[Music] Good evening and welcome to the Milton Planning Board on October 9th. uh 2025. At this time, I would like to now call the meeting to order and begin by um
introductions of the board and our new town planner, which I'm we're pleased to welcome uh tonight. Um so, if you'd like to introduce yourself, >> Sean Fehee, member, >> Maggie Yolfield, member, >> Jim Davis, member,
>> and on Zoom, we have Cheryl. Cheryl, >> Cheryl Tagas, member. >> Great. and myself, Meredith Hall, serving as chair and with us this evening um to introduce you all to Elizabeth Manning um who is joining us as our new uh town planner and um we are
glad to have you. So, >> thank you. >> Great. Welcome. >> Very excited to be here. It's been a good first week. >> Good. That's great. I'm settling in uh quickly from what I understand. So, that's great. Um so now we can um go move to our
administrative items. Um if there are um just meeting minutes. Uh currently we don't have any meeting minutes to approve. So we can move to our future meeting dates which um our next reg
regularly scheduled meeting will be um Thursday October 23rd and then um we our next meeting after that will be uh Thursday November 13th our next regularly regularly scheduled
meetings >> plus um >> and I'm sorry town meeting obviously yeah and yes town meeting um October 27th. So that Monday night, >> you say the 23rd and then the 13th of November. >> Correct. The 23rd. Then we'll have town
meeting on the 27th and then November 13th. >> Yes. >> The um is there just the one meeting in in November right now with the holiday? um that we'll have to we'll talk about if we feel like we we do not need to
meet that week or if we feel like that there's something since we will have just had town meeting we may not need to meet that week unless there's something pressing an application that comes forward which um that might need to be um discussed but so yes so we can talk
about that. >> Sorry are we going to meet at 6:30 before town meeting? Yes, we should schedule to meet um before town meeting. I think we only have the traffic mitigation article, but in in the event that there's any questions that arise, we'll um we usually get a a room um and
I think it's usually room 423 >> um at the high school, but it's just to reserve a room that we meet first before going into the auditorium. >> Okay. >> So, we just need to reserve that and post it as an open meeting. >> Okay. Yep. No problem.
or the 27th. Um, yes. And maybe the 28th, too, just in case we run a second night. Um, that just we should probably have both nights reserved and then we can always cancel, but >> Okay. >> if we don't need to. Okay, great. Um,
so those would be our next future meeting dates. And then, um, any staff update that you might have? >> Sure. Um, So, uh, excited to be here. >> I know I was here two weeks ago sort of
sitting out there and and observing, but tonight I'm I'm excited to be here in my official role. Um, it's been busy. This is I think today was my sixth sixth day. Um, so we've interviewed a couple of uh candidates, good candidates for the
assistant director position. So, that's great. uh that's moving along and and the uh folks in the selections office have been wonderful, the HR director and and the uh town administrator. So, that's been terrific. >> Great. >> Um there was a letter that came in today
which I didn't have a chance to circulate um but um Nick um shared it. There was an extension on the 90-day review period for articles 3, four, and six um from the U special town meeting in June.
>> Okay. So that would be the MBTA communities. Um I think the >> the Peacem overlay. >> Yes, those two those two articles. >> Okay. >> Um so that that review period has been extended to November 23rd, 2025. >> Okay.
>> And that's literally landed on my in my inbox at probably 2 p.m. today. So I will share that out with you folks if you haven't seen it. >> Great. >> Um >> and I know the site plan approval was accepted. um that is all set and um and
there was an extension on the ADU article that they had requested >> that had been so I I don't know I think that was a 15-day I I um >> Okay, >> it was a short extension but I just um Nick may be hearing about that sometime soon as well.
>> Very good. Okay, so the ADU is still is still out there. >> It's still pending. Yes. >> Okay. Still pending. Okay, good. I didn't I didn't know that. >> Yeah. >> Um All right. So that's that and we'll be starting to circulate that. Um Nick had invited me to a meeting next week
with uh the folks from MAPC on the um oh I wrote the the financial oh god >> economic feasibility. >> Yes. Thank you. >> Yeah. I wrote I wrote I wrote EFA and
and and I at the time I knew what it what it meant and then it just >> that was one of the questions. Yeah. Oh, that's that's great that that's moving forward. >> Yeah. So, there's so there's a meeting on that next week. I think they have a um >> I think they have some preliminary like analysis.
>> Yep. Okay. >> And and I don't know I haven't really gotten into too much to the details of the scope of services on that contract. I think there's probably like five or six consulting contracts out there right now for different projects. Um so I'm not exactly sure like how far along that
is. >> Right. It's probably very early. Yeah, >> it seem seems like it it might be, but but so so that that meeting's ne is next week. So, I'll have some I'll have some uh you know, better better hold on. Fantastic. You know, what that's you know, what's going on with that.
>> Um and then um I got an invitation for a community forum for November 13th with from the Partnership for a Healthy Milton and it's um I think it's over at the library. So, I can I'd be happy to share that information with the board as well.
>> Just came in today as well. Looks good. >> Yes. And um and I just got that same invitation, so I'm going to try to go too. >> Okay. So, that's it. >> Great. All right. Um then our um we can
now move to our um public comment. And if there's anyone on Zoom, you can raise your hand or join us um here in person. >> If you'd like to come forward, yes, you can come on. Yeah. [Music]
>> Great. And if you can just >> use the microphone, >> state your name and address for the record if you could. >> Sure. Uh my name is Joshua Wild. Uh I live at 46 Milton Hill Road here in Milton. Uh the reason I'm here tonight is because I was made aware that the um
local historic district was going to be in discussion by this board. So I thought it was important that I came down and voice some of my concerns as a local property owner. I thought it'd be helpful in your guys' decision-m and I thought it was relevant information. So I normally don't read from my notes, but I do want to be concise. I know this is
somewhat finite, so I apologize and it's not my preference, but um good evening chair, members of the planning board. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak tonight. My name is Joshua Wild and I'm a longtime property owner and small business operator in Milton Village. I'm speaking not just for myself, but as part of a growing number
of local stakeholders who are deeply concerned about the proposed designation of a local historic district in our neighborhood. Let me say at the outset that I care about this community's character. I take pride in maintaining my own buildings and contributing to the unique fabric of Milton Village, but I strongly propo um oppose this proposal.
creating a new layer of regulation under a local historic district is not the right tool to preserve that history and in my opinion would ultimately do more harm than good, especially for the small businesses and property owners who are the lifeblood of this neighborhood. So, what I'd like to do is is in a concise
fashion just kind of lay out some of my material concerns. Um, number one is that I think it undermines the economic vitality and and growth of the village. Uh, Milton Village is one of the few parts of town where small businesses can still afford to exist. The added costs, delays, and restrictions that come with
a local historic district designation are simply not compatible with the economic realities of running a small business today. If this designation passes, basic repairs and improvements will become subject to design review and board approvals. Property owners will face delays and added expenses, even for
routine maintenance. And investors will think twice before putting capital into Milton Village because they'll be inheriting a bureaucratic process with uncertain outcomes. And in my opinion, that's not preservation. That's the recipe for stagnation. Um, adding a local historic district may sound like a harmless preservation effort, but the
reality is that a local historic district regulations impose long-term cost that disproportionately affects small property owners and independent businesses. Um, for a neighborhood like Milton Village, which is not a tourist district, not a luxury enclave, but a modest working village, these burdens are simply not economically sustainable.
uh investors and small businesses like myself will not risk the capital in a district where every project becomes a negotiation with a commission. Uh that is not theory that is well documented uh as a deterrent in my opinion in the Commonwealth. Number two is that um the local historic district uh disregards
the wishes of the property owners. Um as far as I'm aware, there is little support from property owners in the proposed district. Um there was one public meeting uh where we got an invitation. At that meeting, there was only opposition there. there was no one there to show support. Um, this is not uh about outsiders. We are the people
who live here, work here, and pay taxes here. We maintain our properties because we care. A top- down designation imposed against the will of the stakeholders isn't democratic. It seems rather punitive. Uh, number three, there is no demonstrated need for this designation. Um, as far as I'm aware, Milton Village
is not under threat. There's no wave of demolition sweeping the neighborhood, no big box development looming. Uh, this feels more like a solution in search of a problem. The town already has a demolition delay bylaw. It has zoning regulations that guide use and scale and has access to the Massachusetts uh
Massachusetts Historical Commission's preservation tools. If preservation truly is the goal, I believe that there are less intrusive, more collaborative approaches such as a volunt uh excuse me, a voluntary historic preservation program, uh, facade improvement grants tied to design guidelines and
incentives, not mandates. Uh instead, this proposal seeks to mandate design control over property owners without public demand and without an economic rationale. Adding a local historic district on top of all that um is a case of regulatory overreach, not necessity.
