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

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Hearing focuses on marijuana businesses in town

The Planning Board will be conducting a public hearing on Tuesday, Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. at Town Offices for the purpose of reviewing two marijuana-related bylaw proposals that will be voted on during a Special Town Meeting on October 20.

The first of the two bylaws proposes to extend the existing recreational marijuana moratorium from November of this year until June 2019, to provide the town with more time to complete public education and outreach, to develop alternative bylaw proposals and to schedule the required town meetings and election.

The second bylaw asks the town to consider enacting a ban on all forms of commercial recreational marijuana, including cultivation, retail sales, manufacturing, and testing. This requires a two-thirds majority to pass. The vote on the proposed full ban will occur first because:

  • The results of a town-wide survey last spring indicate that a strong majority favors a full ban.
  • In the event the full ban fails to achieve the required two-thirds majority, we will have time to prepare partial ban alternative bylaws for a vote in March.
  • A total ban could be reversed by a future vote of Town Meeting.
  • Operating under a full ban would provide time to learn from the experience of other communities.

Before voting on the full ban during the October 20 Special Town Meeting, voters will hear a presentation from the Marijuana Study Committee that explains the law and the pros and cons of the various options.

Officials urge interested citizens to attend the public hearing to hear a presentation from the Selectmen’s Marijuana Study Committee. Also on the group’s website is an FAQ document and a link to the video of an April 2018 public forum on the issue of marijuana businesses.

Primary results for Lincoln

In the September 4 primary for Massachusetts governor, Lincoln opted for Democrat Jay Gonzalez by a margin of 71% to 29% and Republican incumbent Charlie Baker, 78% to 22%, in the only category where both parties had a contested primary. The tables below show Lincoln’s results for the contested races for each party (write-in and blank ballots are not included in the totals).

Democratic candidatePrecinct 1Precinct 2Total
GOVERNOR
Jay Gonzalez482249731
Bob Massie198101299
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
Quentin Palfrey500263763
Jimmy Tingle15580235
SECRETARY OF STATE
William Galvin468243711
Zakim246120366
GOVERNOR'S COUNCIL
Marilyn Petitto Devaney274137411
Nick Carter391201592
DISTRICT ATTORNEY
Marian Ryan210127337
Donna Patalano484233707
Republican candidatePrecinct 1Precinct 2Total
GOVERNOR
Charlie Baker9667165
Scott Lively281947
U.S. SENATOR
Geoff Diehl473684
John Kingston242044
Beth Lindstrom402768
ATTORNEY GENERAL
James McMahon464188
Dan Shores422264
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE
John Hugo413677
Louis Kuchnir402868

Extra hours for absentee voting this week

For those wishing to cast absentee ballots in advance of the September 4 state primary election, the Town Clerk’s office will be open from 7 a.m.–5 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, Aug. 30 and 31. Voters can come to the office and vote in person by absentee ballot if they expect to be out of town during normal polling hours on September 4, or due to physical disability or religious belief.

Voters must submit written requests for absentee ballots. All ballots must be returned by 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 4. For more information, call 781-259-2607.

Register by Aug. 15 for state primary; absentee ballots available

To be able to vote in the Massachusetts  state primary on Tuesday, Sept. 4, residents must be registered to vote by Wednesday, Aug. 15. Click here to register online, or register in person at the Town Clerk’s Office during regular summer business hours (Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m.–5 p.m.)

Absentee ballots for the September 4 primary are now available. A written request is required before receiving the ballot. The ballot may be voted at the Town Clerk’s Office, or the applicant may request that a ballot be mailed.

Massachusetts law does not permit persons to pick up ballots for another person, although it does permit certain family members to apply for an absentee ballot on behalf of another family member. The Town Clerk’s elections page has more information as well as specimen ballots and the Massachusetts ballot questions for the November election. You may also call the Town Clerk’s office at 781-259-2607.

Town poised to get more state funding for MBTA, roadway projects

Lincoln’s MBTA commuter train stop heading into Boston.

State lawmakers have authorized $500,000 for a study to design improvements to Lincoln’s MBTA station and commuter lot, as well as another $321,500 for roadway improvements in another grant.

