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

land use

Committee to study future of DPW site on Lewis St.

As part of its work to revitalize Lincoln’s commercial downtown, the South Lincoln Planning Implementation Committee is seeking funds to hire a consultant to do a feasibility study of relocating the Department of Public Works site on Lewis Street.

“Every time we peel that onion back and look at South Lincoln, the subject of that site comes up,” Town Administrator Tim Higgins commented at the June 12 Board of Selectmen meeting. “They feel it’s a due-diligence item to either rule possibilities in or rule them out, because it may bear on the rest of the South Lincoln area. If you think the DPW site is in play, it takes our thinking in a certain direction.”

About 10 years ago, DPW officials were asked to evaluate other possible locations for their trucks and other equipment, and they determined that the transfer station was the only other feasible site on town-owned property. The new study will seek to “expand the aperture” and look at other options such as co-locating some DPW functions on land owned privately or by MassPort near Hanscom Field, for example.

There’s quite a bit of town-owned land in Lincoln, but most of it is under conservation restriction. However, it’s theoretically possible to “swap out” other land “if there’s an appetite in town for freeing up the DPW site for a different kind of development,” Higgins said.

But resident Robert Domnitz, a former Planning Board member and co-founder of the Northside News, indicated there might be resistance to moving the DPW to the north side of town. “This needs to not be a dollars-and-cents, square-footage exercise, but a sense of what the folks up there would like to see happen or not happen,” he said at the selectmen’s meeting.

One idea that’s come up is moving the transfer station to the Lewis Street site instead of vice versa. “The transfer station is probably the most social place in town,” Domnitz said, and having it in South Lincoln “would bring hundreds of customers to the area.”

Other topics discussed at this week’s Board of Selectmen meeting (summary courtesy of former Selectman Peter Braun):

  • The board interviewed four of the eight candidates who asked to be considered to be appointed as at-large members of the Community Center Planning and Preliminary Design Committee. Selectmen plan to appoint four at-large members at its next meeting after interviewing the other candidates.
  • The board voted to appoint ­­Lawrence Buell to the open seat on the Conservation Commission.
  • The board interviewed Evan Gorman and Bijoy Misra for the two vacant elected seats on the Housing Commission. In accordance with statutory procedures, the board and the Housing Commission jointly make the appointments for the remainder of the vacant terms.
  • The board discussed with school officials how and when to coordinate the hiring and interaction of the architectural consultants who will advise the School Building Committee and the Community Center Planning and Preliminary Design Committee.
  • Town Administrator Tim Higgins noted that the public event to celebrate completion of the Rt. 2/Crosby’s Corner project will take place at the lower parking lot of The Commons In Lincoln at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 16.

 

Two projects under way at Hanscom

Starting in August, residents who live near Hanscom Field may notice more noise than usual as air traffic is temporarily rerouted during two separate runway reconstruction projects. However, another unrelated project—construction of a new hangar for Boston MedFlight—will not result in any increase in noise or air traffic in the area

Logan Airport is now resurfacing its most heavily used runway, meaning it will be closed entirely until late June and open for arrivals only until about November 1. What this means for the Lincoln/Bedford area is that some smaller business-type flights will use Hanscom instead of Logan, according to Amber Goodspeed, MassPort’s manager for airport administration at Hanscom Field.

Beginning in August, one of Hanscom’s runways will also be resurfaced, Goodspeed added. As a result, some of Hanscom’s traffic will be rerouted so their flight paths go more over Bedford and Lincoln rather than Concord and Lexington, Goodspeed said.

Boston MedFlight project

Boston MedFlight is also moving its local base from Hanscom Air Force Base to Hanscom Field. The company is building a new hangar on the site of an older one that’s been demolished. This new facility will allow easier access for training, education, community outreach as well as helicopter maintenance, since visitors will no longer need to go through Air Force base security.

“Nothing is going to change as far as our operations go” in terms of the number of aircraft or staff on site, said Boston MedFlight General Manager of Aviation Rick Kenin.

Boston MedFlight’s fleet (click to enlarge).

Among those who will benefit from the easier access are Lincoln Fire Department paramedics, who get their first-responder training from Boston MedFlight. The company already hosts some visits from community members and groups such as Boy Scouts, “but we plan to greatly expand that once we’re on the civilian side” of the air field, Kenin said. “This will work out much better as far as community activity and outreach.”

The $17 million project is expected to be complete in about a year.

