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

conservation

Lincoln, two other towns choose installers for Solarize program

Volunteers from Lincoln, Wayland, and Sudbury have selected SolarFlair Energy, Inc. to offer solar photovoltaic and New England Solar Hot Water for solar thermal and solar hot water options.

The move comes as part of the three towns’ participation in the state’s Solarize Mass program whereby residents can get lower pricing from an approved vendor of residential rooftop solar installations. The program helps consumers by keeping costs lower, ensuring that installations are of high quality, and offering ongoing support and troubleshooting.

Residents are encouraged to join SolarFlair and New England Solar Hot Water for an information session on Saturday, July 29 at 4 p.m. at Bemis Hall. Participants will learn more about how to determine whether their homes are suitable for solar, how they might qualify for financing and incentives, and how to sign up for a visit with the installer, and how to get a no-cost solar and home energy assessment. There will also be two other information sessions:

  • Tuesday, July 25 at 7 p.m. at the Wayland High School Auditorium (264 Old Connecticut Path, Wayland)
  • Wednesday, July 26 at 7 p.m. at the Goodnow Library in Sudbury (21 Concord Rd., Sudbury)

More than 20 installers submitted proposals to Solarize 2017 in the three towns. Proposals were reviewed by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), representatives of the towns’ energy committees and volunteers, and municipal representatives. Selection criteria included installer experience, locality, product and systems quality, equipment and installation warranties and pricing.

In addition to finding a vendor for solar photovoltaic, the three towns were also selected to initiate a pilot project, Solarize Plus, for solar hot water. Unlike solar photovoltaic, which converts direct sunlight to electricity, solar hot water transfers heat from the atmosphere directly to a hot water tank in your home. This technology can be more forgiving of shadier rooftops and/or smaller roof footprints that may not be suitable to accommodate solar photovoltaic. Currently, 0% financing is available for solar hot water through MassSave.

A February survey of Lincoln residents indicated strong interest in exploring investments in residential solar options. More on those results can be found here. To learn more about Solarize for Lincoln, Sudbury, and Wayland, visit the Solarize Mass website.

Drumlin Farm trail to become part of Bay Circuit Trail

Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary will mark its new inclusion as part of the Bay Circuit Trail (BCT) with a ribbon-cutting celebration on Saturday, July 15 at 12:30 p.m. and a volunteer work day.

A section of an existing Drumlin Farm trail will become part of the 230-mile BCT greenway, which arcs through 37 communities in eastern Massachusetts along hiking, biking, and paddling routes linking Plum Island to the north and Kingston Bay to the south. Signage and distinctive trail markers will indicate where the trail passes through the wildlife sanctuary. Drumlin Farm now joins Mass Audubon’s Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary in Sharon and Joppa Flats Education Center in Newburyport as conserved greenspaces that are part of the BCT.

The Bay Circuit Trail’s origins date to 1929 with a proposal for a protected greenbelt through the expanding metropolitan area  based on concepts reflected in landscape visionary Frederick Law Olmsted’s Emerald Necklace in Boston. After some initial progress, the ambitious conservation initiative ground to a halt for lack of funds and in the face of explosive development.

The long-dormant project regained momentum in the 1980s, spurred by conservationists, trails advocates, and the state’s environmental agencies. By 1990, the Bay Circuit Alliance had been formed. That group now includes hundreds of volunteers and numerous local, statewide, and regional organizations, including Mass Audubon and the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC), which serves as the BCT’s administrative and stewardship manager.

Local management of the Bay Circuit Trail is typically the responsibility of the communities it passes through. In Lincoln’s case, the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust oversees stewardship, although Mass Audubon will continue to care for the section of the trail passing through the sanctuary.

As part of the day’s events, the AMC, in collaboration with local BCT partners, will lead a day-long Bay Circuit volunteer work event starting at 9 a.m. to support the new trail section and local conservation lands. To sign up for the volunteer event, contact AMC/Bay Circuit Trail Volunteer Program Supervisor Beth Gula at bgula@outdoors.org or visit www.baycircuit.org/events for more information.

