145 Chestnut Circle — Barbara B. Dunn to Daniel and Janet Boynton for $585,000 (April 2)- 14 Baker Bridge Rd. — Barbara A. Brannen Trust to Myra Ferguson for $1,300,000 (April 3)
- 241 Old Concord Rd. — Wallace P. Boquist to Joanne D. Wise for $950,000 (April 24)
- 4 Todd Pond Rd. — Mary E. Field Trust to Nathanial Mendell Trust and Dana Kelly Trust for $1,335,000 (April 24)
- 15 Conant Rd. — Mary Alice Williamson to William and Scarlett Carey for $1,535,000 (April 27)
- 221 Aspen Circle — Richard Nenneman Trust to Steven and Patricia Gray for $620,000 (April 27)
- 36 Todd Pond Rd. — Adam Hogue to Jennifer C. Ma for $538,000 (April 30)
- 116 Chestnut Circle — Patricia Thompson to Stephen Hines and Constance Phillips for $510,000 (April 30)
- 34 Goose Pond Rd. — Marion P. Crean to Clint and Terry Epperson for $1,009,500 (April 30)
land use
Panelists share views on marijuana sales and use
A panel including a doctor, Lincoln Police Chief Kevin Kennedy, and a cannabis industry researcher and consultant discussed some of the issues Lincoln voters will need to think about when deciding whether or not to permit cannabis businesses in town.
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. To enact a partial or full ban, a Town Meeting vote to adopt a zoning bylaw amendment restricting or banning such businesses must pass by a two-thirds majority, followed by a simple majority at a town election. Lincoln’s current moratorium on cannabis businesses expires in November.
To be allowed to grow marijuana outdoors, businesses must have the crop fenced and equipped with security cameras, and the plants must be out of view of any public right of way, said Ari Kurtz, a member of the Marijuana Study Committee (MSC) and ]the Agricultural Commission. Growers must undergo background checks and can sell only to licensed dispensaries or product manufacturers. Cannabis can also be grown in secure indoor facilities with windows blacked out.
An advantage to the town of allowing marijuana business stems from the host community agreement provision built into the state law whereby the town gets 3 percent of the business’ gross income.
Marijuana could become a billion-dollar industry in Massachusetts by 2020, according to research reported in the Boston Globe last year, “and people ask, why not keep some of the money in the community through tax dollars?” Kurtz said. “Even small-scale growing can be extremely lucrative.” However, marijuana farming requires a large investment up front in licenses, utilities, and equipment as well as security, he added.
If the town were to permit commercial marijuana growing, it could use zoning rules and the site plan review process to limit what areas of town the plant can be grown, odor mitigation, screening from neighbors, etc. Those measures could restrict other types of marijuana businesses as well.
Panelist Jean Welsh, a Lincoln resident, is a cannabis educator and policy researcher. She said she also uses cannabis to help relieve chronic back pain after many other medical treatments had been ineffective. Medical marijuana does have side effects—”you can get inebriated, but you don’t have to, if you understand how to titrate and deliver the dose,” she said.
Welsh advocated making marijuana more affordable and easier to obtain for medical purposes, “but I have no problem if you want to use my medicine for recreation,” she said. “Some people just want to come home at night and chill with some cannabis instead of a glass of wine… and be able to just walk into a shop and see the products available.”
Legal concerns surrounding marijuana businesses center around security and the fact that marijuana is still illegal at the federal level, Kennedy said. This means that businesses can’t access the banking system and must therefore rely on cash transactions, making them a potential robbery target. There are also concerns about children getting easier access to cannabis, as well as the potential for increased emergency room visits for users who become too intoxicated, he added.
“I would encourage Lincoln to opt out of retail [cannabis] businesses,” said Dr. Eden Evins, an addiction researcher and professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. At issue is the potential for easier access by children, especially in newer forms such as oils, vaping and edibles. In adolescents, “repeated marijuana use in adolescents can cause lasting changes in brain structure and function,” she sai
Even though retail sales nationwide are restricted to adults only, its very availability lends an air of social acceptability, Evins said. Tobacco and alcohol are definitely more harmful than marijuana for users of all ages, but for those other substances, “it’s a health issue not just because they’re more dangerous, but because their legal status causes more widespread use.”
