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

South Lincoln/HCA*

New rules ask town to permit 750 housing units in South Lincoln

(Editor’s note: when this story was originally published, the accompanying map misidentified the amount of land that would be subject to multifamily zoning under the new state rules. The map has been updated.)

To comply with new state housing guidelines, Lincoln would have to allow 750 units in South Lincoln or become ineligible for various state grants.

Because it has a commuter rail station, Lincoln is designated as an “MBTA community” and is therefore required to amend its zoning to allow multifamily housing with half a mile of the station or face loss of eligibility for some state grants. The rules call for a minimum of 15 units per acre suitable for families and children and with no age restrictions. This translates to 750 units for Lincoln.

The red circle shows land within a half-mile radius of the Lincoln commuter rail station. Wetlands and buffers are indicated in shades of blue, conservation land is in green, and the beige area in the southwest quadrant is the Mass Audubon Society. The town would have to allow 750 units of multifamily housing within that area to comply with the Housing Choice Act. NOTE: this map was incorrect when initially published and was updated on Jan. 19, 2022. (Map courtesy Margaret Olson)

The initiative was announced in early 2021 but the initial outline of the law left many unanswered questions.

“We verified this [750-unit requirement] jaw-dropper with the state,” Planning Board Chair Margaret Olson, who made an illustration of “just how infeasible this is.” At least half of the acreage within that zone is wetlands, wetlands buffer, or conservation land, she noted.

It’s unclear how the existing multifamily units in South Lincoln would be counted as part of Lincoln’s requirement. Condos and apartments with half a mile of the station include 125 units in Lincoln Woods and a total of 65 units in three developments on Ridge Road and Greenridge Lane.

There will be a webinar hosted by the state Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development to explain the requirements outlined in a 2021 bill on Wednesday, Jan. 12 at 1 p.m. Click here to register. 

If Lincoln does not comply by changing its zoning, it would no longer be eligible for grants from the Housing Choice Initiative, the Local Capital Projects Fund, or the MassWorks infrastructure program. It’s unclear how much money Lincoln has received from these funds in the past.

Town gets $400,000 for South Lincoln septic plant design work

The town has received a $400,000 state grant to design and engineer an upgrade to the wastewater treatment plant in South Lincoln, which owners of the mall have been advocating as a requirement for redeveloping that commercial area.

Lincoln Planning officials have been considering ways to rezone South Lincoln to encourage denser housing and mixed-use development in the larger area encompassing the mall, the MBTA station and adjacent businesses, Ridge Road, Doherty’s Garage, and Lewis Street. Among the ideas is redeveloping the mall (which is in tenuous condition financially) by adding a second story for housing. But the Rural Land Foundation, which owns the mall, has said that the wastewater treatment plant that serves both the mall and Lincoln Woods will need an upgrade for any redevelopment to be feasible. 

As a result, the town applied for a $400,000 grant even as it awaited the results of an engineering study by Wright-Pierce to evaluate the condition of the plant and see if it could handle additional septic capacity. Phase 1 of the study was completed in October and showed that the 35-year-old plant, though “a little long in the tooth” and needing some work, is operating at about 50% of its 26,000 gallon-per-day capacity and could handle some additional residents and businesses.

The town applied for the grant before knowing any of the study’s results because “you always have to plan the next step and the next step” in advance, said Paula Vaughn-MacKenzie, director of planning and land use.

“As that [study] was going on, we knew that if we could get a grant to cover [upgrading the treatment plant], that would benefit both the town and Community Builders,” which owns the 125-unit Lincoln Woods and the plant, Vaughn-MacKenzie said. “Everybody knew it was working but everyone also knew it was old… this entire evaluation is in response to the feedback we’ve been getting from the public asking about the infrastructure, and we know we can’t have redevelopment without the infrastructure” to support it.

The mall originally had a separate wastewater treatment facility that failed, and the RLF has been contracting with Community Builders to use the Lincoln Woods system for some years.

Wright-Pierce said earlier that Phase 2 of the study, which should be complete by the end of the year, will look at whether the existing plant can handle flow above 26,000 gallons per day for which it’s permitted, alternative treatment methods with a life-cycle cost analysis, and a recommendation on how to proceed, both with flows and treatment type. It’s unclear if that remaining work will be affected by news of the grant.

The grant money isn’t targeted at a specific project, “but it will provide a framework for going forward,” Vaughn-MacKenzie said. After Phase 2 is complete, “we’ll look at options and discuss with the community and Community Builders what the capacity and various costs will be” to upgrade the plant.