The larger chunk of money is part of a capital bond bill signed into law in June. The town is in the process of requesting release of the funds through a letter to the Baker administration explaining the need for and benefits of the MBTA project and how the cost estimate was generated. An environmental bond bill, which would funnel $321,500 to Lincoln, was approved by the state Senate on July 30 and is now before the governor for approval. Lincoln’s allotment in both bills was proposed by State Sen. Michael Barrett.

The South Lincoln Implementation and Planning Committee‘s MBTA team has recommended a list of improvements around the MBTA stops including:

  • Explore the feasibility of locating the eastbound and westbound access on the same side of Lincoln Road, preferably the Lincoln Station side (west)
  • Redesign the walkway and ramp access to the train to make it ADA compliant
  • Provide an elevated platform to accommodate people with disabilities, the elderly, riders with bicycles, families with strollers, riders with luggage, etc.
  • Provide pedestrian shelters with seating
  • Provide additional bike parking
  • Improve signage at boarding and unloading points
  • Move the MBTA maintenance shed on Lincoln Road due to its location at the gateway entrance to Lincoln’s village center, or make landscaping improvements to beautify the gateway.

To further enhance commuter services, the SLPIC MBTA team is also recommending that the town make the following improvements to its own adjacent parking facilities:

  • Improve the parking pay method with a pay kiosk that accepts credit cards and/or a pay by phone system
  • Provide electric vehicle parking and charge stations
  • Improve wayfinding signage for parking
Complete Streets

The $321,500 in the environmental bond bill would provide Complete Streets program funding for:

  • Roadside path repair ($115,000)
  • Study and construction of intersection improvements ($111,000)
  • New sidewalk construction ($13,000)
  • Accessibility, informational, wayfinding, and safety improvements at Lincoln Station ($82,500)

This will be the second Complete Streets grant for Lincoln. In 2017, the town received $400,000 for a set of projects including roadside path repairs, safety improvements at the intersection of Route 117 and Lincoln Road, and sidewalk construction on Lincoln Road just west of the Ryan Estate condominiums. All of those projects are due to be competed by September 30.

Special Town Meeting vote on marijuana businesses planned

The town will schedule a Special Town Meeting this fall to vote on extending the current moratorium on recreational marijuana businesses in Lincoln and whether to seek a full ban on such businesses.

Massachusetts legalized recreational marijuana sales in 2016, but individual cities and towns can choose to opt out of marijuana growing, processing, testing or retail businesses. Lincoln narrowly voted to legalize recreational marijuana in the state election in 2016; as a result, any future partial or full ban in Lincoln must be approved by a two-thirds majority at Town Meeting and by a simple majority at a later ballot vote.

In March 2017, Lincolnites approved a temporary moratorium on cannabis businesses while residents decided on a permanent course of action. That moratorium is set to expire on November 20, but the town has the option of extending it for a limited period of time. This fall’s Town Meeting vote will seek to extend it until June 30, 2019.

At the fall vote, residents will also be asked if they want to institute a full ban on all cannabis businesses. If two-thirds say yes, the town will seek to affirm that vote at the ballot box after the spring 2019 Annual Town Meeting. “We’re fairly close to two-thirds now in terms of support for a full ban,” Selectman James Craig noted at the board’s June 19 meeting, referring to results of a town-wide survey mailed to residents in April.

If the two-thirds bar isn’t met, the Marijuana Study Committee will seek more feedback with another survey “so we can really drill down on what appetite the town has for commercial development ore retails sales” of cannabis products, Craig said. The Planning Board would then draw up proposed zoning amendments to regulate businesses and would bring them to a Town Meeting vote in spring 2019.

If the town does nothing, the state could begin issuing licenses to marijuana-based establishments in Lincoln once the moratorium has expired, as noted in the FAQ document posted by the committee in April.

Selectmen emphasized that any town-wide action on cannabis businesses will not affect the personal rights granted under the 2016 statewide legalization of recreational marijuana. Under the new law, Massachusetts residents 21 and older may use, grow and possess marijuana products. Individuals may possess under 10 ounces of marijuana inside their homes and under one ounce in public, as well as grow up to six marijuana plants in their homes (or 12 plants in households with two adults). Public consumption and driving under the influence of marijauan remain illegal.