Although deaths from marijuana overdose are almost nonexistent, the drug can be addictive, Evins said. Since the 1960s and 1970s, the potency of marijuana has increased significantly, and this has led to increases in admissions to addiction programs for people whose primary complaint is marijuana addiction, she said, adding that 25 to 30 percent of teenagers who use marijuana daily become addicted.
“Everyone in this industry agrees that kids should not have access to cannabis,” Welsh said. Edibles also pose more of a risk because the drug tends to last longer and feel stronger, she added. “If you’re a newbie, don’t do them.”
To give officials a better sense of what the public thinks about marijuana businesses as they mull what rules to propose, Selectman and MSC member James Craig urged residents to return the one-page paper survey that was recently mailed to all homes. There will be a second town forum in September, followed by a Special Town Meeting and special election in October, in addition to the Town Meeting on the school project.
Other area towns are already voting on the issue Winchester has banned all marijuana businesses except testing labs, and Concord has banned all types of businesses. Sudbury will vote on whether to prohibit marijuana manufacture, cultivation or sales on May 7.
School, community center groups respond to Finance Committee questions
The current Ballfield Road campus.
Committees for the two campus projects have submitted answers to a series of questions from the Finance Committee in advance of two April 30 meetings on project costs.
A multi-board meeting on the campus projects begins at 6 p.m. in the Hartwell B pod, followed by a joint meeting of the FinCom and the Capital Planning Committee from 7:30–9 p.m. A Special Town Meeting on the projects will take place on June 9.
In their answers to the FinCom, both the school and community center committees recommended against building a school project and a community center at the same time, citing the different projects scopes and timelines, construction durations, and problems in using the campus while two projects were under construction simultaneously.
The Community Center Planning and Preliminary Design Committee (CCPPDC) noted that contractors who are able to build a 160,000-square-foot square foot project such as the school do not typically compete for 23,000-square-foot buildings, and “it is likely that using the general contractor and subcontractors that typically handle the bigger, more complex projects for the smaller community center will actually add cost to the community center.”
The School Building Committee offered some FAQs about cost estimates on its website on April 29. Earlier, the SBC responded to a list of questions from the FinCom on:
- Factors driving the cost per square foot of the various concepts
- Enrollment projections
- Space and cost numbers for comparable projects in other towns
- Incremental costs of specific features such as a new or renovated Smith gym, renovated auditorium, and hubs for grades 3-8
- Construction cost inflation and escalation
- Comparisons to revant data form the Massachusetts School Building Authority
- Operation and maintenance costs (also asked by the CapComm)
- What’s included in “soft costs”
The CCPPDC was asked to supply figures and assumptions used for capacity planning for the community center design, and to explain why Bemis Hall can’t be renovated for the Council on Aging. The group’s answers are here, with more information on their research here (click on the “Finance Committee information for April 30” tab in the middle of the page).
In a discussion of the square footage sought for the community center, the CCPPDC noted that even newer community centers in other towns have proved to be too small. “The one town our size that offers a senior facility larger than the senior component of the community center says that they are already short on space,” the committee wrote. “Almost all towns we spoke with, including those with quite new facilities, said that they built too small and now need more space. We do not want to make the same mistakes as other towns by assuming that their facilities are adequate for their population when they are not, especially when these mistakes cost towns more in the long run when additions need to be built.”
Marijuana forum could precede town votes in the fall
In advance of Wednesday’s public forum, the Marijuana Study Committee has released this FAQ document explaining the ramifications of the state’s 2016 vote to legalize recreational marijuana, the pros and cons of allowing marijuana businesses in Lincoln, and a town decision timeline. The forum takes place on Wednesday, April 25 from 7–9 p.m. in Town Hall.
After Lincoln residents approved the 2016 ballot question, the town imposed a temporary moratorium on cannabis businesses while it decides what to do about the issue. The moratorium expires in November and most likely cannot be renewed. Any town—including Lincoln—whose residents voted in favor of the measure in 2016 must take certain steps if it decides it doesn’t want to allow commercial medical or recreational cannabis cultivation, processing, or sales within its borders.
