Thorough, seasoned, steady, humble, and exemplary — these are words that describe Bob Creech, nine year Planning Board member and candidate for reelection. Bob is real, transparent and he is a work horse; he quietly does the work, going over and above what I would expect from any town volunteer or Planning Board member. He never inflates his accomplishments or the important work he’s provided on the Planning Board; Bob is a team player.
Bob visits proposal sites independently in addition to Planning Board site visits, takes photos, overlays graphics, and creates his own slides which he regularly presents. At a recent Planning Board hearing for 475 Bedford Street (the old Boston Sports Club), Bob prepared for the hearing by researching and compiling slides of several condominium buildings in the greater Boston area and used that information to point out that the cost of these units will most likely be more expensive than what the developer stated during the hearing based on similar buildings and market rate conditions. Bob is a big picture thinker, uses his research to back up his assumptions, and confronts discrepancies in a professional manner.
Bob voted “YES” on Article 2 in 2025 to scale back the acreage Town Meeting passed for the MBTA Communities Act because he values thoughtful planning and fiscal responsibility, not just zoning, nor does he base decisions solely on ideology. Article 2 successfully passed through Town Meeting 164 (yes), 9 (no), 5 (abstain) — or 95% approval.
Bob also voted “NO” to a last minute amendment by four Town Meeting members, including Kunal Botla, to add historic Lexington Center back into the by-right MBTA multifamily zoning, allowing up to 52-foot, four-story buildings in the 25-acre historic area. “By-right” means that we would have lost any ability to shape how big or how tall buildings are as long as they complied with the zoning bylaws. This amendment failed with a 68% “No” vote.
The Planning Board plays a vital role in how Lexington will look and feel for generations to come. It’s essential that we have an experienced, thoughtful, and transparent Planning Board. We need Bob Creech on the Planning Board to continue the hard work he’s demonstrated he’s capable of over these past nine years.
By-right doesn’t always mean no control by the community. The historic Lexington Center is in a zone that has additional regulations set by the Historic District Commission (HDC). Therefore, it is not accurate to say that we would have lost any ability to shape how big or how tall buildings are simply if the developer meets the zoning requirements. For example – the current ’16 Clarke Street’ project has faced multiple rounds of redesign to incorporate feedback from the HDC in order to get approval for the project.
The limitations of using the HDC to shape a project were discussed at the hearing for 16 Clarke St., and there are many nuances to what they can and cannot decide. It’s not that simple. One of the many reasons I am voting for Lin Jensen and Bob Creech is that they care about resident input. They want to revitalize the center by adding multi-family housing that fits the center, not being bound by the Article 34 zoning. They care about resident concerns – why would we put residents and the HDC through months or years of “shaping” a building when the starting point is a submission which allows 52 feet tall buildings, limited set backs, etc…