Good morning and welcome to LexObserver’s weekly news roundup. It’s Friday, April 7.
On Monday, Town Meeting is slated to consider zoning changes to encourage multi-family housing and meet state housing requirements. Lexington’s zoning proposal is the subject of today’s Boston Globe editorial, and this newsletter includes letters to the editor from State Senators Mike Barrett and Cindy Friedman and former MA Secretary of Housing & Economic Development Mike Kennealy in addition to a news story explaining some recently proposed amendments.
Here’s this week’s news:
Town representatives champion different visions for multi-family housing in Lexington
Article 34 – the Planning Board’s proposal to create zoning districts where multi-family housing is allowed by right, instead of by special permit, to comply with state housing requirements – has dominated public conversation in Lexington more than any other issue Town Meeting faces this year.
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Town Meeting approves Munroe Center for the Arts accessibility renovations, church clock restorations and more
Town Meeting approved Community Preservation Act funding for several capital projects at its fifth session Monday evening, including expenditures to make the Munroe Center for the Arts ADA-compliant, refurbish two church clocks and add accessible trails to Willard’s Woods.
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Lexington Honors Chorus Learns the Real Version of “The Joke”
You know the one: How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice.
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A conversation with Amber Payne, Publisher of The Emancipator
The publication, named for the first abolitionist newspaper in the U.S., aims to reframe the national conversation on racial equity and hasten a more racially just society.
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Celestial Phenomena
The sky holds many surprises and delights for us, if during our busy and preoccupied lives, we remember to look up.
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Lexington Police Log: Vandalism, theft, animal control
A tally of police activity during March 2023 and incidents from the Lexington Police logs during the week prior to April 3, 2023.
Keep readingLetters to the Editor
To submit a letter to the editor, please contact letters@lexobserver.org. Thank you!
Article 34 is good for housing, transportation, climate, economic development, and diversity
A Baker administration cabinet member and Lexington local says zoning has been an exclusionary tool in our state and nation’s history, and urges Lexington to lead the way towards change.
Keep readingHow to use $11 Million of Community Preservation Act Funds
Lexington spends more on historic preservation than affordable housing — despite community values laid out in the town’s comprehensive plan.
Keep readingHousing Progress in Lexington
State Senators Mike Barrett and Cindy Friedman write in support of Lexington’s Article 34, and encourage Lexington to provide an example for other towns on housing.
Keep readingCommunity Submissions
To submit a community announcement, please contact community@lexobserver.org. Thank you!
That’s a wrap for today. Was this roundup useful to you? What do you want to see in this email next week? Let us know, and please ask your friends to sign up and DONATE too! Reach out to sophie@lexobserver.org with tips and questions anytime. As always, you can also check out and share our website, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook pages. Thanks so much for reading and have a great weekend!
Nicco Mele, Sophie Culpepper, Susanne Beck, Julie Turner and the LexObserver Team
Edited by Lauren Feeney
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