community center*

My Turn: Vote yes for the community center on Saturday

March 18, 2024

By Rhonda Swain

Why should you vote in favor of the proposed new Community Center at Lincoln’s upcoming Town Meeting? We on the board of the Friends of the Lincoln Council on Aging (FLCOA) consider these to be compelling arguments in support of the proposal:

The community center will be available to everyone in Lincoln, from children to seniors. It will be a welcoming place to find community, whether you are a longtime resident or a newcomer to town.
The space envisioned for the community center has been designed specifically to meet the needs of the Council on Aging and Human Services (COA&HS), the Lincoln Extended-Day Activities Program (LEAP), and the Parks and Recreation Department. By providing a new facility, thoughtfully designed, we allow the staff of each of these organizations to do their best work.
In addition to providing programming and office space for the COA&HS, LEAP, and Parks and Rec, the community center will be a place for many other town organizations (Girl and Boy Scouts, Garden Club, Lincoln Family Association, etc.) to meet both formally and informally, affording opportunities for intergenerational activities that are much more difficult without a common meeting space.
Building a new community center to replace the pods that have served us well beyond their intended useful lives will complete the renovation of the school campus, which is a centerpiece of the life of the town, by adding a state-of-the-art, energy-efficient community center to our state- of-the-art school building. This investment would be in keeping with the environmentally conscious and future-oriented thinking that has been a hallmark of Lincoln throughout its history.

The board of the FLCOA has voted to show our commitment to the new community center by making a contribution. Over the past 40 years, generous donors have entrusted us with gifts and bequests which we have managed prudently. We feel fortunate now to be able to donate $1 million to the community center project. We will also continue to work with the community center funding group to raise additional private funds for the project.

Please join us in seizing this opportunity to build a community center that will be a source of pride for the town of Lincoln — not just for those of us here today who hope to enjoy it, but for generations to come.

“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.

Opening statements by candidates at PTO forum

March 17, 2024

Here are the prewritten opening statements (in alphabetical order) that the four candidates made at the Lincoln PTO candidate forum on March 12. Click here to read more about the forum.

Frank Clark

Select Board challenger

I’m running because the town deserves a choice between the divisive path we’re currently on and a more moderate, and more inclusive way forward.

Our town seems to have lost its sense of balance. We are a very small town, and I worry that our aspirations are beyond what we can realistically accomplish without permanently damaging the character of the town and the social fabric of the town. I believe the majority of the town’s residents just want to know that the town’s essential character will be preserved & public money is spent carefully. We have to recognize that our rapidly rising taxes are pushing people out of town.

Among all Massachusetts towns, Lincoln has one of the highest long-term debt loads, about $40,000 per household. Add the community center and our debt will rise to about $50,000 per household and we might be #1 in the Commonwealth. We have other projects waiting in the wings and we’ve fallen behind on essentials such as road maintenance.

We have lost a sense of moderation… we borrowed $90 million to renovate our school because we didn’t want to wait for state aid. And now, We’re heading towards approval of the most expensive option for the community center. And the HCA rezoning promoted by town leadership goes far beyond what’s required by the State, and we haven’t done the analysis to be sure we can handle the large increase in population that will result.

On this issue, the Planning Board is split and the Select Board is wavering. And the town is very polarized. I’m preaching for unity, and that won’t happen with a 55/45 vote at Town Meeting. We can come together but we need consensus, not a winner-take-all attitude.

Town leaders cannot take refuge by saying “we’re just doing what Town Meeting wants.” We look to the Select Board and Planning Board for leadership and the town is heavily influenced by their recommendations and by the subcommittees they appoint. But we’re not being given the balanced, objective information we need to make wise decisions about big projects. The subcommittees that do the research for big projects become invested in an outcome and they rarely give us “both sides of the story.” It is disingenuous for town leaders to now say ‘we’re just following orders’ from Town Meeting.

I believe we need new leadership to get us back on track.

Jennifer Glass

Select Board incumbent

I moved to Lincoln with my family at the end of 2006. Many things drew us to the community: Its conservation land; the school system, the modernist deck houses; and it’s on the commuter rail, which has always been a prerequisite for choosing a place to live.

In 2007, the School Committee was looking for volunteers to serve on its Class Size Policy Subcommittee. As a former Kindergarten teacher, I thought this would be an interesting way to bring my experience to our new community. It was a great experience, and our group hammered out a policy that focused on what was best for our children while being fiscally responsible to the town. It also began my interest in tackling complex, emotional, and controversial topics.

