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

land use

Town mulling options for Complete Streets funding

New street markings and signs, safety improvements for bicyclists and even underground pedestrian tunnels were some of the ideas discussed at a public forum earlier this month.

The forum summarized  input from an earlier forum in October, an online survey, and comments about roadways and traffic at the State of the Town meeting last month. Town officials are gathering this information in preparation for applying for a grant of up to $400,000 under the state’s Complete Streets program, which targets local improvements to benefit drivers, bicyclists, public transit users and and pedestrians. These grants can help fund eligible projects after a municipality has developed a Complete Streets policy and a prioritization plan of desired improvements. Lincoln already received an initial $50,000 grant earlier this year to pay for the consulting work presented on December 7.

The town could apply for specific project funding after the new year, but the deadline for actually completing any 2017 projects is the end of the fiscal year on June 30, 2017. Thus, any initial projects must already be “shovel-ready” and must not require any town funding above the $400,000 maximum grant, because the capital planning process is too far along. However, in future years, the town may seek grants for projects that would require funds (including design work) in excess of $400,000, with the balance paid by the town.

“In that first round, we’re not going to get to the issues that people are frankly excited about,” said Town Administrator Tim Higgins.

“Low-hanging fruit” that might be targeted for early 2017 includes roadside path improvements and links, signs, street markings and resurfacing, and crosswalks, said Director of Planning and Land Use Jennifer Burney.

The town could supplement future grants with capital planning or Community Preservation Act funds, other state funding programs or bonding. However, Higgins tempered expectations by noting that “historically, roadways and path improvements have not been high on the community’s priority list for funding” and that the town is already facing major expenditures for a school project and possible a community center.

Specific suggestions

Based on public input thus far, residents want to see improvements at various problematic intersections:

  • Lincoln Road and Codman Road
  • Route 2 and Bedford Road
  • Old Winter and Winter Streets
  • Lincoln Road and Route 117
  • Routes 126 and 117
  • Five Corners

Possible safety measures include better signal timing/phasing, flashing lights, stop signs, enhanced pavement markings, new guardrails, improved sight lines, relocated utility poles and/or speed humps.

Crosswalks were also suggested for Lexington and Trapelo Roads, Page and Trapelo Roads, Baker Bridge and Concord Roads, and Codman and Lincoln Roads. Other ideas that surfaced included a safer Bedford Road crossing at Route 2 involving a bridge or tunnel, and seeing if the public could use an existing tunnel under Route 117 owned by Mass Audubon.

Other types of projects suggested for Lincoln that are eligible for Complete Streets grants include:

  • Lincoln Station improvements such as signage, seating and/or a shelter for the commuter train stop, and paving the residents’ commuter parking lot.
  • Connecting some conservation trails, improving signage and allowing more types of usage
  • Improvements for bicyclists such as bike lanes and shared-use paths, shoulder maintenance (fixing debris and cracks), widening shoulders to a consistent 18 inches, and widening roads back to the original pavement where dirt and weeds have crept in

Burney and other officials will present a list of recommended projects and a draft Complete Streets policy to the Board of Selectmen in January.

More information:

 

ConsComm approves ‘land swap’ for solar installation

In this map, the blue outline represents the former Wang land proposed for conservation, the green outline would be for a new town athletic field, and the yellow outline is where the Birches School hopes to relocate. Click to enlarge.

A solar power installation atop the former town landfill moved one step closer to reality when the Conservation Commission voted last week to remove seven acres from conservation status and replace it with some of the purchased Wang property, contingent on voter approval.

After examining 25 possible sites in town, a consulting firm hired by Lincoln’s Solar PV Working Group concluded earlier this year that the best spot for a municipal solar array is the old landfill. However, there was a hitch. After it was capped years ago, the landfill site was designated as conservation land; by state law, it can’t be used for any other purpose unless the town substitutes another parcel equal in size and quality as part of its conservation inventory. Officials had hoped that part of the Hargreaves-Heald property purchased by the town earlier this year could be used for this purpose, but the state said this was not acceptable.

