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

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Planning Board, Selectmen endorse Oriole Landing

The Planning Board voted unanimously this week to recommend passage at Town Meeting of a measure that would give preliminary approval to the Oriole Landing mixed-income housing project.

In its recommendation, the board included several conditions that will be reflected in conditions for any future approval of the developer’s formal application. If the Town Meeting measure (which would create a development district within the North Lincoln Overlay zoning district and also approve a preliminary land use plan) passes by a two-thirds majority, Civico Development must then come back to the Planning Board within two years to obtain a special permit and site plan review.

In the first portion of the board’s public hearing on March 6, neighbors protested the 60-unit proposal on a number of fronts, saying the project is too large, will cost the town money due to increased school enrollment from tenants, will significantly increase traffic in the neighborhood, and will allow the town to dispense with any future efforts at increasing affordable housing in town.

At the hearing continuation on March 20, Andrew Consigli of Civico detailed changes in the proposal that resulted from community input at various meetings and open houses. The original proposal called for a four-story building of rental units (15 percent of them affordable) plus a condo building. The plan now calls for no condos and two 30-unit rental buildings of two and a half to three stories, with 25 percent of the units deeded as affordable. Consigli noted that this adjustment was made possible by the promise of a no-interest loan of $1 million from the Lincoln Housing Commission. The sum does not need to be repaid to the town unless the affordability deed restrictions are terminated for any reason in the future.

Rather than tearing down the 1870s Dexter C. Harris house on the property, Civico has pledged to spend up to $100,000 to relocate the house between the two rental buildings and repurpose it as an open three-season indoor space for gatherings or studio use.

In response to traffic concerns, Civico agreed to a left-turn-only restriction out of the Oriole Landing driveway onto Mary’s Way from 6:30-9:30 a.m. on weekdays. The company also agree to donate $25,000 to Lincoln’s Complete Streets program to improve street safety and accessibility for drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians. (Last fall, the town received a $400,000 state grant for 10 projects that must be completed by September 2018.)

In their March 19 vote to endorse the Oriole Landing project, the Board of Selectmen specified that the $25,000 should be used if possible to create a roadside path along Old Concord Turnpike near the development. The Department of Public Works is also planning to paint a center line on Mary’s Way. In addition, Consigli said he was looking into the idea of offering a fee-based shuttle service between the development and the Alewife MBTA station.

“It’s a better plan from when we first came in with,” he said.

The town hired Lynne Sweet of Newton-based LDS Consulting in Newton to look at Civico’s fiscal impact statement. Her report estimated a net positive fiscal impact to the town of about $114,000 annually—just under the $115,000 predicted in the analysis commissioned by Civico.

“The margins are very slim for this project,” Sweet said of the development’s projected finances. Because of the reduced density from the original plan and things like the LEED certification, “the numbers are really tight; there’s not a lot of wiggle room to add more costs,” she said in concluding that the $1 million loan is in fact necessary to make the project financially feasible.

“For me, this was a difficult decision,” said Planning Board member Lynn DeLisi after the vote.  “I was very impressed with Civico and how they interacted with the community, but on the other hand, I have great sympathy for the neighborhood. Cathy O’Brien made some very good points.”

O’Brien, who lives on Cambridge Turnpike and whose mother Mary’s house abuts the development site, raised numerous objections at the earlier public hearing. On March 21, she confirmed on LincolnTalk that she was the source of a town-side mailing that reiterated those objections and urged residents to vote “no” vote at Town Meeting.

“Neighborhoods are personal—it’s where we live,” Selectman Jonathan Dwyer said earlier this week when Selectmen unanimously voted to endorse the project. If voters approve it, “we need to help the neighborhood get that it needs to help them live with it.”

Selectmen James Craig and Jennifer Glass also expressed sympathy for the neighbors, who have had to live alongside two construction projects at The Commons as well as the Route 2 project in recent years. However, they couldn’t pass up an opportunity to guarantee the town’s state-mandated affordable housing minimum for years and thus avoid a much larger 40B housing project that could bypass local zoning restrictions. Weston and Wayland are both facing the real prospect of “unwanted large-scale developments that are really going to change the fabric and essence of those communities,” Craig said.

Letter to the editor: more support for Hullinger

To the editor:

I am writing in support of Siobhan Hullinger’s write-in candidacy for the L-S School Committee. Having known Siobhan for some time, I am confident that the thoughtfulness she brings to the conversation will be an asset to the district. I know Siobhan to be thoughtful and listen to people. She takes an approach that is thoughtful, deliberate, and considered. She is intelligent and informed, and will seek out advice and input from the whole community, regardless of town of residency, to ensure that we have a wonderful, thriving, academically challenging, and inclusive school community which does not leave anyone behind.

I encourage you to write in her name on the ballot for Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee.

