It’s been two years since we voted together to elect Bob Domnitz to the Planning Board, something we should all be proud of.
He’s doing a great job, the best he can given the circumstances. The problem is that there’s still a majority among the five Planning Board members who believe the town needs more development, no matter the cost or impact on the town’s character.
Given their way, they’d add hundreds of more units of housing to the area around the Mall and train station, and spend millions of taxpayers’ dollars to do so. Remember, it was just two years ago that the Planning Board wanted to be able to make development decisions without Town Meeting approval. Without Town Meeting even having a say.
This is the year we can ensure that Town Meeting doesn’t lose its vote. We can let town officials know that decisions impacting the rural character of Lincoln can only be made by town residents. Not ideologues on any Town board.
We can do this by re-electing Ephraim Flint to the Planning Board. [Editor’s note: Flint is not running as an incumbent in this election.]
Eph served previously for five years and understands the workings of that Board. And why not? He grew up in Lincoln and knows the town and its history better than anyone running. He learned from his father, Warren Flint Sr, who was a Selectman and Planning Board member while many of us were attending elementary schools. Remember, it was Eph’s dad who was one of the leading proponents back in the 1950s of the 2-acre zoning regulations and conservation land purchases that define our town now.
Ephraim is thoughtful, experienced and collaborative. He’s the best person to heal the mistrust that has developed between residents and the PB. A mistrust caused by those members who have dissembled in their communications with, and not listened to, town residents. He’s committed to Town Meeting having the final say.
Maybe it’s just me. Maybe I’m the only one who cherishes Lincoln as it is and wants the town to retain its current rural-like feel and atmosphere. But I don’t think so!
So, I’m asking you to bullet vote for Ephraim Flint and to tell your neighbors and friends to do the same The best way to ensure Ephraim’s elected is to vote only for Ephraim. Let those other two candidates duke it out over the remaining seat. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments. I hope to see you at Town Meeting Saturday or at the polls on Monday.
Always thinkin’ of Lincoln,
Neil Feinberg
104 Concord Rd., Lincoln
“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.
Sara Mattes says
The explanation of the preservation of “Flint’s Fields” was offered by none other than John “Jack” MacLean, Lincoln Town Historian and author of “A Rich Harvest,” the definitive history of Lincoln. I would urge all to read this book to have a better understanding of our history and of the remarkable and generous acts of those who came before us. Their actions are made the town that we enjoy today.
John Carr says
These letters of support often define the candiate more clearly (for better or worse) than the candidate’s own words. Except in this case I don’t care about preventing development around the train station. But if you noticed my exchanges with the board at the 2021 Town Meeting and the pre-meeting video conference, you’ll know that the words “those members who have dissembled in their communications with, and not listened to, town residents” speak to me.
Donald Scholz says
FIGHT MORE DEVELOPMENT??
It seems odd that anyone would pitch electing Ephraim Flint to “fight more development” in Lincoln. Doesn’t anyone remember that Flint entertained an offer to sell his farmland for development 30 years ago, and only stopped when Lincoln taxpayers and real conservationists came up with enough money to satisfy him? It’s great that he finally accepted the deal at less than the developer’s offer, but it was still a lot of money – plus the Flints continue to use the fields as they like, which includes family members dictating who, and how, anyone else can access the land, while forbidding nearly all reasonable recreational uses. The Select Board decides who gets appointed to the conservation commission; since the strange buy out supposedly created conservation land, isn’t this an obvious conflict of interest? Vote for Kim and Jim to keep old Lincoln money from deciding what’s good for Lincoln.
Tom Scholz, long time conservation and animal welfare advocate.
jackmaclean says
Mr. Scholz certainly misrepresents our history with his comment. Aside from the fact that Eph is running for Planning Board, not the Select Board that appoints members of the Conservation Commission, he did not own the lands involved in the conservation purchase he cites. Eph’s father, Warren Flint, Sr., controlled about 17.6 acres of the field. He was not interested in selling the property to any developer, but only in continuing to use it as family farmland. Henry and Edward Flint (the latter living in California) owned about 17 acres of the field, and in 1989 they sold this to the town for conservation for $1,640,000. If anyone instead considered selling to a developer, it would have been Edward. As part of this, the town purchased the development rights to Warren Sr’s. 17.6 acres for $750,000, with an Agricultural Preservation Restriction placed on the land, held by the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust. Separately, Warren and Margaret Flint, Sr., placed an Agricultural Preservation and Conservation Restriction on 32.2 acres of their land, preventing further development on that land. They did this voluntarily, receiving no compensation. So nearly 50 acres of their family lands were preserved for agricultural use, with no future development allowed, and the total compensation received was $750,000—hardly a case of being “only stopped when Lincoln taxpayers and real conservationists came up with enough money to satisfy him?” Warren Flint, Sr., was truly a real conservationist. His actions to see much of the Wheeler Farm conserved when it was on the market resulted in the formation of the Rural Land Foundation. Earlier, his actions when land near Flint’s Pond was on the market resulted in the owner holding back on selling the land, and the formation of the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust, which bought that property as its first acquisition. In all things, he placed what was best for the town above any financial interests of the family.
Jack MacLean