LYNNFIELD — The Select Board passed a motion forming the MBTA Communities Law Committee on Monday, a step toward fulfilling the board’s plan to comply with the law, which is mandated by the state, by the end of the year.
Lynnfield is one of 177 cities and towns that are considered “MBTA communities,” as the town is next to Wakefield, which has MBTA Commuter Rail service.
The board appointed Planning Board Chair Page Wilkins, Planning Board Vice Chair Katherine Flaws, Board of Appeals Chair Anthony Moccia, Board of Assessors member Richard O’Neil, and Select Board Chair Dick Dalton to the committee. Taidgh McClory, who was a senior executive with regional real-estate firm CBRE Group Inc., was also appointed as an alternate member.
In addition, Dalton said that the board is close to finalizing an agreement with a third-party consultant to assist in technical compliance issues and public engagement regarding the matter, and that funding for the consultant will come entirely from the town’s partnership with MassHousing.
“I can assure you that this process will be a very transparent exercise,” Dalton said.
Dalton also addressed a part of the law that says that Lynnfield would have to create a district zoned for a minimum of 750 multi-family housing units to be in compliance with the state, and said that a number of people have approached the board about it.
Dalton said that the state Supreme Court is expected to hear a case about this in October and to rule on it before the end of the year.
“If we are compelled to comply, that doesn’t necessarily mean that we need to build 750 units. We have to zone for them. And I feel comfortable that we’ll be able to manage this incursion by the state government into the affairs of our town with little or no impact on the character of the town,” he said.
Dalton said that it is the board’s intention to bring the matter forward to Town Meeting this fall, but not until after the court has ruled.
“Public outreach and transparency will be evident to all and I will add that the state guidelines require a formal plan for public engagement,” Dalton said.
Dalton added that another goal of the board is to address the needs of the existing library, including making it compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, replacing the roof, and fixing basement flooding.
“Our aim is to present a renovation proposal that is fiscally responsible,” Dalton said. “Leading up to Town Meeting, there’ll be ample opportunity for public input, debate, and discussion.”
Board members also discussed the five-year capital improvement plan, which includes examining the town’s fields and golf courses, making required and major equipment purchases such as fire trucks and police cruisers, and improving streets and sidewalks.
The board additionally called for volunteers for the Traffic Safety Advisory Committee, the creation of which was approved by voters at Town Meeting in April.
“It is far and away the most frequent complaint I hear from my neighbors and friends,” Dalton said.
Select Board Vice Chair Phil Crawford said that with the amount of ongoing construction work in town, he would like to start seeing quarterly or bi-quarterly updates from Director of Capital Projects John Scenna and Public Works Director John Tomasz so the public knows how the projects are going, especially those who are impacted by the streets being worked on.
“In particular the streets, because I get more calls on the streets than anything,” Crawford said. “They always want to know where they are and how it is.”
