Lee — Town officials have called a special town meeting for March 20 at 7 p.m., an action that includes approval for land issues—purchases and leases—as well as zoning bylaws.
“These take quite a bit of time usually, and to minimize our regular Town Meeting in May, we’re going to take some of these on earlier for the special town meeting,” Select Board Chair Gordon Bailey explained at the group’s March 4 meeting.
According to Bailey, some of the land-use issues Lee is experiencing are “time critical” and a recent legislative change by the Commonwealth necessitated a zoning bylaw amendment by the town to conform with state law governing accessory dwelling units (ADUs).
The meeting will be held at the Lee Middle/High School auditorium, 300 Greylock Street.
The text of the articles can be found here. Town Administrator Chris Brittain’s synopsis of the articles can be found here.
So, what will residents be voting on later this month?
Article 1. In October 2024, the Lee Youth Association (LYA) presented a plan to the Select Board that would expand its facilities. This plan proposed using town-owned land located at 170 Greylock Street by the Maple Street ballfield, a partially cleared site that had once been proposed to house a middle school, for the nonprofit organization’s new home. The project includes constructing a preschool facility and gymnasium at the group’s own expense, with future public use of the site. In December 2024, the LYA was announced as the winning bidder in a request for proposals posted by the town. Payment for the project is cited to be sourced from LYA’s fundraising efforts, without any impact on the town’s taxpayers. The article seeks approval for the Select Board to enter a 99-year lease with the LYA for the five-acre tract that has been deemed “surplus property.” A Town Meeting vote is needed as the contract is for more than three years.
A copy of the lease agreement can be found here. A map of the land included in the lease agreement can be found here.
Article 2. In January, Select Board members unanimously approved the purchase agreement of a 17.8-acre tract at 3 Off Landers Road for $52,400, with the action intended to safeguard the town’s water sources. The property is located between the Upper Reservoir and the School House Reservoir, and Lee already owns the rest of the land that surrounds the reservoir. With this purchase, the town will have acquired all of the watershed property.
A map of the land included in the 3 Off Landers Road purchase agreement can be found here.
Article 3. At the same October Select Board session as the LYA plan was introduced, the dais approved signing a $200,000 purchase and sale agreement, $20,000 less than the appraised value, for 27.1 acres at 35 Tamarack Avenue. By purchasing this property, the town would own one contiguous tract from Center Street to Maple Street, a site that, at the time, Select Board Chair Gordon Bailey said could possibly serve as a sports recreational field since it lies adjacent to the Lee Elementary School.
A map of the land included in the 35 Tamarack purchase agreement can be found here.
Article 4. This article creates an Affordable Housing Trust in Lee that includes a five-member Affordable Housing Trust Board tasked with collecting funds to provide affordable housing, such as rehabilitating existing homes, developing surplus town-owned land, and supporting rent assistance for qualifying individuals. The Trust is funded by Community Preservation Act and municipal monies as well as private donations and was a recommendation of the 2024 Master Plan.
Article 5. This article creates a five-member Parks and Recreation Commission in accordance with the 2024 Master Plan to oversee parks, trails, and other recreational sites. It will work with the Conservation and Youth Commission to manage town assets.
Article 6. This article allows for a Zoning Administrator to be appointed by the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA). The officer would be able to grant permit applications, serving in place of the entire ZBA. However, any applicant can appeal a decision made solely by the Zoning Administrator to the entire Zoning Board. The measure is based on the lack of volunteers available to serve on the ZBA, Bailey said.
Article 7. This article takes capital funds from 2016 to 2019 that were allocated for bridge repairs but were not fully used and reappropriates those monies to current Department of Public Works capital projects such as paving and equipment.
Article 8. This article requires a nine-out-of-10 vote to approve paying vendor invoices that remain unpaid from previous fiscal years.
Article 9. This article amends the town’s zoning bylaws to adjust minimum lot requirements for different structures.
Article 10. This article amends the town’s zoning bylaw regarding special permit requirements for developments that have multiple units on a single lot, including accessways, parking, bond-posting requirements, and site-plan revisions. The provision brings the local code up to current standards, per Bailey.
Article 11. This article amends the town’s zoning bylaw pertaining to its Adaptive Reuse Overlay District, or the conversion of private- or public-owned buildings. Among other provisions, it requires the Planning Board’s input before the Select Board renders its decision on a project that falls within this zoning category.
Article 12. This article amends the town’s zoning bylaws to conform to new statewide regulations governing accessory dwelling units (ADUs). Those regulations mandate that such units can’t be unreasonably restricted to residents by a municipality. Many other towns and cities within the Commonwealth are grappling with their local code provisions after the new legislation went into effect last month.
Article 13. There is no Article 13 text listed in the Town Warrant. Per Brittain, this inclusion is “a typo.”
Article 14. This article amends the town’s zoning bylaws pertaining to a Smart Growth Overlay District that encompasses multifamily residential and mixed-use projects.
