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

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Join Sept. 20 climate strike via 9:09 Lincoln train

On Friday, Sept. 20, many members of the Lincoln community plan to attend the Boston Youth Climate Strike at Boston City Hall and will board the 9:09 am train at Lincoln Station (see this letter to the editor). Around the country and around the globe, young people and their adult allies will be leaving school and work to raise their voices to protect the Earth’s climate from further damage by fossil fuel emissions. St. Anne’s in-the-Fields Episcopal Church invites anyone who is planning to take the 9:09 train to join us for a brief Liturgy for the Climate at Lincoln Station beginning at 8:45 a.m. as clergy and congregants offer prayers of blessing for the Earth and acknowledge the climate emergency threatening the future of humanity. See Massachusetts Mothers Out Front for more information on the Boston Youth Climate Strike.

Water Commission seeks new member

The Water Commission is seeking interested volunteers. The commission ensures that the town’s drinking water meets all applicable federal, state and local laws and standards, as well as ensuring that the system revenue covers system operations, debt service, and reserves. The deadline for submittals is Friday, Oct. 4. Send letters of interest to Peggy Elder, Administrative Assistant in the Selectmen’s Office, elderp@lincolntown.org. For information or an application, call the Selectmen’s Office at 781-259-2601.

Drumlin Farm gets $20,000 grant from foundation

Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary has receive a $20,000 grant from the Middlesex Savings Charitable Foundation to support its full suite of Leaders in Environmental Access for All (LEAF) programs for children up to age 18. Programs include specialized field trips and guided programs, vocational internships, staff training, and adaptive curriculum and equipment for special-needs students participating in Drumlin Farm programs.

“Funding will allow us to continue our robust vocational internships opportunities, grow our adapted curriculum based environmental education programing, and implement a variety of staff trainings on disability and inclusivity,” said Drumlin Farm Education Manager Jennifer Feller.

Talk on women’s suffrage in Mass.

The Lincoln Historical Society  presents Barbara Berenson, author of Massachusetts in the Woman Suffrage Movement: Revolutionary Reformers, on Sunday, Oct. 6 at 1:30 p.m. in Bemis Hall. Massachusetts was at the center of the national struggle for women’s suffrage; in a 1915 referendum, the men of Massachusetts voted two-to-one against woman suffrage. Nonetheless, in a remarkable reversal, Massachusetts ratified the 19th Amendment within three weeks after it was approved by Congress. Berenson is also author of Boston in the Civil War and is senior attorney at the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.

Walk to benefit SVdP and Lincoln food pantry

Come on Saturday, Sept. 28 from 10–11 a.m. to St. Julia Church (374 Boston Post Rd, Weston) for a walk to raise awareness for people in need in Lincoln and Weston, and to benefit the work of our local Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP) conference and the food pantry. Suggested donation $10 per person or $25 per family. This will be an easy walk along the new rail trail with an ice cream social at 11a.m. at St. Julia Church. SVdP provides emergency financial help to residents of Lincoln and Weston and operates a food pantry at St. Joseph Church in Lincoln that serves clients from both towns. 

Letter to the editor: Lincolnites attend a compelling Democratic convention

To the editor:

Lincoln’s delegates were (front row, left to right) Jerry Gechter, Joan Kimball, Sasha Golden, Barbara Slayter, and Jennie Morris; and (back row, left to right) Alex Chatfield, Travis Roland, Chris Loschen, Alisar Cohen, and Virginia Welles (click to enlarge).

Spirits were high last Saturday as some 4,000 Democrats gathered at the Massachusetts Democratic Convention in Springfield. Representing Lincoln were six delegates, four alternates, and one youth delegate, an activist senior from Lincoln-Sudbury High School.

Shannon Liss-Riordan and Steve Pemberton (candidates for U.S. Rep. Ed Markey’s seat in the primary) emphasized women’s rights, early childhood education, and getting corporate money out of politics. Others including current Reps. Lori Trahan, Seth Mouton, and Ayanna Pressley (via video) focused on fairness and addressing the dilemmas of our increasingly inequitable society.