To enact a partial or full ban, a Town Meeting vote to adopt a zoning bylaw amendment restricting or banning cannabis businesses must pass by a two-thirds majority, followed by a simple majority at a town election. A partial ban could allow only one type of business use, such as cultivation, testing, manufacturing, or retail businesses to the exclusion of others. The town could also opt to do nothing, in which case the state could begin issuing licenses to qualified Lincoln‐based marijuana establishments of any type permitted by state statute. Lincoln voters cannot prohibit personal use or cultivation of marijuana.
Assuming that the June 9 Special Town Meeting on the school and community center projects is not expanded to include the marijuana question, there would be a second town forum in September, followed by a Special Town Meeting and special election in October, according to the committee’s FAQ document.
South Lincoln sidewalk, other improvements on the way
A new sidewalk will appear in coming weeks between the Cambridge Trust Co. building and St. Joseph’s Church.
Now that the weather is finally improving, a new sidewalk will soon be installed across from the Bank of America in South Lincoln, which pedestrians in the area have been requesting for years.
The sidewalk, which was removed during a road construction project eight years years ago and never replaced, is one of the projects funded by a $400,000 Complete Streets grant the town received last fall in an effort spearheaded by Director of Planning and Land Use Jennifer Burney and the South Lincoln Planning Implementation Committee (SLPIC).
The package of projects, which Burney said should be completed by September 2018, also includes informational kiosks, safety improvements to the intersection of Route 117 and Lincoln Road, wayfinding signs, and repairs to some sidewalks and roadside paths.
The South Lincoln Revitalization Project includes several SLPIC working teams that are looking at wayfinding, planning and zoning, the Department of Public Works site on Lewis Street, the MBTA station, and the green on the east side of the mall between Donelan’s and Lincoln Woods. The goals are outlined in this presentation made at the State of the Town meeting in November 2017.
The town plans to apply for a second $400,000 Complete Streets grant next fall to fund the following projects, according to Burney:
| Project | Location | Funding request |
|---|---|---|
| Complete Streets gap analysis and strategy for trails, sidewalks, biking, school bus routes, and places of interest | Town-wide | $108,000 |
| Intersection improvements study and construction | Intersection of Lincoln Road and Codman Road | $25,000 |
| Bicycle improvements | Town-wide | $50,000 |
| Repaits to culvert, wooden pedestrian bridge, and sidewalk | Lincoln Road | $20,000 |
| Intersection improvements study and construction | Five Corners near library | $40,000 |
| Intersection improvements study and construction | Intersection of Route 117 and Tower Road | $25,000 |
| Parking lot study and improvements including pay kiosk and lighting | Lincoln Station commuter lot | $132,000 |
Residents drill down on school, community center options before June vote
This School Building Committee chart compares the six options on features and cost and also shows total estimated campus costs that include the community center. (click to enlarge).
Residents who packed two workshops on April 10 on the campus building projects were asked for feedback on six school concepts and three community center schemes in preparation for votes at a Special Town Meeting on June 9.
At that meeting, voters will be asked to choose from among the three community center ideas and an as-yet-unknown number of school concepts, though it will be at least two. Firm cost estimates for each will be presented, and there will be two votes in the fall to bond the project. To win approval, Town Meeting must approve by a two-thirds majority; a simple majority is required at the polls.
The footprint, features and cost of the school concepts are described in this six-page summary, which also includes an energy performance analysis for all but one of the concepts, and the added cost to bring each concept into compliance with the “stretch” code (a higher level of energy efficiency than the state’s base building code) and net-zero energy use.
The paper version of the six-page concept summary handed out at Tuesday’s meeting also listed the annual tax bill increase for the median Lincoln taxpayers based on a 4 percent of 5 percent bond interest rates:
| School concept | Estimated cost | Annual tax increase (4% interest) | Annual tax increase (4% interest) | Added cost for stretch code compliance/net zero energy efficiency, including solar |
R | $49 million | $1,329 | $1,494 | N/A |
L1 | $73 million | $1,980 | $2,226 | N/A |
L2 | $79 million | $2,142 | $2,409 | $0 / $6 million |
L3 | $89 million | $2,413 | $2,714 | $0 / $6 million |
C | $95 million | $2,576 | $2,897 | $0 / $2 million |
FPC | $109 million | Analysis not yet performed for this option | Analysis not yet performed for this option | Analysis not yet performed for this option |
Superintendent of Schools Becky McFall outlined the educational advantages of each of the six options:
Option R
- There would be no educational improvement except for a more consistent temperature climate due to the heating system upgrade.