Vaughn-MacKenzie said she had asked Wright-Pierce and two other engineering firms for a ballpark estimate for upgrading or replacing the plant and was told it would be around $400,000, so that’s the figure she used in the grant request.

The town had been under a public announcement embargo while a formal announcement ceremony was being organized. Mike Kennealy, Secretary of Housing and Economic Development, will appear at the event at Town Hall on Wednesday, Nov. 17 at 3:30 p.m. 

SOTT #2: South Lincoln, climate action, and diversity and inclusion

Planning officials will keep working on revising the zoning bylaw to encourage business and mixed-use development in South Lincoln, in keeping with the town’s comprehensive plan and vision statement as well as pressure from the state to allow denser development near MBTA stops.

Planning Board Margaret Olson summarized the past and current work in this area at the second State of the Town meeting on November 2. The meeting also featured discussions surrounding two new organizations, the Climate Action Planning Committee and the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Antiracism Initiative (see below).

About four years ago, the board created the South Lincoln Planning Advisory Committee (SLPAC) to map out easy to “create a compact, vital, walkable village center in the Lincoln Station area that provides more housing choices near public transportation, goods and services for residents and opportunities for social interaction” as per Lincoln’s 2009 Comprehensive Plan. In May 2018, SLPAC unveiled proposed zoning changes that met with strong opposition from residents worried about changing the town’s character and shifting too much power for approving development projects from Town Meeting to the Planning Board.

More recently, the reorganized SLPAC published a town-wide survey on South Lincoln. The results revealed, among other things, that a large majority of respondents want to retain a village center with commercial businesses and support the economic viability of those businesses. 

“We believe we need to do something down by South Lincoln in order to achieve this,” Olson said. “The commercial viability [in that area] is marginal.”

Olson explained that the board is not aiming to increase the amount of space devoted to commercial uses. “What we’re really talking about is, if the mall is redeveloped, allowing housing on a second story and permitting mixed-use” developments, she said. “We’re not going to attempt to build some sort of giant mall — we want to promote a sense of place and community.”

Olson summarized the hodgepodge of zoning districts in South Lincoln and the difficulty faced by potential developers in proposing projects that can ultimately win approval — especially when an up-or-down vote is required at Town Meeting where it’s not possible in practice for residents to propose amendments to plans. 

Another issue is that most businesses are required to secure a time-limited special permit that can’t be later transferred to a new owner. “This is kind of a scary thing — you need a special permit and then it expires and then what do you do? This is a big deterrent,” she said. “We believe a new zoning bylaw will get us better projects.”

Even if the town relaxes some limitations in the bylaw, “there’s nothing that prevents us from being extremely specific about what we do and do not want” in terms of a building’s overall appearance, materials used, etc., as well as requiring traffic and fiscal studies, green buildings, community spaces, and/or affordable housing, she said. “It provides parameters for developers… they know what they need to do and we know what we’re going to get.” 

Another source of pressure for change is the Housing Choice and MBTA Community legislation passed by the state legislature earlier this year. Though it’s not yet being enforced, the legislation requires a multifamily housing zone near MBTA stops such as Lincoln’s commuter rail station. If a town doesn’t comply by allowing such development, it stands to lose what could be a considerable amount of money in state grants.

“The town really does have a decision to make about how much we care… We don’t actually have to do this,” Olson said. It’s also unclear what exactly will satisfy the state requirements. “It says the district has to be of ‘reasonable size’ but we don’t know what that means,” she added.

In a Q&A session, several residents reiterated their criticism of the survey, but Olson was clear that “we do not intend to redo the survey. We understand what people’s frustrations were and it was very helpful to hear those viewpoints,” but the survey “is just one small piece of information among many.”

Sara Mattes argued against the proposed changes. “It’s not clear what problem we’re really trying to solve,” she said. If the mall’s financial struggles are the primary concern, “the driver is for us to sit down with RLF and Community Builders [owners of Lincoln Woods and the South Lincoln wastewater treatment plant] and work on a solution directly.” She also noted that there are numerous apartment and condominium complexes in town where downsizing residents can move.

But Sasha Golden, a resident of Farrar Pond Village, pushed back, noting that vacancies occur only when a unit’s owner dies. “To make a sweeping assumption that we have all these different sites is really missing the actual day-to-day issue of vacancy and affordability.”

“I disagree with Sara. I would love to see market forces deciding what housing and development should come to Lincoln for once,” said Jim Hutchinson, describing himself as an “unrepentant capitalist.” Saying that the economic environment in South Lincoln is “not good,” he decried those who “don’t want any change without 15 committees to approve it first… I think it’s good for some experimentation to be allowed in this town. 

