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Planning Board — February 25, 2026

The meeting had real but contained tensions: a significant agenda misdescription for the mosque project that limited public notice, a chair conflict of interest disclosure on a major development, a live neighbor dispute left unresolved by conditions, and pointed design criticism from the chair — none of which rose to open conflict, but collectively made this more than a routine administrative session.

Date Wednesday, February 25, 2026 Duration 2.1h Speakers 12 Public comments 5 Decisions 6 Mildly contentious
📄 Agenda ▶ Video

Decisions ⁠logged

Every recorded vote, with timestamps and dissents.
Closed public hearing for 166 Spring Street modification
Motion by Thompson, seconded, all members voted yes
Unanimous approval (4-0)
Approved limited site plan review modification for Muslim American Community Center at 166 Spring Street
Approved with 5 conditions after removing lighting condition #4 per Hornig's objection that lighting is not within limited site plan review authority
Unanimous approval (4-0)
Continued public hearing for 131 Hartwell Avenue site plan review
Meeting continued to Tuesday, April 7 at or after 6pm on Zoom
Unanimous (4-0)
Endorsed ANR plan for 9 Bushnell Drive and 287/295 Waltham Street
Plan consistent with previously approved special residential development
Unanimous (4-0)
Approved meeting minutes from January 21 and February 4, 2026
Minutes approved as presented
Unanimous (4-0)
Adjourned meeting at 8:03pm
Motion made by departing member Mr. Hornig
Unanimous (4-0)

Topics ⁠discussed

Click a topic to expand quotes and full context.
166 Spring Street - Muslim American Community Center Modification

Modification request to demolish existing building and construct new mosque building with same footprint as previously approved phase 2 expansion. Project includes 28ft building height with 20ft minaret, solar panels, and foundation for future phase 2 expansion. Discussion included daily prayer schedule (5 times daily), weekend children's school, parking overflow arrangements with nearby church, and requests for additional landscaping/sound barriers from adjacent neighbor.

Speakers: Planning Director McCabe, Applicant representative, Board members, Public commenters, Adjacent neighbor at 164 Spring Street, Muslim American Community Center President
131 Hartwell Avenue - Site Plan Review

Review of 5-story, 290-unit rental apartment project by JLB Realty with 44 affordable units, 443 parking spaces, and redevelopment of vacant office building. Presentation included detailed landscape plans with stormwater management, tree preservation/mitigation, and amenity spaces. Project will remove 36 trees but preserve 90 and add 150 new trees. Staff reported compliance issues including bicycle parking waivers, fire department access, and lighting plans. Chair disclosed former employment with project architect.

Speakers: Chair Schambacher, JLB Realty representative, Design team members, Ian Ramey (Copley Wolf), Ms. McCabe, Michael Giuliano (peer reviewer), Board members
Planning Board Questions on 131 Hartwell Design and Amenities

Board members questioned accessibility routes, affordable unit distribution, bike parking requirements, noise mitigation, and architectural design choices. Chair expressed concerns about facade busyness and requested clearer mass separation.

Speakers: Ms. Thompson, Ms. McBride, Chair Schambacher, Board members
Public Comments

Tom Geary advocated for hiring contractors with proper wage/apprenticeship standards. Nancy Sofin from the tree committee praised the landscape design and suggested soil remediation protocols.

Speakers: Tom Geary, Nancy Sofin
ANR Plan Approval for 287/295 Waltham Street

Board approved subdivision plan consistent with previously approved special residential development, combining two smaller lots into one development lot.

Speakers: Ms. McCabe, Chair Schambacher
Board Member Updates and Mr. Hornig's Departure

Mr. Hornig announced his resignation after 21 years and seven terms on the Planning Board, effective the following Monday. Board members and staff expressed appreciation for his service.

Speakers: Mr. Hornig, Chair Schambacher, Ms. McCabe, Ms. Thompson

Controversy & ⁠dissent

Where the board, the community, or the agenda diverged.

