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

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Outdoor watering restrictions now in effect

water tapAs a result of the new water permit issued by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, the town must implement a mandatory outdoor water conservation measure from May 1 through September 30.

The town experiences excessively high water demands during the summer months, primarily due to lawn watering activities, so the Lincoln Water Department has instituted an odd-even schedule for all nonessential outdoor watering. House addresses that end with an even number may water on Tuesday and/or Thursday. Addresses that end with an odd number may water on Wednesday and/or Friday. There is no nonessential outdoor watering on Saturday, Sunday or Monday. Also, watering will not be permitted on any day between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.; thus it is allowed only in the late evenings and early mornings.

Restricted outdoor watering activities include irrigation of lawns via sprinklers or automatic irrigation systems, washing of vehicles, and washing of exterior building surfaces, parking lots, driveways or sidewalks. Watering lawns, gardens, flowers or ornamental plants by means of a hand-held hose or bucket is permitted.

According to the Massachusetts Cooperative Extension System, healthy lawns require only one inch of water weekly, either from rain or irrigation or a combination of both.  Watering once a week with a deep soak is preferable. Watering a lawn lightly on a frequent basis encourages shallow rooting and crabgrass growth while making the lawn more susceptible to drought injury. Watering on hot and sunny days results in a majority of the water evaporating before it reaches the root system.

If you have a sprinkler system, please consult the system’s owners manual or contact a sprinkler company to correctly program your automatic sprinkler controller. This mandatory water restriction will be a yearly requirement, so programming the sprinkler controller now will eliminate the need for future adjustments.

Water Department staff will be monitoring sprinkler use in town and will stop to remind residents of the restriction policy. A second notice will result in a $50 fine, and subsequent violations will result in $100 fines. Anyone with questions may call Water Department Superintendent Greg Woods at 781-259-1329.

Letter to the editor: Tom Stanley running for reelection

letter

To the editor:

Serving as your state representative on Beacon Hill is an incredible honor and privilege. Working to make a meaningful difference in the lives of our community, seeing the results of this effort and the positive impact this work has had on so many people is amazing. But our work is not done. I have more to contribute to make Lincoln and Waltham even better.

Throughout my tenure in the legislature, I have prioritized supporting programs and policies that improve our lives and strengthen our community. As a member of the Joint Ways and Means Committee, I have helped deliver millions of dollars of local aid, road repair and public education funding. Also through the state budget process, I have directed thousands (and in some cases millions) of dollars in funding through amendments supporting such programs as the Hardy Pond Great Pond restoration, Fragile Beginnings for premature babies, domestic violence and shelter support services, and the education of the children of retired military at Hanscom Field, among others.

Over my years of service, I have been proud to work with our state delegation and local officials for the district’s best interest. Together, we have:

  • Earmarked $2 million for a new visitor center at Walden Pond in the Environmental Bond Bill (2014)
  • Fought with federal, state and local officials in the BRACC [Base Realignment and Closure Commission] process to keep Hanscom open
  • Fought the expansion of commercial aviation at Hanscom Field
  • Created a new budget line item to fund municipal school transportation for homeless children
  • Passed legislation to protect open space in the western Greenway
  • Transferred control of the Fernald property to Waltham, preventing its overdevelopment
  • Earmarked millions in a bond bill for the proposed UMass Urban Center for Sustainability
  • Advocated and arranged meetings for public school building funding assistance for Lincoln
  • Helped secure $350,000 for the invasive aquatic species removal in the Charles River and other watersheds with an amendment to the fiscal year 2017 budget
  • Increased funding for Council on Aging servicing our seniors

The most rewarding part of the job is assisting the hundreds of people who have contacted me through the years with their personal or family struggles. And, most recently, it has been an honor to work with you all as we struggle to tangle our state’s fight against addiction and the stigma that comes with it.

Lincoln and Waltham need an experienced and effective State Representative who has demonstrated leadership and accomplishment at the state and local level. In this year’s election, I ask for your support and vote so that we can continue to move forward and build stronger and safer communities for everyone.

Sincerely,

State Rep. Tom Stanley (9th Middlesex)
Waltham

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.

Tully running for 9th Middlesex seat

Stacey Gallagher Tully

Stacey Gallagher Tully

Stacey Gallagher Tully of Waltham has announced her candidacy for State Representative for the 9th Middlesex District, which includes all of Lincoln and part of Waltham and has been held by Rep. Thomas Stanley since 2001.

