The Lincoln Squirrel – News, features and photos from Lincoln, Mass.

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Officials will take lessons from community center town meeting

In the wake of a sometimes chaotic four-hour Special Town Meeting (STM) about the community center, the Select Board will aim to get a better handle on voter sentiment and make future town meetings run more efficiently.

The November 30 STM started about half an hour late due to the long line of residents waiting to check in. There were also delays as standing votes were counted, and several residents also wanted to submit amendments to the motion to approve spending $325,000 on architects and other consultants to create design options for a community center. The measure that ultimately won approval called for a range of designs and budgets, “including options not to exceed 75% and 50% of the current project estimated cost of $25 million, for the Hartwell Complex, supplemented or not with existing available town space.” 

Going forward, the Select Board on December 12 advocated:

  • Having future Special Town Meetings during the day on a Saturday rather than on a weekday night
  • Expediting the check-in process
  • Having shorter presentations
  • Always having town counsel present

Another problem on November 30 was confusion among some attendees about what exactly they would be voting on. Initially, the plan was to develop prices and designs for two options suggested by Mary Ann Thompson Architects in 2018, but many residents got cold feet in the weeks before the STM when they learned that estimates for both were now about $25 million. 

The board and Community Center Building Committee tried to emphasize before the STM that the $325,000 would be used to develop lower-cost options as well, but this wasn’t clear to many voters on November 30. Those worries about cost were underestimated by town officials. 

“We were not sensing the temperature of the room,” Select Board member Jonathan Dwyer said. “It was fall when the temperature was really rising.” 

To get a sense of public sentiment before voting, the town has tried in-person polls using sticky dots or notes, as well as online surveys, but each method has detractors who say they unfairly exclude some residents, such as those who can’t attend a meeting in person or seniors who aren’t comfortable with digital technology. But board member Jim Hutchinson advocated for email or web-based surveys or polls anyway. 

“Isn’t it better to get the data and acknowledge its biases and limitations than not to look at it at all? We need more data on what people are thinking sooner in the process,” he said.

When the detailed community center choices come up for a “preferred option” STM vote a year from now, the first round of voting (assuming there are three or more choices) should be anonymous, as it was for the final school project vote in 2018, board member Jennifer Glass said, adding that “none of the above” could also be an option for voters.

Hutchinson also suggested trying out instant phone-based polling during a future non-voting meeting, though only to quickly and informally gauge opinion on a specific point of discussion. Allowing hundreds of people to express an opinion at the same time rather than waiting a turn to speak at the microphone would save time. “Think of it simply as a feedback mechanism for getting a sense or pulse rather than a legally binding voting process,” he said.

Another idea suggested by Town Administrator Tim Higgins was to have a “scribe” with a laptop assigned to type up proposed amendments to be displayed on large screens in real time for everyone to see. At the November 30 event, six different people asked to offer amendments; reading and voting on each would have taken hours, but Town Moderator Sarah Cannon Holden convinced them to get together and agree on wording for a single amendment.

Hutchinson noted that he got positive feedback as well as complaints about how the STM was conducted. People told him they realized that debate on the floor can change minds and that democracy is inherently messy. “It was democracy in action. It might not have been the cleanest thing but it got there,” he said.

My Turn: Moving forward with plans for a community center

By June Matthews

Things have been strangely quiet on the community center front — perhaps everyone is exhausted after the November 30marathon town meeting and the preceding torrent of posts on Lincoln Talk. Now that the CCBC has the authority to spend $325,000 to study the previous two proposals for a gold-plated Community Center at Hartwell, along with a direction to explore lower-cost options, including placement of some services and facilities at other locations, I request that the Committee pay serious attention to the last point.

It is clear that the after-school programs of the P&RD should most sensibly be located at the schools, as that’s where the kids are. But I assert that it makes little if any sense to locate the activities of the COA&HS there. There has been much discussion of the virtues of a multigenerational community center. But I have my doubts as to the extent that intergenerational mixing would occur at such a center, given the present structure of the P&RD and COA&HS programs.