Sincerely,

Craig Gruber
187 Goodmans Hill Rd., Sudbury

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: LSSC’s Mostue urges write-in votes for Joachim

(Editor’s note: Mostue also wrote a previous letter in support of L-S School Committee candidate Carole Kasper. There are two openings on the committee.)

To the editor:

I am submitting this letter in support of write-in candidate Ellen Joachim for the position of School Committee Member for Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School. Ellen will bring to the committee a unique and valuable background:

  • She has served six years on the Sudbury K-8 School Committee, which will strengthen and inform her transition to the high school. 
  • She has served as both chair and vice chair of the Sudbury K-8 Committee, an indication of her leadership and commitment.
  • An L-S graduate herself and the mother of two L-S graduates (with a third a junior), Ellen knows first-hand the value of  a challenging and supportive education in a safe environment.
  • As a lawyer, Ellen will offer her legal training in forming school policy.

I am entering my eleventh year of service on the Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee. Having Ellen join us would be a welcome addition. As one who has observed her on the Sudbury K-8 Committee, I have been impressed with her ability to listen to all perspectives before making decisions. I trust Ellen will uphold the responsibilities and limits of the position of school committee membership.

Please join with me and vote for Ellen Joachim on Monday, March 26.

Sincerely,

Patricia Mostue
3 Lexington Rd., Lincoln
Member, Lincoln-Sudbury Regional School Committee

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: candidate may favor Lincoln paying more for L-S

 To the editor:

I wrote a recent letter to the editor supporting the candidacy of Carol Kasper and Ellen Joachim. This brought me an interesting phone call from a Sudbury resident, who will remain nameless. He referred me to this 2010 column by Mike Hullinger, husband and endorser of Siobhan Hullinger, who is running as a write-in candidate for the Lincoln Sudbury regional school committee.

Since he has written to support Ms. Hullinger’s candidacy, it seemed fair game to provide the link to his column. I recommend reading it before going to the polls. It takes the long-held position by a number of Sudbury residents that Lincoln is not providing its fair share of financial support for the high school. This, as I understand it, is one of the main justifications for the proposed superintendent consolidation of the high school and Sudbury K-8 systems.  In fairness, I cannot confirm that Ms. Hullinger shares her husband’s position, although my source insists that this is the case.

Sincerely,

Eric Harris
138 Bedford Rd., Lincoln

CapComm, Community Preservation Act items up for votes

Click the image above to see the full draft list of Community Preservation Act items plus explanations for each.

Here are the lists of items to be voted on in Saturday’s Town Meeting warrant article 8 (Capital Planning Committee or CapComm) and article 10 (Community Preservation Act or CPA). The capital items total $687,070, and there will be a separate vote in warrant article 9 on a debt exclusion appropriation of $600,000 for a new fire engine. 

The draft list of 16 CPA items total $978,805. With the addition of another $92,235 for affordable housing (by state law, 10 percent of a town’s CPA revenues must be set aside for this purpose), the total request comes to $1,071,040. 

(Note: Capital Planning items are listed in descending order of dollar amount, not as they appear on the Town Meeting warrant)

ItemAmountSponsor
Replacement of the library air conditioning system$305,000Library Trustees
Purchase of a medium dump truck for the DPW$80,000Selectmen
Purchase and equipping of one replacement marked cruiser for the Police Department, and to authorize the disposal of, by sale or otherwise, any related excess vehicles or equipment$40,575Selectmen
Purchase of a district-wide safety/security radio system for the Lincoln Public Schools$39,104School Committee
Purchase and installation of instructional technology-display & audio for the Lincoln Public Schools$36,361School Committee
Purchase and equipping of one replacement unmarked cruiser for the Police Department, and to authorize the disposal of, by sale or otherwise, any related excess vehicles or equipment$34,600Selectmen
Migration of email to the cloud$26,000Selectmen
Replacement of existing guardrail$25,000Selectmen
Replacement of the IT firewall at town offices$16,000Selectmen
Replacement of a fire hose$15,200Selectmen
Engineering assessment of the culverts at the Pierce House$15,000Pierce House Committee
Services of a radio communications consultant to assess our current public safety radio system infrastructure for our Communications Department and its related equipment$14,000Selectmen
Replacement of five (5) portable radios for the Communications Department$13,785Selectmen
Replacement of the phone system at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School$11,224L-S School Committee
Purchase of additional CCTV security cameras at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School$7,717L-S School Committee
Replacement of a water heater at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School$7,504L-S School Committee

 

Letter to the editor: LSSC’s Marshall supports Kasper and Joachim

(Editor’s note: Marshall is currently on the LSSC but is not running for reelection.)