Tully, a Waltham native, serves on Waltham’s Board of Recreation in the City of Waltham and as president of the Friends of Waltham Senior Citizens. She is a graduate of Boston College and a long-time dance and fitness instructor, She was also a director of Gulf Resources, an international corporation based in London, and worked for several years in the hotel industry in human resources, personnel and training.

“My campaign will focus on issues important to the 9th Middlesex constituents, including education, veterans, senior citizens, traffic/transportation infrastructure, and the opioid crisis,” Tully said in a statement. “I plan to work hard, and work together, with the people of Lincoln and Waltham.”

In 2014, Lincoln resident Sharon Antia ran unsuccessfully for the 9th District seat.

 

McLean Hospital to go before Planning Board on May 24

The house at 22 Bypass Rd. where McLean Hospital hopes to house clients age 15-21. The house on the adjacent 16 Bypass Road can be seen at far left.

The house at 22 Bypass Rd. where McLean Hospital hopes to house clients age 15-21.

Representatives from McLean Hospital will hold a meeting for neighborhood residents this Wednesday and will appear at a Planning Board meeting later this month to explain and answer questions about their controversial plan to house patients in a large house on Bypass Road.

Questions and protests arose after it became known that McLean had purchased abutting properties at 16-22 Bypass Road for the purpose of opening a nine-bed “nine bed educational therapeutic residence” for patients aged 15-21, similar to a facility for adults at 5 Old Cambridge Turnpike. Officials from McLean had a meeting with Director of Land Use and Planning Jennifer Burney to determine what steps they would have to go through with the town. They mad the case at that meeting that the facility was exempt from zoning rules relating to use of the property because it falls under the Dover Amendment, a state law that exempts educational and religious organizations, nonprofits and other uses from local bylaws.

Burney consulted Town Counsel Joel Bard on that matter so she could determine the proper course of action for McLean, she said Monday. In a May 2 letter to her, Bard said the proposal did indeed qualify as an educational facility. As a result, the Planning Board will hold a Determination of Minor Change to an Approved Site Plan, which means they will decide if there will be exterior changes to the property are indicated, such as an addition to the building or construction of more parking space, but will not address how the property will be used.

“It’s not like this is a done deal. I’m sure the Planning Board still has a lot of questions,” Burney said.

McLean originally planned to hold a neighborhood meeting in June, “but we reached out to them and suggested they do it much earlier,” she said.

The neighborhood meeting will be on Wednesday, May 18 from 6-7 p.m. at 22 Bypass Road. McLean will appear before the Planning Board on Tuesday, May 24 at 7:45 p.m. in the Town Office Building.

Minuteman school building project hits another snag

The Minuteman High School building project hit yet another snag last week when voters in Belmont rejected a bond measure to help fund the new building—even as planning has begun for what to do with the land that will be freed up by the old building’s demolition.

Under the terms of the regional school district agreement, member towns must be unanimous in authorizing debt for the project. The district now includes 10 towns, down from 16 after several including Lincoln voted to withdraw from the district earlier this year to avoid having to pay a member’s share of the capital costs. In any case, the new building will be located on Lincoln land close to the current building, which is just over the Lexington town line.

Belmont, which has a representative town meeting form of government, voted against the bonding measure by a 141-81 margin on May 4. Acton, Bolton, Concord, Dover, Lancaster, Lexington and Stow have already approved the project by wide margins, some unanimously, and the last two towns, Arlington and Needham, voted yes on May 9.

Minuteman Superintendent/Director Ed Bouquillon attributed the Belmont defeat to “a lack of understanding and a lack of information.” He said he had asked selectmen back in 2015 to be part of the discussions but was not invited to make a presentation at the Board of Selectmen or Capital Planning Committee meetings about Minuteman funding.

The town also has a different process in terms of allowing people to speak at Town Meeting, and Bouquillon said he was not allowed to speak there, either. Instead, the town’s representative on the Minuteman School Committee made a presentation that was essentially neutral, though the School Committee member himself was in favor of the project, according to Bouquillon.

“It was a very difficult environment to get information out,” he said. “We did not have any kind of articulate, powerful advocates among elected officials and stakeholders in town government.”

Another factor may have been that Belmont High School was just accepted into the funding pipeline by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), so voters were facing two possible school projects within a relatively short time span. However, this was also true for Arlington, which passed the Minuteman measure, Bouquillon said.

