Two new committees to promote business development in Lincoln are being proposed.
At a Board of Selectmen meeting earlier this month, Director of Planning and Land Use Jennifer Burney offered a proposal for an Economic Development Advisory Committee (EDAC) and a South Lincoln Implementation Planning Committee (SLPIC) to the Board of Selectmen earlier this month. Creating groups to focus on economic development and south Lincoln were among the recommendations of the 2009 Comprehensive Long Range Plan.
The EDAC would be similar to an Economic Development Commission or a Chamber of Commerce found in many towns, but it would expand its membership to include nonprofit Lincoln-based organizations. The group’s goal would be “to help attract, retain and grow businesses (for profit and non-profits) and jobs in Lincoln that respects Lincoln’s character and adds to the quality of local residential life by providing goods, services and amenities desired by residents, jobs and livelihoods for Lincoln residents, and tax revenue that support the town services that are important to Lincoln residents.”
If approved, selectmen would appoint nine members to the EDAC, and the Planning Board would appoint seven members to the SLPIC. Each group would include members from the Board of Selectmen and Planning Board, the Rural Land Foundation, business owners, and an at-large member with experience in retail estate or business development. The EDAC would also include a member from a nonprofit such as a farm or cultural/historical organization.
Aside from its focus on South Lincoln, the SLPIC would be more project-oriented than the EDAC. It could create working groups for specific projects drawing on other one-time members, such as a people from the Department of Public Works and the bicycling community for a signage project, or a marketing consultant to work with business owners on marketing and displays, Burney explained.
“It’s a way to find out who’s out there and what they’re struggling with. Do you have a vacancy rate? How can we help you fill your vacancy rate? Are you planning to expand, and If so, how can we keep you in Lincoln?” she said.
Burney’s proposal also included economic data, some of which was also presented in the 2014 Lincoln Station Planning Study.
- In 2015, there were 190 establishments in Lincoln that provided 2,034 jobs with a total of $143 million in wages.
- The North Lincoln office development near Hanscom Field has a vacancy rate of 30-40 percent.
- The Mall at Lincoln Station earns only $7.7 million per year in sales and “leaks” as much as 80 percent of total consumer spending in adjacent towns.
- Lincoln has a median household income of $150,000, with over 40 percent earning a combined income of $200,000 or more.
Planning Board member Gary Taylor noted that South Lincoln is at a transition point with two new restaurants opening, even as commercial space across the street remains vacant.
“I really think we have an opportunity here to chart a new path with respect to economic development and particularly South Lincoln,” he said. “We’ve never really [said to businesses] that we really want to get behind you and we want to listen to you.”
“As a Planning Board member, I feel revisiting South Lincoln is a really important mission and something that excites me,” board member Lynn DeLisi said. “We spend a lot of time deciding whether people should have spruce trees or Eastern cedars or whatever, but really the heart of the matter is revitalizing the town.”
Selectman were cautious, saying they had questions about the missions and membership criteria of the two groups. They wondered if the business community would include those with home offices in town, or those who are Lincoln residents but run successful businesses elsewhere.
The two proposed groups seem to have a lot of overlap, said Selectman James Craig, the liaison to the Planning Board, adding that he wanted to “talk more and see why this can’t be under one umbrella.” However, Town Administrator Tim Higgins, who worked with Burney on the proposal, said he saw the value in having two separate groups and recommended that approach to her.
The EDAC was a particularly valuable asset in Ayer, where he was previously town administrator, he said. “I certainly didn’t realize just the power of networking” for the business community, Higgins said. “It’s a nice way of businesses getting to know one another and understand one another, regardless of any specific action items that might come.”
“I’d like to go a little slower and take it under advisement,” Selectman Peter Braun said.
Burney will meet with Higgins and Craig to discuss the EDAC further, and Craig will report back to the other selectmen. The Planning Board will reach out to other boards and committees to explain the SLPIC and its charge to see if there is interest in serving on the group or a subcommittee.