Boston MedFlight currently has two local offices, one on Hanscom Air Force Base and another in the nearby Lincoln North office building, as well as facilities in Plymouth and Lawrence. The nonprofit firm transports about 4,000 patients per year, about half of them via ground transportation and the rest by helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft, Kenin said. Most of the flights take critically ill or injured patients from community hospitals (including Emerson Hospital in Concord) to Massachusetts General Hospital and other advanced-care Boston hospitals, but the company also picks up some patients directly from accident scenes.

Boston MedFlight is not taxpayer-funded, relying instead on donations and insurance reimbursements, Kenin noted.

Public hearings coming up

The Lincoln Planning Board will hold public hearings on applications for site plan reviews on the following dates:

  • Tuesday, June 13 at 7 p.m.— applicant John Crawford, 20 Old Concord Road, proposes to renovate and construct an addition to an existing home.
  • Tuesday, June 27 at 7 p.m. —  applicant Joseph Robbat, 151 Old Concord Road, proposes to renovate and construct an addition to an existing accessory structure.

The Board of Selectmen will conduct a public hearing on Monday, June 19 at 7:45 p.m. in response to an application for a curb cut at 19 Granville Road.

The Lincoln Conservation Commission will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, June 21 at 7:30 p.m. in accordance with the Mass. Wetlands Protection Act and the Town of Lincoln Wetlands Protection Bylaw. Applicants Andronica and Joseph Wheelock propose to construction a new home in the Outer Buffer Zone Resource Area at 6 Millstone Lane.

Selectmen discuss building committees, ConsComm candidates

(Editor’s note: Following are highlights of the May 22 meeting of the Board of Selectmen. This is the first in a series of summaries of these meetings by former Selectman Peter Braun based on his review of the meeting videos, which are available at lincolntv.viebit.com or via the Town of Lincoln website under “Meeting Videos.”) 

The board met with Conservation Commission Chair Peter von Mertens and Larry Buell, a candidate for an open seat on the Conservation Commission. Two other candidates were interviewed at a prior board meeting. Buell described his experience as a professor, academic administrator, and researcher in history and environmental matters. Selectmen thanked him for his willingness to volunteer for the town, acknowledged the dilemma of having to choose one of three well-qualified candidates, and expressed the hope that the two candidates not chosen will be willing to serve in another capacity. The board deferred its decision until its next meeting.

Town Administrator Tim Higgins updated the board on several ongoing matters:

  • Wang property—review of purchase of town portion, bond financing, and management of development, including developing an irrigation plan and coordinating construction schedules.
  • Solar installation—the project’s planning committee focused on potential business arrangements with developers and is working with state Rep. Stanley on “home rule” legislation to provide relief from conservation restriction and thus permit solar array use on the former landfill.
  • Affordable accessory apartments—bylaw revisions have been approved by attorney general; the town is working with Rep. Stanley on legislation to authorize the tax exemption.
  • Financial management policies—Higgins is working with the Finance Committee to review and update.

The board also:

  • Updated its procedures for drafting and approving minutes.
  • Discussed the status of seeking at-large members of the Community Center Planning and Preliminary Design Committee, as well as continuing dialogue with the School Building Committee regarding who might serve as these committees’ respective liaisons to each other.
  • Continued development of its policy regarding whether, where, and to what extent the board and/or town staff would respond to matters raised in LincolnTalk or social media, as well as the status of redesign of the town web site.
  • Discussed its ongoing liaison with the Green Energy Committee regarding updating the town’s energy-usage targets.
  • Heard brief liaison reports regarding HATS, the School Building Committee, the L-S Environmental Club, the Housing Trust, the Bicycle Safety Advisory Committee, and the South Lincoln Planning and Implementation Committee.
  • Noted correspondence received from a resident of Old Winter Street requesting reconsideration of traffic restrictions.
  • Discussed its process for continuing to publish the Selectmen’s Newsletter.

St. Anne’s aims to rebuild historic rectory

St. Anne’s-in-the-Fields Church hopes to demolish and rebuild its rectory while retaining the historic farmhouse facade.

St. Anne’s-in-the-Fields Church plans to tear down and rebuild its rectory, but the red farmhouse’s familiar facade that faces the Codman Road intersection will be retained.

The 1844 farmhouse “just had enough deferred maintenance that we felt it was better to rebuild the whole thing,” said Sarah Hubbell, senior warden of St. Anne’s.

The Zoning Board of the Appeals will hold a public hearing on the church’s application for a special permit on Thursday, June 1 at 7:30 p.m. A permit is required because a small portion of the plan does not fall within the required setback, Hubbell said.

The Lincoln Historical Commission (LHC) has approved the plan for the front of the farmhouse, which dates from 1844. The LHC is “very pleased that the historic facade of St. Anne’s Rectory is to be preserved. The Rectory Committee of St. Anne’s worked with the commission, and together, a conclusion that satisfies all concerned was arrived at,” said LHC chair Lucretia Giese.

