Lexington Town Meeting Passes Floor Area Restrictions

Photo via the Article Report.

LEXINGTON, MA—In the most hotly contested article debated at Wednesday night's session of Town Meeting, Article 41 was passed.

The zoning article, which limits the gross floor area of homes in relation to lot size; was passed by Town Meeting by a count of 127 in favor, 41 opposed and two abstaining. The article was recommended for approval by the Planning Board, but received mixed reviews during public feedback.

During its impact assessment, the Planning Board predicted that these changes could result in a slight decrease in tax revenue, but will have no effect in most cases on property values.

the Planning Board cited that recent trends of large and expensive housing makes Lexington more exclusionary. The report also cited that homeowners also believed that the value of their home would be diminished due to large homes "overpowering it.

At the meeting, some residents argued that these limitations would limit the ability to have comfortable living space, indoor parking and other amenities in the home. Residents also brought up imperfections in the assessor's database, among other concerns.