I ran for School Committee in 2008 and served for 9 years, 7 of them as Chair, and in 2017, a friend encouraged me to run for the Select Board. For the past seven years on the Select Board, I have focused on building community, holistic planning, and finding creative ways to ensure community voice in our decision-making. That has played out in a number of ways:

We are sitting in one of them. As part of the School Committee and School Building Committee, I helped build community consensus to get this school renovated.
I have worked extensively with the Green Energy Committee and helped shape Lincoln’s new Climate Action Plan.
I helped establish and now co-chair the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, & Antiracism Committee.
I worked with my colleagues to recognize Juneteenth and Pride Month, listened to the 3rd graders who thought we should recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
I helped craft a new property tax abatement program for income-eligible seniors.
I am a member of the Affordable Housing Trust.
And I am, of course, part of the Housing Choice Act Working Group.
For fun, I’ve been editor in chief of the Select Board newsletter, have learned how to set up hybrid Zoom meetings, and organized the December 2020 scavenger hunt on Lincoln’s amazing trail network.

I love working with all of you to serve our town, and I respectfully ask for your support to continue to do so.

Sarah Postlethwait

Planning Board challenger

You may be able to tell that I don’t like public speaking and this is definitely not inside of my comfort zone, but I feel the current issues facing our town are far too important to sit on the sidelines and just hope for the best.

I am extremely invested in a successful South Lincoln rezoning, as this is the place my family calls home. I deeply care about ensuring more housing is built — especially more affordable housing, while also protecting the rural character of our town and ensuring that our commercial center is able to thrive. I may not have a formal background in development — but I am unprejudiced, versatile, and eager to learn. I am dedicated to looking out for the best interest of the town and our stated goals- safeguarding what we have achieved in the past, while at the same time adapting for the needs of the future.

I have grown increasingly concerned, as with many other of my fellow residents, with Lincoln’s chosen path to comply with the state mandated Housing Choice Act, and its proposed bylaws. I have dedicated countless hours to researching the law, its guidelines, its compliance model — every detail around it. I have studied several other town’s HCA bylaws to see how our own bylaws can be improved.

I feel we can do better. And we have plenty of time to do better! But instead of being the squeaky wheel, I’ve decided to be a part of the change and to run for a seat on the planning board.

Lincoln’s current Housing Choice Act proposal is rezoning 71% more land than is required by the state. The multifamily developments that are being permitted on these acres can be built by right. This means as long as a developer follows the set of rules established in our town’s bylaws, they can build the maximum allowed, and the town has no right to deny that development. It’s imperative the HCA proposal and bylaws that we pass align with the vision we see for our town. I feel what is being submitted for town meeting vote in a couple weeks does not.

Our HCA proposal puts our commercial center at risk. It is seriously lacking in environmental protections for all 72 acres of rezoned land. It does not limit negative impacts on the resources and residents in the rezoned area. We are the stewards of this land. We are the ones who should be safeguarding it. If we are going to rezone it for multifamily developments, the least we can do is ensure that the bylaws are written in a way that reasonably minimizes the negative environmental impact of development.

I firmly believe that the current proposed path towards HCA compliance has major flaws that could significantly change the landscape of the town that we all know and love. But I am hopeful we can all sit down at a table, find common ground, and come up with a path towards HCA compliance that will gain significant support, fully comply with the regulations of the law, and protect the values that are important to this town.

Thank you for considering voting for me for planning board, and I hope that my focus on critical thinking, thoroughly researched planning and inclusive dialogue will bring value to Lincoln and win your vote.

Gary Taylor

Planning Board incumbent

Most residents encounter the Planning Board when seeking to remodel or build a home. Through Site Plan review we guide development in ways that respect Lincoln’s values and protect abutters and the environment. Since I joined the board, we’ve made this process more user-friendly and less time-consuming for everyone, allowing us to spend more time planning.

The board regularly proposes changes to Lincoln’s bylaws to address state requirements and local land use and environmental issues. Recent examples are the liberalization of the accessory apartment bylaw and adoption of the 2023 opt-in stretch energy code to improve energy efficiency.