However, an alternative presented itself when the Rural Land Foundation and the Birches School purchased 16 acres of land off Bedford Road belonging to the late An and Lorraine Wang in November. If all goes as planned, residents will approve spending $850,000 to purchase 12 of those acres—roughly five acres for a future athletic field and seven acres to be set aside for conservation in place of the landfill piece. Those seven acres comprise three lots owned by the Wangs—one on the east side of Bedford Road abutting Route 2 to the north, and two on the west side of Oak Knoll Road.

The Conservation Commission noted that the Wang land meets the state’s conservation-substitution criteria because it offers “a significantly greater resource value” than the landfill acreage owing to its habitat, trail connections and vegetated buffer. In its unanimous vote, the commission also stipulated that it will review the solar-array construction documents prior to installation to ensure the continued protection of the landfill parcel’s resources, and that the land may be used only for a solar installation.

In a 2015 report, BlueWave Capital said a solar installation on the landfill site could produce more than 50 percent of Lincoln’s municipal electricity.

News acorns

Members sought for South Lincoln planning group

The Planning Board is looking for residents to participate in the South Lincoln Planning Implementation Committee (SLPIC), one of two new groups intended to promote business development in town.

The SLPIC hopes to create a more vibrant, attractive place at the hub of Lincoln where businesses, the MBTA station and several types of residences are concentrated. The group will be a subcommittee of the Planning Board and will focus on planning projects and establish project-specific working teams that include additional members representing various stakeholders based on the type of project.

Anyone interested in participating in this committee or a project-specific team should contact Jennifer Burney, Director of Planning and Land Use, at burneyj@lincolntown.org or 781-259-2684.

First Parish Christmas pageant on Sunday

The First Parish in Lincoln (FPL) annual Children’s Christmas Pageant will take place on Sunday, Dec. 18 at 11:30 a.m. in Bemis Hall (there is no snow date). Goodies will be served after the pageant through donations by the families of FPL. Anyone with questions may contact Kathy Cronin, Acting Director of Religious Education, at kathycronin@firstparishinlincoln.org.

Minute Man NHP superintendent to retire

Nancy Nelson

Nancy Nelson

After 39 years of service, Nancy Nelson, superintendent of Minute Man National Historical Park, will retire on January 3, 2017. Nelson’s career has includes roles as an environmental protection specialist  and later a park planner, landscape architect and special assistant to three regional directors. She played an active part in planning for the Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island restoration/rehabilitation projects and for two new national parks (Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site, and Lowell National Historic Park.

A primary focus of Nelson’s tenure at MMNHP since 1993 has been the development of the 800-acre Battle Road Unit of the park: design and completion of the award winning Battle Road Trail, rehabilitation of historic structures and historic agrarian landscapes, and construction of new and improved facilities to serve 1 million annual visitors. Recently, under the leadership of the Friends of Minute Man National Park, the park pursued the exploration, rehabilitation and interpretation of the site of “Parker’s Revenge,” a little-known battle on April 19, 1775.

Town and state sign Community Compact

compact

Lt. Gov. Karen Polito, State Rep Thomas Stanley, Selectman Peter Braun and Town Administrator Tim Higgins at the signing of the Community Compact.

In a December 1 ceremony in Lincoln, Lt. Gov. Karen Polito and town officials signed a Community Compact by which Lincoln will pursue best practices in three areas: water resource management, housing and economic development, and business continuity. In return, the town can get technical assistance as well as extra points on grants and grant opportunities from the state.

Under terms of the two-year agreement, Lincoln will work to implement stormwater management measures and land use regulations that help promote infiltration, control flooding and reduce pollution. Lincoln is now eligible to join nine other area towns in applying for a $99,000 Efficiency and Regionalization Grant, a regional grant that would provide technical assistance for communities to comply with permitting requirements for municipal separate storm sewer systems.