As others have pointed out, there are already opportunities in town for social contact among families and people of all ages — think First Day and Winter Carnival, for example, plus programs at our library and at Codman. I would like to request that the CCBC use some of their time and energy, and perhaps funds, to “think outside the box.” What do Lincoln seniors (I am one) really need, want, and value?

My vision is of a community center conveniently located at Lincoln Station — walking distance from the Ryan Estate as well as from other high-density residential areas which cater to mixed ages and mixed incomes: Lincoln Woods, the Ridge Court apartments, the Greenridge and Todd Pond condominiums. Not everyone will walk, of course, but those who are there with their cars will have convenient access to other essential services, e.g., Donelan’s and the post office, plus two restaurants, two dry cleaning establishments, a bank, Something Special, etc. Not to mention the train station, for those wishing to venture farther afield.

A new building on the site of the commuter lot has been proposed, as commuting has dwindled with many people still working remotely. One would have to ascertain whether adequate parking would remain. Others have proposed utilizing vacant space in existing buildings, on both sides of Lincoln Road. There has been much talk about “revitalizing” the town center, with zoning changes possibly attracting new businesses. Given the experience in other towns, this might or might not happen.

Alternatively, I can envisage a community center as a magnet to draw more people to the true center of our town. One objection has been that would essentially be a senior center rather than a true community center. I contend that it doesn’t have to be: P&RD activities which don’t involve the school’s athletic facilities could take place there. (And maybe a senior center is not such a bad idea after all?)

It was pointed out at the Special Town Meeting that attendees at the previous meeting overwhelmingly voted with their “dots” for the Hartwell site. However, there have been many changes since then in technology, the economy, work, shopping, socializing, and health. Let’s not bury our heads in the sands of the past.

June Matthews lives on Greenridge Lane.

“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.

Voters OK community center design funds after lengthy debate

The check-in line for voters took many twists and turns at the November 30 Special Town Meeting.

A Special Town Meeting with one warrant article, so… one simple vote, right? Not so much, as it turned out.

The final vote was overwhelmingly in favor of paying for designs for a community center, but getting there took almost four hours on a rainy November 30 evening. The Donaldson Auditorium and lecture hall were filled to capacity and extra chairs had to be brought in to accommodate the hundreds of residents who called out greetings and shook off raindrops as they made their way along a check-in line that snaked down hallways and around corners.

The motion that was finally approved allows the town to move $325,000 from the debt stabilization fund to hire design and engineering consultants to develop “a range of Community Center design choices and budgets, including options not to exceed 75% and 50% of the current project estimated cost of $25 million, for the Hartwell Complex, supplemented or not with existing available town space.” There will be a vote on the preferred option at another STM a year from now, and a funding vote in March 2024.

The meeting, which started about half an hour late, included presentations from the Council on Aging & Human Services and the Parks and Recreation Department (the two primary users of the proposed building) as well as the Community Center Building Committee, Finance Board chair Andy Payne, and others. Together they laid out in detail the findings of the many previous studies on how Bemis Hall and the Hartwell pods are inadequate for the services provided by the two departments, why they should be under one roof in the Hartwell complex, analyses of various other sites around town, and the tax implications of town borrowing at various levels.

No one seemed to doubt that some expenditures to fix the problems are required, but voters reiterated their unhappiness with the $25 million price tag for the two design concepts suggested in 2018 in several venues, including the recent State of the Town meeting and dozens of posts on LincolnTalk. The Select Board and CCBC acknowledged this in recent meetings as they debated how to word the STM motion. They decided together that voters would be asked for funds to develop several options, with the $25 million concept being the most expensive. With the CCBC’s blessing the board also decided to specify the Hartwell location in the wording it endorses on November 28.

“We, like you, have been surprised and dismayed by the projected costs,” CCBC Chair Sarah Chester said at the STM, adding that the focus will be on “scaling back” the two initial designs. “We recognize that the $25 million is far too much.”

However, the town still needs to hire professionals to come up with alternatives. “We absolutely need an architect to develop these options,” Select Board member Jonathan Dwyer said.