Option L1
- The new dining commons between the Brooks gym and auditorium lobby could serve as a learning space for large groups.
Option L2
- Bringing preK into the main school from Hartwell saves time for staff who serve both preK and K-8, as well as preK students who must sometimes cross the campus, and it also eases the integration of preK children into the school as well as faculty collaboration.
- Two new flexible-use spaces on each side of the school.
- Having a single, centrally located lower and middle school office and dining commons also reduces travel time for students and staff.
Option L3
- Hub spaces for grades 3-8 where classes can open out into larger collaboration or teaching spaces, and which allow more collaboration among teachers. At the new Hanscom Middle School, which includes hubs, “we find teachers are doing much more conscious planning together, and we see the impact of more integrated curricula being developed,” McFall said. For each grade, the hubs also “create a bit of a community within a community,” she added.
- A larger commons space than previous concepts, and the space looks out onto the woods, which is less distracting for students.
Option C
- Having two floors in part of the building reduces transition times for middle schoolers by shortening corridors. “The compactness helps with efficiencies and interactions for both faculty and students, as well as greater sustainability,” McFall said. “I feel like it’s a better design for education.”
- More space for playing fields
Option FPC
- Allows for the “optimal” educational program, with three more classrooms than the current school (or options L2, L3 and C), as well as hubs for all nine grades and more athletic field space.
- This option was recently added at the request of residents who wanted to see what an “ideal” building would look like, so the design is still in flux and it may be more compact building with two floors in some places, McFall said.
Almost every elementary school in Massachusetts designs within the past 10 years includes small breakout rooms and/or larger hub spaces between classrooms, McFall said. The U.S Department of Defense’s education arm, which oversees construction of schools on military bases, mandated this type of design for the Hanscom school. “They did a lot of research, and they’re convinced of it—their analysis shows a true benefit,” McFall said.
Having hubs and breakout rooms “is the catalyst to change… an eruptor that makes you think something else is possible,” said resident Jen Holleran. “This is a generational opportunity.”
The Capital Planning Committee is now researching long-term operating costs for the various options, which would include estimating the financial value of making a greater up-front investment in a more sustainable design, Finance Committee chair Andy Payne said. Any savings on current utility costs would not help pay down the bond but would show up in slower growth in the school’s annual operating costs, he said.
Following the presentation, residents were asked to specify their two favorite options to help the School Building Committee gauge how many concepts should be presented for a vote on June 9. In 2012, the SBC offered only one option for an up-or-down vote that failed to garner the required two-thirds majority, “and we will not make the same mistake—we feel like we have to bring that choice to you,” said Selectman and former SBC chair Jennifer Glass.
Community center
Workshop attendees then saw the three latest concepts for a community center located on the Hartwell side of campus and were asked for feedback on paper. (The fourth concept on the Community Center Preliminary Planning and Design Committee website—putting the facility in renovated Smith school space—is no longer being considered.)
All are 23,000 square feet and include renovation of any remaining standalone Hartwell pods. Scheme 3 calls for having the community center linked to all three pods, with a resulting total cost ($13.5 million to $16.5 million) lower than the estimate for the other two options (both $15 million to $18 million).
There will be a multi-board meeting to discuss more details of how to finance the campus projects on Monday, April 30.
Property sales in February
18 Page Rd. — Michael Pehl to Boston Unibo Corp. for $4,000,000 (February 20)
15 Oak Meadow Rd. — Anne Neimi to Sean and Elizabeth Crovetti for $935,000 (February 23)
20 Hillside Rd. — Mary R. Gayley Trust to Gail O’Keefe and Emma Melton for $985,000 (February 27)
Blue Heron Organic Farm closes
A dumpster can be seen at the Blue Heron Organic Farm in February.