Number four, I think the process has lacked transparency and support. Um as I mentioned, this pro um this proposal has come with minimal outreach and no demonstrated community consensus. That's not how lasting policy should be made. What we need is real engagement, not a historic district imposed through
a technical process that most residents barely understand until it's too late. The vast majority of impacted property owners were not consulted any meaningful way prior to the drafting of the proposal. There has been no economic impact study, no costbenefit analysis, no demonstration of widespread community support. In fact, I've yet to speak to a
single property owner in the proposed district who supports the designation. Um, that speaks volumes. um in imposing this uh district against the clear will of the affected community sets a dangerous precedent. It violates the spirit if not the letter of the enabling statute which encourage encourages the
establishment of local historic districts only where there is broad community support. Uh number five, this is a regulatory taking in disguise. When the government imposes restrictions that limit what a property owner can do with their property, especially without their consent, it raises serious legal and
constitutional concerns. While it m might not constitute a literal taking under the fifth amendment or article 10. Uh it functionally operates as a partial deprivation of property rights. It limits the use and marketability of the property. It lowers the value by increasing renovation costs and regulatory risks. And it creates
uncertainty for buyers, tenants, and lenders. That is particularly problematic when the designation is made without the owner's consent. Number six, the long-term impact will be blight in my opinion, not beauty. Um, in my experience, um, as a real estate developer and a property owner, the
irony of overregulation in historic districts is that it often produces the opposite of what it intends. Instead of incentivizing maintenance, it discourages reinvestment. Owners defer repairs because approvals take too long or cost too much. Buildings deteriorate over time due to regulatory fatigue, businesses leave or
never come at all, all afraid of red tape. Uh this is how historic districts can stagnate and how charming neighborhoods um in uh that are on the edge of economic revitalization um can be placed into regulatory amber. Um in conclusion
uh my opinion is that the proposed local historic district in Milton Village is um economically unsound for local businesses, raises legitimate legal concerns, is unwanted by the very people it would affect, and is unnecessary given the town's existing preservation
tools. Um it also um would override this board in a lot of ways. It's one of the things that I've been concerned about is that even if someone in front of this board um was able to successfully get this board's approval, the way it's written is you cannot get a building permit without a certificate of
compliance from this board. So theoretically, this board could think a project is good for the town and you would have to move these two in parallel obviously. And if that board decided that without you know these certain adjustments this wasn't getting approved something that this board thought was
good that your yourselves as uh elected by the town would be in the same conversation as uh individuals that are elected by the select board not elected by the people from the town. So those people would have the same power to stop a project which for someone like myself
um you know I think it's concerning. Um, I I often think that I come down here and work well with this group and it would be uh a deterrent for me if I felt like I had to uh work with two different groups who had two different um ambitions. So, um, preservation should
be collaborative, not coercive. Let's protect Milton's character through partnership, not prohibition. I urge you to not tie the hands of the neighborhood under the guise of preservation. Let's invest in Milton's future without turning our back on the people who are building it every day. Thank you. >> Great. Thank you very much. Um, and I will offer myself if if there
is further discussion, if you would like me to come back, I'm happy to engage in dialogue, be a part of it. >> Yeah, I this is an article that I think um that's being discussed. It would be the Springtown meeting, so there's a lot of time for more information. >> I just want to make sure you guys knew my concerns. >> Good. Thank you.
>> Thank you very much. I appreciate your time. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Is there anyone um on Zoom with hands up? >> No. >> For public comment. No. Okay.
Okay. Um then given that we can move um to our discussion the um October 2025 special town meeting item discussion article three um the report and recommendation of the master plan implementation
committee. Um, and I talked to Cheryl about this. Um, and I'll let you Cheryl just speak on this. Um, there was supposed to be a meeting post that was supposed to be held last Monday, but never got posted. So, um, they've not been able to vote on the report. But,
Cheryl, I'll let you sort of you were going to sort of give an outline and and, uh, talk a little bit about the article that, um, is before town meeting or coming before town meeting, >> right? Thanks, um, Meredith. Um, hello
all. I'm sparing you the spreading of some germs, so that's why I am remote tonight. And hopefully I'll I'll make it through the discussion without too many coughs and sneezes. Um, you know, we uh as a committee, as a master plan
implementation committee, there's six of us, and we've been working diligently to get to this final report that we're due to deliver to this board, to the select board, and to town meeting. And um uh
unfortunately we've run into um we're running up against the the town meeting and we're just getting these this update to you. So I do apologize to you, but I also would like you to know that the committee has been meeting um as more
regularly than we had been, which is more than once a month, and we've been working diligently to get here. Um, so I'd like if I'd like to give you an an overview um of the draft report, which is about 30 pages. We won't go I won't go into it
in detail, but I I do want to set up that background um as the um setting for how we arrived at the article itself. So um Liz, I look forward to meeting you in person. Um do I have the ability to share screen?
>> Yes. >> Yes. >> Yep. Okay, great. Thank you. Now, let me find my screen. >> You want me to turn that for you guys? >> One sec. >> You've got one down. >> You guys got that? >> Yeah, maybe turn it. That'd be great.
Thank you. >> Yeah, that's Thank you, too. >> Okay. Can everyone see that? >> Good. >> Yes. >> Yep. >> Okay. So um the the report itself is um dividing
into table of contents as you can see um and it's based on the organization of the report of the master plan itself u which has um and we've been focused obviously on the implementation section of the plan which is volume one um and
we also so we were looking at the progress address um in each of the sections that are in that portion of the plan. And then we had something which we called changing conditions which we felt um they things have changed enough since
the time that the plan was written that they deserve uh some additional attention and an update to the plan. Um just to give you a a um a quick idea of what the committee is thinking is that
um that there should be targeted uh updates to the master plan and not a complete rewrite of the plan. Um I think that plan which was done over 10 years ago uh at an expense of about $125,000
uh we didn't think that it was necessary to repeat um all aspects of the plan but and and we'll get into I can get into a little bit why on that. So this just sets out the introduction about um the mass general law
establishing the um the requirement for a master plan and what sections need to be included. So that's uh setting the sort of framework. Um a little bit of the background of how the plan was arrived at.
And then we highlight some things which are not required by statute but are often found in master plans and you can see the six items that are listed here. The our master plan has some of these but not all of these and our recommendations are that we should
consider adding some of these. So the way the plan's organized is there are three general themes and you can see those here. From there um they're developed into seven goals and objectives and then you can see those
here. There's a few more that I'll scroll down to. Um, and under each one of these goals, there are strategies. And when you take a look at all of these goals and all of the strategies, there's
120 strategies in total. And so what our um committee did in the beginning was to say, well, how would we track progress on this? And it was really to set up a tracking mechanism for those 120 strategies. And so um
I'm going to now switch to the spreadsheet which shows you how we track that. Can you see the spreadsheet? >> Yes. >> Okay. So I'm on the on the left side the column A you can see the goal. So there's the seven of those and then the
strategies within each one of the goals. And then what we did was again these are taken from the plan itself in terms of the priority whether it was considered lowhanging fruit.