There will be another public forum on marijuana businesses in Lincoln in October. “We want to make sure people understand what they’re voting on” at the Special Town Meeting later in the fall, Craig said.

News acorns

Frisbee show and other events at library

  • On Tuesday, July 17 at 4 p.m., two-time freestyle Frisbee champion Todd Brodeur will put on an amazing Frisbee show with an interactive play shop to follow. All ages; drop in.
  • Kids entering grades 3–6 will enjoy activities and games based on Roald Dahl books on Thursday, July 19 from 4–5:30 p.m. Snacks provided. To register,  call the library at 781-259-8465 ext. 4.
  • A summertime singalong with Ed Morgan takes place on Friday, July 20 at 10:30 a.m. for babies, toddlers and preschoolers.
  • Singer Heather Ferrari and pianist Alex Olsen present songs from the Great American Songbook as well as contemporary Broadway repertoire on Monday, August 13 at 7 p.m. Selections range from beautiful ballads to your favorite toe-tapping tunes.

Middlesex Democratic candidates debate next week

There will be a Middlesex District Attorney and Governor’s Council debate on Tuesday, July 24 from 7–9 p.m. at the First Parish Arlington (630 Massachusetts Ave., Arlington). District attorneys are the most powerful people in the criminal justice system—and they’re accountable only to voters. Learn more and hear from incumbent DA Marian Ryan and challenger Donna Patalano, as well as candidates for the Governor’s Council, which has the power to appoint judges and Parole Board members.

HeatSmart extended until Aug. 31

HeatSmart CCL (Carlisle, Concord, and Lincoln) has been extended until August 31. Until then, homes and businesses in the three towns can purchase advanced air-source and ground-source heat pumps and modern wood heating systems at a special, limited-time discount from competitively selected installers to reduce energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions. Visit HeatSmartCCL.org to schedule a free home visit with a HeatSmart selected installer or contact Lincoln HeatSmart coaches John Snell and Belinda Gingrich at HeatSmartLincoln@gmail.com.

Library crawl and challenge

The Lincoln Public Library is on the self-guided Minuteman Library Crawl for the first time this year on Wednesday, Aug. 1 from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. A “crawl”, or tour, is a fun way to visit multiple libraries in your area. You can travel from library to library, meet staff and learn more about what libraries in the area have to offer.

The challenge is to visit as many libraries as you can and take a picture of yourself with a designated item in each library. At Lincoln. we have chosen Athena and a very large stuffed bear. If you go to at least five libraries, you’ll get a prize (one per group). All ages are welcome and the route is up to you. Click here for locations and “scavenger” items to find at each library.

New signs aim to improve bicyclist/driver safety

A sign for bicyclists and drivers on Route 117.

As part of a larger effort by several town committees to promote cyclist and driver safety in Lincoln, the Department of Public Works is placing nine signs saying “Cyclists May Use Full Lane” along several major roads in town.

The signs reflect a state law that allows cyclists to enter the center of the lane when necessary. Usually this is a temporary action and occurs when the shoulder narrows or is blocked by tree limbs, dirt/sand, or potholes and cyclists are unable to ride safely there. They are located on 117/South Great Road (two signs), Route 126 (two signs), Bedford Road (three signs), and Lincoln Road and Trapelo Road (one sign each).

Research has shown that “Cyclists May Use Full Lane” signs increase awareness and create safer roadway conditions for all users, noted the Lincoln Cycling Safety Advisory Committee (LCSAC), which recommended the sign placement to the Roadside and Traffic Committee as a public safety measure to remind drivers that vehicles and cyclists must share the road.

“We also hope that the signage will help to ease tensions between drivers and cyclists at pinch points on our busiest thoroughfares,” said committee member Megan Kate Nelson.

In addition to placing signs, the LCSAC has also completed “road audits” to assess the state of road shoulders and intersections, and is working with Lincoln Police to educate and enforce rules for cyclists who ride through town.    

The LCSAC was established in 2017 after two fatal accidents in Lincoln involving bicyclists and cars. The group will present a progress report at the State of the Town meeting on November 12 and expects to issue more recommendations, mostly around the condition and shoulder width of the town’s roads and making the most dangerous intersections safer for drivers and cyclists, Nelson said. The LCSAC has been consulting with Director of Planning and Land Use Jennifer Burney about integrating some of these improvements into Lincoln’s Complete Streets proposals, and with the Roadside and Traffic Committee regarding road/intersection conditions.