To the editor:

I write to fully endorse Carole Kasper’s and Ellen Joachim’s candidacies for the L-S School Committee. Lincoln voters should robustly support them at the polls on Monday, March 26. There are two open seats, as Gerald Quirk of Sudbury and I are both stepping down. Carole’s is the only candidate name printed on the ballot. Ellen is a write-in candidate from Sudbury. 

Carole and Ellen are both strong leaders. They have been collaborative, engaged, and thoughtful contributors to many community and educational initiatives at L-S and in Lincoln and Sudbury. There is hard, good work to be done, engaging committees in both towns, attending to the L-S School Committee’s regular business, crafting a fiscally responsible budget, and listening to constituents in Lincoln, Sudbury, and Boston. Carole and Ellen will put in the hours and foster relationships and will represent the integrity of our regional high school and our communities well.

Carole was active on the L-S School Start Time Subcommittee; she analyzed and collated the data that went into the final report. She fully understands and supports L-S’s efforts to find a way to allow a later start time for our students. Carole’s recent work chairing the Lincoln Campus Master Plan Committee was critical to the town’s next steps in our school and community center discussions. 

Ellen will be a strong advocate for our high school; she understands the nuanced Lincoln/Sudbury partnership. Ellen’s legal expertise and her six years on the Sudbury School Committee provide lenses that will support the L-S School Committee’s work and positive relationships with our K-8 districts.

Ensuring our students feel safe socially, emotionally, and physically at L-S is a priority for both Carole and Ellen. Carole’s depth of experience in her consulting work will contribute to open, thoughtful conversations about school safety. Both of them will seek to balance L-S’s strengths in allowing students to be resilient and well-prepared for life after high school with the realities and pressures of our world today.

Carole and Ellen will work diligently with our Finance and Capital Committees, engage constituents and town officials openly and respectfully, and support LSRHS faculty and staff in their continued efforts to educate and prepare our students for the 21st century. They will be guided by the core values of L-S and approach their service mindful of what is best for all students.

Having two Lincoln seats at L-S is not guaranteed; supporting Carole with a very high turnout in Lincoln is critical to assuring our high school is served well by both towns. Carole’s name is printed on the ballot. Along with Ellen, there are two other write-in candidates from Sudbury. Carole and Ellen have complementary skills to partner productively and positively for LSRHS.

Absentee ballots for registered Lincoln residents who will be out of town are available from the Town Clerk through Friday, March 23.  Applications for absentee ballots can be obtained via the Town Clerk’s website.

Sincerely,

Nancy Marshall
23 Beaver Pond 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: former Sudbury School Committee member endorses Joachim

To the editor:

I enthusiastically support Ellen Joachim as a write-in candidate for the Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee.

As members of the Sudbury School Committee, Ellen and I worked together for three years. I have never met somebody with such an amazing balance of intelligence, passion, work ethic, and patience as Ellen. Unless you worked directly with Ellen, you would never know all the great work she was doing because she never wanted to be recognized for it. Ellen just wanted what was best for others and, most importantly, Sudbury’s students. She never thought about what others would think or how the public would react; Ellen always did what she knew in her heart was the right decision for kids.

As some may know, Ellen has a law degree from Harvard and was an attorney before she left the profession to raise a family. Having known this, I would always joke with her that she really should have become a teacher because of her deep passion for education. After getting to really know Ellen over the years, there is no doubt in my mind that she felt the same way, which is why she committed her life to serving six years on the Sudbury School Committee and numerous years as a volunteer at Nixon Elementary, and why she is now seeking election to the Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee.

As a parent whose oldest daughter is less than four years away from high school, I care deeply about those whom we elect to represent our high school. That being said, there is not one person in Sudbury I would rather see on the school committee than Ellen. Not only is she more than qualified but also has the previous experience to start getting things done on day one. In an ever-changing world, not just in respect to education but also safety, this immediate experience is invaluable. As Ellen outlined during the recent candidates’ night, we cannot afford to mull over student safety; we need to act now. I can tell you from three years of experience that this is how Ellen governs. To be frank, Ellen never kicks the can down the road; she deals with things head on and gets them done.

Please join me on Monday, March 26 by writing in Ellen Joachim for Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee.

Sincerely,

Scott Nassa
36 Clark Lane, Sudbury

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: former SSC members support Joachim

To the editor:

We are writing to wholeheartedly endorse Ellen Joachim for L-S School Committee. We had the honor of serving on the Sudbury School Committee with Ellen and hold her in the highest regard as a strong and compassionate leader. Ellen brings six years of experience on the SPS School Committee, including that of chair; many years as a volunteer in the schools (including Nixon PTO co-chair); her legal training and career in law; and personal experience as a graduate of L-S herself and as an L-S parent for the past seven and a half years.

