5 Things: Town Meeting Tackles CPA Articles Tonight

A quick look at what you need to see, do and know on April 3

1. CPA Articles on the Agenda: Lexington's annual Town Meeting reconvenes at 7:30 p.m. tonight at Cary Hall, and Community Preservaiton Act articles are on the agenda. 2. A Taste of Judaism: Are you Curious? Offered at 7:30 p.m. on three of the next four Wednesdays at Temple Isaiah, this engaging class on Jewish spirituality, ethics and community is designed for beginners – Jewish or not. To register, contact Joyce Schwartz, jschwartz@urj.org or 617-928-0012. 3. Fuel Assistance for Eligible Lexington Residents: The Fuel Assistance Program, a program that helps with the cost of heating your home, accepts new applications through April 30, 2013. Call the town of Lexington Senior Center/Human Services Department at 781-861-0194 to schedule an…

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UPDATE: BOS Will Discuss $10M-Plus Bid for Scottish Rite Property March 14

Meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday evening at Cary Hall.

Less than 48 hours after its negiotiating team made public the town's $10 million-plus third and final bid for 10 acres of the Scottish Rite property off Marrrett Road, the Board of Board of Selectmen will discuss and vote to approve the offer at 6 p.m. tomorrow, March 14, at Cary Hall. The property in question is approximately 10 acres of the Scottish Rite’s land behind the National Heritage Museum, including the carriage house and annex, which the selectmen are identifying as a possible location for a community center. The selectmen's negotiating team publicly announced the bid, which is contingent upon approval by the Board of Selectmen and a special Town Meeting vote, in an email to Town Meeting members Tuesday, March 12, the same day …

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Town's Bid for Scottish Rite Property Could Top $10M

Lexington Selectmen will consider the negotiating team’s final offer this Thursday, March 14, and a special Town Meeting would vote a potential purchase next Monday, March 18.

In a move it acknowledged as “certainly unusual,” the negotiating team for Lexington’s Board of Selectmen has publicly revealed its final offer to purchase a portion of the Scottish Rite property at 33 Marrett Road. The offer of $10,950,000 was made March 12 without formal approval from the board, according to an email from the negotiating team to Town Meeting members, which was shared then with the media Tuesday night. According to the letter—sent by selectmen Peter Kelley and Norm Cohen and Town Manager Carl Valente—the Board of Selectmen will meet at 6 p.m. this Thursday, March 14, to consider the negotiating team’s third and final proposal. If agreed to by the board, the town’s offer would then be officially submitted to the Scottish …

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Andrei Radulescu-Banu

4:36 pm on Thursday, March 14, 2013

The open house hours have changed - they are 12-3 PM. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lexington/message/31467   more ›

Town Boards Back Wright Farm Purchase

Annual Town Meeting will be asked to authorize the purchase for $2.95 million 13-plus acres of the Wright Farm property for conservation.

A bid to purchase a large portion of the Wright Farm property will go before annual Town Meeting with support from the Board of Selectmen, Conservation Commission and, as of April 20, the Community Preservation Committee. The CPC voted last Friday to recommend to Town Meeting the purchase of about 13.5 acres of the Wright Farm property for conservation purposes. The committee recommends paying $500,000 up front and bonding the remainder of the $2.95 million sale price, plus additional expenses associated the transaction.  Under the recommendation, the Wright Farm would be purchased for open space purposes using Community Preservation Act funds, with a conservation restriction to be put on the land. A small parcel with a house, barn and …

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A Status Update on Annual Town Meeting

A look at what's happened so far and what's still ahead for Lexington's 2012 annual Town Meeting.

With four nights down and at least as many to go, annual Town Meeting has put the operating budget to bed, approved funding for a new Estabrook School in a April 2 special Town Meeting, and voted to allow residential uses within the Lexington Center Business District. But there is still much business ahead, including a citizen’s petition seeking a school bus subsidy and a controversial zoning amendment to allow redevelopment of the Dana Home and an adjacent property as a hotel and restaurant. On Wednesday, April 4, Town Meeting approved a more than $150 million operating budget for fiscal 2013, as well as the first three CPA projects, leaving another nine Community Preservation Committee requests for the start of the next session, on …

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Town Meeting Handles Budget Business, Starts on CPA

A $150 million-plus operating budget earned approval on Wednesday, April 4.

Lexington’s annual Town Meeting Wednesday night approved the town’s fiscal 2013 operating budget and worked through three Community Preservation Act projects before adjourning until next Monday, April 9. Town Meeting actually eased into Article 4, the operating budget Monday night, when it approved the roughly $1.4 million regional assessment for Minuteman High School. On Wednesday, it was all about the rest of the town’s operating expenses. The FY13 operating budget approved was $152,379,722, of which about $78 million is for education, $29.7 million is for municipal purposes and $44.6 million is for shared expenses, such as public facilities and employee/retiree benefits. During his presentation, Town Manager Carl Valente noted a few …

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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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Busa Land Uses to Include Affordable Housing and Open Space

Down one member due to a medical condition that sidelined its chair, the Lexington Board of Selectmen on Monday voted to designate a portion of the town-owned Busa Farms property for affordable housing and the rest for open space uses.

After more than 20 meetings discussing the subject, the Board of Selectmen has made a decision about future uses for the Busa Land -- sort of. Down a member due to a medical issue that sidelined its chairman, the Board of Selectmen voted Monday to designate a portion of the town-owned Busa Farms property for affordable housing and the rest for open space uses. While a stretch along Lowell Street is now locked in for affordable housing, the March 5 vote doesn't close the door on a community farm, playing fields or both on the remainder of the approximately eight-acre parcel. That'll be a conversation for another day, according to the selectmen. And the decision—or indecision, depending on who you ask—didn't sit well with everyone. Farm vs. …

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Patch Facts

Five Things You Need to Know Today: March 2

Previewing CPC projects, a Human Rights Committee meeting and more today in Lexington.

1. Where Does That Money Go? The League of Women Voters First Friday Forum this morning will preview Community Preservation Committee proposals before they get to annual Town Meeting. Among the proposals up for discussion include upgrades to the Muzzey Senior Center and Cary Memorial Building and an accessible housing project at Greeley Village. The forum will be held from 9:15 to 11:15 a.m. at Cary Memorial Library. 2. Fiber Arts for Lexington's 300th: The Lexington 300th Anniversary Fiber Arts Committee is meeting at 3 p.m. Sunday, March 4 at the Lexington Arts and Crafts Society. There are a huge variety of committee projects, ranging from simple to complex; including pillow making, quilting, sewing costumes, knitting, and more. All …

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White House Makes Warrant, But Officials Still Split (POLL)

A capital budget request to stabilize the White House made it into the warrant for 2012’s annual Town Meeting, but the selectmen, who signed a preliminary warrant on Jan. 30, were following decisions from CPC and HCD.

The White House sounded a little like a white elephant last night during the Board of Selectmen’s discussion of capital budget items before signing a preliminary warrant for 2012’s annual Town Meeting.  The selectmen stayed split on spending to stabilize the White House, a decaying Greek Revival at 1557 Massachusetts Ave., but opted to keep the option open before signing the warrant on Jan. 30. However, given their split opinions and the feelings of other entities about moving the White House, investing Community Preservation Act funds and future plans, the selectmen said it’s definitely possible the funding request gets indefinitely postponed. Speaking in favor of keeping this capital funding request on the warrant, selectmen Chairman …

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