There were many others with compelling personal stories and political objectives, but three speakers in particular stirred the crowd to cheers and chants as they vigorously waved signs with the speaker’s names: Maura Healey, Ed Markey, and Elizabeth Warren. All three electrified the MassMutual Center with calls for making “a democracy that works for all Americans” (Healey), implementing “big structural change” (Warren), an economy that does not “deny, deprive, and devalue” (Markey), and sharing a common recognition that “Mass Democrats don’t agonize, they organize.”

The final speaker was a compelling presentation by Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action, who praised Massachusetts for its strong gun laws and touted the organization’s six million members determined to make a difference on gun violence. The plenary session concluded with affirmation by the delegates of 11 resolutions across a broad variety of political, social, and economic topics.

The afternoon breakout sessions featured panelists including State Sen. Jamie Eldridge, Sen. Ed Markey, Rep. Joe Kennedy, and Framingham’s Mayor Yvonne Spicer as well as experts on the issues under discussion:

  • climate change, sustainability, energy, and the Green New Deal
  • realities of the immigration process
  • racism in American politics
  • narrowing the racial wealth divide in the Commonwealth
  • building coalitions and partnerships in the fight for Democratic values.

Lincoln delegates dispersed themselves among these sessions to glean new ideas and action agendas on each of these topics.

There will be a discussion of the convention and actions proposed for the 2020 elections on Sunday, Sept. 29 from 4–5:30 p.m. in Bemis Hall, facilitated by Lincoln delegates Alisar Cohen, Ginny Welles, Travis Roland, Alex Chatfield, Sasha Golden, Jerry Gechter, Jennie Morris, Chris Loschen, Joan Kimball, and Barbara Slayter.

Sincerely,

Barbara Slayer and Joan Kimball
Co-Chairs, Lincoln Democratic Town Committee

Public hearings coming up

Zoning Board of Appeals

The Zoning Board of the Appeals will hold a public hearing on Thursday, Sept. 5 at 7:30 p.m. to hear and to act on the following petitions:

  • Johan Pontin, 19 Bedford Rd., for renewal of a special permit for an accessory apartment.
  • Adam Sodowick and Isabelle Lousada, 233 Old Concord Rd., for a special permit to renovate entryway, add a new screened porch and deck, and install kitchen addition to the existing structure.

Planning Board

The Planning Board will hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 10 to review an application for a sign permit. The applicant, Quinn Chan, proposes to add a sign for his business at 152 Lincoln Rd.

Public hearings coming up

Historic District Commission

The Historic District Commission will hold a public hearing at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 3 to review the application of Geoffrey Hargreaves-Heald of 24 Sandy Pond Rd. of to repair or replace four columns on the front porch, replace decking and repair any structural issues as necessary.

Historical Commission

The Historical Commission will hold a public hearing at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 3 to consider the application of Roy S. MacDowell to demolish the house at 19 South Great Rd.

Zoning Board of Appeals

The Zoning Board of the Appeals will hold a public hearing on Thursday, Sept. 5 at 7:30 p.m. to hear and to act on the following petitions:

  • Johan Pontin, 19 Bedford Rd., for renewal of a special permit for an accessory apartment.
  • Adam Sodowick and Isabelle Lousada, 233 Old Concord Rd., for a special permit to renovate entryway, add a new screened porch and deck, and install kitchen addition to the existing structure.

Planning Board

The Planning Board will hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 10 to review an application for a sign permit pursuant to Section 16.5 of the Zoning Bylaw. The applicant, Quinn Chan, proposes to add a sign for his business at 152 Lincoln Rd.