“With the Bay Circuit Trail now passing through Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary, both sanctuary visitors and BCT ‘through-hikers’ will be able to enjoy enhanced outdoors experiences,” Mass Audubon President Gary Clayton said. “As a conservation organization committed to helping people connect with nature, we appreciate how the Bay Circuit supports that same important goal, and we are particularly happy to partner with the Bay Circuit Alliance and the Appalachian Mountain Club in this valuable work.”

“We are excited to celebrate this significant milestone for the Bay Circuit Trail in partnership with Mass Audubon and the Bay Circuit Alliance,” said John Judge, Appalachian Mountain Club President and CEO. “The sanctuary greatly enhances this section of the trail for the enjoyment of all who pass through by allowing it to be rerouted off-road to a protected conservation area in close proximity to numerous historic landmarks, including Drumlin Farm, the Codman Estate, and the Gropius House.”

AmeriCorps crew restores section of Farrar Pond trail

A crew of AmeriCorps volunteers recently restored several eroded sections of trail on the eastern and southern shores of Farrar Pond that had become difficult to walk on due to erosion.

Fred Winchell and other members of the Farrar Pond Conservation Trust identified 10 spots in three sections of trail that needed the most work. A retaining wall and fill were installed to cover exposed roots and provide a level walking surface in one area. The crew also installed check steps—timbers placed across the trail to act as both low dams to slow water flowing down a trail and as steps for trail users. Some trail parts were also widened or rerouted slightly.

Over a 10-day period in late May and June, the five AmeriCorps crew members refurbished on a total of almost 8,000 feet of trail, including 250 feet of new trail and the 35-foot-long retaining wall.

Based in the Berkshires in northwestern Massachusetts, the Student Conservation Association’s (SCA) Massachusetts AmeriCorps program is a residential community of emerging leaders who devote five or 10 months to full-time educational and conservation service.

“Though our [Farrar Pond] projects were things we had little previous practice in and were hard work, we were motivated by visits from lots of furry and feathered friends. During one lunch break, Ryan played peek-a-boo with a weasel. Two swans made constant rounds with their four new babies in tow. And we were visited many times a day by our site contact, Fred [Winchell], and his friendly dog, Finnick,” AmeriCorps crew leader Caitlin Faulds wrote.

The project was funded by the Farrar Pond Associates via donations from pond abutters and other friends of Farrar Pond as well as a generous gift from Bob Davoli and Eileen McDonagh.

Photos courtesy SCA Massachusetts AmeriCorps and Fred Winchell; click here to see more.

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Public hearings coming up

Zoning Board of Appeals

Thursday, July 6 at 7:30 p.m. to hear and act on the following requests:

  • Gail Alden, 240 Concord Rd., for a special permit to build a two-story detached garage.
  • Lloyd Dahmen, 10 Grasshopper Lane, for a special permit to construct a garden shed.
  • Daniello Jeha, 170 South Great Rd., for a special permit to sell used cars.
  • Stephen Gladstone, 67 Winter St., for renewal of a special permit for an accessory apartment.
  • Deborah Race and James LaPlante, 41 South Great Rd., for a special permit for an addition and expansion with a two-car garage.

Planning Board

  • Tuesday, July 11 at 7 p.m. to review an application for Site Plan Review. The applicant, Robert Pace, proposes to construct a new home at 169 Lexington Rd.

Conservation Commission

  • Wednesday, July 12 at 7:30 p.m. in response to the Notice of Intent by Edward and Ellen Julian for a replacement septic system in the Outer Buffer Zone Resource Area at 104 Todd Pond Rd.
  • Wednesday, July 12 at 8:15 p.m. in response to the Notice of Intent by F. Douglas Adams for construction of a new home and associated landscape elements in the Outer Buffer Zone Resource Area at Granville and Llanover Roads.

Panel maintains watering restrictions

The Board of Water Commissioners voted this to keep the current one-day-a-week limitation on outdoor lawn watering.

Houses with even-numbered street addresses may water lawns by means of automatic irrigation systems or manual sprinklers on Saturdays and those with odd-numbered addresses on Sundays. Details on allowable watering uses and penalties for violations can be found on the Water Department web page.

Although the water in the Flint’s Pond has been rising during the rainy spring, it is still two feet below normal which is exactly where it was at this time last year. If the area has another dry summer, officials will have to restrict outdoor watering even further.

The board reviews current data on pond levels at each monthly meeting and considers revising the restrictions as necessary.

