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

land use

South Lincoln planning group to be downsized

A July 2019 overview of some of SLPIC’s completed and proposed improvements to the Lincoln Station area (click image to enlarge).

The South Lincoln Planning and Implementation Committee will be restructured into a smaller group and will shelve its South Lincoln rezoning proposal, at least for now

SLPIC was created in late 2016 as part of an effort to revitalize the area around the MBTA station and the Lincoln mall by enabling more business development and moderately priced housing while also encouraging pedestrian traffic and train ridership. Its subcommittees fostered projects to create a “pocket park” next and wayfinding signs, draw up a list of improvements for the MBTA station, and study the possibility of relocating the Department of Public Works to a site next to the transfer station to free up land on Lewis Street for other uses — an idea that met with protests from North Lincoln residents.

Last year, SLPIC unveiled a sweeping proposal to rezone parcels of land in South Lincoln to encourage mixed-use development with denser housing that what’s now allowed. It would also have streamlined the permitting process so that some projects could be approved by the Planning Board rather than having to go to Town Meeting. But many residents at two public forums, especially one in February 2020, were not receptive to the idea.

The committee also suffered from being simultaneously too large and too small, Planning Board members said at a May 26 meeting. It was large enough that it sometimes had trouble achieving a quorum for meetings, yet it did not include residents of the areas that would be affected, particularly the condo developments on Ridge Road.

“There was concern that opening that area up to more concentrated redevelopment might actually undercut some of the only middle-range housing in Lincoln,” Planning Board member and SLPIC co-chair Gary Taylor said.

The feedback the board received indicated that “it’s time for a bit of a rethink on how to approach this [and] find a middle ground between getting something done and letting the Planning Board loose to overdevelop the area,” Taylor added. However, because of the economic circumstances of South Lincoln businesses and the town as a whole, “we can’t really sit back and do nothing,” he added. “The problem is getting everyone to yes.”

Board members also recognized that SLIPC’s successor needs to gather more public input as it forms its proposals. “We need to get to a point where that group is meeting with the public and interested parties on some pretty regular, well publicized and well understood cadence,” chair Margaret Olson said.

“It was almost an economic development committee,” SLPIC co-chair Lynn DeLisi said. “It’s time for a change.”

The original plan was to have a vote on the rezoning proposal at a Special Town Meeting in the fall. Now the Planning Board will come up with a charge for the new group and discuss it with the Board of Selectmen before voting on a formal move. Olson proposed a smaller committee consisting of two members from the Planning Board, one from the Board of Selectmen and one from the Housing Commission.

“I am from the bottom of my heart grateful for listening to us in South Lincoln,” resident Jessica Packineau told the board. Packineau was one of the organizers of United Residents for Responsible Redevelopment, a neighborhood coalition that took issue with the rezoning proposal at the February forum.

“You all are going in the right direction,” Greenridge Lane resident June Matthews said. “All I ask for is representation of the constituents in the area.”

My Turn: DeLisi makes her case for reelection to Planning Board

(Editor’s note: DeLisi is one of three residents running for two seats on the Planning Board. The Lincoln Squirrel published statements by all three candidates in March and new statements from Rick Rundell and Bob Domnitz earlier this week. There will be an online forum for the candidates on June 11.)

Dear neighbors,

I am once again reaching out to you to ask for your vote in the upcoming Lincoln election. The fact that a seat on the Planning Board is an elected one is significant. This means that you have a choice to decide who represents you.