Ellery Kimball of Blue Heron Organic Farm on Rte. 117 announced on LincolnTalk today that she has closed the farm.
“We are sad to see Ellery go since she has done such a super job with Blue Heron Organic Farm,” said Conservation Director Tom Gumbart. “The Conservation Commission needs to determine the property’s future use, but it will certainly stay in agricultural production. Its long history as an organic farm certainly lends itself to continuing that use for organic food production. However, no determination has yet been made since we only recently found out about Ellery’s departure.”
When asked for further details about her plans or why she closed the farm, Kimball responded via email, “Thank you for your questions but I wrote everything I’d like to share in the letter.” Her announcement is reprinted here with her permission:
Dear Town of Lincoln,
After 17 years as the farmer at Blue Heron Organic Farm on Rt. 117, I have decided it is time for me to move on to new ventures. I will always treasure my time on this land and I have loved working in my home town, and, at the same time, I am excited about moving on to new opportunities.
I started working on the Umbrello parcel of conservation land in Lincoln, Massachusetts in 1993 when I was 17 and a senior in high school. The farm was then called Down to Earth Organic Farm (established in 1992) and I happily worked as an intern on the land in the summers from 93-98. I returned to the Umbrello Field in 2001 to start Blue Heron Organic Farm after Keith, of Down to Earth, left to begin a farm in western Massachusetts.
After running Blue Heron Organic Farm for two years in 2003 I applied for official Organic Certification and, in all, the land has been farmed organically since 1992. In 2005, after raising money through fundraisers held at the farm, I hired a company to dig a well and added electricity to the farm. Thanks to these generous donations irrigation and electricity is now available to the future farmers of the Umbrello Field.
I have countless people to thank for helping me make this dream of running a small organic farm in my home town a reality. Thank you so much to the town and the Conservation Commission for their support and encouragement over the years. Thank you for believing in me and for giving me this opportunity. Many thanks to Keith for teaching me how to farm in the 90s and for encouraging me to start Blue Heron Organic Farm in 2001. Many thanks to my good friends who helped me on the farm harvesting pumpkins, picking up rocks and pounding in tomato stakes.
I wish to thank the customers who shopped at the farm stand, the organic plant sales, and at the farmers markets. There are so many people I will remember not only for their loyalty and for returning to buy vegetables, flowers and plants every year, but also for their positive words of encouragement, support and kindness. I am so glad I had the opportunity to grow vegetables and flowers for you. Thank you so much. I will miss seeing you all at the farm and at the farmers markets.
Thank you to the groups of farm camp kids who helped me on Fridays every summer, I could always count on them to put a smile on my face and they have given me hope for the future. Thank you to all the volunteers and interns who worked on the farm with me. Farming isn’t easy work, its long days in the sun and rain, with endless weeding and harvesting. I appreciate everyone who worked with me in the field growing vegetables and flowers.
Thank you to the Lincoln Farmers Market and the Davis Square Farmers Market and to all the people involved in making these markets thrive.
Thank you to all the wonderful chefs who placed orders twice a week throughout the growing season. I will miss bringing fresh vegetables to you in your kitchens, hearing about your recipes, seeing your smiles and feeling your appreciation for fresh local foods. Thank you for supporting local farmers.
Thank you to the Lincoln farmers who shared encouragement and equipment and support. And thank you to the town for encouraging farmers to continue Lincolns rich farming heritage.
And, last but not least, thank you to my family for believing in me and encouraging me to follow my dreams. Thanks to my brother for designing the farms website and for being a great sibling.
I am grateful that I have known this beautiful field in all weather and seasons for almost 25 years. Most of my adult memories were created on this land and I have learned so much by working with the soil, hoping for rain, picking up rocks, chasing deer, planting, harvesting and learning from others. I am comforted knowing this land is forever protected and will always remain an open field. Thank you to the Conservation Commission, the Rural Land Foundation, and the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust for the important and incredible work you do in keeping Lincoln beautiful, wild, and green.
I am excited to move on and explore other dreams and opportunities in new locations. I am so grateful that I had this opportunity to farm these seven acres in Lincoln in my 20s and 30s.
