Vote on Proposed Target Postponed; Lexington Planning Dept. Speaks Out

The zoning change article for the near Middlesex Turnpike and Route 128 will not be voted on at next Monday's Town Meeting.

Representatives of the , the entity behind the project, were back in front of the Burlington Planning Board last night to answer additional questions on the proposed traffic mitigation plan and during the meeting they stated that they would request that Town Meeting refer the warrant article back for "further study."

"We understand the request of the board and of the Town for more time," said Scott Weiss, Gutierrez Managing Director of Commercial Development. "We have also heard from residents with questions and we want to give everyone a chance to get the information and have their questions answered." 

Answering questions was the main reason Weiss was at the meeting. While in front of the board he, along with Attorney Robert Buckley of Reimer and Braunstein, presented a document with questions from the last Planning Board meeting along with Gutierrez's answers. That document can be found under PDFs to the right of this article. Gutierrez has also launched a web site, burlingtoncanyon.com, with additional information on the project.

Lexington Planning Department Opposition:

A few Lexington residents, including one a member of the Lexington Planning Board, were also at the meeting to express concern over the proposed project.

Greg Zurlo, Vice-Chair of the Lexington Planning Board, was at the meeting to speak on behalf of the board. While he didn't speak much on the proposed Target at the meeting, opting instead to introduce himself and speak about future coordination between the two planning board, he referenced a letter from its members on the subject to the Burlington Planning Board.

That letter, in part, states:

"Traffic congestion and safety are the major issues for us, and we are particularly concerned about the effects of the proposed rezoning and development on Adams Street. Existing delays and queuing are already severe at this intersection, as they are elsewhere on Middlesex Turnpike, and the VHB study points out that accidents occur there at more than 12 times the average rate. Additional traffic on the Middlesex Turnpike/Lowell Street corridor not only contributes to existing congestion and hazard, but is likely to increase the cut through traffic in our residential area."

The letter also addresses resident concerns of a "proposed construction of more than 10 acres of impervious surface" on a parcel identified as an aquifer and water resource area. "Of course, the Lexington homeowners whose property borders or extends into Burlington are concerned than an adequate buffer be maintained" in the area between their homes and a commercial development, the letter states.

"If the choice were ours, we would urge the Burlington Planning Board to reject this proposed rezoning," the letter continues. "However, we understand that you are balancing all the factors that go into a major decision of this kind. We support your efforts to make sure that all appropriate mitigation are agreed to prior to taking action on the rezoning. Having a peer review of the traffic study is important, and we hope that a rezoning will not be rushed through without a thorough discussion of this and the other issued raised by this proposal."

What are your thoughts on the traffic proposal and the concerns expressed related to it? Let us know your thoughts in the Comments section below.