In the area of business continuity, the town hopes to digitize paper records and implement a permit tracking software program as well as creating a more robust GIS/GPS program that integrates with the software. These measures should result in improved operational efficiencies, both interdepartmentally and with the public. The town is also eligible to apply next year for a Community Compact IT Grant of up to $200,000.

Lincoln will look into aligning land use regulations, capital investments and other municipal actions with housing and economic development, the master plan or other plans for future growth. The town will also promote development and reuse of previously developed sites and create opportunities for various stakeholders in economic development efforts, such as by helping identify priority development projects, improve local permitting processes, and proactively address obstacles to housing and job creation with a focus on the South Lincoln area.

“We really want  to make it a vibrant village center,” Director of Planning and Land Use Jennifer Burney said at the ceremony.

Polito praised Burney, Town Administrator Tim Higgins, Selectman Peter Bran and town Lincoln officials for their efforts. “You are our public workforce across our state that really binds us together,” she said.  “The state is not a place where we should be making decisions; it’s really at the local level, and you are the people closest to the grassroots. If we strengthen local government, we will truly knit together a stronger Massachusetts.”

Public hearings coming up

The Zoning Board of the Appeals will hold a public hearing on Thursday, Dec. 8 at 7:30 p.m. in the Town Office Building’s Donaldson Room, to hear and to act on the following petitions under the Zoning bylaws:

  • Holly Hedlund, 21 Sunnyside Lane — for a special permit for a treehouse/play structure.
  • Neil Feinberg, 104 Concord Rd. — for renewal of a special permit for an accessory apartment.
  • Robert McCart, 22-24 Lewis St. — for an extension of the original special permit.

The Lincoln Conservation Commission will hold public hearings on Wednesday, Dec. 14 in the Town Office Building on the following matters:

  • 7:30 p.m. — Abbreviated Notice of Resource Area Delineation from Michael Mountz/Ventianni, LLC for confirming the wetland resource areas delineated on the property located at 144 Sandy Pond Rd.
  • 8 p.m. — Notice of Intent from Chuck Lewin for new house construction at 35 Huckleberry Hill.

 

Property sales in September and October

  • House-1111 Old County Rd. — Patrick and Alida Zweidler-McKay for $1,235,000 (October 31)
  • 219 Sandy Pond Rd. – Mary S. Lyman, trustee to Jason H. and Lucia Chu $879,000 (October 28)
  • 16A North Commons – Peter N. Daniel to Marissa Lisec for $249,640 (October 21)
  • 165 Bedford Rd. – Brien B. Daniels to Peggy and Colleen Fong for $550,000 (October 21)
  • 80 Tower Rd. — Bradley Clifford to 80 Tower MCH LLC for $400,000 (October 21)
  • 245 Aspen Circle — Joseph E. DiFranco to Martin Deacutis and Cynthia Sheriff for $485,000 (October 19)
  • 15 Stonehedge — Diane F. Haessler to Seth C. and Lynne B. Miller for $775,000 (October 19)
  • 99 Tower Rd. — Stephen J. Sakowich to Mark Bazin and Jennifer L. Lachey for $818,750 (October 17)
  • 211 Sandy Pond Rd. – Erik R. Babayan to Authur H. Thornhill III and Lucy B. Lower for $1,900,000 (October 7)
  • 93 Tower Rd. — Ruth F. Potter to Seppo Tapani Rinne and Jocelyn Westport Rinne for $810,000 (October 7)
  • 8 Silver Hill Rd. — Robert Laurent Cannon, trustee to John and Robin Peters for $830,000 (September 30)
  • 1 Millstone Lane — Michael S. Fee to Brent K. and Sarah T.M. Benjamin for $879,000 (September 30)
  • 178 South Great Rd. — Kenton J. Ide to John Bockoven Jr. for $700,000 (September 29)
  • 82 Virginia Rd., Unit B10 — Bruce Sorrentino to Mary A. Pilecki for $406,000 (September 16)
  • 331 Hemlock Circle — Neil Baumgarten to Ellen Z. Hazen for $619,001 (September 16)
  • 15 Todd Pond Rd. — Joel A. Kahn to Tristram Oakley and Robert A. Stringer for $1,265,000 (September 15)
  • 12 Airport Rd. — Civil War Preservation Trust to United States of America Minuteman Park for $42,000 (September 14)
  • 0, 1, 6, 8 and 10 Millstone Lane — Winthrop W. Harrington Jr. Trust to Joseph A. Wheelock and Andronica Stanley Wheelock for a total of $4,450,000 (September 9)
  • 138 Sandy Pond Rd. — Cambridge Trust Co., trustee to Alexander J. Taylor and Amy R. Anthony for $855,000 (September 7)
  • 144 Sandy Pond Rd. — Philip A. Copper to Ventianni LLC for $2,895,000 (September 7)
  • 106 Concord Rd. — Lucy M.A. Cotoia to Nicholas and Lindsay Cotterpond for $535,000 (September 1)