My background and training are not as important as what I believe in and whether I will stand up and represent what you believe in. Here is what I am for:

  • Responsible planning by collaboration with neighborhoods
  • Sensitivity to the feelings of abutters, the most affected by change
  • Keeping a DPW Site out of North Lincoln
  • Keeping the South Lincoln commercial district vibrant, but not dense with new housing
  • Keeping North Lincoln residents free from any more adversity
  • Regulations that preserve Lincoln’s unique rural and farm-friendly atmosphere
  • Preserving the historical significance of some of Lincoln’s neighborhoods and the designated historical districts
  • The highest quality education available to our children in safe facilities
  • A community center that serves our residents well
  • Safe and supportive facilities for senior residents
  • Keeping the availability of harmful substances away from our young generation
  • And… keeping Lincoln safe

While a member of the Planning Board, I actively participated in:

  • Several controversial decisions that affected the wellbeing of residents and their neighborhoods, such as whether or not marijuana establishments should be in Lincoln
  • Changing and simplifying some of the complicated process that new homeowners find in dealing with the Planning Board
  • The change of planning directors not long after I began (and drove that process)

I immediately understood the issues raised by McLean Hospital in setting up a residential home in Lincoln and misnaming therapy “education.” And I understood very clearly from my own research studies the effects marijuana establishments would have on our town. I spoke up and was active on all these issues and more. Most importantly, I listened to and consistently was sensitive to the concerns of abutters about change.

Although you may say, “Why does a psychiatrist/neuroscientist who bridges gaps between research and the clinic think she knows enough to be on a town Planning Board?” However, my seven years on the Planning Board have taught me a range of planning and architectural principles, adding up to more years than I actually spent in medical school. Scientific methods need to be applied more in our decisions than would be imagined. My background and experience have certainly helped my decision-making on the Planning Board.

One last word, with specific regard to the South Lincoln Planning and Implementation Committee: I was not happy with the way it was running from almost its beginning, and was the first to advocate that it be radically revised or abolished. It was only last week that other members of the Planning Board all agreed to change it. However, I still am advocating for a member of the committee of five to be someone who represents the residents most affected.

I welcome comments, suggestions, and concerns anytime. You can email me at DeLisi76@aol.com or call me at 516-528-5366.

Sincerely,

Lynn E DeLisi
125 South Great Rd.

”My Turn” is a forum for Lincoln residents to offer their views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

My Turn: Feinberg endorses Domnitz for Planning Board

Dear Lincolnites,

It’s been a while since you heard from me. Some of you may remember me as the guy who wrote that weekly column in the Lincoln Journal about life and politics in Lincoln. Well, I’m ba-ack! At least for this one time, to wholeheartedly endorse Bob Domnitz for the Planning Board.

Bob is running for re-election because of his concern about the Planning Board’s current efforts to usurp Town Meeting’s role in approving significant development projects within the town. The Planning Board would like to revise the Zoning Bylaw so it alone would become the final arbiter on such projects, rather than Town Meeting.

Lincoln has an almost 300-year time-honored tradition and history of the Town Meeting form of government. Now is not the time to strip Town Meeting of its authority and weaken it. Join me in electing Bob Domnitz to the Planning Board.

Sincerely,

Neil Feinberg
104 Concord Rd., Lincoln

”My Turn” is a forum for Lincoln residents to offer their views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

Planning Board candidate forum on June 11

Lincoln resident Sharon Antia will host a forum on Zoom with the three Planning Board candidates running for two openings in the June 15 election on Thursday, June 11 at 7 p.m.

If you have a question you’d like to ask one or more of the candidates, please email it to sharon.antia@gmail.com and she will compile and ask as many questions as possible. Alternatively, on the evening of the forum, we will accept questions via the chat function in Zoom as time allows. Questions that have already been suggested include:

  • How will planning in Lincoln be influenced by the new world order? How will Lincoln’s relationship with Massachusetts, the nation at large, and the world influence any planning decisions? Do current events suggest we have any responsibility to think about the world at large when we think about planning in Lincoln?
  • How will the town support our local restaurants through this pandemic?
  • Is there anything the Planning Board can do to support social distancing and community building? 
  • What about housing, the transfer station, the DPW, and South and North Lincoln? What is the Planning Board’s role, and how should they collaborate with other boards and commissions?
  • And what about the school? Some people are worried that the refurbished building may be obsolete in a few years, or are wondering if we should reconsider the tax burden on residents What, if anything, can or should the Planning Board do to review the current school plans and potentially suggest alternatives?