Now we face the Housing Choice Act mandate for zoning allowing “by right” multi-family housing near our metro rail station. How should we respond? After decades of concern over the viability of the mall and years of study about how to address Lincoln’s housing needs, five options were presented to voters at December’s Special Town Meeting, and Option C focusing housing in the mall area was selected.

I hope the coming Town Meeting votes “yes” on Article 3 (zoning implementing Option C). Whether or not is passes now, I shall honor Town Meeting’s decision, and my professional expertise and town experience will be of value in helping Lincoln through this process. I have learned how to bring people together and get things done.

I’m particularly proud of my role in the addition of over 100 units of affordable housing units in Lincoln. These include 30 at The Commons, one of the first senior living facilities with affordable units, and 60 at Oriole Landing that protect Lincoln for decades from the threat of 40B development, which — unlike the HCA — would circumvent Lincoln zoning entirely.

Lincoln has in the past strived successfully to strike a balance between preserving its shared values and responding as needed to change affecting our town and the world around us. I hope that we can continue to thread that needle effectively. I ask not only for your vote, but as well for your participation in the continuing dialogue that will shape Lincoln’s future.

Community center group sees final sketches

March 14, 2024

(Editor’s note: this article was corrected on March 15 to correct the estimated construction start and completion dates.)

ICON Architects previewed its Town Meeting presentation on March 13 to the the Community Center Building Committee. Residents will vote on whether t0 approve spending $24 million for its construction at Town Meeting on March 23, where a two-thirds majority is required for passage, and again at the ballot box on March 25, which requires only a simple majority.

If voters approve, construction could begin in mid-2025 and be completed by fall 2026, ICON’s Mark McKevitz said.

Click on an image below for a larger version and arrows to advance and go back.

Select Board issues positions on community center and HCA rezoning

March 7, 2024

(Editor’s note: This article was amended on March 10 to clarify that the Select Board did not explicitly endorse Article 3 even as it supported compliance with the Housing Choice Act.)

The Select Board has endorsed both the community center project but took a more nuanced approach in its stand on a Housing Choice Act-compliant zoning district — measures that will be debated and voted on at the start of Town Meeting on March 23.

In a statement at their March 4 meeting, the board noted the previously cited justifications for a community center, including the deteriorating condition of the Hartwell pods for the Parks and Recreation Department and the inadequacies of Bemis Hall for the Council on Aging & Human Services, adding that renovating all of them would cost about $14.4 million compared to $24 million for new construction. ICON Architects estimates that construction costs will continue to rise by about 7% a year for the next several years, they added.

Operating costs for a new building have yet to be determined, though the Community Center Building Committee outlined the cost drivers in a March 6 statement. A grant from the Ogden Codman Trust as well as funds contributed and raised by the Friends of the Council on Aging will offset at least $1.5 million of the cost.

The CCBC will hold a forum on the final design concept and cost estimates on Wednesday, March 13 at 7 p.m. The agenda contains the Zoom link.

Housing Choice Act

At the same March 4 meeting, the Select Board also declared support for “the adoption of a Housing Choice Act-compliant zoning district” without specifically supporting Article 3, which asks voters to approve the amended zoning bylaw drawn up by the Planning Board and HCAWG.

Though there’s general agreement that the town should comply with the state law, there has been a great deal of controversy about exactly how to do so. In a second statement on March 4, the Selects said the process “gave residents voice and choice and allowed them to shape the direction and substance of the zoning bylaw.” But members of Lincoln Residents of Housing Alternatives have said that their alternative was not given equal time at the Special Town Meeting on December, when Option C was chosen. Opponents want residents to vote down the bylaw that’s based on that option, which would concentrate all new multifamily housing in South Lincoln, and draw up a different amendment that would allow multifamily housing in other parts of town as well.

The Selects allowed for the possibility of a “no” vote. If the HCA measure isn’t passed by voters, “the Select Board is committed to bringing all interested residents together to forge a compromise to be voted on at a Special Town Meeting before the end of the year,” their statement says.

The stance echoed that of Planning Board Chair Margaret Olson. “If the town has changed its mind, the town will tell us no by voting no. I don’t think any of us should be upset by that prospect. If it’s not approved, that’s OK — that’s part of the process,” she said at the board’s February 20 public hearing on the bylaw.