This MPIC was we divided these strategies into um up so that each member of the committee would be the one um charged with following up and uh seeing what the progress had been and the implementation from the plan itself.
there was a lead party established and then there were partners and then these columns uh I, J, K and L are what we used to track whether we felt uh what the progress had been which is on the
left which we uh documented from in the case of me and my own knowledge on the planning board in the case of others by reaching out to the uh lead party and to um to for updates and then we invited uh various parties into our meetings to
give us updates as well. So this will be an appendix to our report for the background and the details. So you can see through here each one this is how many of these we
sorry we ended up getting um our tracking each one of them and pretty detailed information. So um now I'm going to switch back to the report. The
committee took a lead on some furthering of the plan whereas the plan had recommended that further study happen. You will recall that the committee led some planning effort with the metropolitanary planning council in Milton Village. We were asked to do that
by the select board at the time. Um that goes back nine years now. We um also began the zoning work in Milton Village and um you'll recall that we turned over a recommendation on the zoning to the planning board. We turned
over a report on the waterfront uh to the select board. done. So what we have here are some updates of what's been happening with that since our involvement on both of those. Another um effort that
the committee was a asked to participate in in part by providing some matching funds was the development of the bicycle and pedestrian masters plan which the metropolitan area planning council prepared and then that was sent forth to
the select board. We also uh were involved in some town center planning when the fire station uh expansion project was in the design and construction document phase and again we worked with MAPC
um on that planning work out of that um there was the recommendation of the crosswalk that's in place on Canton Avenue uh was implemented and um there's some further um planning work that could still happen
um relative to the recommendations that were in the master plan. We were asked by the library to assist them with the um their solutions to parking challenges. This was also something that was recommended in the master plan. So all of these things that we uh
participated in were all recommendations in the master plan. We in addition to things where we took more initiative, we also um had things in which we provided funding or we recommended funding at town meeting and one was the development
of a traffic model. Um I think some of you may have heard me talk about this before. I mean a recent update on this is we've learned that it's um it was developed um but the town doesn't own it and it's now out of date. Um this is a
significant um disappointment to the committee because it was something we felt um would be a tool for the planning board for the uh traffic commission and others in eval and neighborhoods in evaluating uh traffic impacts on proposed
development. So um our one of our recommendations here is that uh the town should own this and should and reinvest in it. Um so the we were also asked to
be involved with some community visioning and what some call west Milton in a part of Milton which um has had less planning attention. Uh so again we um helped facilitate that visioning work which was provided by MAPC.
And then um most recently uh the partnership for healthy Milton came to us and asked any progress had been made on the recommendation in the master plan to explore in town shuttle. Um none had been no
initiatives and no analysis had been done and um so the committee uh worked with uh representatives from the partnership to develop a scope of work for some due diligence or some u fact
gathering on what's happening in other communities and and they're working on that now. So the the then the master plan is the top 20 recommendations and so we've gone through and
highlighted things where there's there's been success on those and you know Milton Village and East Milton Square are two success stories in terms of creating visions for the commercial districts. There are other things where progress hasn't been made. um for
example that some of the nonconforming aspects of our um pre-existing non-conforming um properties. Um this that includes really number three which is the small scale commercial uses in the neighborhoods. Um so if you look at
some of these you'll see that they they currently I think they're current priorities. Um and they should we felt the committee felt should have continued attention. Um, so I won't go through each one of them, but this this is the report that
we're working to um approve at a meeting next week and then this would be just posted on the town website and distributed. So those top 20 uh you can see it's a work in process. So
there's still things for uh the committee members to work on here. And then um this goes into an update on each of the sections that are in the in the plan itself. So the historic and cultural resources
um it highlights a few things from the plan itself, the successes, the challenges and the committee recommendations. And that holds true for the open space and recreation,
the housing and neighborhoods. And you see names here. This is just the committee member who was taking the lead on this section. Um on economic development, circulation and transportation
and facilities and services. And then we get to the things that we felt um required more attention than the master plan had paid to them. And this is the diversity, equity, inclusion
and climate change and sustainability. So we've highlighting what is being done currently with climate action planning committee and other um sustainable Milton and other initiatives. And then we uh decided we should have some reference to CO and how that's
changed um the way we're we live. And then um and then a conclusion. So the conclusion um now I'm going to stop my share. The conclusion led to has led us really
to the recommendation of the article. And the way the article came about really was that Nick Milano had said to us, you we need an article at least to um allow for the the the committee to make a presentation. So that's to hear and
act upon the report. So that's uh where we started. And then I asked Nick because we had remaining funds that had been allocated in the in the last town meeting how those could be um
utilized and could those be utilized um for planning purposes. And so in that discussion and in discussion with the committee, we really felt as if we didn't want the work of following the implementation and to considering
updates to um to fall off. Uh we felt as if it was important um and we we arrived at a recommendation to have a successor committee rather than an extension of the implementation committee. And um
that successor committee um would do what the current implementation committee does with a little bit more which is to um to make recommendations to the planning board, the select board and town meeting
regarding potential updates to the master plan and also for key focus areas. And that key focus areas would be something similar to what I mentioned as changing conditions like the uh uh climate change and sustainability. So
and the reason we felt it was important to include the other bodies is that there's so much in the master plan doesn't fall under the purview of the planning board. if falls under uh the select board or the town administrator either or other elected boards and
committee and appointed committees and um when we met with the um two representatives from the warrant committee who reached out to us they also felt that the warrant committee um should be provided annual updates as
well. Um we discussed currently the the size of committee is seven. It's been six members for the last year or so. Um we felt we it would be beneficial to add a couple of members but not to get too
large because it can make for challenging challenges in doing scheduling. Um we felt as if the joint appointments was challenging. Um and we we felt uh in talking with again with Nick Milano that
having uh the planning board have appointments that the select board have appointments and then another entity having appointments and we set it on the the town moderator uh because these are generally the boards or the the entities that appoint um our committees.
And then lastly to transfer the funds the remaining funds um to this new successor committee. So um we also will be preparing a u a presentation for town meeting that we kind of take what I highlighted now and
and put it into um maybe a presentation um that's projected. >> Okay. >> So Cheryl Yeah, I I had a question. um >> because at some point we may need to make a determination if a new master
plan is needed. And I I agree with you. I I I think there's a lot of really good things that are in the 2015 master plan, but how is that going to be evaluated if this is if it's a committee that's in perpetuity?
Um, how does that how does that the planning board, you know, should they decide, okay, you know, maybe we do need a new at some point a new, you know, go out and seek another do another master plan at some point. um if there's enough
things that would be changed or um or need to be prioritized that weren't on there, how would that evaluation I know it says in the the report that you would still be reporting you would report annually to the planning board. Correct.
>> Correct. Right. And any recommendations we would make would be to the board. So, you know, if it if there was a a recommendation that, you know, certain things um were out of context or, you know, things had changed enough that that
should really be relooked at. I mean, they're going to have three members or three appointees and one member of the planning board on the committee. So I think if the planning board itself felt as if a more robust uh update needed to uh happen
um you know you'll probably recall that when the plan itself was developed there was a master plan committee and I think it had I was on it maybe it had 14 people or 15 or something like that >> and that had one person who was a member
of the planning board who was Emily Inis at the time and she was uh the chair of the committee and then um you know the committee provided updates back to the planning board um and um and in fact provided the master plan
to the planning board to review for approval. So this is similar to the way that happened. It would still be um you know a committee that's com has u broad representation. I mean, we we spoke
quite a bit about how to make sure um that there's equitable geographic distribution at a minimum and certain um skill sets. What we put into the the article we spoke quite a bit about u because we felt as if um we needed to
address the fact that some neighborhoods felt as if um uh there had been unequal level of attention to all neighborhoods. So, um I guess
if you if you think of it in the way that it's a continuation um and if a broader update were needed, maybe there would have to be um a review of whether this is the the same committee would would be able to do
that. Um I I guess is thinking about how it was done before, Meredith. >> Yeah. Yeah, sorry. Yeah, go ahead. >> Comment on that. Um, I >> I I think I think one of the components that's really critical in in the master
plan process is that is that public consultation. So is is um like is the implementation committee is focusing on priorities and and targeted goals that were sort of were were you know came out of a
comprehensive process that involved like public consultation. So that's just something just something to think about. I mean, I don't know. Does the does the implementation committee kind of get involved at that level or they sort of they're working off of the recommendations that came out of that
comprehensive like consultation process? So, what the committee has had or participated in a few public forums that we've organized. Um, Milton Village uh was one. Um the
library was another um I understand you know the the um the community impact or community engagement aspect of what you're suggesting um Liz and and maybe um
you know if you think about how this would be recommendations that are turned over to a planning board or to a select board. it would be those boards that would have the responsibility for that further um engagement.
