Editor’s note: Olson served on the Planning Board from 2013–2025 but lost her bid for reelection last year when newcomers Susan Hall Mygatt and Rob Ahlert won seats (incumbent Ephraim Flint did not run again).
There are two Planning Board seats open in March 2026: those of incumbents Lynn DeLisi and Craig Nicholson. DeLisi has already announced she will run for reelection. As of Jan. 12, Nicholson had not pulled papers to run for reelection, according to the Town Clerk’s office, and did not immediately reply to an email asking if he planned to run again.
For more information, see the 2026 Annual Town Meeting and election calendar.
By Margaret Olson
I’m running for Planning Board and asking for your support. The Planning Board is a critical force in shaping the town we all love, and I am hoping you will grant me the privilege of applying my years of planning board experience and knowledge of land use policy to keeping Lincoln a fantastic place to live.
Increasing political pressure to address the lack of housing requires a planning board with the knowledge and experience to respond effectively. I have a long history of volunteering for planning: the Zoning Board of Appeals followed by ten years on the Lincoln Planning Board.
My principles:
- Focus on planning: Stay on top of the broader regulatory environment so we are prepared for any legal and climate changes.
- Incrementalism: Where possible, make changes incrementally so the town gains experience with new regulatory approaches.
- Fairness: Regulatory reviews (site plan review) should be consistent, fair, and predictable.
- Transparency: Be clear to applicants and neighbors about what the board can and cannot do. And make it easier to find the agendas!
Some of my past accomplishments on the Planning Board:
- Worked with town staff to streamline the site plan review process. This has resulted in benefits for both residents and the planning board, saving residents time and the town money.
- Led a series of incremental changes to our accessory apartment bylaw, increasing opportunities for multi-generational housing. This series of incremental changes left us in an excellent position when the state mandated that all residential districts permit accessory dwelling units (accessory apartments).
- Engaged cooperatively with boards and stakeholders to pass the Housing Choice Act that allows the town to qualify for state grants — for example, Lincoln received $430,000 for water main replacement. We have received over $2,400,000 in grants in the last five years.
- Improved safety for all forms of transportation by serving on the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, the Roadside and Traffic Committee, and as chair of the Transportation Coalition.
- Instituted Lincoln’s first Dark Sky lighting regulations.
The election is on Monday, March 30. I’d be very grateful for your vote. If you have any questions or concerns please get in touch at margaret@margaretolson.com. Thank you.
Margaret Olson
17 Boyce Farm Road
“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.
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