Sincerely,
Ellery Kimball
School and campus ideas come into clearer focus
A feedback sheet handed out at Town Meeting asked residents which of these three campus configurations they preferred (click to enlarge).
Two-thirds of the 120 residents who responded to a short survey distributed at Town Meeting on March 24 said they preferred a campus layout where the school is concentrated on the north side of campus, freeing up the Smith site for another playing field or green space.
One-third of respondents preferred the current L-shaped configuration, while a single respondent chose the third option of putting the community center on the site of the older Smith wing rather than on the Hartwell side of campus.
Residents also saw the latest round of community center concepts, three of which call for replacing one or two of the pods with the new building and rearranging the parking in the Hartwell area. The fourth option, putting the community center on the west side of campus, preserves the historic Smith gym but would be the most expensive choice due to the cost of renovating all three Hartwell pods and a larger-than-needed community center in a renovated Smith wing. It would also require more parking and create more congestion on that side of campus.
The School Building Committee also presented its latest set of design ideas. Prices ranged from $49 million for Option R (repair only), to $109–$115 million for Option FPC (full project concept) with the optimal number of grade-level hubs and classrooms.
The school design that failed to garner a two-thirds majority in 2012 (click to enlarge).
The six school options and four community center options can be considered in various combinations, though if the community center is on the west side, a compact school design would have to be chosen rather than an L-shaped configuration.
Ironically, many who voted against the 2012 school proposal said they were unhappy with trading the L-shaped school for a more compact building on the north side of the ballfield—much like several of the options now under consideration.
Depending on which school and community center options are ultimately chosen, the total up-front cost for the school and community center projects range from $62 million all the way up to $122–$132 million.
“The sheer scale of these investments is, quite frankly, daunting,” said resident Adam Greenberg, adding that the costs have roughly doubled since the 2012 project was defeated, “far and away above rate of inflation.”
This chart offers a feature comparison of six school options plus cost estimates for a community center (click to enlarge).
Though the economy as a whole has seen low inflation in recent years, this is not the vase in construction, SBC Chair Chris Fasciano said, noting that building prices have been going up by 6–10 percent a year. Data presented in the warrant handbook at Town Meeting reveal that school construction costs in surrounding towns have ranged from $361 per square foot for Wayland High School in 2011, to $482 for the Field School in Weston in 2014, to $594 for the Hastings School in Lexington (completion expected in 2020). Also, unlike the 2012 proposals, the latest Lincoln estimates include costs for site work.
The Finance Committee has determined that the town can borrow up to $100 million without affecting its bond rating. State law limits the town to borrowing $97 million in addition to its current debt. Lincoln would need approval from a municipal oversight board to exceed that limit; the town’s bond advisor said “we would have a reasonable case” for exceeding the limit for a school building project but only if there was “strong consensus among the town,” said FinCom chair Jim Hutchinson.
In 2012, “a lot of people didn’t understand that $29 million from the state was not going to be available again,” said resident Maggy Pietropaolo. “The question is not whether we’re going to spend at least $50 million on a school. The question is, what do you want to get for your money?”
The SBC will hold another pair of community workshops on Tuesday, April 10 at 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. in the Reed Gym, as well as an update for the Council in Aging on Friday, March 30 at 10 a.m. in Bemis Hall. There will also be a multi-board meeting on the campus projects on Monday, April 30. Meanwhile, those who did not attend Town Meeting or turn in the short campus survey may send comments via email to the SBC. A special Town Meeting to choose a school option will take place on June 9.
Oriole Landing approved at Town Meeting
Residents approved a zoning change and preliminary plan for the Oriole Landing mixed-income housing project, despite impassioned pleas not to subject the neighborhood to yet another major construction project that will increase traffic.
Town officials urged passage of the measure so Lincoln can avoid a much larger 40B affordable housing project. Developers can circumvent town zoning restrictions for a project of that type if less than 10 percent of the town’s housing stock is affordable according to the 2020 census, and Lincoln was projected to be about nine units short. Lincoln Woods, which has both affordable and market-rate units, has a waiting list of 60 families, according to housing consultant Pamela Gallup.