That is kind of the way we were thinking because our we didn't think that the um committee itself uh would be making the changes. We would be making the recommendations. >> Yeah. No, that sounds that that that
that's um that sounds very um um that makes that makes a lot of sense. And I think I was just sort of thinking out loud about the difference between engaging in another master planning process, you know, and sort of when that
needs to happen um versus this implementation effort, which is critical. And I also think it's really I've worked on master plans where they did sit on the shelf. Um, and so having the implementation component is
critical. I love the fact that there's some money attached to it as well because that's really important too to have the the resources to study these things as they as they evolve and emerge. like for instance, you know, the impact of of the the pandemic on the way
the way the town operates and and all those things. Um, so yeah, I I just I just was sort of I just was sort of positing that that might be kind of like the the distinction is is, you know, do you want to get into that comprehensive public consultation process again? And
and that's a that's a discussion to have if it's even needed. I don't even know if it's needed 10 years on. I I don't know. We felt as if there's a lot of um sound recommendations that are in the master plan that have not been fully
implemented. So, we really felt as if um there's more work out of that plan that that could happen. Um how long that carries on before, you know, a full new plan, um I
don't know. There's a lot of good work happening now on committees whether it's the climate action planning committee and hopefully there'll be information coming out of the the economic study um that's ongoing um and there's a active social justice
committee. Uh so we've touched bases with all of these committees. They're not they haven't issued their final reports yet, but once they do they um you know how that how they flow through um sort of throughout town is something
that we spoke about. So it's not just uh identifying um you know a report stands alone here. There was a traffic uh mitigation committee that issued an excellent report. It's been 5 years now and I think very little has been um
implemented. So we wanted to highlight that there's been really good work there's really good work uh underway and implementation is really the key. We really have felt this um we don't need in some cases a lot more study. What we need is implementation and part of that
is making sure that everybody uh who's responsible um for these um strategies is aware of them and is in agreement with them. Um and so that outreach is something that
we've had to evacuate. >> The other one more question then I'll I'll ask others. I think the other the other piece of this is I'm not sure that the residents fully understand how much is in the pipeline for
development projects right now and what is the capacity of our building department our staff um in attending v various meetings whether it's traffic um the traffic commission the you know master plan implementation committee
there's so many committees in town but How I I think it's important that people understand there is so much development in the pipeline that's coming because people keep saying, you know, we need more housing, we need more. I don't think until they the reality hits and
they see all of the construction sites in Milton that people will start to understand what that's going to do to the traffic or what's going to, you know, so I think every decision needs to be weighed. Um and and you're right, some of these things are select board items like the
shuttle which may be budget driven. You know, it might be completely out of everyone's control. Um if there aren't budget, you know, funds for it, but I think having a period of assessment, that's something that will also need to
be discussed and and evaluated in all of the work that everyone does. So, >> so just as a followup on uh a specific comment that Liz made about um
public engagement, one of the concerns I have is that recommendations are being made without public engagement. So recommendations are coming from the master plan implementation committee
when there hasn't been any public um engagement at all to to Merida's point as well. So for instance on the whole library expansion, I did go to a public forum and it was last June in the library and it was very well attended by
a lot of different stakeholders um including people from Sustainable Milton and the concern at that meeting was all the trees being removed for that and even the neighborhood across the
street on Reedsdale and Academy Lane. They had no idea as to the discussion that was going on and um they had no idea that there was talking about putting in affordable housing and a
cafe. So it's I'm concerned about the lack of public engagement leading up to the recommendations. Um, and then I don't then I think it falls on the boards to do the vetting
and at that point committee members may say, "Oh, we've already invested so much time and so much money and so much effort has gone into this initiative. We can't just scrap it at this point." And then the
pressure is on plenty board members to like rubber stamp it because an appointed committee has done all this work when really they haven't. And if you just listen to what JD said, he said, and I quote, "Appointed
committees are problematic." End quote. So, and I've been saying for several um I don't know that I feel that appointed committees are taking over the role of the elected committees and that is a
huge concern of mine. Uh I would say that um you know the town has benefited quite a bit from expertise that can come from appointed committees. Elected um bodies
don't have people don't have to meet any kind of um expertise requirement. So um for example climate action planning u you sit on Maggie others um we all sit on committees we all uh contribute and
we contribute our time and and residents um also contribute their time and expertise and I and I think they get frustrated and this is something we've heard at the at the mic is that um they get frustrated that their work uh ends up going into report that sits on a
shelf and doesn't get implemented and you know it augments these committees all augment the elected boards. Um and our staff, you know, the town is uh has been short staffed and um having committees who can who can do this work
on a volunteer basis has benefited the town in in my opinion. And I'm not just talking about the EMPC on that. Um and the the committee, you know, has always um decided that we we can do a certain amount of work and then we must
turn it over to others. And in the case of the library, it's being turned is turned over to the the library trustees and and they're seeking support from the select board. So the um in in many cases, the lead party on
these is the one that's going to have to do the most public outreach. So if the lead party is the planning board, then the planning board will need to do the public process. If it's the select board, they will need to do it. Um, and I I don't uh I don't think it's wise to
um to discount um the work of of volunteer committees. >> Anyone else have any >> questions? I'm just trying to think here. So I don't think it would be discounting the work of the committee, but I think once the MPIC or master plan
committee makes a recommendation, you know, they've already done all the work. So I kind of agree with Maggie where I would like to see much more public input at the grassroots level at the beginning. So by the time it gets to us, we do have a lot of input from
residents, not only you know, experts on committees that have been appointed. Um, >> and I think that's why we chose that we wanted to take ownership of the of the overly zoning in East Milton, for example, most >> recently, so we could be part of that
and really hear the concerns of the East Milton residents and and townwide what what their and they had some real serious concerns, but I think they felt like they were really listened to um by our board. So then when we went to town meeting they they trusted what they were
hearing because they knew that they were part of the process >> and we also had a consultant working with us and it was a very malleable process >> and and the consultant was wonderful >> consultant was great in constantly changing and meeting everyone's needs. >> Right. Right. >> So do you think that this board has the
capacity to track the implementation of a master plan right now? because we don't we have people who um have been asked to serve on committees and have said that they don't have the time uh any additional time than what they already put in. That's my concern. If we
say that you're going to pull this back um to the planning board to implement and this is the committee's concern as well is that um you have members who served on on the master plan implementation committee who were part of the master plan committee besides myself who have expressed these concerns
and there's six of us who were in agreement on u on this approach. >> No, I'm saying there should be more community input in the beginning. >> Yeah. And I don't the my understanding of the master plan implementation
committee committee is to just follow and track what's going on in town. So, I'm not necessarily saying that we need to entirely do away with um a
committee that tracks it if if town staff feels that they don't have the capacity to do it. Um which I'm not sure if they have capacity or not. I'm not in a position to judge their staffing
needs. Um but the master plan implementation committee as I understand it was really just to review um projects that have come to the other boards and they just track it you know
to say yep we've done that we've done that you know is and then it's up to the boards to actually hold the public meetings and have the hearings and listen to the public and
then once, you know, a board makes a decision on a project, then the the committee who tracks it, you know, puts it in the spreadsheet and says, "Okay, we've done this, we've done this, or they look at something that's outdated
and it's not needed anymore, and they, you know, redline it, saying this has come and gone and we don't need it." So that's my understanding of it was really just a committee to track what was going on. >> So the charge of the committee as
established in uh 10 or 11 years ago is to monitor the implementation plan with the town's current master plan to recommend to the planning board and the select board the actions necessary to implement such plan including timing,
resources and responsibilities. So um you know the the it so that's number one in the in the article which is the same continuation. to the items two and three. Um you know in terms of the recommendations
um you know the it is those who have been checking in on all of the 120 strategies who are in the position to be the most informed about all of them and that's the reason for
the making the recommendations portion of it. Um and the two and three are really the same in terms of um regarding updates but also um key focus areas some um me there have been three
different I think three or four different members four different members who represented the select board over the years and um you know they um they have had an interest in certain
focus areas of the plan. And so, um, you know, to make these recommendations, you know, to have the committee which has been monitoring all this make those recommendations back to that select word of that plan, that planning board was not important.
