Meeting, held Wednesday, April 11 at Cary Hall.

Capital projects and plans were the main business April 11 as Town Meeting appropriated funds to stabilize a portion of the White House and to improve streets and sidewalks around Estabrook School. Here's a quick recap of those and other actions during Wednesday night's sixth session of Lexington's annual Town Meeting at Cary Hall. Article 12 – Appropriate for Municipal Capital Projects and Equipment What it asked: To fund a number of capital projects, including What happened:  The Estabrook off-site sidewalk and street improvements was pulled out as Town Moderator Deborah Brown recused herself from that item. All appropriations were eventually approved, after a few commenters lamented the town’s propensity to plan and a Grove Street …

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Patch Facts

Five Things You Need to Know Today: April 4

Town Meeting, a book discussion, high school sports action and more today in Lexington.

1. Budget and CPA on Tap Tonight: Annual Town Meeting tonight is expected to tackle the town's fiscal 2013 operating budget (article 4) and the Community Preservation Committee's operating budget and recommended CPA projects (article 8). 2. Today in High School Sports: The spring sports season is underway at Lexington High, and today's action includes girls varsity tennis hosting Dover-Sherborn Regional High School at 3:30 p.m. and freshmen boys lacrosse at 4 p.m. at Arlington High. 3. Businesses, Claim Your Listings: Justin Saglio, local editor for Holliston Patch, created this terrific video to walk local business owners through the five simple steps of claiming a business listing on Patch. Among the extra benefits available to those …

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Week in Review: March 25 to March 31

A look back at the week that was in Lexington.

A busy week this one was. There was the start of annual Town Meeting, a brush fire, a few arrests and a court appearance by an accused killer. Monday, March 26 was the opening night of 2012’s annual Town Meeting, and during the second session on Wednesday members voted to approve zoning amendments to allow residential use and residential occupations in the Lexington Center Business District, but shot down a proposal to allow taller buildings and a greater floor area ratio. Amidst town government headlines on Tuesday morning, Raising Lexington columnist Audra Myerberg explained why her “momtourage” is one accessory she simply can’t do without. Later in the day, a large brush fire broke out in the conservation land between Justin Park and …

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Patch Facts

Five Things You Need to Know Today: March 29

Town Meeting coverage, a Verizon note and more today in Lexington.

1. Town Meeting Coverage: Stay tuned to Patch today for coverage of the second session annual Town Meeting in Lexington. We'll post a roundup of decisions made, as well as a breakout stories of warrant articles and actions that garnered significant conversation. 2. Today in Public Meetings: According to the town website, public meetings posted for today include: The Special Education Parents Advisory Council at 9:30 a.m. at Cary Hall; the Town Celebrations Committee at 7 p.m. at Cary Hall; the Permanent Building Committee at 7 p.m. at the DPW Building; the Community Center Task Force at 7:30 p.m. at Cary Hall; the Hanscom Area Towns Committee at 7:30 p.m. at the Concord Town House and the Estabrook School Ad Hoc Task Force at 7:30 p.m. at …

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