We always appreciated her wisdom and balanced view of each situation. Ellen never compromised her values. She was gracious, supportive, and always a pleasure to work alongside. Ellen carefully navigated difficult situations, possessed firmness that was not abrasive, and spoke out when necessary but more often listened thoughtfully. Her presence on the School Committee and her commitment to the students of Sudbury were among her greatest assets. We are confident that Ellen will bring these traits to the L-S School Committee.

Ellen puts the well-being of students first! This was true when SPS increased building safety in the elementary and middle schools and as she guided discussions about necessary financial support for the schools. She made students her first concern as she worked tirelessly through contract negotiations. We cannot overstate the value that Ellen brought to every discussion, collaborating respectfully with those of differing viewpoints, and using good judgment in decision-making. These qualities ensured that she was effective in her commitment to all students.

We are confident that Ellen will prioritize school safety and increased collaboration between L-S, SPS, and LPS, and she will thoughtfully consider school start time issues. She will work side by side with her committee members to offer new ideas that support a high-quality education that helps our students develop emotionally, socially, and academically, and prepares them to take their next steps in life.

You can learn more about Ellen on her campaign Facebook page, “Ellen Joachim for L-S School Committee,” and from her participation in the League of Women Voters Candidates Night through this Sudbury TV link. Please join us in writing in Ellen Joachim for L-S School Committee on Monday, March 26.

Sincerely,

Rich Robison
Homestead Street, Sudbury
Member of Sudbury School Committee, 1996-2014

Lisa Gutch
Silver Hill Road, Sudbury
Member of Sudbury School Committee, 2010-2013

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: Chester seeks seat on Park & Rec

(Editor’s note: Chester is one of three candidates for an open seat on the Parks and Recreation Committee. The others are Adam Hogue and Rey Romero.)

To the editor:

I am running for the open seat on the Parks and Recreation Committee to offer an experienced, informed voice to help guide the Parks and Rec Department (PRD) as it faces considerable challenges over the next few years.
As a retired human factors analyst, I have decades of professional experience solving problems and managing multimillion-dollar programs. As an athlete, I have a lifetime of personal experience in many sports and am a spouse and parent of athletes (including being a tennis and a gymnastics team mom). In addition, I created and managed a collegiate water sports and lifeguard program. Currently, I am a member of the Community Center Preliminary Planning and Design Committee, co-leader of the PRD’s Open Studio (the adult art program), and director of the annual Lincoln Arts Show (co-sponsored by PRD and Council on Aging). All of these give me insight into the PRD’s youth and adult programs.

Some of the biggest issues that the Parks and Rec Committee will face in the coming years revolve around the upcoming votes by Lincoln for the school building and a new community center. If the school building is approved, then the PRD will have considerable logistical challenges in staging the Hartwell classroom spaces.

If the community center is approved, then the PRD will need to help finalize the design and to work around the construction. Once the center is built, the PRD will need to coordinate its programs closely with the COA as the new building becomes the vital core of town activity. If the community center is voted down, then the PRD will need to redouble its efforts to meet Lincoln’s needs with the resources available to it. Regardless of the outcome of the town votes, of course, the PRD will need to ensure the careful management of the Wang field as it comes on line in the next year.

As a committee member, in addition to supporting the PRD’s current offerings and infrastructure needs, I would encourage more programming along three lines. For adults who have other obligations on weekdays, I would like to expand arts and athletic opportunities into the evenings. For youth and adults, I would like to provide programs that encourage self-reliance and agency-that is, teach first aid and CPR so individuals can help others in distress; and teach map-reading and compass skills through activities such as geocaching and orienteering, so individuals can step away from a GPS and develop their own cognitive maps. Lincoln’s trails are the perfect place to help individuals develop a strong physical sense of space and place.

The fact that three of us are offering our services for a single seat on the Parks and Recreation Committee attests to the depth and sense of civic duty by Lincoln’s residents.

I ask for your vote on Monday, March 26.

Sincerely,

Sarah Chester
6 Stonehedge Rd., Lincoln

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: consider green burial as a Lincoln option

To the editor:

Last month, Candace Currie from Green Burial Massachusetts gave an enlightening presentation at the library about the value and benefit of natural burials, in which everything going into the ground is biodegradable and will decompose naturally. Natural burials offer a reasonable alternative to the expense and environmental toxicity of traditional burial practices.

At that event, I met Carol DiGianni, a candidate for Cemetery Commissioner, who actively supports exploring the feasibility of natural burials in our Lexington Road cemetery. Although natural burials may not currently be the preferred choice for many townfolk, I can see no downside to accommodating that option in our town-owned cemetery for those who choose it.

I encourage my fellow Lincolnites to learn more about the green burial movement, and to vote for a candidate who supports a full range of appropriate, respectful interment choices for Lincoln residents.

Sincerely,

Virginia Rundell
76 Todd Pond Rd., Lincoln

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.