The town originally scheduled the Town Meeting vote for this month to allow time for the state to vet the amended bylaw for HCA compliance and for the town to make any necessary adjustments before the December 2024 deadline. If voters delay approval until fall, the state presumably won’t have time to review and give its final thumbs-up before the clock runs out, but they haven’t said whether they might be flexible about the deadline if they aren’t able to sign off in time.

In the March 4 discussion, Select Board member Kim Bodnar emphasized the “magnitude of what we’re asking of residents… It really matters to the town we are and the town we might become. This has required the town to think about about who they are, questioning their values. It’s been very tough.”

Ogden Codman Trust pledges $500K for community center

February 6, 2024

The Ogden Codman Trust has pledged $500,000 to help defray the cost of the community center, which is estimated at $24 million.

The trust, which began making grants for Lincoln facilities and projects in 1972, helped pay for the town pool years ago. It has distributed an average of about $200,000 in grants and loans annually in recent years. The largest single grant in the past three years was $95,000 to historic New England for repairs at the Codman Estate in 2021, and most grants are in the range of $10,000 to $25,000, so this is by far the largest grant that the trust has made in some time.

“We are deeply appreciative of your generosity, and the timing of your gift couldn’t be better,” said Community Center Building Committee Chair Sarah Chester said at the February 5 Select Board meeting when the gift was announced.

The grant will be paid in five installments starting with $350,000 in the first year and the subsequent installments over the following three-year period, Town Administrator Tim Higgins said. “Hopefully this will help power the fundraising effort that’s going on and leverage some additional generosity,” he said.

“We’re grateful to have the opportunity to participate in this really exciting project,” Ogden Codman trustee Susan Monahan said. She praised “the work that’s gone into documenting and making the [planning] accessible and transparent… we wish you the best in pulling in some additional funds in support of that.”

A group of residents has launched a fundraising effort targeting individuals, corporations and other organizations. Together with funds from the Friends of the Lincoln Council on Aging (FLCOA), which has promised to match every donation dollar for dollar up to $1 million, the group hopes to raise several million dollars.

Most of the project will be paid for through bonding, but the segment of the building for LEAP (a private entity) can’t be paid for through tax-advantaged municipal bonds, so other sources of funding will be needed. Residents will vote on a bonding amount at Town Meeting next month.

“We hope the March votes goes the right way, though you’ve given us every reason to be optimistic,” Monahan said.

Architects show floor plan, exterior alternatives for community center

January 18, 2024

Architects on January 17 revealed the latest floor plan as well as images of two possible design directions for the community center (both for the same price) — one with a flat roof and one with sloped rooflines (see pictures below).

The Community Center Building Committee was split on which direction they prefer, so they’ll probably choose one when they meet next week. ICON Architects needs clear direction soon because their cost estimator has a January 30 deadline for getting the latest information.

The sloped-roof concept with clerestory windows echoes the “New England saltbox” look of the renovated school across campus, while an architecturally simpler flat roof would have room for more solar panels (17,200 square feet vs. 11,000 square feet).

CCBC members were generally enthusiastic about the latest plans, though some were concerned about the reduction in size of the LEAP play area. The Magic Garden play area on the north side of the site will also be removed, but the CCBC plans to build a new playground on the former Strat’s Place site between Hartwell and Lincoln Road. Although it’s not in the community center budget, “we are working out funding for that” and will work with Magic Garden to coordinate the timing, CCNC chair Sarah Chester said.

There were also reservations about the appearance of the south-facing “light chimneys” in the sloped-roof scheme that would provide indirect natural light to the interior. Ned Collier of ICON said he would show alternative looks at a future meeting.

The CCBC will hold meetings and forums on the following dates (all are in hybrid format and start at 7 p.m. in the Town Hall’s Donaldson Room):

January 24 — CCBC meeting
February 7 — CCBC meeting
February 15 — Forum on cost estimates
February 28 — CCBC meeting
March 13 — Forum for FINAL conceptual design
March 20 — CCBC meeting
March 23 — Annual Town Meeting

Efforts underway to reduce community center borrowing by several million dollars

January 11, 2024

A group of residents has kicked off a fund-raising effort to help lessen the impact of community center construction on property tax bills and hopes to get several million dollars in pledges before the Town Meeting funding vote on March 23.

The Town Meeting motion, which hasn’t been drawn up yet, will include a request for a specific bonding amount that will be affected partly by what other sources can be tapped to pay for the building. Residents authorized design of a community center at 100% of the cost of an earlier estimate (about $24 million) at a Special Town Meeting in December 2023.