“This provides the diversity of housing that Lincoln currently lacks” for young professionals or retirees looking to downsize but stay in town, Selectman James Craig said.
Residents including Cathy O’Brien of 3 Mary’s Way objected to the development before the Planning Board earlier this month, saying it was too large and would create traffic and road safety issues. At Town Meeting, she also repeated her earlier claim that the project was being rushed through.
“Public meetings on this started in January. What has ever happened in this town of this magnitude in a matter of three months? Nothing,” O’Brien said. “This process has been steamrolled through with no commitment or thought process about the impact on the neighborhood.”
“We don’t get a chance to pick the properties. This one came up very fast, and the accelerated pace is not due to anything other than a need to react to market conditions when things become available,” Selectman Jonathan Dwyer responded.
The property was on the market for some time and the town looked into purchasing it, but the price was “well out of reach,” Craig said. Several developers inquired about putting a project on the site with anywhere from 125 to 250 units, “but we were able to turn them away,” Gallup said.
The Planning Board and Board of Selectmen endorsed the project last week with several conditions. Among them: a left-turn-only restriction out of the Oriole Landing driveway onto Mary’s Way on weekday mornings and a $25,000 contribution by Civico to the town’s Complete Streets program earmarked for a roadside path on Mary’s Way. The company will also offer a shuttle bus service for Oriole Landing residents to Alewife and South Lincoln.
Neighbors not satisfied
But neighbors on Saturday said these steps were not enough. “A no-right-turn sign without a policeman standing there every day is virtually useless,” said Andrew Cole of Sandy Pond Road, adding that a similar restriction on his road is “routinely flouted.” The promised $25,000 is also inadequate, he added.
“Who is going to fund the rest of what needs to be done? These answers need to be in writing before we change the zoning,” O’Brien said.
Other area towns including Sudbury and Wayland are grappling with looming 40B projects, but O’Brien rejected the comparison. “They’re trying to convince you through fear. We need nine units in next two years. We have brilliant people in this community who can find a solution for nine units,” she said.
But a Concord Road resident disagreed. “To think you’re going to have someone come in with nine units in the next year and a half is unrealistic,” he said. “If we miss this opportunity, a 40B [developer] can slam down anything they want. If you’re worried about the impact on schools or traffic now.”
Residents including David Levington argued that the town is unfairly isolating affordable housing in North Lincoln, which is not within walking distance to public transportation for Oriole Landing residents who might not own a car. Others expressed concern about the roadways and lack of sidewalks in the area.
“That’s life in Lincoln — we have narrow roads,” resident Sharon Antia said. She also alluded to earlier fears about the location of Lincoln Woods, then the town’s first affordable housing development. “There were major objections being that close to the train station that they might get a lot of undesirable people from Boston,” she said.
Levington moved to postpone the decision until the special Town Meeting in June, but Andrew Consigli of Civico Development said that would not be financially feasible for him. “There’s a certain amount of money we pay a month to hold the land. We don’t have the ability to do that past this time of year,” he said. “We won’t be here in June, and I mean that with all due respect.”
This possibility caused outgoing Finance Committee member Eric Harris to say he was “experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder from 2012,” when the town voted down a school project that would have been partially paid for by a $20 million state grant (the state subsequently denied repeated reapplications).
“For $29 million [the town’s share in 2012], we could have had a school. Now we’re talking about maybe $120 million. Sometimes the ‘Lincoln way’ way isn’t the best way,” Harris said..
Civico has “bent over backwards like no developer I’ve ever seen,” said resident Noah Eckhouse. “Change is tough, but Lincoln is changing, and either we change it or somebody else does. We’re going to be paying for this one way or another. We have got to vote for this.”.
After the motion to postpone the vote was soundly defeated, the standing-room-only crowd approved the measure in a voice vote by the required two-thirds majority. Civico must come back to the Planning Board within two years to obtain a special permit and site plan review.
This is the sixth overlay-district development that the town has approved since 1986. The others are Lincoln Woods, Battle Road Farm, Lincoln North, the Minuteman Inn (which was never built), Minuteman Commons, and The Commons.