News acorns

Drumlin Farm makes “Best of Boston”

Boston Magazine’s annual Best Of Boston feature honored Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary as the “Best Family Friendly Activity” in the western suburbs. “Extensive seasonal programming—from beloved “Woolapalooza” sheep-shearing days to strawberry picking—is the pitch-perfect blend of authentically agrarian and totally accessible,” the magazine wrote.  “One visit…and you’ll see why this Lincoln oasis has been a cherished tradition for generations of families.”

Conservation Commission seeks members

The Conservation Commission has one and possibly two openings for new commissioners. The group is responsible for permitting building and other activities that take place in or near wetland areas in accordance with the state act and our local by-law, and members often do site visits on the morning of their meeting to get an accurate sense of the property and issues under consideration. Because conservation is an integral part of many town activities, commissioners are expected to participate as liaisons with other boards or committees such as the Agricultural Commission, the School Building Committee, etc.

Those interested are invited to come to a meeting to see how it functions. The group meets every third Wednesday starting at 7 p.m.; the next few are on September 4, September 25, and October 16. For more information please call the Conservation Department at 781-259-2612.

Town hoping for funds for commuter lot and other South Lincoln projects

An overview of some of the current and future improvements planned for the Lincoln Station area (click image to enlarge).

By Alice Waugh

The town expects to hear within a few weeks about its request for a state grant to fund four roadway projects, including improvements to the unpaved resident commuter lot next to the railroad station in South Lincoln.

Of the requested $400,000 total, $203,000 would pay for paving the lot and improving handicapped parking as well as installing a sidewalk segment, stormwater system, and new signs. The application also seeks about $150,000 to build a 1,700-foot shared-use path linking the pedestrian/bicycle pocket park next to the train tracks to the Codman Road intersection, plus improved crosswalks there.

A third project costing $26,000 would fund alterations to improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists at the intersection of Route 117 and Tower Road, and the remaining $20,000 would pay for finishing work on the pocket park with pavers and granite curbing.

A previous $400,000 Complete Streets grant in 2017 funded several projects that are now complete: the pocket park with its bike repair station and informational kiosk, wayfinding signs directing visitors to attractions including Drumlin Farm, repairs to various bike path segments that had been damaged by tree roots, a new sidewalk segment on Lincoln Road near the Ryan Estate, and a crosswalk with flashing lights and a pedestrian island on Route 117 close to the Lincoln Road intersection.

The projects are part of a larger South Lincoln revitalization effort spearheaded by the South Lincoln Planning Implementation Committee (SLPIC). Subgroups of that committee are also pursuing plans to revamp the MBTA station area, and to amend zoning in South Lincoln to encourage different housing and commercial options. SLPIC unveiled its proposals at a public forum in May.

Last year, the town was conditionally awarded $500,000 to design the commuter station improvements, but it’s unclear whether Lincoln will ever see that money. Director of Planning and Land Use Jennifer Burney said town officials are continuing to work with the MBTA and Lincoln’s state legislators, but obtaining funds from a grant or other alternative source would be very difficult because most grants require that the land in question be owned by the town.

Meanwhile, town officials held a kickoff meeting last week with a consultant who will look at options for a system that would allow commuters in the larger lot behind Donelan’s to pay for parking using using either a smartphone app or cash. No changes are expected until next spring because “lots of decisions that have to be made regarding the type of system, the fee (will it remain the same or increase), etc.,” Burney said.

Another area of SLIPC’s attention is the underused green space between the mall and Lincoln Woods. The town has applied three times for a matching grant to pay for work outlined by landscape architect Lemon Brooke LLC but with no luck thus far.

“Because the town does not own this, it’s up to the Rural Land Foundation to decide what they will do. The RLF is working closely with Lemon Brook Design Firm on a design and hopefully in the future we will see some improvements there,” Burney said. Officials are also looking at other sites around Lincoln Station for the playground that was part of that grant application.

Group presents options for property tax relief

(Editor’s note: click here for the complete set of slides and explanatory notes discussed at the Property Tax Study Committee forum.)

By Alice Waugh

To soften the blow of the imminent property tax increase, a town committee has suggested two options: a means-tested circuit breaker program and a residential exemption for certain properties.