Terry Perlmutter, a realtor, argued that the town needs more affordable housing. Developments such as those mentioned by Mattes may be perceived as affordable, “but affordable to whom? They are just the ‘more affordable’ housing in an expensive community.”

Climate Action Planning Committee

A new town group urged residents to follow the example of many neighboring towns and fund a sustainability manager position while also developing a climate action plan

The Climate Action Planning Committee (CAPC, a subgroup of the Green Energy Committee) made its pitch at the second State of the Town meeting on November 2.

The Commonwealth recently passed a climate roadmap calling for net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, “and state goals cannot be met unless cities and towns do their part,” CAPC member Sue Klem said. 

A Zoom poll during the State of the Town meeting asked attendees what fuel types they use to heat their home and power their cars (click to enlarge).

A climate action looks at reducing carbon emissions from things like buildings, transportation, electrical generation and land use, she explained. Examples of specific town-wide actions might include energy retrofits on buildings, changes in the building code, electrifying town vehicle fleets and tools, and installing electric vehicle charging stations.

Lincoln, like several other towns in the region, has produced a greenhouse gas emissions report (which will be updated soon) and offered community choice for electricity. Before the Green Energy Choice program began, only 16% of electricity consumed in town was from wind and solar, but that figure is now up to 45%, she noted. However, it has not yet followed the area’s lead in establishing a climate action plan, which will provide “the structure and guidance we will need to address the climate crisis.”

The town should also hire a sustainability manager to help plan and promote green policies, Klem said. The cost for that position could be mostly or entirely offset by grants, she added.

The CAPC is in the process of talking to town boards and committees and will host a public frum in the next few weeks to hear questions and comments in preparation for submitting a warrant article for the ATM this spring.

IDEA Initiative

A group of residents was recruited earlier this year to make recommendations on establishing a new committee that would investigate unconscious bias and actively promote an antiracist community. 

In September, the Select Board formally allowed the IDEA Initiative to pivot from designing a committee and simply become that committee. They plan to research efforts by other towns (some of whom have hired diversity coordinators), partnering with the Welcome, Inclusion, Diversity, Equity group and the schools, and securing funding and hiring a consultant on equity measures “to keep Lincoln’s vision of fostering and supporting diversity at the center,” IDEA member Jen James said. Among the possibilities: a town-wide 21-day group challenge to discuss and reflect on readings, videos, and podcasts.

Among the questions IDEA is wrestling with: “What does racism look like in Lincoln? Where does classism exist? What is Lincoln willing or unwilling to change to become a truly antiracist town? We want to be taking action, not just making recommendations,” she said.

South Lincoln treatment plant has capacity for more development

The first phase of an engineering study of the wastewater treatment plant near the mall shows that it’s working well and has additional capacity to handle some commercial or residential development in the area.

The plant in the field about 1,500 feet north of the apartments was built in 1975 to serve the Lincoln Woods apartments and the businesses in the mall. It’s now owned and operated by TCB (The Community Builders), which is paying part of the cost of the Wright-Pierce study. The town needs to know the status of the plant to make informed decisions about rezoning South Lincoln to allow for more types of development.

The plant is “a little long in the tooth” and the building used mainly for records and water testing is in bad shape and needs to be replaced soon, said Kevin Olson, senior project manager at Wright-Pierce, as he presented Phase 1 of the study to the Planning Board meeting on October 5. However, after visiting the plant and looking at maintenance records, the plant is “performing well and is not overloaded,” said his Wright-Pierce colleague Adam Higgins.

The plant’s state permit allows it to handle up to 26,000 gallons per day of wastewater, though its average annual flow is less than half that. “There’s still available treatment capacity and flow capacity,” Higgins said.

Assuming the plant is maintained but not substantially upgraded or replaced, it will cost about $311,000 for work that should be done within the next five years and another $121,000 (in 2021 dollars) for work done in five to 15 years, according to the study.

Phase 2 of the study will look at whether the plant can handle flow above 26,000 gallons per day (gpd) for which it’s permitted, alternative treatment methods with a life-cycle cost analysis, and a recommendation on how to proceed, both with flows and treatment type.

“The increase in flow will likely be cut off at 40,000 gpd, but we’re waiting for input from the Planning Board and SLPAC [the board’s South Lincoln Planning and Advisory Committee] if more is desired based on wanting additional commercial/residential development,” Higgins said in an email. 

The Phase 2 report is due in early December, with a report to the Planning Board expected shortly before Christmas.

Neither the board nor SLPAC has voted on how the cost will be divided between the town and TCB if plant upgrades are desired, “but my expectation is that whoever does the development will pay for any required treatment plant work or expansion,” board Chair Margaret Olson said. “That being said, the town does need to know what can be done and what it would cost before investing large amounts of staff and volunteer time into proposing changes that would require wastewater treatment.”