Link to join the candidate’s forum:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86813510489?pwd=akR2WVZKWUY2djE3OFAyTlBCaTExZz09

  • Meeting ID: 868 1351 0489
  • Password: 310709

Click here to learn about early voting and voting by absentee ballot, and to obtain forms for either option. You can also vote in person on June 15 from 12–4 p.m. at Town Hall.

More information:

My Turn: Rundell touts importance and accomplishments of Planning Board

Editor’s note: Rundell previously wrote a letter to the editor in February announcing that he was running for reelection, and he was included in a roundup of Planning Board candidates published on March 5.)

By Rick Rundell

Dear Lincoln neighbors,

I’m running for re-election to the Planning Board, which I have been serving on since 2013. I’m joined for the only contested seats in this year’s election by my friends and colleagues, incumbent Lynn DeLisi and former member Bob Domnitz. I have nothing but admiration and deep respect for each.

The Lincoln Squirrel invited each of us to share some thoughts with their readers before the election was postponed back in March. Since then, a lot of things have changed, and I’d like to introduce my candidacy for the June 15 election now.

As I am the only architecture professional on the board or among the candidates, your vote for me brings a uniquely effective and meaningful voice to the important work of that body.

I have four decades of experience in the building industry. I am a member of the American Institute of Architects and hold credentials from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) and the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program of the US Green Building Council. I presently lead innovation programs focused on the architecture, engineering, and construction for a global design software company.

I’m proud of contributing to many important things the Planning Board has accomplished during my tenure. I am most proud, however, of advancing the professionalization of the board and streamlining its operations. Today’s board no longer keeps applicants, abutters and stakeholders into the late hours of the night as we debate minutiae and then ask for return visits to cover simple administrative measures. By empowering our capable professional planning staff, we respect the time and resources of our applicants and the commitment of our volunteer board members. At Town Meeting in 2018, we eliminated the burdensome and procedurally questionable “pre-meeting” requirement which obliged every applicant to attend at least two board meetings and often more before getting anything done.

At that same 2018 Town Meeting, we also limited with a five-year sunset provision the creeping expansion of Site Plan Review. Prior to this, property after property had become permanently encumbered with the obligation to bring even the most trivial improvements before the board. Changes that many residents could make as of right were closed off to properties once they had fallen under Site Plan Review. I am proud to have successfully advocated for the Planning Board to rein back its own authority, which threatened fair processes and a level playing field for citizens of the town.

I am least proud of the number of in-person meetings I had to miss during my last term due to professional obligations. Struggles with attendance are inevitable if the town hopes to attract active, engaged industry professionals to serve on town boards and committees. I am committed to doing a better job of over my next term. Sadly, circumstances related to the pandemic over the coming year will likely make this easier.

These are extraordinary times. We are isolating ourselves and wearing protective gear to engage in the most routine tasks of community life. Our cities are burning with rage and fear. A generation is losing confidence in the shared values on which our democracy has been built. We question what one citizen, one local board, or one small town can do to make a difference.

When we started campaigning in March, the most important question in the world seemed to be what authority our open Town Meeting might be willing to entrust to a group of elected board members. While I do support Town Meeting as a venue for important town planning and development changes, today that seems a discussion for another day. Today the most important questions in the world are overwhelming and seem to change every day. Today, more than ever before, it is important for our town to be led by creative, active, and engaged citizens bringing a broad, professional, and experienced perspective to our local challenges and opportunities.

If you value, as do I, the broad engagement of our citizens and community in public process; objective, respectful and fair treatment of all stakeholders; and the appropriate role of town government in our lives and property, then  I ask for your vote this coming June 15 or whenever you complete your absentee ballot.