The Property Tax Study Committee was formed last winter amid worries that some homeowners will not be able to afford the tax increase that was approved to pay for the $93 million school project. Figures released in February projected an average increase of 12.7% for fiscal 2020. The group has been gathering information for several months on the financial demographics of property owners, what tax mitigation programs currently exist, and what other towns and the state have done to help squeezed taxpayers.

As it tried to gauge financial need in town, the group found that about 25% of Lincoln households are defined as “cost-burdened” when it comes to housing costs, meaning they pay more than 30% of their income for housing. The town’s stock of affordable housing will increase once Oriole Landing opens, but there is currently a three-year waiting list for affordable rental units in Lincoln Woods, Selectman Jennifer Glass said at the committee’s June 18 public forum.

The most heavily used tax relief program in Lincoln is the senior/veterans work-off program whereby qualified residents can earn reductions of up to $1,500 by working for the town, Glass said. Homeowners and renters 65 and older can also qualify for the state’s Senior Circuit Breaker Tax Credit program. Residents can also receive financial, food assistance, and social services from other town programs. The St. Vincent de Paul/St. Joseph food pantry is serving about four times as many clients as in 2011, and the Parks & Recreation Department has also seen an increase in demand for financial aid, Glass said.

Expanded circuit breaker

One option is for the town to expand on the state circuit-breaker program, which aims to ensure that residents over 65 do not pay more than 10% of their income on property taxes. That program, which is available to both renters and homeowners who meet income, asset and property value limits, has a benefit limit of $1,100. However, in towns like Lincoln with high property values and taxes, that benefit is often not enough to bring the tax bill down to 10% of income.

Three area towns — Sudbury, Concord, and Wayland — have applied for permission from the Commonwealth to create extension programs to bridge that gap. Such programs require approval from the legislature as well as Town Meeting. (Click here for a comparison of state and town programs.)

In Lincoln, 577 of the 1,940 single-family residences qualify for the existing state circuit breaker by virtue of having owners 65 or older who have lived in town for at least 10 years. The property tax committee estimated that anywhere from 224 to 466 properties might qualify under a circuit-breaker extension program, depending on income and assets.

Residential exemption

The second option, a residential tax exemption would make property taxes more progressive and to try to preserve moderate-income housing by providing tax relief regardless of age or income. In this scenario, the Board of Selectmen would set an exemption of zero to 35% of the town’s average property value. That exemption would be translated into a dollar amount and become a fixed deduction from the assessment of every owner-occupied residential property.

The effect would be to reduce taxes on eligible properties with valuations below a given “break even” point. For 2019 in Lincoln, anyone with a home value under $1.14 million would pay less and the rest would pay more. It would not apply to commercial properties or to developments, such as Lincoln Woods, that are not owner-occupied.

Unlike the circuit-breaker extension programs, a residential exemption would not require new revenue, but it would shift the tax burden to more expensive properties. “As you go up to the more expensive homes, it goes up quite dramatically,” Glass noted.

Because the deduction would reduce the amount that can be taxed, the tax rate would have to increase on the remaining property value in order to raise the total levy amount needed to fund the town budget. For example, with a 5% exemption, the tax rate per $1,000 of property value would need to increase to $16.50; with a 35% exemption, it would have to rise to $22.20 per $1,000 (for fiscal 2019, it’s currently $14.03 per $1,000).

Sixteen cities and towns in Massachusetts have residential tax exemptions ranging from 10% to 35%. They include cities with a large commercial tax base (Boston and close suburbs) as well as several towns on Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard with expensive vacation homes that are not owner-occupied year round.

Lexington studied the residential exemption idea but decided against it. There is often resistance to the fact that it is not means-tested, and that there can be significant additional tax burden on higher value properties, Glass said. It might also hurt renters when their landlords pass on the tax increase in the form of higher rents for market-rate units.

