Tell us a little about yourself. You can include your personal background, family, outside interests that are important to who you are as a person and a candidate.
Hi everyone! My wife Beth and I moved to our home in Lexington just over 45 years ago and raised two daughters here. I originally came to the Boston area to study at MIT eventually earning a Ph.D. in physics. I worked as a physicist at MIT from 1978–2020 when I retired. I commuted by MBTA bus and subway to work, and thereby became extremely familiar with our local and regional public transportation network. Now that I’m retired, I frequently walk or ride a bike around town and see many areas including our town conservation lands up close in detail.
Why are you running for Town Meeting?
Lexington has been good to me and service to our town is a way for me to help make it good for others. My deep interests in environmental conservation led to my involvement in the effort to get the Town to acquire the Pine Meadows Golf Course property, an effort that culminated with success in 1988. Since those times my interests have widely expanded, and I want to contribute in many areas. I believe my analytical, critical thinking, and writing skills help me to serve you and our community.
How has your past experience — whether in your professional life, elected office, or as a community leader — prepared you for a role in Town Meeting?
I was first elected to Town Meeting in 1989 after having run unsuccessfully in 1982 and have now completed 12 terms. I have served since 1997 as a member of the Appropriation Committee, which reviews and makes recommendations on Town finances, and was chair from 2004–2010. I am presently acting as the committee liaison to the School Building Committee that oversees the Lexington High School Project. I am a member and former president of Citizens for Lexington Conservation. I have learned much in these roles and had experiences that prepare me for future service in Town Meeting.
I admit that I don’t like being involved in conflict, so it is natural for me to try to find ways to bridge gaps between positions through (1) creative thinking that finds win-win solutions, and (2) reasonable compromise. If these efforts don’t work out, I will defend what I believe are best choices. In debates about town affairs, it is important to understand opposing positions from not just one’s own reference frame, and to engage in discussions in a civil manner without personal vilification.
What is the most important issue in this election to you personally, and what ideas do you have about how to address this issue?
My key issue right now is the key issue for Lexington, i.e., the issue that has the most potential for causing change. That is the issue of the rate and magnitude of development of multifamily housing under a new Section 7.5 of the zoning bylaw that was approved under Article 34 at the 2023 Annual Town Meeting. That article created a capacity, according to the state model, of 13,421 new dwelling units which is more than the 12,310 units that were actually present in town just a few years ago. Ten project applications now have been submitted to the Town comprising over 1,100 dwelling units. All but a handful of them are highly likely to be built as fast as the developers can proceed. In addition, paperwork to preserve development rights under the present zoning bylaw Section 7.5 has been submitted for seven additional properties which comprise 49 acres and a state-model capacity of 4,048 units. More paperwork could come in.
While I agreed with the goals of Article 34 to allow new multifamily housing to be built and to comply with the MBTA Communities Act state law, I voted NO because the article went way too far in terms of the total area in overlay districts, in the absence of including a reasonable cap on the number of units that could potentially be built (13,421 is not a reasonable cap), and in the permissive allowances for building heights and setbacks. Furthermore, construction of large numbers of rental apartments, which yield less tax revenue per unit than ownership housing units, will lead to severe stress on Town budgets and reductions in the quality of Town services.
I am a proponent of Article 2 at the upcoming special Town Meeting to reduce the capacity for new units from astronomical levels (7,000–10,000 new units likely) to merely very high levels (2,500–4,000 new units likely). Turning off all new construction is not an option.
I have supported and will continue to support environmental conservation and sustainability goals, excellent public education, excellent public safety and other municipal services. All of these come with price tags, and it is important to keep tax rates in mind while budgets and spending proposals are debated. The questions aren’t just whether to have or to not have each program, but to also address when and how to adjust programs so we get the most bang for our buck. I believe I am a useful voice in that debate.
I welcome comments, questions, and general feedback from residents. I have had the privilege of representing residents of Precinct 8 in Town Meeting for many years and I hope to continue in that role. I ask for your vote on March 3. Thank you.