Drumlin Farm debuts summer music series starting June 23

Katrin Roush

The Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary will host an outdoor summer music series starting with Katrin Roush on Friday, June 23. All three concerts run from 5:30–8 p.m.

This community event, co-presented by climate action group Mothers Out Front, invites people from across the state to celebrate local music, local food, and local action in an effort to provide a hopeful future for the planet.

“We’re excited to bring music to Drumlin Farm as a way to celebrate nature and the arts in an outdoor setting,” said Drumlin Farm Sanctuary Director Renata Pomponi. “Partnering with Mothers Out Front to incorporate a hopeful message of how our community can work together to fight climate change adds a great dimension to this concert series, turning it from a scary topic to one that can bring us together in new and positive ways.”

In addition to having live music and farm-fresh food, the concert series will feature climate-related activities for kids and adults to make pledges and learn how they can make a difference in their own communities.

“Together, we can mobilize to create a livable climate for our children and for generations to come,” said Emily Haslett, Mothers Out Front–Lincoln. “We invite families to join our grassroots movement of mothers, grandmothers, and caregivers who are working for the swift and just transition from fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy.”

All ages are welcome and concert-goers are encouraged to bring a picnic dinner. Farm-fresh snacks and non-alcoholic beverages will be on sale. Please note: no alcohol allowed on the property. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for seniors 65+ and children ages 5–12, and free for children under 2. Purchase tickets online here. Other concerts in the series:

News acorns

Forum on how to discuss neighborhood noise

The Leaf Blower Study Committee (LBSC) and the Conservation Commission will sponsor a town-wide forum on how to communicate with neighbors about an issue that has increasingly become a source of friction within our community—neighborhood noise—on Wednesday, June 7 at 7:30 p.m. in the Donaldson Room at the Lincoln Town Hall.

During “Civil Discourse in a Noisy World: How to Talk with Neighbors about Difficult Issues,” mediator and attorney Jeanne Kempthorne will lead a workshop aimed at finding common ground on the use of noisy leaf blowers, an issue that has become contentious in communities in Massachusetts and around the country.

The LBSC believes that all residents in Lincoln, regardless of their opinion on this issue, would benefit from the establishment of some ground rules on when and how these machines are used, for reasons of health, the environment, and common courtesy. The group is seeking to initiate a conversation and a process that may lead to mutually beneficial resolutions amongst neighbors. Kempthorne is co-chair of the Legal Advisory Committee of Quiet Communities and The Quiet Coalition, and has been active in educational and outreach activities to support their mission.

Codman Farm BBQ and campout June 10-11

Parents and kids are invited to camp out under the stars after a hayride, barbecue, s’mores and an old-fashioned sing-a-long around the campfire at Codman Community Farms (CCF) starting on Saturday, June 10 at 4 p.m. There will be breakfast on Sunday with coffee, orange juice and bagels. Visitors are also welcome to enjoy the activities without camping overnight. Cost is $35 per tent site (includes breakfast for all campers in the tent). A CCF family membership required to sleep over. Tickets for the dinner (click to buy online) catered by Blue Ribbon Barbecue are $30 for adults and $15 for children under 12. Click here for stories and photos about the campout in 2012.

Talks at American Revolution meeting next week

Two members of the American Revolution Round Table will speak at the group’s next meeting on Monday, June 5 at 7 p.m. at the the Minute Man National Historical Park Visitor Center. Jim Hogan will speak about religion as a catalyst of the American Revolution, focusing on the ministers of the towns of Concord, Lexington, Lincoln and Bedford. Nancy Lynch will talk about the political clash between Jefferson and Hamilton, what it meant to the workings of democracy, and the ebb and flow of their ideas during the course of the American political experience, based on the book, Jefferson and Hamilton: The Rivalry that Forged a Nation. Please RSVP to reserve a seat by emailing mbern9@gmail.com.

Yoga in the park on four Saturdays

Melinda Bruno-Smith, certified hatha yoga instructor and Lincoln Garden Club member, will lead four yoga sessions in Station Park Garden (160 Lincoln Rd., across from the train station) on four Saturdays: June 3, 10, 17, and 24, from 9–10 a.m. A $5 donation is suggested; please bring a yoga mat, towel, or blanket to practice on and wear loose-fitting clothing.