>> I I I um can I can I speak for a minute? >> Um, Cheryl, I hope you feel better and I'm glad you're not here to uh to infect us. So, thank you for that. >> Um, but I do hope you feel better. Um, I think I'm I I I got a I have a number of
things on my mind. Um, but I I first want to address what what was in the article in 2014, which I want to specifically read what was written in here. Um,
and I won't read the entirety of it, but I will read what I believe was the responsibility. Um, and this is from the section of the article, as we all know, in the recommended section, right? So this is the warrant committee's recommendation
recommended that the town vote to authorize the board of selectment in the planning board to appoint a master plan implementation committee for the purpose of reviewing the implementation plan within the town's master plan established under Mass General Laws chapter 41 section 81D at least twice annually
and to recommend to the planning board and the board of selectmen the actions necessary to implement such plan including timing resources and responsibilities. said committee is expected to report to the planning board and the board of selectmen at least twice annually.
>> Said committee will report to the town meeting at least annually. At the town meeting regularly scheduled in October or if no such meeting is held, the next annual town meeting, the report sh will contain the following
information. A implementation steps accomplished within the past year. B anticipated steps to be accomplished within the next two years. C resources including town meeting appropriations or other actions necessary to complete
those steps. So this article says that the master plan implementation committee would rep report twice annually to both the planning board and the select board and then separately they would have an annual report that would be provided to
town meeting and it would have those components that I read A B and C. Now I'm losing track of my town meeting membership. I'm around 15 years and I've been in this position. I'm now in my
fourth year. I am trying to recollect over the time that I've been both a town meeting member and a member of the planning board how many times we've received reporting from the master plan implementation committee. Now, since I don't know that offh hand, um I am going
to make a request of you um that you make a request of the master plan implementation committee. I'd like to see the reports, all of the reports from the inception. You know, I if the committee was formed, I want to understand did they meet the duties and
requirements that the article said they would. So, I would like to see were all of the boards in town receiving reports from the master plan implementation committee. Um, so that's that's a formal request. I don't know where you're going to go for
it. But, um, >> Cheryl, do you want to speak to that? >> Well, I'm not finished yet if you don't mind. I'm sorry. So, for the next time we we meet, I'd like to have those because I want to see the reporting. I'm not Some people are proponents of
committees. um other people aren't proponents of committees and I respect Cheryl's point of view and I do think that there are necessary committees with significant purpose right where we pass by the fire station that's
being built down by St. in Agatha's um uh church. And that's probably a very good example of a necessary committee. You know, we had a specific task. We had to construct or renovate three fire stations in town.
All of our elected officials have probably more work on their hands and they needed that kind of support. I think that was a great committee to create and the committee had a specific task and my opinion is once the task is complete the committee should no longer exist right and and and we should be
grateful for the service and the time the effort that the committee provided but you know I also feel like we have a town government that has a full complement paid positions including now Liz Manning as a director of planning and community development we also have a
significant number of elected of elected boards and officials. And you know, it's my opinion that good governance practice, you know, is to allow not only the hired positions, but the elected positions, you know, to do their job, to
do what they're expected to do. And, you know, they're the ones that should be conducting the town's business, you know, and and yes, maybe the planning board should have much more um involvement in the master plan. I I maybe we should but creating committees
in my opinion it often diminishes the responsibility of the hired individuals and the elected individuals you know and a good example of it is Cheryl said recently I can't remember which committee Cheryl just mentioned but little has been done to implement what a
committee had had created you know and it's not it's not a mystery of why it's because there's so many committees that have been created in the town it does become confusing as to whose responsibility is what, right? So, you
know, I I do consider like excessive creation of committees to be disruptive and, you know, in a lot of ways, you know, inappropriate for good governance. And I I don't offhand Nick Milano probably knows how many
committees we have, but you know, I have lost track of the number of committees that exist in the town of Milton. It seems to me that every time there's a there's a there's an idea out there, there's a there's the formation of another committee and you know, uh, look, volunteerism is important. We're
all volunteers. As far as I know, the only person sitting at the table that is getting paid is Liz. Um, and and you know, I do believe that the town needs, you know, volunteerism. Um, but I think it kind of creates confusion with regard
to who's responsible for what, you know, now here here's here's Liz now. And you know, probably still trying to understand how does the town of Milton operate, you know, and and you know, I I'm stunned. I'm a planning board member. The first time I'm hearing about
this thing is the same day that the warrant was in my mailbox. And and you know, you got to be kidding me. How is it that the first time I'm hearing about it as a planning board member is the day that the warrant shows up in my mailbox? How many weeks or months has this been a
topic of conversation? And by who? Certainly by Cheryl, you know, and this is the first time caner. Cheryl Cherrarant and I don't apper it's not it's not a it's
thanks for interrupting me but you know it's not fair to the planning board you know that this is the first time that we're talking about this in a planning board meeting >> I agree >> so I don't get it you know there's an awful lot to to digest here and you know
I I have a lot of questions um I don't know if there's good reason to to continue a committee. This isn't even continuing the master plan implementation committee. This is creating another committee. This is not really about implementation. This is about creating another planning entity
that's going to make suggestions, right? You know, they they don't have implementation. I I have to read this. I mean, I I I want to read a little bit more about um the charge. There's three charges here. So, I I I'm not even sure that I'm 100% prepared to say how I feel
about what the committee's duties are, but this isn't really implementation. This is planning. >> This is planning. That's what this is. You know, we are the planning board. Um Liz Manning is the director of planning and community development. And now what
we're talking about is adding nine more people to the planning group. not the implementation of a plan, but the planning group. That's how I read it. Um, yeah, I
don't know. I um I I just it's just um I'm disappointed. And uh yeah, I'm really disappointed that this is what we're talking about here tonight. And and like I said, got the warrant in the mail today. It's in my mailbox. It's probably in in yours as
well. >> Mhm. I did. >> So in closing, I do want to see you know the reports that have been prepared by the master plan implementation committee from its inception in 2014. And by the way this has been written there should
be a report to the select board and the planning board twice annually and there should be an annual report to >> town meeting. So by simple math, if the committee has existed for 10 years or 11
years now, there should be 33 reports someplace. So I want to see how well this committee that was formed um performed their duty of reporting, >> right? >> Doesn't require written reports and uh
verbal reports have been provided. There also have been written reports submitted for the annual report each year. So you could find those in your annual report. Um, you know, personal attacks about how this article came to be and you're being
insulted really don't have a place in deciding in the discourse of whether something is uh a good idea or not. Um the fact that this u article came to be towards the um closing of the warrant
had to do with a committee that's been working diligently on its recommendations which we were charged to do. And at the end of our 10 years to make recommendations and that's what we've done. We've made our recommendation. You may not like our
recommendation, but we've done what we've been charged to do. And to provide insult as to whether the committee's been living up to what it charges, I find really disappointing. >> Well, Cheryl, do not ever accuse me of
making a personal attack on you. If I make a personal attack on you, I will tell you before I do so. I'm expressing my point of view. And the fact of the matter is as a planning board member for the first time for us to discuss this as a planning board on the day that the warrant is in our
mailbox that I don't consider that a personal attack. I consider that a statement of fact. I think it would have been helpful to because I I don't necessarily disagree with what the art what's being proposed in the
article. I I think it was more process related. um that I also um and I and and I talked to Cheryl today and she really sort of explained how this unfolded um but that it wasn't um that the planning
board wasn't made aware of this as our representative it would have I think if this goes forward I think it's just important to have the communication lines open and part of that is getting updates from the committee semianually that we just schedule you
um on a regular basis and now we you know Liz has been here and that was I think part of the lack of communication also was during this interim period that we didn't have an assistant town planner and didn't have our town planner in place. So I think that was where and I
give Nick so much credit for all he has been doing because he's been sort of keeping everything moving forward and assisting um the planning um the planning board. So, it was just a series of things that I think just ended up it
wasn't communicated with us. I think Nick thought that we knew that this was happening and this was a discussion um by the master plan implementation. It just would have I think the rate process would have have been a discussion with the planning
board as the master plan falls under the responsibility falls under the planning board and the select board. So, um, but I understand I I don't know that there's opportunity for further um
discussion on this. I it's scheduled to go to town meeting October 27th. So, >> so that's Yeah. So that's kind of my where I have been um all this and it was interesting because I'm on one of the new committees that were just formed the
budget overview committee and we've had two meetings and one was last Friday and it was interesting because we were just discussing a calendar of dates as to when the budget overview
committee would receive information about budgets, one from the town side, one from the school side. We spent a lot of time just talking about a calendar as to when those budgets would be presented.