Minuteman is up against a May 27 deadline to secure funding approval from its member towns or lose a promised grant of about $45 million from the MSBA. Bouquillon said on Wednesday that he planned to write the MSBA and request a 120-day extension “to try to change the hearts and minds of 30 voters” in Belmont (the swing that would have made the difference at Town Meeting). “We’re going to try to do it more person to person and hopefully hold some information sessions in Belmont for Town Meeting members,” he said.

If Minuteman receives the 120-day extension but Belmont again votes down the funding measure at a Special Town Meeting, Bouquillon said he would recommend to the Minuteman School Committee that the the district hold a district-wide referendum, where a simple majority of total voters in the member towns could approve funding. However, getting a revote in Belmont is preferable for several reasons, he said. Among them: the district would have to pay for the referendum, which could cost $100,000; summer is not the best time for a vote like this; and the towns that have already approved funding may be “pretty annoyed,” he said.

“We want to avoid that pathway as an option,” Bouquillon said. “People could campaign against the new building and it could backfire on the whole eight-year process.”

Fate of the current building site

Meanwhile, Minuteman has begun exploring how to make the best use of the 13-plus acres of land in Lexington where the current school sits. The space could be the site of new construction for public or private educational organizations that could partner with the high school. One such candidate is Middlesex Community College (MCC), which recently reached an agreement for Minuteman to serve as a satellite campus where Minuteman students can double-enroll and take MCC classes for college credit.

Thus far, six classes thus far have been approved for qualified Minuteman students, though Bouqillon said he expected this number to grow. Minuteman students will pay $87 per credit—less than half of what other MCC students pay, according to a Minuteman release. The dual-enrollment classes will be taught by Minuteman teachers who have been approved by MCC as members of the its adjunct faculty.

Minuteman has been in talks with other schools including UMass-Lowell and the UMass-Stockbridge School of Agriculture for similar collaborations, Bouquillon said. Public-private partnerships for facilities that would be open to the entire community are also under consideration, he said, adding that he hoped any construction will be funded in full by those partners.

The land belongs to the Minuteman district and any future use must be compatible with its education mission, and he will not recommend that any of it be sold, Bouquillon said. However, “when you think about the location of this property and its potential, to do nothing would not be intelligent,” he said.

McLean Hospital plans teen residential facility on Bypass Road

The house at 22 Bypass Rd. where McLean Hospital hopes to house clients age 15-21. The house on the adjacent 16 Bypass Road can be seen at far left.

The house at 22 Bypass Rd. where McLean Hospital hopes to house clients age 15-21. The house on the adjacent 16 Bypass Road can be seen at far left.

By Alice Waugh

Bypass Road residents, including a member of the town’s Board of Health, are furious about a proposal by McLean Hospital to open a residential facility for teens and young adults in their neighborhood, saying they were given no opportunity to comment before Lincoln’s town counsel issued an opinion saying that the facility was exempt from the town’s zoning regulations.

Senior officials from McLean Hospital, a Belmont-based psychiatric hospital, met with Director of Planning and Land Use Jennifer Burney and Building Inspector Daniel Walsh in mid-April to present the proposal for properties the hospital purchased at 16-22 Bypass Rd. The 6,700-square-foot house at 22 Bypass Road would be used to house up to 12 clients age 15-21 “who are participating in a program designed to enhance the development of their life skills through educational and therapeutic training,” according to a follow-up letter to the Lincoln officials.

In the April 22 letter, McLean attorney Diane Tillotson made the case that McLean was entitled to an exemption from zoning restrictions as provided under state law for educational and religious organizations. The Bypass Road facility would be a “transitional living program providing psychoeducational support for young adults struggling with mood disorders, anxiety and depression” with a “curriculum integrating behavioral and cognitive skill building experiences,” she wrote.

Town counsel Joel Bard wrote in a May 2 letter to Burney that be believed the McLean proposal met the standard for a use exemption under Lincoln’s zoning by-law under Chapter 40A of state statutes, also known as the Dover Amendment. But about a dozen Bypass Road families vehemently disagree and have formed a group to fight the proposal by various means, including possibly filing a lawsuit.

“We feel blindsided,” said Dr. Steven Kanner, a primary care physician and Lincoln Board of Health member whose property abuts the Bypass Road site. “This is a life-changing event that could affect the safety of our children and grandchildren and our property values, and we were not even alerted? What kind of town are we living in? The arrogance [of town officials] not thinking we needed to know is astounding.”

The lack of specific information about the nature of the facility’s clients is worrisome, said Kanner, who was chief of medical care for the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health during the Dukakis administration.