With gratitude for your consideration,

Rick Rundell
76 Todd Pond Rd., Lincoln
rick.rundell@gmail.com
rickrundell.com

”My Turn” is a forum for Lincoln residents to offer their views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

My Turn: Robert Domnitz on why he’s running for Planning Board again

(Editor’s note: Following is a statement submitted to the Lincoln Squirrel by Robert Domnitz, who is running in the only contested race in this year’s local election. He was included in a roundup of Planning Board candidates published on March 5. In 2015, he narrowly lost a race for reelection to Gary Taylor.)

By Robert Domnitz
Why I’m running for Planning Board (again!)

I previously served on the Lincoln Planning Board for 12 years, from 2003–15. I’m hoping to come out of “retirement” because I think our current Planning Board is heading in the wrong direction regarding revitalization of the Lincoln Station area. They are developing a complex revision to the town ‘s zoning bylaw which they believe will foster increased business activity and greater housing density.

Although this goal deserves town-wide consideration and debate, a key feature of their proposal is that they — and they alone — will have authority to approve large-scale development proposals without review by our Town Meeting. This is a dramatic departure from our traditional reliance on Town Meeting for major decisions. It will allow a five member Planning Board to make unreviewable decisions about changes to one of Lincoln’s most important and diverse neighborhoods.

As a member of the Planning Board, I will work to ensure that our Town Meeting continues to play the central role in Lincoln’s decisions about land use. I believe that the Planning Board’s current effort to foster revitalization of Lincoln Station without meaningful participation of Town Meeting is needlessly divisive. Conversely, with Town Meeting’s participation, we have the opportunity to welcome projects that appeal to neighbors, business owners, and the Town at large.

My core values: preserve the town’s character, strengthen our community

Our Zoning Bylaw is an expression of these same core values, allowing us to manage growth and change responsibly while respecting our historic and rural heritage. We benefit in Lincoln from the farsighted, altruistic actions of residents who conserved large tracts of land and adopted strategic preservation-oriented zoning. We are all stewards of this precious legacy.

My background
  • Public sector (municipal): Lincoln Planning Board; Lexington Planning Board; Hanscom Field Advisory Commission; Route 2 Oversight Committee; Battle Road Scenic Byway Committee.
  • Private Sector: president (retired), Technical Collaborative, Inc., an electronics R&D firm.
  • Education: B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from MIT,  J.D. from Boston College Law School,
  • Contact: 781 259-1080, electbobpb@outlook.com

”My Turn” is a forum for Lincoln residents to offer their views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

Property sales in February 2020

31 Old Farm Rd. — Thomas Lee to Hugo and Emily Beekman for $1,550,000 (February 7).

334 Hemlock Circle — Martha Lundgren to Jennifer and Richard Saffran for $511,000 (February 14).

0 Old Sudbury Rd. — Roy S. MacDowell Jr. Trust to the Carroll School for $400,000 (February 27) — property then donated to Mass Audubon.

Mass Audubon gets 85 acres of land in Lincoln and Wayland

The 85 acres donated by the Carroll School to Mass Audubon is shown with a dotted outline (click to enlarge).

The Carroll School has donated 85 acres of recently acquired land to Mass Audubon that will become part of the Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary.

An anonymous donor gave the school a total of 103 acres in Wayland and Lincoln that lie south of Old Sudbury Road. (Land records show that the Lincoln portion of the donated land is owned by the Roy S. MacDowell Jr. Trust.) The school is keeping 18 acres in Wayland abutting its upper school, which opened in that location in 2017. Carroll also has a middle school campus on Baker Bridge Road in Lincoln and a lower school on Trapelo Road in Waltham just east of the Cambridge reservoir.

“We will continue to be good neighbors in the towns of Lincoln, Wayland, and Waltham. We look forward to the outdoor education opportunities that access to this property provides,” said Head of School Steve Wilkins.

This version of the map shows the Carroll School’s full 103-acre acquisition outlined in yellow. The school is keeping the darker brown portion in Wayland and has donated the rest to Mass Audubon, which also owns the parcels with red dots. The black dot indicates the Carroll Upper School property. (Map by Lincoln Squirrel using Lincoln and Wayland property maps; click to enlarge.)