The group is applying for grants from corporations and other organizations as well as donations from “Lincoln individuals and organizations that are well established,” Peter Von Mertens told the Select Board on January 8. An upcoming townwide mailing will offer naming rights for at least 16 parts of the building in return for donations at various levels.

Von Mertens is a member of the Council on Aging & Human Services (COA&HS). Its affiliated private nonprofit, the Friends of the Lincoln Council on Aging (FLCOA), has promised to match every community center donation dollar for dollar, he said, adding that the fundraising effort hopes to reduce the project cost “virtually down to [the 75% option]” by raising $2 million to $5 million.

The FLCOA’s latest tax statement shows it has $1.73 million in assets and no liabilities. Some of its funds have been restricted by donors to specific activities such as field trips or speakers, Von Mertens told the Lincoln Squirrel, “but we do have $1 million in the bank and hope to give it all to help support the community center.”

“This will help residents’ attitude toward the project [as] cost has been a big factor in people’s thinking,” said Jim Hutchinson of the Select Board, which endorsed the fundraising effort. Anyone interested in making a tax-deductible donation should contact Von Mertens (petervonmertens@gmail.com) or COA&HS Chair Dilla Tingley (dillatingley@gmail.com).

Also in the mix is the Ogden Codman Trust, which helped pay for the town pool several years ago and has distributed an average of about $200,000 in grants and loans annually in recent years for various projects and causes in Lincoln. In 2022, it provided grants ranging from $1,818 to $95,000 to the St. Vincent de Paul Society – St. Joseph Conference (which runs the town’s food pantry), the Parks and Recreation Department, Codman Community Farms, Mass Audubon, Farrington Nature Linc, Historic New England, and the Town of Lincoln.

Town officials have “opened conversations” with the Ogden Codman Trust and “they were very excited to get involved in the [community center] project — they loved the idea of participating,” Town Administrator Tim Higgins said. Details such as the structure of a possible grant (a one-time amount or spread over several years) and specific dollar figures have not yet been discussed, he added.

“The Trust has had a very preliminary discussion with the town regarding a potential grant to help fund the town’s proposed community center,” trustee Susan Monahan confirmed. “The Trust will not provide any further information regarding subsequent discussions, but rather will look to the Town to provide any such further information as appropriate.”

In the upcoming town budget, the Finance Committee may also recommend applying a certain amount of the town’s stabilization fund to help pay for the project. Voters approved adding $1.44 million to the fund a year ago.

Residents share their thoughts about marathon Town Meeting

December 4, 2023

At the December 2 Special Town Meeting, voters approved the 100% option for the proposed community center, Option C for HCA rezoning, and “yes” for allowing expansion at The Commons in Lincoln. Since the Lincoln Squirrel was unable to cover the meeting, we invited residents to share their impressions afterwards. Following is an edited sample of the responses.

“Nothing like coming together in person”

LincolnTalk has dominated the airwaves with data, opinions, and wishes before [Saturday’s] Even with so much information at our fingertips, time and time again, there is absolutely nothing like coming together in person with our neighbors, to legislate our town’s future, to truly listen and discern. We meet new people and find common ground (or not), but we all take away something new, every single time, from the experience… As Bob Domnitz said [Saturday], we might have appreciated some healthy food and a break, but seeing friends and talking was a different kind of nourishment for many.

We are a small town, certainly wonderful but also imperfect. For some who find Lincoln too precious or frustrating or suffocating, myself included, it occasionally requires leaving town to regain a healthy perspective. Folks then come home and cruise down Bedford Road to the five corners to marvel at all that is here, and how we imperfectly but in good faith hold each other up.

— Nancy Marshall

Someone left this personalized copy of a page from Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are among the papers on the podium of Town Moderator Sarah Cannon Holden. “It gave me a big laugh after our robust meeting,” she said.

Of cold waffles and worries about rezoning

We are already joking that we will long remember the “cold waffles” Town Meeting. A resident of The Commons got up and complained that expansion there did not make sense since they are having trouble hiring enough help as it is, and he even had to endure cold waffles for breakfast. He went on a bit too long, and Sarah Holden tried to shut him down, telling him that his two minutes were up, but he just kept rambling on. The result was the whole auditorium erupted into laughter and he couldn’t talk over that!