 

McLean Hospital sues Lincoln over Bypass Road decision

mcleanMcLean Hospital has filed suit against the town asking the court to find that its proposed residential facility on Bypass Road constitutes an allowable educational use according to state law and Lincoln’s zoning bylaw.

Building Inspector Daniel Walsh initially decided that providing dialectical behavior therapy to adolescent boys and young men with borderline personality disorder was allowed by the Dover amendment, a state law that permits zoning exceptions for educational and religious uses of a property. After a group of residents hired an attorney and appealed to the Zoning Board of Appeals, the ZBA overturned that decision in a 4-1 vote earlier this month.

The lawsuit notes that although the ZBA voted on November 3, its decision will not be signed until December 8. The suit was filed on November 15.

“In the meantime, the delay in openings its program has severely prejudiced McLean, both in terms of its financial investment in the program and also given the needs of the prospective residents whose admission is now delayed,” the suit says. A program director and several other senior staff for the facility have already been hired and have relocated from out of state, it says.

McLean applied for a building permit on October 12 to begin interior renovations on the Bypass Road property, but Building Inspector Daniel Walsh (who is also named as a defendant) refused to accept the application or issue a permit, pending the ZBA’s decision, according to the suit. “Although McLean understands that such renovations are undertaken at its risk, McLean, like any property owner, is entitled to make interior changes to a residential property assuming those changes meet the requirements of state and local building codes,” the suit says.

At the ZBA’s recommendation, the Board of Selectmen voted at its November 2 meeting to retain attorney Jason (Jay) Talerman of Blatman, Bobrowski, Mead & Talerman to represent the town and the ZBA. Talerman has appeared before the ZBA several times, “and the ZBA has been impressed with him and thinks he would be a great fit for the town and the ZBA in these matters,” the selectmen said in a statement.

Prior to joining his current firm, Talerman (who is also the town moderator in Norfolk) was a partner at Kopelman & Paige, where he provided town counsel services to nearly a third of Massachusetts cities and towns, according to his firm’s bio page.

“The Board of Selectmen has every confidence that Town Counsel [Joel Bard] could have effectively represented the town and the ZBA in these matters, but agrees with the ZBA that it would be best under the circumstances to retain outside counsel going forward,” selectmen said. In a May 2 email to town officials, Bard said that in his opinion, McLean’s proposed use qualified as an education use under the Dover Amendment.

Generally speaking for lawsuits of this type, the court will schedule a case management conference in about four to six weeks, after which a trial before a judge or a summary judgement hearing may be scheduled, said Diane Tillotson, McLean’s attorney.

Sale closes on Wang property; town will be asked for $850,000+

wang-land2

The Wang property is outlined in blue. The lot on which the house sits is in yellow. Click image to enlarge.

The sale of the 16-acre Bedford Road property owned by the late An and Lorraine Wang was completed on November 17 for $2.375 million, and residents will be asked at Town Meeting to approve the purchase of 12 of those acres for use as conservation land and a new town athletic field.