If the motion were to be voted down, the town would still need to spend $4.8–$6.2 million to renovate the decaying pods and $8.8–$9.6 million to upgrade Bemis Hall as a senior center, even though that would not solve the parking issues. Delaying a decision about building a community center “will increase the cost of any solution year after year,” she said.

Eric Harris, a former FinCom and CCPPDC member, urged residents not to repeat earlier mistakes. “The reason we’re here today and nobody wants to talk about it is the defeat of the 2012 school project,” he said. (The estimate at that time was $49 million, with the town paying $28 million and the rest coming from the state; Lincoln eventually had to fund the entire school project by itself for $93 million.)

“We got a better project but I have questions as to whether it was worth $65 million more,” Harris continued. “A lot of people are making the same arguments that it’s too much money for taxes” and people will be forced to move out of Lincoln, “but I haven’t noticed there’s been a great exodus from town. Seniors were told that if they waited, we would build a community center in exchange for supporting the school project. If we wait, we run the risk of doing what we did with the school building project before: greatly raising the cost.”

“I think we should all remember that implicit promise,” said Rhonda Swain, president of the board of the Friends of the COA&HS, adding that a fundraising committee was “formed and ready to get to work” to solicit private donations to help defray the community center’s cost.

But others were unconvinced. “My belief is more tasks still need to be done,” Dennis Picker said. “We should carefully evaluate [needs] service by service” and fund “only essentials and a well considered use of existing facilities as appropriate.” The motion’s wording “does not require we get a vetting of needs vs. wants, or a no-frills option.”

June Matthews agreed, suggesting that the facility should be located in South Lincoln close to shops and the Ryan Estate to revitalize the village, although others argued that that site has numerous issues of its own. “Hartwell is not the center of the community,” she said. 

Amid all the discussion and questions, there were several time-consuming motions and votes before residents reached the finish line… one to end debate early on (easily defeated). One to hold the final vote by secret ballot (defeated, though it required a standing vote count to be sure). Another vote to end debate (again defeated, though again requiring counters to tally the show of hands, with the final margin 59% to 41%). Six amended motions submitted on paper, which Town Moderator Sarah Cannon Holden asked the writers to consolidate into one. Further debate on the floor over the exact wording of the amendment spearheaded by Ross Tucker (how many price points should it specify as a percentage of the original estimate? Should it require a $15 million option at the Hartwell complex? Should it mention other possible sites for some of the COA&HS and PRD activities?).

Then there was debate among officials over whether $325,000 would cover the cost of developing more than the two initial designs. FinCom Vice Chair Paul Blanchfield initially said more money would be needed, but after huddling with colleagues, announced that the sum would be enough to produce three price-point options.

Finally, as the 11 p.m. hour approached, there was a third vote to cut off debate on the amendment (unanimously passed). Then there was a vote to amend the motion (approved by the required two-thirds majority, 233–108, after another standing vote, though several dozen people had left the meeting by then). And finally the vote on the motion itself, which passed with only a handful of dissenters.

“This is the last time we’re having a town meeting without town counsel present,” Holden remarked dryly.

My Turn: Special Town Meeting was a “fiasco”

By Chris Burns

Fiasco! The word describes the Special Town Meeting (STM) last night for numerous reasons.

1. While polite and professional, there simply were not enough monitors to check in voters. The lines unhealthily snaked through the school and the meeting start was delayed until 7:30 p.m. This is on the Selects and poor planning.

2. The STM was called “to act on the following article… this warrant…” I left at 10:50 p.m. and the vote had yet to occur. This is on the moderator. The moderator is a neutral participant who holds participants to time limits and prevents the discussion from straying from the topic. Clearly, the moderator was overwhelmed since no vote had occurred almost four hours after the 7 p.m. start declared in the warrant.

3. The warrant presented at STM was materially different from the draft mailed to voters. The key difference was the addition of the Hartwell location, which would indicate that only the two designs sent to voters would be considered at a cost of $25-30 million. The warrant was not ready for voting despite 10 years of work. Haphazard warrant preparation is on the Community Center Building Committee (CCBC) and the Selects.

