To the editor:
After serving two terms totaling 10 years on the Lincoln Planning Board, several times as chair or co-chair, my tenure is ending. As much as I have enjoyed these past years, I will not be seeking reelection in March. It is time for a newer, fresher resident to have a seat at the table.
So much has occurred over these past years: the completion of Lincoln’s Comprehensive Master Plan, which continued into the Lincoln Station Planning Study; the construction, and later expansion, of the Commons (formerly the Groves); the modernization of the mall and the town offices; and town approval of both a Surface Water Protection bylaw and an Aquifer Protection bylaw, to mention only a few. The board also paid continuing attention to the Route 2 reconstruction, site plan reviews, lot divisions, Minuteman Tech, affordable housing issues, zoning bylaw changes, etc. The work has never been uninteresting. And it continues—Lincoln Station revitalization, Minuteman, tear-downs and new builds, affordable housing, zoning bylaw amendments, cell towers, regional impacts, etc.
I am extremely grateful for the intelligence, hard work, and good humor of my Planning Board colleagues. They have sustained me through many a late-night meeting and have contributed so much to the success of Lincoln’s land use planning. I have no doubt the current board—Margaret Olson, Rick Rundell, Lynn DeLisi and Gary Taylor—will be of great support and encouragement to a new member. I also thank the board’s very capable staff and look forward to the installation of our new planning director. And because the Planning Board works closely with many other town boards and staff, I also express my thanks and appreciation to all those hardworking volunteers and employees who contribute so much to our town.
I heartily encourage anyone interested in serving Lincoln and shaping its future to serve on the Planning Board. You will learn more about the town and its people than you can possibly imagine. And you will have an opportunity to contribute in your own way, and in a team, to its design and structure. I will freely admit it’s not all peaches and cream, but in the end, I feel richly rewarded by our efforts. It is a very satisfying way to contribute to our intimate community. And by the way, the Planning Board term is no longer five years—Town Meeting approved a reduction to three years a few years ago. Go for it!
Sincerely,
Bryce M. Wolf
52 Birchwood Lane
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.
This is an inspiring record of service to the town. Thank you, Bryce, for all you have done for us.
Bryce says that she is grateful to her colleagues. Indeed we are grateful to Bryce and others who have worked diligently to ensure that Lincoln functions well and maintain the small-town character that we cherish in Lincoln. Thank-you for your service.