Residents slam South Lincoln survey at forum

Current zoning in South Lincoln (left) and the changes that were proposed in 2020 (click image for larger version).

Residents at a September 28 public forum to discuss the results of a survey on the future of South Lincoln criticized the study as being biased toward development and asked for another survey done by an objective professional.

The survey was open from May 14 to June 30, and data and comments from the 790 responses were released in August. Results indicated that residents have mixed feelings about South Lincoln. There was no consensus on whether the village center should change, and respondents wanted both a viable commercial center and perhaps some moderately priced housing but also wanted to maintain the town’s rural character.

“People want more benefits but not the things that could lead to those benefits,” observed resident Jen Morris.

“Welcome to our world,” quipped Planning Board Chair Margaret Olson.

Potential drivers for change include a new state law that will require areas near MBTA train stations to allow denser housing, though the specific details and any penalties for noncompliance are still unclear. The state aims to encourage more housing construction along with public transportation use, but since most of the daily commuting by train to Boston ended due to the pandemic, the viability of South Lincoln as a commuter point is also unclear, with or without new housing nearby.

Another factor: although Lincoln is generally wary of growing its population, enrollment at the Lincoln School has been declining over the past several years. “We have plenty of capacity in the Lincoln School to accept many additional students and would welcome more students,” Superintendent of School Becky McFall wrote in an email to Olson, who shared it at the forum attended by more than 50 residents via Zoom.

McFall is expected to send a more detailed memo regarding school enrollment in October.

In the survey, 46% of respondents said they supported more affordable or moderately priced housing in South Lincoln, but one-third either did not support it at all, or supported it in a location other than the South Lincoln village center.

“I support activity such as a playground, dog park and community gathering/meeting point, etc., [but] as I have said many times, there is a lot we could do to have a viable town center without adding new rental units,” Planning Board member Lynn DeLisi wrote in the chat area of the Zoom forum.

Also affecting possible development in South Lincoln is the limited capacity of the septic system that currently serves the mall and Lincoln Woods. A study is currently underway by engineers who will make a preliminary report at the Planning Board’s October 5 meeting. And even if the mall were to be redeveloped, there isn’t agreement about what sort of businesses can achieve long-term success there, given the proliferation of online shopping and nearby stores such as Market Basket and Costco, forum attendees noted.

Both the mixed-use zoning that was proposed in early 2020 by the Planning Board and the notion of “if you build it they will come” are “flawed models,” said Richard Ohlsten, adding that many storefronts in the Wayland Center development are still vacant years after completion. “I’m not opposed to development but let’s just do something smart and unique. If we get this wrong, there’s no going back.”

Many brick-and-mortar stores in Lincoln and elsewhere are struggling, “and I don’t know that we can build our way out of it,” resident Sara Mattes said. She suggested looking into subsidizing the types of  businesses that Lincoln wants, or even using Community Preservation Act funds to buy smaller houses and “put into permanent affordability… it’s the kind of crazy forward thinking that Lincoln used to do with land acquisition and preservation,” she said.

Many residents at the forum said the survey questions were skewed and urged the Planning Board to commission another survey, this time using an outside firm. “The survey wasn’t designed to hear from those of us who are opposed to development,” said Barbara Peskin.

Mattes suggested framing questions in terms of what tradeoffs people are willing to make to achieve certain objectives. “The information generated in the survey has been questioned, and to use it to guide or direct any potential change, some of us feel, is not appropriate,” she said.

Survey shows mixed feelings about boosting development in South Lincoln

(Image by upklyak – freepik.com)

Lincoln residents want to keep the post office, restaurants, and some retail offerings in South Lincoln, but they also want to retain the town’s rural character, according to results of a survey released last week.

The Planning Board, which launched the survey in May, will host a discussion of the results on Tuesday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. The agenda and Zoom information will be available on the town calendar and the board’s web page prior to the meeting.

For the last two-plus years, the Planning Board has been considering changes to the zoning in the area around the Mall at Lincoln Station and the commuter rail station. The goal is to encourage more diversity in housing in that area as well as commercial activity, services, and amenities in and around the mall.

One of the drivers is a measure passed by the state in 2020 that, among other things, requires towns with a commuter rail station or other public transit (“MBTA communities”) to allow multifamily housing by right within half a mile of the station or lose access to various state grants. The specific implications for Lincoln are unclear because details still being worked out at the state level, but all towns are considered to be in compliance for now.