“I’m certainly not against mental health, but this is something where we don’t know who these people are,” Kanner said. “Are they male or female? How do we know they’re not dangerous? These are disturbed adolescents who have been highly depressed and may have been violent.” If one of them escaped, he added, “there’s nothing to stop them from being in someone else’s yard within 90 seconds.”

The neighborhood group is arguing that the facility is medical and not educational and thus does not qualify for a zoning exemption. “No one has explored why this qualifies as educational… this is medical treatment,” Kanner said. “Are they getting any education? I doubt it.”

On behalf of the neighborhood group, Kanner has been speaking with attorneys. “It appears the only way we can get a hearing we should have been accorded by right is to sue,” he said.

Also at issue is whether the current septic system is adequate for the proposed use, because local septic regulations must be followed even for educational and religious institutions. Burney noted on a town web page about the project that the Board of Health and the Water Department will be consulted about septic and water issues.

McLean Hospital already operates the Lincoln Residence, a transitional residence for adults in Lincoln at 5 Old Cambridge Turnpike. In addition, the Lexington-based Edinburg Center operates is a home for developmentally disabled adults at 15 Bypass Road across from where McLean hopes to locate.

In the April 22 letter, McLean officials said they would hold a neighborhood meeting in mid-June with an anticipated opening date in September 2016.

House allocates $1.72 million in state aid for Lincoln

The $39.5 billion state budget bill for fiscal 2017 unanimously passed by the state House of Representatives last month includes $1.72 million in state aid for Lincoln, according to Rep. Thomas Stanley (9th Middlesex).

“I’m thrilled with the state aid Lincoln received in the House budget, including my amendment that was adopted to assist the town’s financial burden for the preK-12 education of retired military families living at Hanscom,” Stanley said in a press release.

The House budget lines for Lincoln include $967,767 in Chapter 70 education aid, $654,570 in unrestricted general government aid, and $100,00 to help mitigate the costs of educating children of retired military families living at Hanscom Air Force Base.

Of the $86 million added to the budget in amendments by the House, the biggest chunk was $19.9 million for amendments related to education and local aid, according to MassLive.com. The budget now goes to the state Senate for consideration.

FY 2017
(passed by House)		FY 2016FY 2015
Education aid$967,767$857,038$841,588
Unrestricted general government aid$654,570$627,584$605,776
Hanscom education aid (special item)$100,000----
Totals$1,722,307$1,484,622$1,447,364

MBTA monopole session postponed

Yellow stars indicate the three sites in Lincoln where the MBTA is proposing to put monopoles (click to enlarge).

Circled yellow stars indicate the three sites in Lincoln where the MBTA is proposing to put monopoles (click to enlarge).

Tonight’s scheduled presentation to the Planning Board about a plan to build three monopoles along the commuter-rail right of way in Lincoln has been postponed after federal officials recommended reclassifying the proposal as a multi-use WiFi project.

At the request of Lincoln officials, MBTA representatives had planned to attend tonight’s Planning Board meeting to answer questions about the agency’s proposal to put three poles, each about 70 feet high, along the train tracks in Lincoln. The poles here and elsewhere on the MBTA commuter rail system will carry telecommunications equipment allowing the MBTA to comply with a federal mandate for emergency train-stopping technology, also known as Positive Train Control. The poles could also hold third-party equipment to improve WiFi access on the trains.

Because the pole sites are within the MBTA’s right of way and not located in wetlands areas, the agency is not required to obtain approval from town land use boards.

“When compliance paperwork was initially filed with the FCC, a number of the monopoles were to be used for Positive Train Control, while a majority were to be used for commuter rail WiFi multipurpose guidelines,” MBTA Deputy Press Secretary Jason Johnson said on Tuesday. “In reviewing the findings, the FCC determined that not all of the monopoles were dedicated to PTC use and recommended to us that the filing would have to be reclassified as a multi-use WiFi project.”

The classification change “gives the MBTA the flexibility to utilize the infrastructure for future projects, reducing the need to build potentially redundant structures along the rights of way, saving future projects time and money,” Johnson added.

News acorns

Climate justice film series kicks off Tuesday

St. Anne’s-in-the-Fields Church will show Just Eat It, the first in a series of films on climate justice, on Tuesday, April 26. A soup supper will be served at 6:30 p.m. and screening begins at 6:50 p.m. The evening is free and open to the public, though a donation to help cover the screening cost is appreciated. Just Eat It notes that as a society, we devour countless cooking shows, classes and blogs—so how could we possibly be throwing nearly 50 percent of our food in the trash?