Other possibilities for tax relief include prioritizing and funding other supports such as social services and rental assistance, Glass said. (Click here to see a comparison between the circuit breaker and residential exemption concepts.)

The committee will give another report at the State of the Town meeting on November 2 and may recommend a measure for voters at the Annual Town Meeting in spring 2020. In the meantime, the group urged residents to share thoughts and reactions by taking this online survey. The feedback form will stay open until the next forum in the fall on a date to be announced.

News acorns

Hospice volunteers come to Drumlin Farm

Care Dimensions volunteers at Drumlin Farm (click photo to enlarge).

More than a dozen Care Dimensions employees recently volunteered at Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farm in Lincoln to plant vegetables, herbs, and flowers that will the farm will go to CSAs, farmers’ markets, and cafeterias. The farm day was part of the company’s employee volunteer program in which selected employees volunteer with a community organization located within the company’s service area. Last year, the Care Dimensions company opened an 18-bed hospice house in Lincoln, and it also has offices in Waltham and Danvers.

Food donations needed in summertime

Summer is a particular time of need for donations to the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry. During the school year, students can get free or reduced-price lunch at school, but now that the academic year is over, more food is needed to compensate for the loss of these lunches. Please donate canned goods, cereals, spaghetti sauce, diapers, snack foods, etc.  The pantry is always looking for healthy treats, gluten-free, and reduced-salt items as well. Bring items to St. Joseph Church (side door, basket on the floor) or the Parish Center at St. Julia Church (374 Boston Post Rd., Weston).

Get free books at the library

Summer is actually spring-cleaning time at the Lincoln Public Library, where summer interns help process discarded books for the public to pick up for free. The library scans selected books to see if its used book re-seller will take them, then offer put them on the discarded books cart in the library’s lower stack level downstairs. Some of the books are in good condition; others have been well loved and will be replaced by newer copies. Note: The books aren’t meant to take the place of our Friends Book Sale Cart — those books are all in good condition, and sales support the library programs.

Residents can now apply for building permits online

The Lincoln Planning Department is updating its services to include online applications for building permits. Applicants may click here, create an account, and apply for a permit. Only building permit applications are available online, but electrical, plumbing and gas will be added in the future. Anyone with questions regarding the system may call Lincoln IT Director Michael Dolan at 781-259-2702.  

Two new outdoor installations at deCordova

“Sunday, Sitting on the Bank of Butterfly Meadow” by Wardell Milan.

Two new sculptures were recently unveiled at the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum and will be on view until the end of December. In “PLATFORM 24: Wardell Milan, Sunday, Sitting on the Bank of Butterfly Meadow,” New York artist Wardell Milan adapts one of his lush, intricate photo-dioramas to a monumental scale. Working with photography, sculpture, drawing, and collage, he stages intricate maquettes of found imagery to create compositions of pastoral landscapes populated by bodies of diverse genders and racial identity. The PLATFORM series at the deCordova includes one-person commissioned projects by early- and mid-career artists that engage with deCordova’s unique landscape.

“Kitchen Trees” by B. Wurtz.

“Kitchen Trees” is the first large-scale, public work by B. Wurtz. Its trunk is composed of blue colanders stacked in a slender column with thin metallic branches leading to overturned pots and pans, out of which plastic fruits and vegetables appear to fall. The sculpture’s form is partially inspired by the bulbous bronze fountain in New York’s City Hall Park where “Kitchen Trees” was first displayed alongside four other sculptures from the same series. At deCordova, the whimsical piece evokes a tropical palm tree, in striking contrast to the towering pines and elegant beeches that thrive in New England.

News acorns

Planning Dept. seeks summer intern

Lincoln’s Planning and Land Use Department has been awarded a Grant to hire a Lincoln high school or college student as a summer intern. This is a part time paid position with a summer stipend of $1,344. This position will assist with many interesting projects. Desirable skills include: computer, website design, photography, and you should be personably, friendly and outgoing. Please forward your resume by Friday, June 14 to burneyj@lincolntown.org. Interviews will be conducted the week of June 24 with a start date in early July.