The Rural Land Foundation (RLF) bought the property together with the Birches School, which plans to relocate to the remaining four acres, including the Wangs’ 12,000-square-foot house at 100 Bedford Rd.

The 16 acres of land comprise seven parcels along Bedford Road and Oak Knoll Road with a total assessed value of $2.3 million and a full development value of $3 million to $4 million, RLF Executive Director Geoff McGean said in October when the planned deal was announced.

The RLF and Birches have agreed to carry the cost of the property until the 2017 Town Meeting, when voters will be asked to pay the two organizations $850,000 and to allocate an additional as-yet-unspecified amount to build the athletic field. If residents reject the proposal, the RLF and Birches will seek to develop the property, which has three potentially buildable lots, to recoup their investment.

Officials hope to have the $850,000+ appropriated from funds collected through the Community Preservation Act. Those funds derive from a 3 percent surcharge on property tax bills, supplemented by money from the state, and can be spent on open space, preservation of historic structures, provision of low and moderate income housing, and recreation.

“The decision to pursue this opportunity was done in concert with two partners: Birches School and Parks & Recreation,” McGean said. “We had three different organizations, each with its own unique needs, and the Wang property provided a potential path forward for all of us. We are grateful to the Wang family, which made this transaction an affordable possibility.”

“We’ve been searching for land for more than 15 years and we recognize that when an opportunity like this comes along, we need to seize it,” said Parks & Rec Director Dan Pereira. “The town doesn’t have the ability to act on short notice, so we’re fortunate to be able to partner with the RLF and Birches School to make this an option for the town. Lincoln is also able to take advantage of significant cost savings, since Birches School will be building and maintaining the parking lot for the potential field.”

“This is an exciting opportunity to balance these different community needs while also connecting an important property to adjacent land already in conservation,” said Lincoln Conservation Director Thomas Gumbart.

The Birches School, which currently has 45 students in rented space in the First Parish Stone Church, has already begun to renovate the home, working with Lincoln architects Woodie and Loretta Arthur of D.W. Arthur Associates Architects. The school hopes to move into their new facility by Fall 2017.

Officials will schedule future public meetings to discuss site plans and project funding.

Kids plant bulbs to help next spring’s honeybees

pollinators2

Lincoln School fifth-grader Nour Azzouzi gets into the gardening.

Hundreds of daffodils and crocuses will bloom next spring in the People for Pollinators meadow thanks to the efforts of 25 Lincoln School students.

The Lincoln Land Conservation Trust (LLCT) and the METCO Coordinating Committee organized the October 19 planting of 1,000 daffodil and crocus plants at the People for Pollinators meadow close to the Smith school building. Twenty-five Lincoln School students from Lincoln and Boston participated and were joined by students from the Birches School and community members.

“The METCO Coordinating Committee is always looking for fun ways to engage our Boston-based and Lincoln-based students in exciting and enriching community-building events, and the pollinating garden event was the perfect opportunity for us,” said Pilar Doughty, METCO Coordinating Committee chair. “Our students were able to meet and collaborate with individuals from various schools and organizations across our community. As an added bonus, they learned more about pollinators and gardening techniques, and helped to make an impressive contribution to our pollinator ecosystem.”

pollintaors1

Pilar Doughty (second from left), the Lincoln METCO Coordinating Committee chair, gets down in the dirt with students at the pollinator meadow.

People for Pollinators members prepared the meadow site for planting and helped with the bulb installation. The LLCT and Conservation Commission loaned equipment to help the effort, including shovels, trowels and rakes.

Daffodils and crocuses bloom in early spring and provide an essential early source of nectar for emerging queen bumblebees. Unlike honeybees, which can survive in a colony of many thousands over the winter, only a queen bumblebee survives and hibernates, and then re-emerges the following year to establish new colonies and the next generation of bumblebees, which help pollinate many local foods such as cranberries and apples.

The meadow got its start at a community-wide planting event last spring after several organizations and schools collaborated to form People for Pollinators, which aims to protect and create native habitat that supports the vitality of pollinators in the face of bee colony collapse.