Selectmen discuss building committees, ConsComm candidates

(Editor’s note: Following are highlights of the May 22 meeting of the Board of Selectmen. This is the first in a series of summaries of these meetings by former Selectman Peter Braun based on his review of the meeting videos, which are available at lincolntv.viebit.com or via the Town of Lincoln website under “Meeting Videos.”) 

The board met with Conservation Commission Chair Peter von Mertens and Larry Buell, a candidate for an open seat on the Conservation Commission. Two other candidates were interviewed at a prior board meeting. Buell described his experience as a professor, academic administrator, and researcher in history and environmental matters. Selectmen thanked him for his willingness to volunteer for the town, acknowledged the dilemma of having to choose one of three well-qualified candidates, and expressed the hope that the two candidates not chosen will be willing to serve in another capacity. The board deferred its decision until its next meeting.

Town Administrator Tim Higgins updated the board on several ongoing matters:

  • Wang property—review of purchase of town portion, bond financing, and management of development, including developing an irrigation plan and coordinating construction schedules.
  • Solar installation—the project’s planning committee focused on potential business arrangements with developers and is working with state Rep. Stanley on “home rule” legislation to provide relief from conservation restriction and thus permit solar array use on the former landfill.
  • Affordable accessory apartments—bylaw revisions have been approved by attorney general; the town is working with Rep. Stanley on legislation to authorize the tax exemption.
  • Financial management policies—Higgins is working with the Finance Committee to review and update.

The board also:

  • Updated its procedures for drafting and approving minutes.
  • Discussed the status of seeking at-large members of the Community Center Planning and Preliminary Design Committee, as well as continuing dialogue with the School Building Committee regarding who might serve as these committees’ respective liaisons to each other.
  • Continued development of its policy regarding whether, where, and to what extent the board and/or town staff would respond to matters raised in LincolnTalk or social media, as well as the status of redesign of the town web site.
  • Discussed its ongoing liaison with the Green Energy Committee regarding updating the town’s energy-usage targets.
  • Heard brief liaison reports regarding HATS, the School Building Committee, the L-S Environmental Club, the Housing Trust, the Bicycle Safety Advisory Committee, and the South Lincoln Planning and Implementation Committee.
  • Noted correspondence received from a resident of Old Winter Street requesting reconsideration of traffic restrictions.
  • Discussed its process for continuing to publish the Selectmen’s Newsletter.

Outdoor watering now allowed one day per week

Flint’s Pond water levels since 2010. In previous droughts, the lowest levels seen at the pond were 5.5 feet below full in 1951, and a bit more than 7 feet below full in 1967 (click image to enlarge).

The complete ban on outdoor lawn watering imposed during last summer’s drought has been modified, though it isn’t back to the old two-day-a-week permitted schedule.

The Water Department Commissioners voted to allow outdoor watering on a one-day-a-week schedule. Outdoor watering via irrigation systems and/or hose sprinklers on Saturdays for street addresses ending in an even number and on Sundays for addresses ending in an odd number.  The irrigation systems can operate between the hours of 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. Hand-watering of plants is allowed any day of the week from 6 p.m. to 9 a.m.

The water level in Flints Pond has rebounded more than 2.5 feet since the near-record low water levels of this past fall and winter. However, even with this strong recovery, the pond is still more than two feet below full capacity and has not yet reached the level it was at this time last year, according to Water Department Superintendent Greg Woods.

“With normal summer water use (i.e., watering twice a week), the pond level typically decreases by 2–3 feet, so if it’s another dry summer, it’s likely we will be right back in a similar situation as last year,” Woods said.

The Water Commission anticipates that the current watering restrictions, coupled with the increased use of the Tower Road well, will minimize the drawdown of the pond level. The panel will continue to monitor the pond level and the town’s water demand on a monthly basis to determine if the water restriction requires further adjustment. Anyone with questions may call Woods at 781-259-1329.

Lincoln residents can get discounts on solar installation

A rooftop solar array in Chicago (image courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

Lincoln is one of three towns selected by the state to participate in Solarize Mass, a program where residents can get lower pricing from an approved vendor of residential rooftop solar installations.