Regarding the HCA vote: the Option E supporters were concerned about the ominous mentions of a clause allowing a developer to pay a fee in lieu of providing affordable housing, and apparently it seems the Planning Board might be willing to allow four-story buildings. Also the inclusion of the commuter parking lot as a building site with no evident replacement parking for commuters made people nervous. Also a parking garage in front of Donelan’s… There were plenty of reasons to give pause to worriers.

But the Planning Board had the public’s support and the vote was resoundingly in favor of Option C. It shows the citizens of Lincoln have a good amount of trust in our town committees.

— Diana Smith

A new sense of what the majority wants

I originate from New York/New Jersey, where I never heard of decisions being made in town meetings, but I have learned living in Lincoln over the past decade that this turns out to be an amazing albeit not perfect democratic process. In my several years on the Planning Board, I have never seen such controversy as what culminated in [Saturday’s] all-day meeting. Yet I thought it was handled very well. A grassroots organization of residents who care deeply about the future of this town was allowed to speak up and produce an alternative to the town’s [Housing Choice Act Working Group] response, and indeed that alternative proposal received at least one-third of the total vote. I have urged the leadership of that group to participate in our town process by now running for offices in the next election.

While my personal choices may not have been the ones selected, I still feel good, because I have a new sense of what the majority of people in the town want to see happen. As a member of the Planning Board and the board’s representative on the Community Center Building Committee, I will continue to listen to residents who speak up and work towards maintaining Lincoln as the special town we all moved to, and yet bring it further into the future. I believe that the Planning Board, with input from residents, can craft a good amended bylaw that will add more housing that is affordable near the train station and still be a viable center for commercial activity, green space, and gathering with neighbors and friends.

We have a lot of work to do between now and March, but we will do it!

— Lynn DeLisi

It’s high time for a voting tabulation system

(Editor’s note: the following is a copy of a letter that Kanner sent to the Select Board, Town Administrator, and Town Clerk).

Saturday’s Special Town Meeting seemed to me to be a success in hearing out a wide variety of our townsfolk on the three major issues presented, but it was also a catastrophic failure in its voting process. I believe Lincoln’s archaic, amazingly inefficient, and seemingly interminable process of simply taking a vote and tabulating the results, which process I estimate occupied about three hours of the eight hours or so of the meeting, threatens the survival of Town Meeting as a viable and representative method of governance. We have to do better.

Someone in town government must be looking into vote tabulator systems. As a citizen, though, I have heard no mention of any such investigation, so on Saturday night I did a quick Internet search. On the first try up comes a list of multiple companies that provide vote tabulation systems to towns for such events as town meetings. In fact, the town of Westford posted the results of their 2022 inquiry into its evaluation of such systems and concluded that the Meridia system was the best. They indicated that their town and 30 others (!) in Massachusetts are now using this system, and another 30 towns use other systems. The Meridia system is also used by the U.S. House of Representatives.

I also did the obvious arithmetic, which would be to ask how much a system that included 800 handheld voting units (to cover our massive turnout on Saturday). That would be about $25,000 or so all in. Think on that. We had 800 people sitting around for about three hours each while vote tabulations were done on Saturday. That’s 2,400 or so hours of citizens’ time, wasted. How would you value their wasted time?

I urge you to promptly look into such voting systems with the intent to have one in effect for the March town meetings. Too many people were wandering around, waiting and complaining, during the tabulation delays. The “Lincoln way” doesn’t need to be interminable voting and tabulation that wears everyone out and often overshadows the actual lively and substantive discussions that are the purpose of the meetings. Please, let’s get moving promptly with a goal to have a vetted system in place by March.

— Steven R. Kanner

Discussion was “mostly substantive and hearteningly civil”

I thought the discussion at all stages was mostly substantive and hearteningly civil compared to some snarky and/or obsessively repetitive LincolnTalk posts in the runup, especially about the HCA. Motions to cut off debate on all issues were well-timed; each passed by huge majorities (another sign of order being maintained). Yes, there were messy moments, but overall it was a good example of how democracy should work.

