To the editor:
We are about to engage in an important community conversation: The annual State of the Town meeting on Saturday Nov. 14 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Your participation is key to helping shape our future.
In an effort to expand opportunities for citizens to hear the current thinking of town boards and to provide feedback and guidance as elected and appointed officials shape ideas and budgets, the Lincoln Board of Selectmen introduced the State of the Town (SoTT) in 2002. The concept won state awards for innovation and has become a tradition for our town. The success of State of the Town is dependent on engaged citizens, such as you and our town officials.
The recent chatter on LincolnTalk about the proposed new building for Minuteman High School is evidence that there is a very engaged citizenry. The State of the Town will be a critical forum to have all of us in one room sharing ideas and concerns about size, location and budget of the Minuteman proposal.
Also on the agenda is a discussion of zoning bylaw revisions. It is important to have many voices in this forum. At last year’s Town Meeting, a lot of time was spent trying to shape a highly technical bylaw through the amendment process. This wasn’t the best venue for that conversation. By introducing potential zoning bylaw additions and revisions at SoTT, all will have an opportunity to comment and guide drafting before we get to Town Meeting.
Perhaps the most critical issue to discuss will be the concepts that will be presented by the Campus Master Planning Committee (CMPC). At last year’s State of the Town, a packed auditorium discussed the concept of a community center, making it clear that such a center was highly desirable and that it belonged on the Lincoln School campus. The center, along with the schools, will tie together all generations and will create “the heart of Lincoln.”
The CMPC was endorsed at last Town Meeting in order to create a holistic approach to campus planning and further the evolution of community campus. While it was a near-unanimous endorsement to locate a community center on the campus, the exact locations of the center and all buildings to serve schools have yet to be determined.
Of great interest will be how to best configure the buildings on the campus to meet the needs of our community while also respecting the campus itself, its history, and its environment. Much has been explored at the various public forums hosted by the CMPC during October, and the SoTT will provide a larger audience with an opportunity to hear and respond to exciting potential approaches to the layout of the Ballfield Road campus in the future.
And last but not least, State of the Town offers an opportunity for citizens to comment and/or ask questions about any town-related matter. This is “one-stop shopping” for citizens who cannot make multiple board meetings and hearings. All issues will be available for discussion under one roof and in one morning.
Do not miss this opportunity to engage with your friends and neighbors in a unique community conversation. Come to State of the Town on Saturday, Nov. 14 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Brooks auditorium on the Lincoln School campus.
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.