Local Zoning Regulations Priority After Passage of Comprehensive Plan

LEXINGTON - It won’t be happening lickety-split although an update of the local zoning regulations will be the priority after passage of a new Comprehensive Plan in Lexington.

Town board members approved the revision, last week, following a pair of required public hearings and nearly two years of painstaking attention to detail by a special committee.

That committee was composed of planning board chairwoman Jenni Cawein, former town councilwoman Lynn Byrne and resident Kim McGalliard, working with outside consultant Nan Stolzenburg.

Cawein, providing background on the thinking that went into the fresh document, says, “we wanted this to be very simple..

“Our town is very simple. We wanted this to sound like our town. Hopefully, this draws people to take part in making the the future of our community,” Cawein says.

Fully expecting things to come to fruition slow and steady, town supervisor 

JoEllen Schermerhorn says, “the committee did a very thorough job. 

“Achieving the goals in the Plan won’t happen overnight but this gives us a good foundation to move forward,” Schermerhorn says..

Toward that end the Plan states, “all of the recommended actions for this comprehensive plan involve the creation of [additional] local committees

Topping that list will be a group of residents focused on updating the local zoning and subdivision law, identified as the primary goal in the Plan.

That committee will include members of the local planning and zoning boards and interested community members, using recommendations contained within the document for direction.

Secondly, a Core Committee will be formed, “charged with overseeing, assisting and identifying funding sources for town projects.”

The Core Committee will attempt to secure necessary grant dollars to get things done, leveraging any money received to possibly get even more funds, the document states, taking the proverbial bull by the horns. 

The list of short term and long term goals was derived from a townwide survey, falling into the following categories:

—Community and economic development projects, Infrastructure projects, Natural resource improvements projects, Emergency preparedness, resiliency and sustainability projects.

Outlining the community’s Vision Statement, the updated Comprehensive Plan states that the present and continuing dream for Lexington is:

—“To be remarkable for its rural, mountaintop character, extraordinary natural beauty, its quiet and peaceful quality of life, and its close knit, small, and friendly community.

“The quiet and unique natural setting of the Town continues to be one of its strongest assets, attracting permanent and long-term seasonal residents and visitors alike.

“Lexington remains predominantly rural and residential, with a low density of residences that provide housing opportunities for people of all incomes. 

“We welcome small, locally oriented businesses concentrated in our hamlets. Our history and historical character, especially in the hamlets, continue to be an important aspect of our community.

“Over the next 10 years, the Town will have well-maintained and safe local roads, accessible emergency services and other public services needed by our community members.

“Our vision is to moderate growth inconsistent with the values of Lexington,” the updated Comprehensive Plan states.

“There is a strong desire to prevent growth that diminishes our sense of place, beautiful environment and natural resources.

“Widespread residential development and more intensive businesses or tourist operations are controlled so as to maintain the essence of Lexington.

“The Town wishes to maintain home rule to the greatest extent possible, to support a stable economy for the benefit of its residents and to provide a safe, healthy environment for all of its families.”

As the next decade unfolds, the collective goals of the community, as stated in the revised Comprehensive Plan, are to:

—Promote the social and economic stability of the Town to ensure Lexington is a resilient and sustainable community.

—Promote development of small local businesses related to the natural resource assets and those that serve the local community and visitors.

—Emphasize growth in and adjacent to the hamlet areas to reinforce these established community centers. 

—Allow for and promote housing opportunities that are accessible long-term and affordable to a wide range of people, in a manner that is consistent with the desire to maintain a low-intensity, smaller scale community.

—Preserve, protect and manage our natural and sensitive environmental assets, including aquatic and terrestrial flora and fauna, streams, forests, and viewsheds.

—Preserve water quality as a key environmental, community character, and economic asset. Manage, control, and prevent spread of invasive species.

—Encourage green building and energy efficient building techniques.

Ensure development promotes dark sky conditions to protect our night sky.

—Protect the rural character, historic beauty, and open space in Lexington.

Minimize conflicts between development and existing natural resources. 

—Development should complement the existing public facilities and transportation network because this network respects natural features limitations and follows historic development patterns.

—Preserve agricultural lands and promote the development of small local farms. Protect and preserve historic sites.

—Discourage large scale commercial and industrial development while promoting low impact local commercial uses, such as individual stores, professional offices and restaurants in the established centers.

Setting the stage for the next generations, the document states, “this Comprehensive Plan should not be viewed as an end product.

“In fact, this Plan is an update of the previous [Plan] adopted December, 2003. This Plan should be updated every 10 years, or as needed.”