Sponsored by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Council (MassCEC), Solarize lets residents of a community to enter into a competitive pricing agreement with a preferred solar installer following a vetting process. Representatives from Lincoln, Wayland, and Sudbury’s energy committees are working with MassCEC to promote solar photovoltaic (PV) and solar hot water for residential rooftop installation. This program helps consumers by keeping costs lower—historically, up to 21% lower—and ensuring that installations are of high quality. Lincoln participated in the same program five years ago.

“Following the success of the 2012 Solarize Lincoln program and building on the increasing momentum of greener energy among residents means the time is ripe for another round,” said Jennifer Haugh of the Green Energy Committee (GEC) in a press release. “We’ve seen so much interest and excitement among residents, and it’s clear our communities are ready.”

In addition to finding a vendor for solar photovoltaic, the three towns were also selected to engage in a pilot project, Solarize Plus, which will engage a separate vendor to offer solar hot water. Unlike solar photovoltaic, which converts direct sunlight to electricity, solar hot water transfers heat from the atmosphere directly to a hot water tank in the home. This technology can be more forgiving of shadier rooftops but may require ongoing investments and maintenance.

In the coming weeks, GEC members will work with MassCEC and the towns of Wayland and Sudbury to accept and review bids for both solar photovoltaic and solar hot water providers. The team expects to announce a winner and launch the program this summer.

Since its launch in 2011, 58 cities and towns have participated in Solarize Mass, resulting in more than 3,400 new small-scale installations at homes and businesses totaling 20.6 megawatts of solar capacity.

Bylaw change maximizes rooftop solar

Residents voted at Town Meeting in March to remove a zoning bylaw setback requirement on rooftops, which will create additional space for rooftop solar arrays. GEC member Jim Hutchinson, who presented the warrant article, said the measure could make the difference for some Lincoln residents looking to install solar on smaller rooftops.

“In one case, that [former] one-foot setback requirement reduced the amount of rooftop available by 44 percent,” he said. “Having more viable space makes the decision to go solar that much more feasible for homeowners.”

A related bylaw change increased the maximum allowed height for ground-mounted solar from 10 feet to 12. The Planning Board may also now grant waivers to the solar installation requirements on a case-by-case basis.

Survey results town’s interest in solar

A survey in late February indicated strong interest on the part of Lincolnites in exploring investments in solar options for residences. Of 127 respondents, 66.4 percent were “very interested” and 23 percent were “somewhat interested” in finding out more about group purchasing and favorable pricing of solar equipment, installation, and/or solar electricity, with the remaining 10.7 percent indicating “other”—which primarily consisted of current solar owners who are enthusiastic about their arrays.

From a question regarding the motivations for interest in solar, 90 percent of respondents indicated a concern for climate change and 65 percent were concerned about the global politics of fossil fuels, whereas 56.7 percent were interested in solar in terms of an economic investment.

Of 117 responses to a question regarding types of solar of interest to Lincoln residents, 53.8 percent were homeowners interested in solar arrays for their own rooftops, and 37.6 percent were interested in sharing a sunshine-harvesting somewhere else.

A question about additional energy-efficiency opportunities yielded 48.3 percent of respondents interested in monitoring electric loads in their homes to find phantom loads, with additional interest in having home energy assessments (HEAs) and learning more about electric vehicles.

Optimizing energy use

Solarize is one of several residential energy programs offered by the GEC. Residents are urged to consider ways of conserving energy in their homes first before investing in the supply side, according to Lincoln Energy Challenge coordinator Sue Klem.

“Solar PVs are a great way to minimize your carbon footprint, but you’ll want to optimize your home for energy efficiency first,” she said. “The best way to find out how to make your home as efficient as possible is to get a home energy assessment” or HEA.

Massachusetts has one of the nation’s top statewide energy-efficiency programs in partnership with MassSave, a nonprofit funded through utility fees. Lincoln works with a company called HomeWorks Energy to perform no-cost HEAs, where an energy auditor comes to check a residence for air leaks, proper insulation, lighting, and other sources of inefficiency. They can replace incandescent bulbs with free LED light bulbs, leave free “smart” power strips, and perform on-the-spot air sealing for drafty homes. HEA auditors can also offer recommendations for energy-efficiency improvements, often supported by tax incentives.

For more information on obtaining a no-cost HEA, visit www.lincolnenergychallenge.org or call 781-305-3319.