— Larry Buell

Some unanswered questions

Why was Choice E not described on the ballot?
Who paid for the lawn signs advocating Choice C and disparaging Choice E?
Why didn’t FinCom articulate anticipated upcoming capital expenditures?
Why not disclose that town operating expenses are growing faster than 2.5% and how a new $25 million building will affect those rising expenses?
Why couldn’t attendees vote their ballots once received? If there were changes to the questions, would the town reprint the ballots?
Why not survey all taxpayers as to preferences rather than rely on attendance on a Saturday?
If the HCAWG wanted Option C, were the other choices actually red herrings?
Why are longtime Lincoln stewards Sara Mattes and Ken Hurd ignored?
Why do people make statements during the question period?
Why does it feel like taxpayers are railroaded at Town Meetings by well-organized and funded insiders?

— Chris Burns

Another point of view

He got a ride! He took the van, from somewhat far away. Next, he checked in, walked down the hall, then sat there half the day.

He listened to the formal talks; stood up, when it was time. It took a bit of fortitude to stand there in the line.

His turn had come! This was his chance to stand up to the mike. And our chance, too, to hear him out, know what his life is like.

It was easy to feel antsy. His time was up, that’s true… Why not give him one more moment, see things from his point of view?

He put thought into his statement. (He’s an elder, with a name.) Its true meaning — did we miss it? Yet, “inclusion” we proclaim.

I’m sorry I’m not laughing, a wet blanket, but I’m sad. His vision dimmed, his hearing shot — that could have been my dad.

— Sarah Liepert

Lincoln Station is already the most densely populated area of town; is it fair to ask those residents to assume the entire burden of additional housing? Also, it is the most diverse: if one stands on Lincoln Road at the entrance to the mall, one can see the Lincoln Woods apartments, Ryan Estate (62+), the Ridge Court (“flying nun”) apartments, and at a slightly farther distance, Greenridge (where I live) and Todd Pond condominiums.

Each of these properties has its own architectural style, but somehow they all fit together into the character and ethos of Lincoln (and none of the buildings are taller than the trees!). They serve a diverse range of ages and income levels — a diversity which I believe that the town embraces. Although I realize that only a small fraction of Lincoln’s land area is being considered for rezoning, this is an important area – not only to those of us who live nearby but to everyone who passes through en route to or from their residences.

When I moved to Lincoln 30+ years ago, I did so on account of its semi-rural, small-town nature, its open space, farmland, conservation land, and trails. Let’s not compromise these aspects by granting carte blanche to a developer to build by right whatever he chooses. Any fraction of Lincoln’s unique character that we cede will be lost; we cannot, nor can future generations, get it back.

— June Matthews

My Turn: Reflections on a community center for Lincoln

November 30, 2023

By Barbara Slayter

Over the years, there has been a lot of discussion about the pros and cons as well as the specific characteristics of a community center that we might eventually have in Lincoln. Three contributions to the Lincoln Squirrel’s “My Turn” in recent weeks have shaped my thinking about how to vote at Saturday’s Special Town Meeting. They are Ellen Shorb’s “How would you use a community center?,” Dilla Tingley’s “A community center for Lincoln” and David Levington’s “How about equity for seniors?”

Ellen’s delightful essay encouraged us to imagine possibilities. The question she posed was not “How would I use a community center in Lincoln right now?” but rather “How might I have used it when I first moved to Lincoln with four young children?” and “How might I use it in the near future?” Her lively responses led me to reflect on these same questions for myself. How might I have used a community center at different stages in my life? What opportunities could have existed in the past and what might be available in the future? It is intriguing to speculate!

Dilla’s essay led me to ponder another set of questions. We are not talking about a senior center. We are talking about a community center that will serve the whole community — seniors, school children, and everyone in between. LEAP will be ensconced in the community center as planned, but more than that, the building will be accessible to all ages, interest groups, and organizations in the community in the way that the facilities at Bemis Hall (much as I treasure them) simply can’t accommodate. If you have ever tried to schedule a discussion group at Bemis or a public meeting with your state representative, you know the pressure that exists on use of those spaces.

With an “edge” about seniors being left out, David asks us to look at the big picture. Given three options to consider, he (and almost everyone else) writes off the least expensive as being unacceptable, a structure totally inadequate for addressing the programmatic and administrative needs of the COA&HS and Parks and Recreation.

He then looks at the tax implications of the remaining two choices and determines that, from his perspective, the difference is not large. Why not, he asks, take the step to create a structure that will serve us well over a long period of time? “Why not?” I ask myself. This might be an opportunity not to be missed. Who knows when it will come again.