4. The warrant discussion was confusing at best. The Selects said the funded consulting services would include lower-cost projects and alternative sites. This is not in the warrant that they proposed. The Selects then said that the warrant would not cover these issues. The Finance Committee said the warrant had to be for more money to include these concerns. The CCBC said the money could cover these issues. The CCBC said they heard voter concerns about costs and alternative sites, but this was not in the warrant they proposed. An alternative [motion] was cobbled together by voters which was not readable by all voters and included some errors. This was done on the fly with no input from town counsel. Why? Because town counsel was not present for a $300,000 warrant [article] that could lead to as much as $30 million of spending. This is on the Selects and the CCBC. The warrant was not well crafted and the input from town boards was inconsistent.

5. A voter implored citizens to “trust” the people who have worked on this project for 10 years. Trust is earned; it is not given. I hope and expect that future presentations of this project will be worthy of that trust.

Chris Burns lives at 222 Tower 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.

Town gets ready to vote on the future of a community center

After hearing yet more public input on the proposed community center, the Select Board wrestled with the wording of the proposed motion for the November 30 Special Town Meeting amid more discussion of the lower-cost options and even keeping two town departments in their current locations.

Public sentiment on the community center idea has swerved back and forth in recent weeks. Many residents and officials, backed up by numerous studies of space and programming, have noted the need for a facility to house the Parks and Recreation Department and the Council on Aging and Human Services, since their current locations (the Hartwell pods and Bemis Hall, respectively) are in dire need of repair and modernization. Work on the community center idea was suspended during the school building project, with the understanding that the town would put it on a fast track soon after that work was done.

But other Lincolnites, stunned by the ballooning cost of the two design ideas (each now about $25 million) put forth in 2018 and the tax impact of the school project, have urged a “no” vote on the measure to spend $325,000 for project management, design, and engineering consultants to create detailed plans and budgets. 

Originally, the intent was to use the $325,000 to simply flesh out the two concepts developed by Mary Ann Thomson Architects, but with the concerns about price, the current motion now calls for “developing a range of community center design choices and budgets for the Hartwell complex.” Select Board member Jonathan Dwyer suggested early in the board’s November 28 meeting that a lowest-cost option might consist of updating Bemis and the pods, a middle option might include some additional updates, and the costliest option would be fleshing out the two 2018 concepts “with all of the needs and most of the wants.”

However, previous studies have shown that Bemis’s layout, overall size, and parking availability mean that it cannot be made to function safely and effectively as a headquarters for the growing COA&HS — and most agree that the PRD needs to be located on the school campus. Other possible community center sites in town were considered, but cost analyses and voter sentiment at previous meetings showed that the Hartwell site made the most sense as a joint space for both departments.

If the $325,000 is approved, the Community Center Building Committee will direct architects to “develop additional, lower-cost options beyond the two chosen by the town in 2018 and refine all plans with a sharp eye for costs,” CCBC Chair Sarah Chester said at the Select Board meeting where she and others rehearsed their Town Meeting presentations.

An outline of the community center planning and needs was already presented at the first State of the Town Meeting on November 14 (see slides here). However, after hearing the misgivings expressed that night, the committee now plans on Wednesday to “dive one layer deeper at each stage and explain how conclusions were built on one another in an inductive and iterative fashion,” Chester said.

In an attempt to be as flexible as possible, the original motion recommended by the CCBC did not include a stipulation that a community center should be located at Hartwell. But Select Board member Jonathan Dwyer worried that such a motion “muddies the waters a little bit,” since all the earlier discussions had focused on that site as the best choice. Board member Jennifer Glass also expressed doubt that the $325,000 would cover the cost of developing lower-cost options at Hartwell while also looking at other sites in town.

“You can’t say [the vote] is definitely about a community center but that it might not be at Hartwell,” board member Jim Hutchinson said. 