Upcoming public hearings

The Lincoln Conservation Commission will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, May 31 at 8:30 p.m. in response to a Request for Determination of Applicability by A Blade of Grass, LLC for masonry and landscaping activities in the Outer Buffer Zone Resource Area at 67 Sandy Pond Road.

The Zoning Board of the Appeals will hold a public hearing on Thursday, June 1 at 7:30 p.m. to hear and act on the following petitions:

  • St. Anne’s-in-the-Field Church, 149 Concord Road, for a special permit to demolish and reconstruct two existing buildings.
  • Kenneth Hurd, 21 Lexington Road, for a special permit for an accessory apartment.
  • Builder’s Club of Lincoln, Inc., 181 Lincoln Road, for renewal of a special permit.
  • Laura Berland and Jonathan Wyman, 15 Hillside Road, for a special permit to construct a deck at the back of the house.

The Lincoln Planning Board will hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 13 to review an application for site plan review. The applicant, John Crawford, 20 Old Concord Road, proposes to renovate and construct an addition to an existing home.

Property transfers

  • 21 Blackburnian Rd. — Thomas C. Driscoll Jr. to Mary Alice Williamson for $1,619,500 (March 22).
  • 0 Conant Rd. — Maybelle Dean to Town of Lincoln for $25,800 (March 20).
  • 36 Bypass Rd. — Adam Knochowski to Li Baiqing and Han Mei for $1,112,500 (March 15).
  • 364 Hemlock Circle — Barbara Chin to Benjamin J. Parillo and Julia P. Craig for $432,500 (March 10).
  • 94 Mill St. — Haskel Straus to LSF9 Master Participation Trust for $898,829 (March 6).
  • 10 Brooks Hill — Fran Lipson to Li Lin and Judy Su for $980,000 (March 1).
  • 324 Hemlock Circle — Lynn Avery Gargill to Patricia Lewis for $459,000 (March 1).

Public hearings coming up

Conservation Commission

Public hearing on Wednesday, April 19 at 8:30 p.m. in response to the Request for Determination of Applicability filed by Fred Winchell of Farrar Pond Conservation Trust for trail work by SCA AmeriCorps around Farrar Pond in Lincoln.

Planning Board

Public hearing at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 25 to review an application for Site Plan Review. The applicant, Massachusetts Audubon Society, Inc., 208 South Great Road, proposes to demolish the existing educational building and construct a new Environmental Learning Center, a new outdoor pavilion and associated parking improvements (see the Lincoln Squirrel, March 22, 2017).

Public hearing on Tuesday, April 25 at 7:20 p.m. to review an application for Site Plan Review under Section 17 of the Zoning Bylaw. The applicant, Ventianni, LLC, 144 Sandy Pond Road, proposes to demolish the existing house and construct a new home, natatorium, outdoor pool and sports barn, and associated parking.

Property sales in February

  • 8C North Commons — Alan Chapman to Yue Shanshan for $338,900 (February 24)
  • 122 Lexington Rd. — Lexington RD Development Limited Partnership to Dallas J. Webb and Leyla E. Webb Kosar for $1,575,000 (February 24)
  • 138 Weston Rd. — Dmitriy Shtockman to Steven and Megan Reece for $705,000 (February 23)
  • 236 Aspen Circle — Karl A. geiger to Stephen K. and Susanne W. geiger for $490,000 (February 2)

Public hearings coming up

The Lincoln Planning Board will hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 11 to review an application for a Special Permit for a wireless communication facility. The applicant, Crown Castle, proposes to construct a 75-foot replacement tower and co-applicant Verizon Wireless proposes to install six antennas in three arrays at the centerline height of 75 feet along with necessary ground-based equipment. This hearing was rescheduled from last month due to inclement weather.

The Zoning Board of the Appeals of the Town of Lincoln will hold a public hearing on Thursday, April 13 at 7:30 p.m. to hear and to act on the following petitions:

  • Brian Cummings, 188 Concord Rd., for renewal of an accessory apartment special permit.
  • Daniel England, 22 Weston Rd., for renewal of an accessory apartment special permit.
  • Lisette Cooper, 5 Longmeadow Road, for a special permit to finish attic into a study and add a hot tub to backyard.
  • Paul Chapman, 30 Old Sudbury Rd., for an amendment to a previously granted special permit for interior renovations to a carriage house for an accessory apartment.
  • Holly Hedlund, 21 Sunnyside Lane, for an appeal of the issuance of a building permit by the building inspector for work to be done in conformance with previously granted special permit.