And a school committee member said, "I cannot give a a um a a a date on a calendar until I go back and check with the school committee." I can't even give a date and it you know
questions arose like well like you should be able to give a date um because we don't want to stop the process moving >> right >> but when I was looking at this and you know I did print out you know what Sean
did from the 2013 I did go in and I print out Mass General Law chapter 41 section 81D about the master plan and the creation of the master plan and I have been following
you know Empic pretty regularly but not every meeting or every month and I too was a little bit surprised about this and especially when it was submitted this article was submitted by the master plan implementation committee because that committee
was created by the planning board and so I would think that the committee would go to the boards that created the committee and say, "What are your thoughts on this?" Um, you know, and in my personal opinion is how can we as a
planning board support something that cuts the planning board out of the process? Um, you know, I think the planning board's role is to ensure um that projects are consistent with the
master plan. That's our planning board role. It's not the master plan and implementation committee's role. They're just their role is just to follow projects. And um and so I don't know how we can support
this. And I was wondering if like we could make a motion to um to withdraw this article
>> um from the war. >> Yeah. >> So can I just make a couple comments? Um the committee was formed by a vote of town meeting and you'll remember a year ago if there was an extension granted also by a vote of town meeting and if I
go back and share again the um the implementation spreadsheet and you can look at who the responsible parties are. There's far more than the planning board as a responsible party. So if we look at who the lead party is, we'll start at
the top here. We have planning board is showing up here twice, but there's many others that are showing up here as well. Some of them are uh appointed committees like the conservation committee. Some of them
are elected and some are uh departments. You'll see that there's here under this one again many other departments and boards responsible other than the planning board as the lead party and that you will find that all the way
through. If you go to like the tab that says my name, this is the thing where the planning board was listed as the primary. You can see that it's not the entire report. It's if I go back to the master list again and I keep scrolling,
there's a lot of the other lead parties here. When it comes to certain things really around zoning, the planning board is the lead. But when it comes to other things, there's many other uh people involved in the implementation of this plan. So, it doesn't purely lie with the
planning board. And that's the reason that um the reporting was also to the select board and to the town meeting. And so um that this committee has recommended that the work is not done. And if you come over here, you'll see
where there aren't too many that are highlighted is green where all of the work has been done that the strategy has been met. There are some where none has been no work has been the yellow one. It's also all the way across. So there's still implementation of this plan that
needs to be done. >> Will you forward that to us, Cheryl? Can you forward that spreadsheet to us and then the other 33page document that you showed earlier? >> Yeah, the um I'm going to stop the share for this though for a moment. Um the
other document is still in draft form which we we will be voting on. Just keep bear that in mind. >> Um appreciate that. Thank you. >> And my question isn't about the um who's responsible. That's not in in your
spreadsheet. That's not my concern. It's the um article 13 which established the master plan implementation committee that was submitted by the planning board and the selectman.
So, um, I understand that different boards are going to have input in and that's what you're tracking and I I totally understand what you're doing and that was my point earlier on was the committee is supposed to track. So, it
makes sense that you're tracking um the the different committees, but I'm looking at it from a higher view and that this committee was formed um by an article that was submitted by
the planning board and the selectman and the master plan under Mass General Law. It says that such plans shall be made and may be added to or changed from time to time by a majority
vote of such planning board. So it is the planning board's responsibility of the master plan and that's why I go I go back to the master plan interimmitation committee is really only there to track what the town has been
doing. It hasn't that responsibility is the planning board's responsibility. It's just unfortunate. >> Go ahead, Cheryl. >> Um I just want to mention um MAPC uh you
know the Metropolitan Planning Council um does master plans. our regional planning agency. Um they asked Taber Key and I to participate in a session that they were doing on uh master plan implementation and um they've continued
to use our committee and as a an example of an effective implementation uh plan committee. Um, and so I I do think um when you think about what it would take for the
planning board to continue to monitor the implementation um we're talking about six people who on this committee and others over time who have u you know spent a significant amount of time. I'm not sure that it's
realistic for the planning board to be able to invest that amount of time itself. >> Yeah. And I didn't say that it's the planning board's responsibility to track. I didn't say that. I'm saying it's the planning board's responsibility
to engage with the public, make recommendations, look at the planning, look at the master plan and the planning board is responsible for all land use issues. The master plan implementation committee is not. Their responsibility is to track.
And one just interesting note about MAPC which I had no idea about but um just as a town the town of Milton pays um by not getting reimbursement from the
state $17,000 a year. That's what our contribution for next year FY26 is. $17,000 comes off um our funding from the state and we get nothing from MAPC. If we
hired if we wanted MAPC to look at something for us, we then have to pay them. >> Maggie, that's it's totally I know. I'm just saying I just found I just f I just found this out and basically uh MAPC
it's just an assessment on the cherry sheet. So, it's not a bill or contract we pay. The state charges us just like they do for the MBTA and it's deducted from local aid. So, it's just I didn't know enough about MAPC and I just found
that out and I just wanted to let people know. >> But I wanted you also to know that it we do get things in return. We got a $30,000 grant for the Milton Village work. We got a grant for the bicycle pedestrian master plan. I believe we got
a grant um for some of the early East Milton Square work. So we um we do get >> money in return for what we contribute. >> Okay. All right. >> So I mean I I don't think you know we
are where we are right now with this. Um this is on the warrant. It's been published. It's out there. Um it would have been nice to have a conversation before tonight on this. Um but >> well will town meeting asked the
planning board because the planning board um is responsible for this. Will the planning board be asked if we support this article or not and should we take a vote?
>> I mean the challenge is I don't want to see any progress. you know, I don't want to stop any progress. I want to keep things, you know, I think it's great. I agree with Liz that you don't want a master plan that sits on the shelf, but are the suggestion, you know, the
planning board will have our priorities. You know, we've talked about doing some maybe some zoning and the west side of town, some other opportunities that may be things that we will look at. Will our priorities align with the recommendations of this new committee?