DeCordova events this month

Artist and sound designer José Rivera

Aural Cartography: A Conversation with José Rivera
Thursday, June 13, 6:30–7:30 p.m.
Join us for a talk by artist and sound designer José Rivera as he discusses his practice in relation to environmentalism, art in the landscape, and acoustic ecology. Trained as an architect, José explores experimental techniques of integrating sound and space to create installations, performances, maps, and compositions. Free; registration requested (click here).

Mobile Subjects: Mapping Sound in the Sculpture Park
Saturday, June 15 — 9:30 a.m.–noon (rain or shine)
Join us for a soundwalk and a map workshop led by artist and sound designer José Rivera. As an invitation to deepen our connection to the environment through sound, the program will include a range of activities integrating sensory perception, physical action, and the art of spatial thinking. $20 for members, $30 for nonmembers; click here for tickets.

Trans/lucent/see: A Solstice Performance in the Park by Excavate
Friday, June 21 — 6:30–8:30 pm
Join us for this site-specific performance jointly inspired by Saul Melman’s ghostly cast doors in the Sculpture Park and the glass doorknobs made by the de Cordova family at the turn of the twentieth century. Excavate‘s unique choreography digs into the historical routes and roots of these translucent objects to create an embodied expression of the stories that have been quieted or forgotten along the way. Free; registration requested (click here).

5K Trail Run
Saturday, June 22 — 9:30 a.m.
Join us at our 4th Annual Art and Nature 5K Trail Race! The course begins in deCordova’s Sculpture Park and continues through Lincoln’s conservation trails alongside Flint’s Pond for a fun, challenging run. Please note that this is a trail run, with lots of rocks, roots, dips, turns, and some uphill terrain. You are welcome to run or walk the race. All participants get a deCordova 5K T-shirt. $20 for members and Lincoln residents, $30 for nonmembers, $15 for children under 18, free 50-yard dash for 9 and under. Click here to register.

Nature, Sculpture, and Movement Meditation with Jamie Hunt
Sunday, June 23 — 10 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
To attune to the summer landscape, Jamie will weave together nature-based meditation practices, movement meditation, and observation of art in the Sculpture Park. We will explore several meditations to open our sense of awareness and deepen our appreciation—and experience—of deCordova’s sculptures. For ages 12+. $24 for members, $30 for nonmembers. Click here for tickets.

Public hearings coming up

The Historic District Commission will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, June 11 at 7:30 p.m. to consider the following applications:

  • First Parish Church, for a Certificate of Appropriateness to install roof-mounted solar panels on the Parsonage at 14 Bedford Rd.
  • Michael Barnicle and Anne Finucane for a Certificate of Appropriateness to replace two windows on the front of the house at 20 Trapelo Rd.
  • David Jacobs and Louise Akillian for a Certificate of Appropriateness to reinstate a balustrade above the side sunroom at 2 Weston Rd.

The Conservation Commission will hold two public hearings on Wednesday, June 12:

  • 7:30 p.m. — Request for Determination of Applicability filed by Michael C. Sheahan for the construction of an attached mudroom, an awning over the steps of the main entrance, and a second floor deck in the buffer zone at 219 Concord Rd.
  • 8 p.m. — Notice of Intent filed by Robert Hill for the construction of a barn with a grass paver drive-up and drip edge infiltration drainage in the buffer zone at 19 Warbler Springs Rd.

The Zoning Board of Appeals will hold a public hearing on Thursday, June 13 at 7:30 p.m. to hear and act on the following petitions:

  • Richard Jensen, 161 Concord Rd., for renewal of a special permit for an accessory apartment.
  • Richard Albert, 190 Bedford Rd., for a special permit to construct a deck with pergola on a non-conforming lot.
  • 170 South Great Road LLC, 170 South Great Road, for a special permit to sell used passenger vehicles.