The next film in the series, Divest: The Climate Movement on Tour, is on May 24. On June 28 is Oil and Water, the true story of two boys coming of age as they confront one of the world’s worst environmental disasters.

Second ‘fireside chat’ on refugees and asylum April 27

As a follow-up to the Council on Aging’s January “fireside chat” about challenges facing asylum seekers and refugees in the U.S., the group decided to continue the discussion and also consider how interested people in our community can lend a hand. On Wednesday, April 27 at 10 a.m., participants will discuss what they learned in January, the situations of refugees and those seeking asylum in our country and globally, and what opportunities to provide assistance locally, nationally and internationally those in the group might like to pursue. All are welcome whether you attended the January session or not. Sharon Carlson, one of the founders of Dignity in Asylum who spoke at the  January meeting, will attend.

On Wednesday, May 25 at 10 a.m., group members will discuss their own stories of times when they felt they were treated as being “other,” whether because of demographic characteristics or other aspects of who we are. What happened? How did we feel? What did we learn about how and why people are made to feel as if they are “other” than the majority of people in our society? The Fireside Chat is a monthly discussion group where we respectfully discuss issues and experiences using questions and answers facilitated by Sharon Antia. All are welcome!

HATS meeting on Thursday

The next meeting of the Hanscom Area Towns Committee (HATS) will be on Thursday, April 28 at 7:30 p.m. at the Town Office Building. Paul Regan, executive director of the MBTA Advisory Board, will be speaking. Other agenda items include Fitchburg monopole installations in MBTA right-of-way, and possible updates on the Route 2 and Route 128 highway projects.

Read a story to a child at the town fair

At the “40 Years of Community” fair on Saturday, April 30, the Council on Aging is sponsoring a story time to celebrate the powerful relationship between grandparents or “grandfriends” and the important children in their lives. They’ve selected books from around the world from diverse cultures which embrace the connection between generations. Come and grab a good story, a blanket and snack, and take time from a busy day to have a quiet time to share a good book with a beloved child in your life. You don’t have to be a “real grandparent” to participate. In addition to stories, there will be music provided by Packy Lawler, Rob Todd and friends, who will sing old favorites and invite the audience to sing along when appropriate. The musical portion of the COA’s program will be from 2:30-3:00 p.m. Books and blankets may be borrowed any time from 1-4 p.m.

Garden Club plant sale on May 7

Paul Gingrich digging up Spirea for the Lincoln Garden Club plant sale.

Paul Gingrich digging up Spirea for the Lincoln Garden Club plant sale.

Buy perennials, plant plugs and more at the Lincoln Garden Club‘s biennial plant sale on Saturday, May 7 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Codman barn. Some of the plants on hand will include trillium, bloodroot and phlox, plus innovative container gardens designed by garden club members just in time for Mother’s Day.

This year the club will be selling four species of native plant plugs: Sedum ternatum “Larinem Park,” Stokesia lavevis “Peachie’s Pick,” Cheolone lyoni “Hot Lips” and Pycnanthemum muticum. These are all popular with the pollinators and not with deer! There will also be the popular table of garden bric-a-brac. The sale will be held at Codman Barn, 58 Codman Rd, Lincoln, from 9am to 1 pm.

The sale supports Lincoln Garden Club activities such as arrangements for home-bound, plantings for the watering trough at Five Corners and the Codman/Lincoln Road intersection, and presentations for the whole town such as the April lecture in conjunction with the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust on landscaping for song birds. It’s also a great time to meet neighbors and friends, ask gardening advice, and get inspiration for your garden.

Lincoln gets state money for road work

roadworkLincoln will receive more than $250,000 as part of a state bond authorization that will result in funding to help municipalities complete road, bridge and other infrastructure improvement projects.

Every spring, the state legislature allots funding to each town based on road miles and population, said Chris Bibbo, superintendent of the Lincoln Department of Public Works. Bids on this year’s work were opened about a week ago and include paving Wheeler Road, Old Cambridge Turnpike (North) and sections of Todd Pond Road, as well as some paved-path repair on Trapelo, Lincoln and Concord Roads; repair to miscellaneous sections of berm throughout the town; and investigation of drainage on Old Lexington Road, he said.

Work is expected to begin in approximately two weeks’ time, Bibbo said.

“Fighting for local aid for Lincoln has been a top priority of mine as state representative and I’m pleased that this appropriation will provide us with the critical funding necessary to make important improvements to our roads,” Rep. Tom Stanley (D-Waltham) said in a statement.