For more information about the signs or the laws they reflect, email the LCSAC at lincoln-cycling-safety-adv-comm@googlegroups.com.

Letter to the editor: thanks to all the Town Meeting volunteers

To the editor:

I would like to thank our wonderful volunteers for making the June 9 Special Town Meeting run smoothly and efficiently.

It was the first time we tried a number of new ideas, and I am delighted with how we incorporated them into the meeting. It was the first time we used two venues (Donaldson Auditorium and Reed Gymnasium) for a Town Meeting, the first time we used electronic Poll Pads to speed up the check-in process, and the first time we used election tabulators and multiple-choice standing counts. Furthermore, everything went perfectly according to plan, thanks to you.

The following volunteers cheerfully checked you in: Daniela Caride, Elaine Carroll, Elena Christenfeld, Margaret Flint, Emily Lovering, Preeya Patel, and Maddie Zuckerman. We have had the pleasure of having Preeya and Maddie as interns this past year at the Town Clerk’s office, and this summer we will welcome Elena as an intern.

Thank you to Lindsay Clemens and Sharon Hobbs for graciously greeting voters, and Bryce Wolf, Steve Gladstone, and Alaric Naiman for being door checkers and reminding non-voters to sit in the designated areas.

We had a fabulous team who collected ballots from both venues, fed them into the tabulators, and performed the standing counts: Sharon and Bob Antia, Susan Capestro, Daniela Caride, Roger Creel, Margaret Flint, Denis Fox, Pam Gallup, Betty Green, Chris Hamilton, Ruth Ann Hendrickson, Crickett Kerrebrock, Sue and Chris Klem, Nancy Marshall, Karen Moss, Elinor Nichols, Kathleen Nichols, Dan Pereira, Maggie Pietropaolo, Barbara Sampson, and Bryce Wolf.

Thanks also to the many others who volunteered and made themselves available: Mary Brody, Jack MacLean, Mark Masterson, Ellen Meadors, Claire Mount, Al Schmertzler, Dilla Tingley, Dana Weigent, Jean Welsh, and Robin Wilkerson.

Special thanks go to Andy Beard for being the deputy moderator in a busy Reed Gym and coordinating events beautifully. Finally, thank you to Susan Brooks and Susan Francis for all their help and support along the way.

Sincerely,

Valerie Fox, Deputy Town Clerk
250 South Great Rd.

Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Letters will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published.

Letter to the editor: thanks from the Town Moderator

To the editor:

It became very obvious that the following remarks were unnecessary at the close of the Town Meeting on Saturday. Jennifer Glass graciously closed the meeting for all of us. As a thank you to everyone at the meeting I wanted to share what I had planned to say.

When I sat down to write my closing remarks I thought of the “choose your own path” books popular in the ’80s and ’90s where the reader, as protagonist, could chose the plot’s outcome. I focused not on the outcome of the votes on preferences expressed here today, but on the quality and nature of the conversation at the table. I chose to imagine the story of a large family gathering where the topic concerned money and the design for a new or renovated house. While the family members had their chance to air their frustrations and share their ideas and concerns, others listened and learned to see things from another’s point of view. At some point they sat back and realized that in order to preserve the family they better find common ground. And they did. They debated and voted and accepted the outcome. 

Today we debated and voted. For some it may be too soon to accept the outcome as it was not their preference. When there is choice that is always the way. In a democracy, that is the way it is done. Now we all must continue the dialogue so we can learn and so we are able to come back to the table in December where the final chapter will be written.

I thank the boards and committees who have devoted uncountable hours to develop the concepts discussed today, the numerous staff providing support, the volunteers who have helped to run this meeting, and all of you. You came, you listened, you contributed, you voted. We did it. The long-awaited June 9 Special Town Meeting is now behind us. Let us take a few moments now together to show our appreciation for one another even as we know that some very hard work is ahead.

Sincerely,

Sarah Cannon Holden, Town Moderator
Weston Rd.

Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Letters will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published.