The board concluded that even a lowest-cost option must involve a dual-use building to house both departments at Hartwell rather than simply renovating the pods and Bemis. “The low-cost option is not a community center” if the COA&HS is still headquartered in Bemis, even if that building could be sufficiently improved, he added. 

“If the will of town is Hartwell-centric, the low end might be a pod infill concept [while] pulling the scope back,” perhaps through more extensive reconstruction of the pods which might or might not be linked together, Town Administrator Tim Higgins said. “We could look at the [2018] Thompson concepts with detailed spreadsheets that go over program space room by room and create two columns for ‘need’ and ‘like’.”

“I think there are lots of places where a good architect can come up with a reduction in the scope and size of the building,” such as by eliminating an atrium or making offices smaller, CCBC member Alison Taunton-Rigby said. 

Margaret Olson recommended emphasizing that the 2018 concepts were “at an early stage and contained a great deal of what everyone wanted… A lot of people have asked for a lot of things and I think some of it needs to come out, though I’m not sure what. There’s concern that this has gotten too expensive and we haven’t paid attention to what we really need.”

The Select Board (which was required to vote on a motion to present at Town Meeting) was worried enough about changing the wording of the CCBC’s motion that they asked for input from any committee members who were still watching the meeting on Zoom. Susan Taylor responded that she thought the committee left out Hartwell-specific language because “they were afraid they’d get double ‘no’s because people would think they’re voting on the final design [at Hartwell] even though you keep telling them you’re not.” 

Chester had already left Town Hall after making her representation in person, but she logged on again from home. “After hearing tonight about why we’re focusing on Hartwell, it’s reasonable for us to put Hartwell into the motion,” she said.

If the November 30 measure is voted down, “both organizations still desperately need updated and safe space,” Chester said. Even a minimal renovation of Bemis and the pods will cost millions of dollars, “and everything will be more and more expensive the longer we delay.”

The Town Meeting starts at 7 p.m. in the Donaldson Auditorium. Residents must attend in person to comment and vote, but they may watch the proceedings from home via this Zoom link (passcode: 947551).

My Turn: Community center is an investment in the town just like the school

By Lis Herbert

I am hoping that you already have plans to attend Town Meeting this Wednesday night at 7 p.m. to vote YES to advance a decade of work to build a Community Center for Lincoln. If you don’t, I hope I can convince you to come.

Four years ago, many of us poured a lot of energy into ensuring that a new school would finally be built in Lincoln. If you attended those forums and meetings, and read the discussions online, you will likely remember that a significant number of older Lincolnites agreed to support the school building project in exchange — in some cases quite explicitly — for future support for the community center when it became clear that both would not be approved and built at the same time.

They said, basically, we will invest in the future of education in Lincoln, in a building that we may never step foot in, apart from Town Meeting, if you promise to make a smaller investment in an intergenerational community center that you will surely, at some point in your lifetime, and hopefully with some frequency, enjoy.

Communities that invest in public infrastructure, especially people-focused infrastructure, are stronger, more resilient, happier places to live. And there is no better example of the power of collective investment, energy and ideas than what has taken shape on the school campus. If you haven’t been to see it, I would encourage you to at least walk the perimeter during a school day, and see how transformative it is, how happy the kids and their teachers are, and how proud we should all be that this is where the children of Lincoln get to learn, and that we have invested in this, together.

There are, to be sure, organizations in town that bring people together at different times of the year for specific events — and yet these are, if we are being honest, few and far between. They’re not casual, easy things to pull off, they aren’t spontaneous, you can’t always simply stop by, on a whim.

This is an important vote, for a comparatively small amount of money, that will allow the work of the committee to move forward. This is not a vote to borrow $25 million, or a vote to approve a tax increase. This is a vote to advance the process, for $325,000.

Years of inaction on the school taught us that if we vote to kick the can down the road, even for a couple of years, we should take that $325,000, and probably a lot more, and just light it on fire. I don’t think there is anything we can be more sure of, with respect to the numbers. Voting no also means waiting a long time before we have something concrete to vote on again, and a decade of work and community outreach will evaporate. The Council on Aging will be stuck at Bemis Hall, the Hartwell pods will continue to deteriorate, and we will be back at square one.