That's what I'm, you know, I I don't want there to be any um any conflict on the agreement on what is to be prioritized. It's obviously coming from the master plan. It needs to come from that. Um
but how we how we achieve that and move forward with with progress. I don't know, Cheryl, what your thoughts or even if you want would want to talk to the committee about If we sent it back for further study and had that just a little a more in-depth
conversation on how this will actually how this will be implemented, you know, and how how this will work going forward and um and determining whether at some point if we need a new master plan, how that process might work.
But I understand if you know your committee has worked really hard and I'm just I want to credit all of you and your members for for all that work. Um I'm just um I'm just nervous how this is actually going to um
>> play out. Yeah. To your point >> and I think reporting is really important and that that open line of communication is is very important. >> What happens if there is a difference of uh priorities? Who takes priority?
Well, the the master plan was adopted by the planning board and the select board um in 2015, I believe. And if you read this the I think the statute says that your um your zoning and your bylaws and
your other efforts are to be made consistent with the master plan. So um you know when thinking about priorities that the planning board might have the planning board should refer to the master plan but you know if the planning
board feels as if things are different enough from what that master plan recommended u you know the planning board could put forth what the planning board wants to put forth. Um the thing about the plan itself is there's a lot of uh
you know cross I guess the disciplinary kinds of things to really uh think about when you really look at it and you think about things in isolation if you think about well you know some the way traffic u mitigation's been handled well you you
put up a do not enter sign on this street and and and that'll take care of that particular concern for a particular neighborhood. But, you know, is it something else that's broader that's bigger picture? And there are interreationships between, for example, traffic issues,
um, development projects, um, in these zoning districts, parking requirements, uh, etc. So um you know what I've my experience has been when I hear people come to the planning board and they say that they've referring to the to the
master plan uh they're they're referring to maybe a comment or two but not the overall sort of uh strategies and the comprehensiveness of it. And so I think if the board wants to uh begin to look at the plan as it looks
at initiatives you know I I think that would be beneficial. um you know is uh ha have we moved on things that are recommended like it was recommended to do um an overlay district possibly or explore an overlay district like a
medical overlay district near Milton hospital. It was suggested to explore an overlay district around town center. Um you know there are things in there that planning board has not acted on at all. There are others about non-conforming precessing non-conforming businesses in
residential districts. Planning board has not acted on those. So, we have things right now that we could take out of that master plan and act on them. >> Um, I think it would be beneficial to go through the plan as a board and see what's there because I uh it's a it's a big document. U but there are defin if
you look if when it's sent I mean our our spreadsheets are just tracking all of those things are already in the plan. you can look at the plan and and read that section and you'll see where the plan board is tagged to to do these things. The report itself is is one that
um provides commentary on what's been done, but the um the list of strategies um and and why those were recommended or in the plan itself. >> And I do think that we should as a planning board should um look and review
the master plan. And to your point about people working in silos, that was a discussion at our budget overview committee that um you know we shouldn't be working in silos. But to me then it was really frustrating. The planning
board is all about land use and just the other night at um the selectman's meeting they talked about selling a town asset. And on page 10 of the master plan volume one, it specifically says to
maintain municipal buildings by continuing to invest in preventative maintenance of all facilities and by taking next steps to renovate or build new fire stations, Department of Public Works facilities by setting aside funds to continue to maintain the recently
renovated school buildings. So here we are in one hand I'm hearing you know certain board members saying oh we can't work in silos but in reality the silos are existing and I'm just frustrated by that and then you know not to get off
topic too much but we're talking about all of this I may as well just bring it up um is the whole library plan you know I touched upon it and like Cheryl you identified yourself I watched the lifeman's meeting and you said you were chair of the Empic And so to me, when I
if I was an average resident watching that, I'd be like, "Oh, Empic is talking about this whole new library plan, taking down trees, putting up affordable housing um um and um a cafe all in like
the craziest uh traffic section of Reedsdale Road on Route 28. And the planning board hasn't been part of that discussion at all." And Maggie, can I you mentioned the library and that a couple of times the the recommendation
is take the analysis further to take it away from the uh well this this committee sun setting right and the library trustees that's not their expertise. So it's not um you know it may be that this is not a good idea but
it's to explore it further with technical expertise and with a lot of community engagement. though they um there is a proposal uh from a consultant who would spend a good chunk of that time doing community engagement to see
if there would be support and see what the trade-offs would be. So I just want to make that clear. It's not a anything which was said this is what it should be and it's done and and over. Okay. >> Okay. I I I heard a different
message than that. But >> so I think right I think we should sit with this. I don't think we need to take a vote tonight on anything. Um I think that it's it's disappointing that as our as our representative that
we didn't know about this seeing that we had been very instrumental in creating the comm the committee. Um but it is where we we are where we are. So >> I did um mention to you I think that I wanted to come in and provide an update
and I thought we had the report ready sooner. >> Yeah. >> So um I I just want to be clear that I haven't been silent about it. It's just and I expressed to you today that the report >> is just taking longer and getting agreement. You know we have to have you
know certain things documented in order to certainly. So, I just I want to make that clear. And uh the other thing I just really like to request, I've said this before when it's come up about MPA reporting. I really um you know think that it would be beneficial to put
reports of the committees on the agenda on regular basis because other members sit on committees. I've not heard one report on the capital improvement committee. I don't think we've had a report on the climate action planning committee or the open space committee. And so I don't think it's right to call
out this committee particularly as to having not had an update when I think all the committee should be providing an update that the ones that we serve on. >> The only problem is Empic is required right twice a year. >> I have no problem reporting on capital
but it's in >> I have no problem reporting. I don't ag. So maybe that would be just going forward or just a good thing for us to do just to have a semianual meeting set that we set aside for >> I think something different would be
even more valuable. At the start of our meeting we have we have an administrative component. We have members that are on committees. We should simply have an administrative component at that section of the meeting and say is there anything that our committee members you know as a committee member you're a conduit back
and forth. You're a conduit between the planning board and whatever committee you sit on. >> That that person, if you choose to be on a committee, you you simply can be asked at the beginning of every meeting, is there anything that's going on on your committee that you would want the members of the planning board to know,
>> right? I mean now my my my expectation is of any committee member if there is something going on on a committee that you're on and I'm just saying this as a member of the planning board I don't care if it's a committee you're on committee you're on committee Jim's on or committee Cheryl's on if there's a discussion going on within your committee that has anything to do with
the planning board. You should tell us. You should tell us. I don't care if it's finished unfinished 10% 100%. You know what I mean? Just communicate. just communicate. We need some level of transparency. Why do I
react the way I react? Because it feels to me like there wasn't transparency. So that upsets me. I spend hundreds of hours in here like you guys do. You know, I expect transparency. >> So I think it could be really simple. It's not even an annual report. It's a
standard requirement that if you're a committee member and there's a discussion going on on your committee that the planning board should have some knowledge of whatever it might be, you're there for that reason. >> Does that sound good? >> Agreed. Does that >> sound good everybody? So
>> yeah, >> good. Well, I think that I I think that would be helpful. So, um I think if unless Cheryl if there's anything else um that you would want to add to this, I think we can move to our next agenda
item. That >> That's good. >> Is that good? And Mr. Laughler has been sitting here. So, would you all mind if we moved up um because I think it's he'll be fairly quick. um move up the item on the local historic district
discussion and and I I think this is a quick this will be an overview of where we are a status update. So um Larry if you'd like to join us >> um I am Lawer the chairman of the local historic district study committee. I
live at uh 96 Cliff Road here in Milton. Um this is a uh committee that was um created by the select board a number of years ago to study um if we should
develop a local historic district. We did do that exhaustive study. We came up with a plan. Uh we presented that plan to town meeting and they pushed back um not because of what we had chosen or any
of the sub report but because of the bylaw. The bylaw becomes a law and as a chairman I was uh naive in not and also not a lawyer not understanding um that there has to be a connection
between local and state. And so we had some some issues with that. So, um, we're back. We'd like to go in the spring and come back up again. We have the bylaw. I have, uh, um, we would like
the planning board, just like we were talking about. We're here to communicate what we're doing. We have provided uh the chairman with an ability to write in any kind of changes that the planning
board would like to see in this. Um and we're going to do that with the planning board, uh uh Cheryl's committee, we were just there, the historical commission, uh select board of course, um and any of the other stakeholders in this. So over
the next several months, we want to move through this. So in the spring, we have planning board and all these other boards, including town members, uh, town meeting members, understand what we're doing here. This is good for Milton.
