Planning Board is latest to endorse Nature Link project

The Planning Board voted unanimously to endorse the proposed Nature Link project at their June 10 meeting, echoing earlier actions by the Select Board, the Housing Commission, and the Historic District Commission.

“Lincoln will benefit considerably from this unique partnership,” the Planning Board said in a June 16 statement, noting that the town will “gain permanent protection of land long noted for its conservation value, the continuation in Lincoln of a unique nature program for urban youth, and a creative single-family housing village of mostly small homes that is aligned with Lincoln’s long-term planning vision.”

If the preliminary development and use plan for this project is approved at the Special Town Meeting on June 25, the developer (Civico) will still be required to submit a definitive plan, apply for a special permit, and go through site plan review by the Planning Board.

“The development of a neighborhood of 20 single-family homes, 17 of which are below the median size of single-family homes in Lincoln, including three with deeded income restrictions,” is in keeping with the Housing Commission‘s mission, the group said in a statement after their June 5 meeting. “This neighborhood provides much-needed new housing accessible to a range of households in a thoughtful, intentional and responsible manner.” The income-restricted units also ensure the proposed development maintains the town’s compliance under state 40B laws, they noted.

The Historical Commission likewise endorsed the project. Over the last century, “the town has followed a model of preserving open space that incorporates housing where the built form is subservient to nature and that opens the land to all through public trails,” the commission said in a statement.

The Farrington Memorial land has been farmed or used as a wooded sanctuary since the seventeenth century and is the site of the David Stone house dating from 1665, the group noted. The mission of the current occupant, Farrington Nature Linc, is to benefit residents of low-income communities by creating a connection with the natural world. “The project would allow Farrington to continue its historic mission on its historically important site” along with preserving the historic farm stand on the Panetta property, the HDC said.

On Sunday, June 15, some of those who have objected to the proposal (see “My Turn” pieces on May 29 and May 27) invited residents to an online meeting on Monday night to discuss their views. Almost 200 other residents urged approval in a June 8 “My Turn” piece, as did a non-abutting Page Road resident on May 29.