I would also add another thought. Isolation and loneliness are widely regarded as significant concerns in contemporary American life. Across the country approximately 30% of households have only one adult in residence.

In Lincoln, a significant number of adults live alone. While this may be especially true for seniors, it is also the case for all age groups. I can well imagine the benefits of a gathering place where residents can get together informally, at will, and as need be for casual interactions over a cup of coffee or planned discussions, activities, or events.

How special to have a place to go without invitation, or pre-arrangements, or pre-programming. Just turn up! This is my community, my center, and I, along with everyone else in this community, am welcome. And if it is beautiful, spacious, and accommodating, so much the better.

My Turn: Thoughts on a community center

November 30, 2023

By Craig Donaldson

On Saturday, a key vote will determine the future course of the proposal to build a town community center. As I have considered our best course over the last year, the answers to several key questions have gradually become clearer:

Does the town have sufficient resources now to support current and future program needs?

The Council on Aging and Human Services (COA&HS), Parks and Recreation Department (PRD) and Lincoln Extended-Day Activities Program (LEAP) are three stakeholders among a virtual beehive of social, educational, and cultural activities sponsored by town government and local organizations. A mixture of core staff and large numbers of volunteers provides the leadership and energy to make these three programs available.

Though possibly skewed by recent experience with the pandemic and my perspective as a participant in COA activities and service on the Friends of the COA board, it appears that matching these programs to current resources and venues increasingly taxes the ingenuity and patience of all, despite exercising our Yankee virtue of “making do.” In upcoming years, any increase in number and scope of programs will be stymied without improved accommodations. Though any particular program’s value must be judged in the eye of the beholder, there are likely valuable programs which have failed or were never started for lack of suitable venue or facility.

Is it necessary to build a new building now to meet current and future needs?

Concern that stakeholder programming was being inadequately served by our existing facilities resulted in funding for further study this year. The Community Center Building Committee (CCBC) and consultant ICON Architecture have appraised currently available venues as part of their charge. Early indications suggest that remodeling and renovation of existing spaces to enhance parking, access, and necessary amenities would cost significantly more than building a new facility.

Meanwhile, the experience with resources such as Bemis Hall, Pierce House, Town Hall, and our schools and churches suggests that ongoing programming will entail continuation of familiar stresses, with additional strain should programming expand. Investing in new space would add a central venue, up to modern code with parking, internet interconnectivity and facility to host a wide array of activities for all ages, interests and needs. Concern that the existing venues will lie fallow after a new building is opened appears unfounded, given crowding in some town facilities and likely gradual growth of town services and programs.

Would an alternative site to the Hartwell campus be preferable now?

The charge to CCBC and ICON from the Special Town Meeting in fall 2022 was to provide three alternative cost points for a community center at the Hartwell site on the school campus. Some proponents of the community center concept have reasonably suggested that the new facility be located in the commercial center at the train station, given a projected increase in population density there as the state mandate for additional housing takes shape.

As discussions have evolved, however, it is clear that the needs of all three stakeholder programs will be best served by space at Hartwell, interfacing LEAP with the school, PRD with outdoor and gym facilities and COA&HS with all. The path to an expanded commercial and housing center has yet to be clearly mapped and its realization appears remote, particularly considering community center stakeholder needs which many feel have been evident and growing for years.

How can we afford the cost of a community center now?

The cost of a new building is certainly an important concern, especially as we now face the fresh burden of debt for the new school. As many have urged, we must be clear about the difference between what we need and what we want. The CCBC and ICON have created plans for a center at three different cost points to allow careful choice of the best fit for our needs and means as a town and as taxpayers. Whichever option is chosen for further design, it should feature a core structure which would enable efficient adaptation and enhancement in future years should needs dictate and means allow. It is clear that costs will only be higher as time goes by — an important reality urging us to reach decisive action soon.

How can we assure the best choice for the town?

The CCBC has taken on the task of leading the process through these issues, working with ICON on behalf of the town to solicit input from townspeople as well as keeping us informed of the issues and options at hand. Discussion and voting at Saturday’s Town Meeting will result in a choice for the town to pursue in detail prior to a final vote on funding in March. Throughout, constructive participation with civility, compromise, and good faith has been prominently displayed on behalf of reaching the current crossroads for the town.

Exercise your civic enfranchisement by joining the festivities on Saturday!