There is a housing shortage and Lexington was asked to zone 50 acres for 1,231 new multifamily housing units (apartments and condominiums) per the state’s MBTA Communities Law. With good intentions, Lexington allocated 253 acres of unlimited density (with no limit on number of housing units per acre) for “MBTA zoning” in April 2023 (“Year 0”). The expectation was 400-800 new housing units in 4-10 years, per the Planning Department. This was supported by the “Cluster Housing Study Group” of three Town Meeting Members, who estimated 500-700 new housing units in 10 years. 

But the number of new MBTA housing units being proposed by developers (1,100 units on 23 acres at the end of Year 2, and a further 800 units on 35 acres during Year 3) is far in excess of the 1,231 units in 50 acres, over many years, that the state required of Lexington. The town didn’t anticipate or plan for this level of rapid development and growth, and there are now town-wide impacts.

2025’s Compromise Article 2 was critical to reducing the 253 acres of unlimited-density development that the Town had zoned in 2023 for MBTA multifamily developments. Due to the very generous development parameters contained in the 2023 zoning, many developers have come to Lexington to develop properties. Article 2 was put forward to slow the rate of development proposals and reduce the 253 acres of unlimited-density MBTA-zoned acreage so that the Town has time to analyze and address needs.

To differentiate between the three Planning Board candidates, consider how each voted on Compromise Article 2. Ms. Jensen and Mr. Creech listened to residents’ concerns and voted Yes on Article 2. Mr. Botla voted No on Article 2, and also co-authored an Amendment to Article 2, to add back 25 acres of historic Lexington Center into the unlimited density zoning. Ms. Jensen and Mr. Creech opposed this Amendment. See the voting record below.

Rapid, unplanned growth will directly impact the Town and residents by affecting finances, schools, residents’ taxes, emergency services and response times, roads, critical and non-critical infrastructure, services, personnel, traffic, and more.

Financial uncertainties of rapid, unplanned growth are concerning for Town leaders. New housing is needed, but rapid, dense, unplanned growth with unintended consequences is not.

Leave a comment

All commenters must be registered and logged in with a verified email address. To register for an account visit the registration page for our site. If you already have an account, you can login here or by clicking "My Account" on the upper right hand corner of any page on the site, right above the search icon.

Commenters must use their real first and last name and a real email address.
We do not allow profanity, racism, or misinformation.
We expect civility and good-faith engagement.

We cannot always fact check every comment, verify every name, or debate the finer points of what constitutes civility. We reserve the right to remove any comment we deem inappropriate, and we ask for your patience and understanding if something slips through that may violate our terms.

We are open to a wide range of opinions and perspectives. Criticism and debate are fundamental to community – but so is respect and honesty. Thank you.