Editor’s note: On January 19, a sentence was added to make clear that there are two openings on the Planning Board in the upcoming election.
Incumbent Craig Nicholson has said he will not run for reelection, so unless another candidate files, Margaret Olson will regain the seat she lost in 2025.
“Between family commitments, work responsibilities, and my desire to focus my attention on ensuring a successful relocation of the Codman Community Farm store, the year ahead is shaping up to be a very full one. Given that, I don’t feel I would be able to dedicate the time and energy that effective service on the Planning Board requires,” said Nicholson, who was elected as a newcomer in 2023.
“That said, I do hope to remain involved in planning-related efforts in Lincoln. I plan to continue my work with the Dark Skies Committee and other planning and policy initiatives in town, and I would not rule out the possibility of serving another term on the Planning Board in the future, should circumstances allow and the town sees fit,” Nicholson added.
As it now stands, the Planning Board candidates for the March 30 town election are incumbent Lynn DeLisi and Olson for the two openings on the ballot, so both will win seats if no one else decides to run. Olson was chair of the board in 2025, having served on the panel since 2013, but lost her bid for reelection last year when newcomers Susan Hall Mygatt and Rob Ahlert won seats in the wake of the Housing Choice Act controversy.
The last day to take out nomination papers is Thursday, Feb. 5, and the deadline to return the papers to the Town Clerk’s office is Monday, Feb. 9. Available seats:
- Board of Assessors – one seat for three years
- Board of Health – one seat for three years
- Cemetery Commission – one seat for three years
- Commissioners of Trust Funds – one seat for three years
- Lincoln-Sudbury Regional District School Committee – two seats for three years
- Moderator – one seat for three years
- Parks and Recreation Committee – one seat for three years
- Planning Board – two seats for three years
- K-8 School Committee – two seats for three years
- K-8 School Committee – one seat for one year
- Select Board – one seat for three years
- Trustees of Bemis Fund – one seat for three years
- Water Commissioner – one seat for three years
To learn more, see the Town Meeting/election schedule or contact Town Clerk Valerie Fox at 781-259-2607 or email foxv@lincolntown.org.
Just to add a bit about the Planning Board. This year both Gary Taylor and myself Co-chair the Planning Board. We have a new guideline instituted last year that Co-Chairs work together equally and that they change on an annual basis, so no one person leads Board decisions for more than a year. l would like to transparently and openly represent the residents of Lincoln–so please if you have any concerns email me. If you leave your phone #,
I also will call you for a 1:1 conversation.
Lynn DeLisi
DeLisi76@AOL.com or LDeLisi@challiance.org