Potentially controversial issues

01

166 Spring Street Muslim American Community Center - Scope Creep Beyond Agenda Description

The public agenda described a modest modification to convert an existing dwelling into a community center, but the actual proposal involved complete demolition of the existing structure and construction of a new mosque with a 20-foot minaret. Neighbors and the broader public had no reason from the agenda description to anticipate the full scope of what was being approved. The adjacent neighbor at 164 Spring Street raised live noise and privacy concerns, and the project carries religious land-use sensitivity that can attract broader community attention.
Board position: Unanimously approved the full demolition and new construction with 5 conditions, accepting the applicant's assurances on noise and committing only informally to landscaping improvements for the neighbor.
Internal dissent
Member Hornig objected to proposed condition #4 regarding lighting, arguing it exceeded the board's limited site plan review authority under the bylaw. The condition was removed at his insistence, representing a substantive procedural disagreement within the board about the scope of their own authority.
medium concern
02

131 Hartwell Avenue - Chair's Conflict of Interest Disclosure

Chair Schambacher disclosed prior employment with Embark, the project architect, before presiding over the hearing. While she filed the required disclosure paperwork, the optics of a board chair leading deliberations on a 290-unit, 5-story project where they had a direct prior financial relationship with the design firm raises legitimate public accountability concerns, particularly for residents who may oppose the project's scale.
Board position: Chair proceeded to preside over and participate fully in the hearing, including offering pointed critiques of the architectural design, after self-disclosing the conflict.
medium concern
03

131 Hartwell Avenue - Bicycle Parking Waiver and Car-Heavy Design

The applicant sought waivers from bicycle parking requirements while proposing 443 car parking spaces for 290 units. Staff explicitly opposed the waivers, and the Chair publicly signaled a preference for far fewer car spaces and more bike infrastructure. This reflects a tension between the applicant's project economics and the town's sustainability and transit goals.
Board position: No decision made yet — hearing continued to April 7. However, both staff and the Chair signaled opposition to the bicycle parking waiver, creating pressure on the applicant to revise.
medium concern
04

131 Hartwell Avenue - Architectural Quality and Design Adequacy

Chair Schambacher publicly characterized the building design as resembling 'fast, casual architecture' and criticized its facade as unnecessarily busy and architecturally incoherent. This is notable criticism from the presiding officer of a major 290-unit project and signals the project may face design-related conditions or pushback before approval.
Board position: Board signaled dissatisfaction with current design and requested revisions including clearer mass separation and facade simplification before the April 7 continuation.
low concern
05

Neighbor Noise and Privacy Concerns at 166 Spring Street - Inadequate Conditions

The adjacent neighbor at 164 Spring Street raised specific, live concerns about noise from five daily prayer sessions and weekend children's activities, requesting fencing or additional plantings as mitigation. The board approved the project with no binding conditions addressing these concerns — only an informal commitment by the applicant to 'work with their landscape architect.'
Board position: Approved the project without enforceable noise or landscaping conditions to protect the adjacent neighbor, deferring entirely to the applicant's voluntary commitment.
medium concern

Community vs. board tension

Action ⁠items

Who owes what, by when.
Submit amendment to Conservation Commission for demolition and updated stormwater analysis
Assigned: Muslim American Community Center · Due: Not specified
Submit updated certified plot plan with surveyor's stamp for building permit
Assigned: Muslim American Community Center · Due: With building permit application
Work with landscape architect to address neighbor concerns about additional trees and hedging
Assigned: Muslim American Community Center · Due: Not specified
Submit revised plans addressing peer review comments and staff recommendations
Assigned: Applicant (131 Hartwell Ave) · Due: Before April 7 hearing
Provide side-by-side comparison images showing changes made since initial submission
Assigned: Applicant (131 Hartwell Ave) · Due: April 7 hearing
Forward Mr. Creech's comments about additional plantings and pocket forests to applicant
Assigned: Ms. McCabe · Due: After February 25 meeting
Sign ANR plan in planning office
Assigned: All board members · Due: After February 25 meeting

