Lexington Planning Board Continues Two Waltham Street Housing Reviews to Fall

LEXINGTON -- August 13, 2025, Lexington's Planning Board continued two contested Waltham Street housing projects and cleared four subdivision matters at its August 13 meeting. The board voted unanimously to push the 952 Waltham Street eight-unit townhome project to a September 25 hearing, extending the decision deadline to September 30, after members including Board Member Robert Creech and Clerk Tina McBride raised persistent objections to a sole common green area reachable only by a roughly 20-foot stair climb and to a parking count of 21 spaces against a bylaw requirement of just eight. The 15-unit compact neighborhood project at 287 Waltham Street was continued to October 22, with revised materials due September 29 and a decision deadline of October 31, following a lengthy list of unresolved stormwater, retaining wall, and utility coordination items from Niche Engineering peer reviewer, referred to in the transcript as Mr. Maher. On the subdivision side, the board unanimously approved a definitive non-residential subdivision at 125 Hartwell Avenue under 22 conditions of approval and endorsed previously approved plans at 131 Hartwell Avenue and 475 Bedford Street. Planning Director Abby McCabe also reported that Lexington's spring town meeting zoning amendments remain compliant with the MBTA Communities Act.