I have faith in the committee: they are taxpayers who have paid for and invested in the school themselves, and who want the best for the town. They know, as well as you and I do, that if their proposal is unpalatable it will be voted down. Please let’s give them a chance.

“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.

My Turn: Lincoln Station or nothing at all

By John Carr

The proposed community center at Hartwell is an attempt to move even more school expenses outside of the school budget. The so-called “community center” is largely a Parks and Recreation facility with the stated goal of serving schools. It mixes facilities explicitly meant for the school with facilities that, underused, can be annexed by the school. The voters put a cap on school costs in 2018 and the town should respect us by respecting it.

If we’re talking about a “community” center, why are we putting it where there is no community around it? If the (former) Council on Aging wants space for the aging, why put it where no aging people live? We might as well rent some office space just over the town line in Waltham. Once you have to get in the car anyway it’s not much more effort to go to another town.

One site considered by the 2015 community center report is not in the middle of nowhere: the commuter rail parking lot. The report tried to steer voters away from this location by bundling an underground parking garage to make it more expensive.

Everything changed in 2020. Commuter rail as a transport mode died of Covid. The town-owned parking lot is nearly empty. We can put a building on half of it and nobody will be inconvenienced. We don’t need to replace any lost parking spaces, much less build an expensive underground facility.

As well as now being the cheapest of the six options studied, the Lincoln Station site also has the advantage of being

  • Near shops, so people can combine shopping or dining with community center activities
  • Near Codman farm
  • Near aging people that the Council on Aging is meant to serve

As a more ambitious project we could include affordable apartments to help meet our housing goals. This part could be paid for by CPA funds.

If the town votes for further study, it should limit the options to Lincoln Station and put a hard cap on the cost estimate. And if the cheerleaders for a school annex argue that Lincoln Station is not an option because Saturn is retrograde or some such, then the town should just say “no” to the whole white elephant.

“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.

My Turn: Looking for a community center

By Sally Kindleberger

It has been ten years since the idea for a Lincoln community center was launched. Over this decade, many committees have met, large community meetings have discussed ideas and town meetings were presented with potential plans. Folks at the COA and the Lincoln Select Board have patiently promoted this idea. When it became evident that the Lincoln School needed to be rebuilt, the community center was put on hold.

As a single woman, I took a deep breath and decided to support the school’s efforts, even if it meant delaying the community center. Growing up, I was taught the importance of paying it forward — to always support the younger generation that follows. With the school project, my taxes went up along with other homeowners in town, and though I have never had kids, I was more than willing to support the schools.

The schools are completed and finally, it is time to make the dream of a Lincoln community center come through. I have listened to and read about the concerns and questions of folks in town. Some of them are as follows…

Why do we need a new building?

One only has to enter Bemis Hall to recognize how it no longer serves the needs of a growing and aging population. There aren’t enough private spaces to provide adequate room for counseling or socializing. The air quality in the basement is poor, therefore making large meetings unhealthy. Parking is very limited and it is perilous to cross or back out onto Bedford Road.

What does the Council on Aging and Human Services do? Why is it important?

The role of the COA&HS has always been a great boon to the town, but before I retired, I had no idea what it did. Next time the COA&HS newsletter shows up in your mailbox, take a moment to read it before you toss it into the recycling bin. I think you will be surprised by the plethora of activities that occur. Classes, groups, lectures, plays, films, and trips provide education and entertainment. Outreach across the community is extended to those in need. Among these services are individual therapy, groups which problem-solve, fuel assistance, housing needs, help with water bills and transportation… and the list is always growing.

Why do I need a Council on Aging? I’m not old yet. 

The name Council on Aging can be a real turnoff — a vision of old people nodding off in wheelchairs comes to mind. But our COA&HS is hardly that. The attendees, volunteers, and staff that work at Bemis are energetic and enthusiastic participants. Merging the Recreation Department with the COA&HS into a community center will help to remove old negative connotations and stereotypes.