The 85 Mass Audubon acres feature a meandering boardwalk passing through wetlands. The Bay Circuit Trail runs through the land, which was already protected by a permanent conservation restriction and is open to the public.

“We’re going to keep it a passive recreation area,” said Michael O’Connor, public relations manager at Mass Audubon. “Perhaps down the road we might think about some nature-related educational programs, but right now it’s just a beautiful place to take a walk.”

“This new addition to the sanctuary will extend the Drumlin Farm conservation corridor through south Lincoln and into Wayland, providing continued protected habitat for wildlife as well as a wonderful mixed forest/wetland environment for visitors to explore on the boardwalk and lesser-known trails beyond,” Drumlin Farm Sanctuary Director Renata Pomponi said. “We’re excited to extend Drumlin Farm’s stewardship to include this important parcel and the opportunities it brings for environmental education and conservation.”

“Carroll School’s Board of Trustees believes that Mass Audubon is the best steward for the 85 acres,” said Amy Dempster, the Carroll School’s director of communications and marketing. As for the other 18 acres, “there are no near-term plans to build on the property, but that potential exists in the future. Our donor saw this as a long term opportunity.”

Property sales for January 2020

233 Concord Road — 233 Concord Road LLC to Kelly Bales and Anne Kingston for $2,145,000 (January 7)

11 Hiddenwood Path — Negarre H. Moore Trust to Fabio Elia and Veronica Carillo-Marquez for $680,650 (January 8)

0 Baker Farm — Douglas Adams to the Walden Woods Project for $480,000 (January 15)

315 Hemlock Circle — Robert N. Garner trust to Richard and Mary Mansfield for $546,000 (January 22)

17 Stratford Way — Duggal Rajender to Michael and Evelyn Yamauchi for $2,150,000 (January 31)

253 Old Concord Rd. — Kim Sungwoon to Sean Allen and Stephanie Lawkins for $1,169,000 (January 31)

Company seeks permission for cell tower on Emerson Road

By Alice Waugh

The current and proposed sites of the cell towers under discussion are outlined in yellow.

A wireless technology company is seeking to rezone a piece of residential property on Emerson Road to allow construction of a new cell tower that would replace two existing towers on Mary’s Way. The Planning Board will hold a public hearing on the proposal on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 7:15 p.m.

Crown Castle International Corp. currently operates two cell towers at 9 Mary’s Way adjacent to the Oriole Landing development and The Commons in Lincoln. The company in turn leases space on the tower to wireless communications companies including AT&T and Sprint. According to a January 21 letter to town officials, the lease on the Mary’s Way parcel is expiring and the company has been unable to negotiate an extension, so “it is necessary to install a relocation tower to address the continuation of wireless service on the networks of some of the leading providers in the town of Lincoln.”

Crown Castle is seeking to add the parcel at 6 Emerson Rd. owned by the Sandra Demirjian Trust and Daniel Cellucci to the town’s Wireless Communications Facility Overlay District, which currently includes 11 parcels on Route 2, Mill Street, Lincoln Road, Lewis Street, Bedford Road, and Sandy Pond Road. (The addresses of the parcels and accompanying overlay district provisions are listed starting on page 43 of the town’s Zoning By-Law.)

The wireless overlay district is one of several zoning districts consisting of noncontiguous parcels that were created to impose special provisions (for example, more restrictions or additional permitted uses) in addition to the existing zoning rules for those properties. The others are the Wetlands and Watershed Protection District, the Flood Plain District, the North Lincoln Overlay District, the South Lincoln Overlay District, and the Solar Photovoltaic Facilities Overlay District. 

The property at 9 Mary’s Way is owned by the David Miller Trust and the John Yagjian Trust, c/o David Segal of 11 Mary’s Way. None of the owners listed for the two properties could be reached for comment.

If the cell towers on Mary’s Way were to be abandoned, the facility owners are required to remove their structures and restore the site to its former condition within one year of the cessation of use.