Three approvals are needed in order to start construction on a new high school.

1.  MEPA (the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act office) must certify the project.

A 30-day public comment period began on May 23 and ends on June 22. Comments can be submitted here: https://eeaonline.eea.state.ma.us/EEA/PublicComment/Landing/. 16986 is the project number.

MEPA will certify the project or identify deficiencies to be corrected by June 29. One outstanding issue is whether the town considered feasible alternatives to building on the playing fields.

If you are interested in reading the town’s SEIR (Single Environmental Impact Report), the document MEPA must evaluate, it was published in the MEPA Environmental Monitor on Friday, May 22. This is where you go to download it: https://eeaonline.eea.state.ma.us/EEA/MEPA-eMonitor/home

Under Search/Projects, you get a form to fill out. Enter 16986, which is the Town of Lexington’s project number, or just Lexington. Hit Search at the bottom of the page and below it you will see the project information.

Choose the Single EIR. The EENF Cert, and EENF are from last fall’s MEPA review of the town’s Expanded Environmental Notification form. That certification directs the town to meet several environmental conditions in a hearing now before the Lexington Conservation Commission, as described below.

2.  The Lexington Conservation Commission must issue an OOC (Order of Conditions) for the NOI (Notice of Intent) the town filed on February 3, 2026. Wetlands, flooding, and stormwater management are discussed in the NOI.

Hearings started on February 3 and have been continued to June 9. It is the town’s choice when to close the hearings for the commission to state its conditions for approval. The hearings have been continued several times.

3.  Both chambers of the state legislature must approve Lexington’s Home Rule Petition to build on land protected by Article 97 of the state constitution, each by a two-thirds vote. 

The House considered the project first and is ready to vote. Senate Counsel is examining the petition. When its work is complete, the bill will advance to the Senate floor where a vote is needed to set up the votes on the petition by the Senate and House. The Senate has been busy with the budget.

Jim Williams

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