Notable ⁠statements

Lighting is not one of the things that's part of site plan review, limited site plan review. The bylaw is very specific that we only consider six things and it isn't one of them. — Board Member Hornig · Objecting to proposed lighting condition in approval decision for 166 Spring Street
I was formerly employed by the architect of the proposed project, Embark. I have submitted a disclosure of the appearance of conflict of interest paperwork to the town clerk. My former employment will not have any impact on me being able to perform my job as planning board chair. — Chair Schambacher · Disclosure regarding 131 Hartwell Avenue project before beginning presentation
We are very thankful for the town people to allow us to have this place for our worship... we don't make unusual noise by many means. You know, mostly inside activities — Muslim American Community Center President · Addressing neighbor concerns about noise and community impact
I am stepping down as a planning board member as of next Monday, as I chose not to run again. This would be the end of my seventh term on the Planning Board. — Mr. Hornig · Announcement of resignation after 21 years of service
I tend to want to favor bikes over cars... I would rather we weren't anywhere near this number of parking spots for cars, and I would much prefer to see that many for bikes. — Chair Schambacher · Discussion of bicycle parking waiver request for 131 Hartwell Avenue
Staff does not support waivers from the bicycle parking requirements... we'd like to see these buildings designed and constructed when it reaches its fullest potential — Ms. McCabe · Staff position on bicycle parking requirements for 131 Hartwell Avenue
This one feels a little bit closer to the sort of fast, casual architecture... which is unfortunate. It does seem to be taking on the language of a few different building typologies, which, in the end is making it seem busier than it needs to be. — Chair Schambacher · Critique of architectural design for 131 Hartwell Avenue project

Public ⁠comment

What residents said — verbatim, with timestamps.
5
Total speakers
4
Addressed
1
Partial
0
Not addressed
Ben Botray
Addressed
Ben Botray from 113 Peter Spring Road in Concord expressed support for the mosque project. As a member of the Muslim community in Massachusetts, he noted there are no mosques in the area and this one would be about 10 minutes from his home. Key concern
Request for approval of the mosque due to lack of nearby Muslim worship facilities
Board response
The board thanked him for his comment but provided no substantive response during public comment
The board ultimately approved the project unanimously, which directly addresses his request for approval
Shin
Partial
Shin, the next-door neighbor at 164 Spring Street, asked about the frequency of services and expressed concern about noise from daily activities. She requested fencing or more trees to block sound from outdoor activities. Key concern
Noise concerns from daily services and request for sound barriers like fences or trees
Board response
The applicant responded that services occur 5 times daily (sunrise, noon, afternoon, sundown) for 15-20 minutes each, with Friday prayers being larger (12-1pm) and weekend children's activities. They agreed to work with the landscape architect on sound mitigation
The applicant provided detailed information about service frequency and committed to addressing landscaping/sound concerns with their architect, but no specific conditions were added to the approval regarding sound mitigation
Sayed Naman
Addressed
Sayed Naman, a 43-year Lexington resident, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to have a place of worship. He assured the community that activities would mostly be inside with good landscaping and no unusual noise. Key concern
Expression of support and assurance to neighbors about minimal noise impact
Board response
The board thanked him for his comment but provided no substantive response
His request for approval was granted when the board unanimously approved the project
Mohamed Milad
Addressed
Mohamed Milad, president of the Muslim American Community Center, provided detailed explanations of planned activities and schedules. He described daily prayers, Friday congregational prayers, and weekend school activities, emphasizing most activities would be indoors with willingness to work with neighbors on any future issues. Key concern
Providing detailed information about activities and offering to work with neighbors on any concerns
Board response
The board thanked him for the detailed information but provided no substantive response during public comment
The board approved the project and his offer to work with neighbors demonstrates good faith community engagement that was implicitly accepted
Joe George
Addressed
Joe George, a neighbor at 157 Old Spring Street, asked about the construction timeline and the height of the minaret, wondering if there were height restrictions in Lexington. Key concern
Questions about construction timeline and minaret height regulations
Board response
The applicant responded that the building is 28 feet high with a 20-foot minaret (48 feet total), which complies with zoning bylaws similar to church spires, and construction should be completed by end of 2026
His questions were directly answered with specific information about height compliance and construction timeline

Accountability ⁠flags

Documented procedural gaps. Each item links to its source.

Topics discussed — not on agenda

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Report composed by claude-sonnet-4-20250514, claude-sonnet-4-6, claude-opus-4-6 · analyzed 2026-04-02.