Doesn't cost us anything. It protects us. Um we were very very careful as a committee to make sure that we're not um like some of the other towns in Massachusetts and around the country. Uh
they uh define so narrowly what what you can and cannot do. And we didn't want to do that. We're you know more than 200 years old. We're going to be another 100 200 years old. We want the town to be able to grow, but we want to protect the
things that make the town very unique. And that's we we defined that pretty well. Um, but in putting it into the text, we have to have that right. So, I'm here to say preliminarily, we're
doing this. Cheryl um and Cheryl has a copy Meredith has a copy of this and um I'm not sure how we move forward without getting that ultimately but that's what I'm hear. >> Yeah. And that was the D Google document
correct that you would send me. I have not opened it yet. I have to say I'm sure I can. Did Liz Liz did you get that? >> I actually did. I wasn't able to open that Google um doc. So, will you be able to send that? Okay. >> Okay. >> I'll just scan this.
>> Scan it and we can email it out to everyone. So, >> and and so you'll see in that doc um there are some blue things there. And what we did was we everything that we got from town meeting. We went back and we we further defined and we put the
changes in where we thought the changes should be. But now we want to go to all of the other committees and say, "Do you agree these are the right changes? they're not the right changes. We then present it to the state back to the state. I've had conversations with them.
We shouldn't have any problems with them. Um the people we report to at the state have changed, but that's what happens in local government, you know, and state government. Um >> and does Nick Milano have a copy of this also to start reviewing with? We have
now have legal um council >> legal the new legal council. >> The new legal council. Yeah. >> Right. Yeah. Um, >> great. Because we would want for him to >> uh, so the other thing that we did not do what was talking about public
discourse, we only had to have one meeting. We had three public meetings. Um, and we're going to do that again. We think it is it's good for Milton. Um, and we should allow everyone to talk.
But the area we've de decided is Milton Village, lower mil uh lower mills. Uh that area uh the only area in Milton that hasn't been protected and it's the first area that created Milton. So or where Milton was first created.
>> Um so um thank you for your time. >> Interesting listening to uh all of this back and forth. Um, we are all volunteers, >> you know, and it it's we're just trying
to do things that help our our community. >> Can I ask a question? I don't think you were here when uh we had um a resident come in and speak during citizen speak. Um, so perhaps you should um review the
recording and um he spoke specifically on um the historic district and his concerns. So might be helpful if >> you know who that was. >> Um it was JD Wild. >> JD Wild. It's he's one of the major players.
>> Yeah. So um he had a list of of concerns. So maybe you should connect with him and get his list of concerns and then see if you can >> We've reached out to JD. >> Okay. >> Um he has been to several of our meetings. That's why we had extra public
meetings. Um I that's the commercial side. Commercial side, residential side. The commercial side, there's only three or so big players in that area. Uh JD is one of them. And uh we would like to have one of those several families in
this committee sitting with it. The big concern with that is it's another layer of um regulation. He's a developer. It's another layer of regulation. What are they going to do? How am I going to get
stopped again? And that's what we that is another thing that we need to define where we want our committee to go away. Once we go away, there's a new committee that comes and then they they just review things. Right now, we don't know
what the review is. So, you you're going to come in and do something. JD wants to do something something new. The the Bank of America building. Um uh I know that's already in the works. So, we're far down the road, but but for that there the
there's an historical reason why that building needs to be protected, but he's not doing anything or they're not doing anything that's really going to change that. Um, so there's no regulation on that. Does he first go to the building
department? Does he go to the historical commission? And where does the historic district committee come in to in our estimation? We should be the last of the line. You know, we should be if it goes
to the historical commission and the planning board and the the building department, we shouldn't have any problem with it at all because every one of those other boards cares about the town in the same way.
But JD is is, you know, he's important. Uh I've spoken to him. I've asked him to be on the committee. >> Good. >> Great. Any other questions? >> Good. >> And I'll be back in the next couple of
months or or hopefully one of my uh committee members. >> Great. And we'll circulate this for >> Thank you. >> everyone's review. >> I really appreciate you. >> Great. Thank you very much. We worked Yeah.
Um okay. Um so the last item um and I just we put this on because this is in in case in the event that there was any discussion on the uh traffic mitigation article. Um Cheryl, you weren't here at
the last meeting. Um but there weren't nobody um we've not had any questions from the public or um from the warrant committee on this. I know there's some assigned warrant committee members. Um it seems to be a pretty straightforward
article incl um there was one uh requested change by town council which we voted on um >> which was just to eliminate the definitions. Yeah, >> if I may. Um, >> yeah. >> Uh, those two members of the WAR
committee reached out to me about the article um and I did a Zoom meeting with them to give them an overview of it. And um I I think um you know there might be some have been some confusion that we're
creating a new article rather than just amending it. So I think when we do the um introduction at town meeting it would be important to note that um that it's it's not an entirely new article that it's just some of my
journal and I had told them that uh the warrant committee um when I went to the warrant committee just when we thought we were going to have our sign bylaw and the traffic mitigation but they might they might have missed that. So I agree that's that's really important. I didn't
think there was enough that we needed to make a presentation at town meeting. Um, you know, we've done that with some of our more complicated um um updates, you know, but but this is an
already existing article. did. >> And just as a note in the comment that the board committee made, their very first sentence says this article seeks to amend the zoning bylaw. So they are
use they highlighted that it is a amend but I don't know if people will catch that. >> Were there um were there any other questions that they had Cheryl that um I'm sure you were able to answer?
um >> pretty much most >> you know I think um it's confusing if you're just reading the article out of the blue you know without um background so I gave them background about the traffic studies about larger projects
and smaller projects so kind of explain the original article to them >> um and then how we were just really trying to take care of some things that have been flagged um a while ago and that hadn't been brought back and and then I think it became fairly simple for
them. >> Good. Good. Okay. All right. So, that was um really um all I wanted to ask and if Liz, if you had any questions on that article um on the traffic mitigation,
but it is an existing article that we're just updating. >> Yeah. Yeah. I you know what? I I did have an opportunity. I know you had asked me to try to reach out to the um the traffic commission on this um and I did have an opportunity to speak really quickly with Marina Fernandez
um about the article. I you know I was hoping that you know it could get in front of the traffic traffic commission but I'm not sure that that's um whether or not the timing is going to kind of line up for that. But she um she did respond and said that she was um you know she was in favor of of the language
and and um you know thought it was it was uh past muster. So that I I checked that box. >> Great. Oh, that's good. Okay. All right. Um anything else anybody had
on on that article? So, um that is the end of our agenda items for this evening. So, thank you um everyone and well so glad to have you
here uh Liz and um and we'll um be meeting in in two weeks and then if there's anything else Cheryl um that you want you know to reach out on you know I when did you say you're you're meeting again with Empic?
>> On the 15th. on the 15th. Okay. >> It'll be hybrid in the Baker Baker conference room. >> Okay. All right. Good. Well, I hope you feel better and yeah, don't get hopefully um >> hopefully. Thank you.
>> Okay. Good. And we'll hear about your trip too sometime. So, which sounds wonderful. So, if it's um nothing else, I would entertain a motion to adjurnn. >> I'll make a motion to adjurnn. >> Second. >> Second. Okay. We'll do roll call. Um, Cheryl,
>> yes. >> Jim, >> yes. >> Maggie, >> yes. >> Sean, >> yes. >> And myself, yes. >> Good evening. Good night. >> Good night. [Music]