The four subdistricts that together comprise Option C for complying with the Housing Choice Act (Section 3A).
(Editor’s note: this article was updated on October 12 to revise the headline [replacing the incorrect phrase “affordable housing”] and to say that the possibility of presenting options to residents for a nonbinding “sense of the town” vote on December 2 is being considered but is not definite.)
Officials at an October 10 three-board meeting unanimously voted to send Housing Choice Act zoning option C to the state for compliance approval, though they left the door open for considering a new option as well.
Of the 229 residents who responded to surveys handed out at the State of the Town meeting or online, more than 76% said they preferred latecomer Option C, which was devised in September. That option takes advantage of an August change in state guidelines that will allow Lincoln to ““take credit” for zoning that allows up to 125 residential units in the South Lincoln commercial area. Option C concentrates all the multifamily subdistricts in South Lincoln, with none in the Lincoln North or Battle Road Farm area as in the previously discussed Options A and B.
The proposed Village Center subdistrict is one of four included in all of the options and comprises the mall and restaurant/post office building, the two commuter parking lots, and the Doherty’s property. Once the rezoning is in place (regardless of which option is chosen), the Rural Land Foundation will be allowed to upgrade the mall’s commercial spaces while adding multifamily housing on one or two floors above the shops.
Some officials were concerned about the possibility of having only one option offered for an up-or-down vote by residents at the Annual Town Meeting in March 2024. Select Board member Jim Hutchinson suggested creating an Option D that would minimize the number of units and acres that would be allowed in South Lincoln and revisit the idea of putting some of those units in North Lincoln. “I’m not sure options A and B are ready for prime time” as feasible alternatives to option C, he said.
Officials agreed to ask consultant Utile to create an Option D, though some were reluctant. They noted that the complicated HCA rules and formulas indicate that moving some of the units out of South Lincoln will necessitate increasing the total that Lincoln will have to allow.
“There’s not a whole lot of wiggle room there,” said Utile’s Zoë Mueller. “I wouldn’t hold your breath because it’s a pretty slim margin you’re playing with.”
In fact, at two public forums earlier in the process, residents asked the Housing Choice Act Working Group to put more of the housing units in South Lincoln and fewer in North Lincoln, Select Board member Jennifer Glass said.
“I think we should look, but I’m concerned we’re not going to be able to actually meet the spirit of the requirement and what we’re going to do if that’s the case,” Planning Board Chair Margaret Olsen said. “To me it’s very clear that Option C is the best option. We don’t know that there really is another good option.”
The state Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities can take up to 90 days to review plans for compliance review, meaning there may not be enough time to review two different plans before Town Meeting in March. In any case, officials at the meeting agreed that the March vote will offer only a single option. “The idea of bringing two maps to the public in March I think is a disaster,” said John MacLachlan, adding that doing so could split the vote and fail to yield a majority.
If Lincoln voters approve of the rezoning in March, it goes back to the EOHLC and the attorney general for final review. Cities and towns with MBTA stops including Lincoln have until December 2024 to have final rezoning in place.
“If we end up with more units by reducing a few in the center, it doesn’t make any sense,” resident Vicky Diaduk said. “How would a sense of the town in December be any more valid? The SOTT is as clear on this as any issue I’ve seen in town.”
The three boards (Planning, Selects, and HCAWG) and will meet together again on November 13. Option D may be presented to residents along with option C for a nonbinding “sense of the town” vote at the Special Town Meeting on December 2.
Oops. Despite the headline on this article, the HCA calls for less affordable housing (10% of zoned developments) than Lincoln itself does. Affordable housing (State-subsidized housing) and housing affordability (for those middle-level renters/owners not needing subsidy but also feeling increasingly priced out of Lincoln) are huge issues, but the Housing Choice Act’s primary concerns lie more with increasing housing in Lincoln, period. Cost appears to matter less than volume.
Exactly. This act was written by developers, for developers, giving cover by claiming it was about creating “housing options to address a crisis.”
So more luxury units will address what crisis?
Exactly. When recently helping a struggling family, I called Oriole Landing, hoping to find one of their “affordable” units available. There was a unit available… because nobody suffering financial insecurity could possibly afford it. They don’t have affordable housing, they have units slightly under market rate. More of the same will be a shame and a missed opportunity.