That is why we need a community center that spans all ages. With careful planning of space and programs, a community center can meet many needs. I would love to see new intergenerational programming evolve. Older adults could perhaps mentor middle schoolers. Perhaps “grand-friends” could forge relationships with little kids. Tutoring and/or game nights could happen and yoga classes with all ages would help to build relationships across the community. Building on the school grounds will make it easier for these connections to develop.

How can we afford a new building?

There are many wealthy folks in town who could perhaps afford to help fund it. Creative thinkers can gather and find ways to lower taxes through private donations. Let’s not throw out the baby with the bath water.

In closing, much work and planning have been devoted to this worthy vision. We aren’t starting from scratch. As a town, we are creative and thoughtful. Let’s figure out a way to make the community center happen. I have visited several community centers in the surrounding areas, and many are exciting vibrant places while some are small and drab. We need a community center which reflects the vibrant and creative nature of our town —  a place that is welcoming to all — a place where wonderful creativity happens.

“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.

My Turn: Vote yes to move forward with community center planning

(Editor’s note: this piece appeared in LincolnTalk on November 17 but some figures have been corrected with permission of the writer.)

By Michael Dembowski

The town’s dialogue regarding the proposed community center is engaging, healthy, and vital. However, many of the comments being expressed would be made no matter what the budget — the initial $15.3 million to $16.2 million estimated cost, or the current COVID- and inflation-driven $24.6 million to $26 million. Many townspeople simply don’t want to see additional tax increases, don’t know fully the program needs and current condition of the COA and Parks and Recreation Department, or don’t know of the diligent work of the community center committees dating back to 2012. Many of the suggestions and recommendations being made — whether thinking “out of the box” or being “prudent and cost-conscious” seem to be out of step with the process, uninformed by the work completed to date, or are more direct in wanting to prematurely shut down further town-wide consideration of a community center.

I am surprised at the apparent lack of good faith that those who have been directing this project to date have not thought of (and heard) and evaluated each suggestion offered. Does no one think that the Community Center Committees have not examined Bemis Hall and the Pierce House? Not looked at concurrent uses with the school programs? Not researched relevant program use data and benchmarking from other towns? Not been mindful of costs, budgetary constraints and the community’s reception to property tax increases — especially following the school project?

Voting YES on the next week’s ballot only approves limited monies for the further development of the proposed community center — a process that I would expect would be as transparent and participatory as the school project had been — incorporating the myriad voices and concerns now being expressed while also allowing for the possibility of securing private funds to help offset any future potential tax increase.

We are all privileged to live in this remarkable town — but privilege should prompt responsibility. Lincoln’s uniqueness is inextricably intertwined with its large sized properties, extensive conservation lands, farms and network of trails — all of which are universally appreciated and valued. However, the same lack of population and housing density can make Lincoln an extremely challenging place to live well and thrive in as we age — as we all age.

The community center project embodies a vision that is lost in much of the current dialogue of costs, budgets and potential taxes — one that should be considered in the context of wanting Lincoln to be a community that has the amenities, facilities and services that make it a desirable and more manageable town to live in for all of one’s life.

“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.

My Turn: COA&HS board urges support for community center

By Dilla Tingley

The Board of Directors of the Council on Aging and Human Services is unanimously and adamantly in support of a community center for Lincoln and for the initial funding of approximately $325,000 for the owners project manager and architect for the proposed community center. The need was identified 10 years ago, and we are truly excited now that the school building project is completed and the community center project is moving forward.

The center will provide for the clearly documented needs of Parks & Recreation and the COA&HS but will also be for all residents of Lincoln. We envision a place where citizens of all ages gather for a variety of activities or just to meet and greet. We expect it to create a real sense of community in these isolating times.

The COA&HS has sponsored many successful cross-generational activities over the past few years and eagerly await having the space to expand these activities.

We are pleased to be participating in the Community Center Fundraising Committee whose goal is to aggressively seek donations that will minimize the impact of the project on the Lincoln tax rate.

Dilla Tingley is chair of the Council on Aging & Human Services Board of Directors.

“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.