(Editor’s note: The First Parish Church will go before the Zoning Board of Appeals on June 19 to appeal the Planning Board’s denial of the its request to extend one side of the Stearns Room—see the Lincoln Squirrel, May 15, 2014.)
To the editor:
Ever since the 1700s, Lincoln residents have been concerned about development pressures and carefully crafted thoughtful mechanisms to preserve their beloved agrarian community. In the 1730s, area farmers led by the Flint family began a lengthy effort to separate and remain agrarian. The first step was to convince the Great and General Court that there was a need to be a distinct, self-governing community. The key lay in establishing that travel to existing parishes was prohibitive during certain seasons. Thus, they should be able to create their own parish, easily accessible to area farmers. Land was donated by the Flint family for both a parish building and for a cemetery.
The First Parish was created to serve the founding of the town. It took 25 years of perseverance, but the Flints and their fellow farmers succeeded, first forming a political precinct and an associated parish, and then establishing the town of Lincoln in 1754. Without this desire for self-governance, it is not certain that the First Parish would exist today.
Since 1754, Lincoln has faced many pressures on land and character. While major roadways were kept at the perimeters of the town’s bounds, minimizing their impact upon the historic central village, the railroad brought change and development within town bounds—the development a commercial district and those of great wealth building large estates on hilltops.
Today’s citizens and boards are all too familiar with the desire to develop in Lincoln. Today, much development pressure comes from nonprofit institutions: schools, therapeutic programs, hospices and group homes. All have brought stresses on our residential neighborhood cohesion and our rural and residential character. Town Meeting has passed carefully crafted bylaws to mitigate impact and discourage inappropriate development.
Now, our most recent challenge comes from within—a plan proposed by the First Parish Church to rebuild the Stearns Room. The First Parish Committee has suggested court action if it is required to modify its current plan to conform to town bylaws. The church that was created to serve the town is now challenging the town and its bylaws with a project to be built within a sensitive and densely settled area, our historic center.
The Planning Board offered a very thoughtful decision regarding the project, allowing growth without exacerbating the existing nonconforming setbacks. It approved proposed setbacks on two sides of the lot but upheld our zoning bylaw by requiring that on one side, the project be pulled back by four feet—maintaining the existing setback.
While four feet might seem insignificant, granting permission for these four feet would place in question the ability to ask any subsequent applicant to abide by our bylaw. This could potentially mean any educational or religious institution could construct right up to a property line, arguing it was critical to their mission.
And if denied, such an institution could cry foul, citing the preferential treatment of the First Parish Church—a claim of discrimination and a potential case regarding civil rights. It is hoped that this will not be the outcome.
The application is now before the Zoning Board of Appeals, which will hold a second hearing on Thursday, June 19. Subsequently, any plan must still seek approval from the Historic District Commission and return to the Planning Board for a site plan review.
This parish was created by a gift from the Flints, and this church will be able to expand through a more recent gift from that family. One of those donors, Warren Flint Jr., wrote in 2005 of a church’s role in our town, “A church needs to be a respectful component and seek out input on any plans to alter its physical spaces from its members, its neighbors and the citizens of its community.”
In the spirit of these words, it is hoped that church leaders will agree to adjust their plan to respect the community will and vision expressed through our town bylaws, and to set an example for other institutions of how to work in a spirit of respect and collaboration with the town and its citizens.
Sincerely,
Sara Mattes
71 Conant Rd.
Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Letters must be about a Lincoln-specific topic, will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published.