Among the survey data points:

  • 47% of respondents wanted to see changes in South Lincoln, while 17% did not and 36% weren’t sure.
  • The most important goals for respondents were retaining a village center with commercial businesses (80%) and supporting their economic viability (76%), followed by maintaining the town’s rural character (72%), minimizing environmental impact (70%), and ensuring accessibility for all ages and abilities (68%).
  • The features that garnered the most support were a post office (91%), retail offerings such as a grocery store (88%), and restaurants and entertainment (76%). The only feature that had more opponents than supporters was additional parking (29% to 19%, with 51% neutral).
  • 24% wanted no additional housing in the village center, while 27% preferred 50-100 units and 26% weren’t sure.
  • In a post-pandemic environment, 47% said they planned to use the commuter rail one to five times a year, while 7% said they would take the train three to five times a week and 31% said they never would.
  • The biggest factors influencing the responses were concerns about the environment and an increased focus on climate change and sustainability, followed by the increased cost of housing in the region.

The number of people who filled out the survey isn’t clear, but 91% said they own their own home, and about the same proportion are in their 40s to 70s.

Many respondents included long and thoughtful comments with their responses (the compilation is more than 80 pages long). Those comments skewed heavily toward not wanting additional development and wanting to maintain the town’s rural character. Some accused the survey writers of being pro-development and not recognizing the quality of commercial and pedestrian/bike-friendly amenities already in place. Several also called for a restaurant with a more family-friendly atmosphere and menu.

A sampling of comments:

  • “I am not sure higher-density housing near commuter rail will support persons with modest incomes to live in Lincoln as commuter rail schedules/fees are not aligned with all needs/income levels of workers.”
  • “I don’t shop at Donelan’s: limited variety, low quality, high price. Retail is struggling everywhere as people have shifted to shop on line. Only personal services (P.O., salon, dry cleaner) and fresh items will draw shoppers.”
  • “Need a family-friendly moderately-priced restaurant that serves lunch and dinner and is long term!”
  • “Don’t spend any taxpayer money on changing the town center. Leave it alone. We just spent $93 million on schools.”
  • “I want to discourage further growth in Lincoln. I’m perfectly happy to travel to other towns to keep Lincoln small and rural. If I wanted a town with more development, I would move to one.”
  • “Changing the town, in which homeowners have chosen to buy property based on the rural, undeveloped character, in order to promote the political goals of a few, is problematic.”
  • “It is essential that Lincoln broaden its population by including affordable one- or two-bedroom apartments in a dense and sustainably constructed housing development that is within walking distance of the MBTA and the mall. The DPW should move to the current site of the transfer station.”
  • “Turn the village into community/town use.”
  • “Really am not sure why a small group of development-minded people keep pushing for these changes… as with so much planning in Lincoln, it seems completely ill advised and a project that the next generation will regret for years to come.”
  • “One of my worries is that increased density will require municipal sewer and/or force us to join the MWRA for water. Lincoln’s rural character is maintained in part by the need for sufficient acreage per dwelling so that the land can support the burden we put on it. Municipal sewers would make out current zoning no longer justifiable and could threaten the rural. character of the town.”
  • “If we don’t change something, we will keep losing businesses and the town center will be a shell of itself.”
  • “The Town of Lincoln must develop a larger commercial base for the town. The taxes charged for residential homes are becoming unsustainable.”
  • “I’m strongly in favor of changes to the center to increase housing density and shopping options even if it means more vehicle traffic — and I live on Lincoln Rd.”
  • “It is not clear that residents in any new housing near Lincoln Station would drive less than other residents. It seems reasonable to assume that increased density will come with an increase in cars, especially in a town like Lincoln that simply cannot provide enough resources within walking distance to anyone.”
  • “We need to fill the vacant properties we have in South Lincoln before we begin to expand commercial/multi-use development. In expanding available housing units, is there a proven, commensurate uptick in local commercial patronization? ”
  • “I want the rural town I bought into. Just because someone got their MS in town planning doesn’t mean we have to change out the town to stroke their edifice complex. Biased questions — should have a column for ‘leave what we bought into alone’.”
  • “Lincoln is long overdue to add business and cultural opportunities and help reduce the tax burden on its residents. Soon only the ultra-rich will be able to afford living in Lincoln.”
  • “Too many apartments and condos already.”

Plans moving ahead for bike and pedestrian-friendly improvements

Plans for safety improvements to Farrar Road and Route 2A are advancing, and a third project to benefit pedestrians in South Lincoln is out to bid.

The Farrar Road project will create “advisory shoulders” on Farrar Road, which involves painting dashed lines to indicate shoulders. Vehicles can cross the lines to avoid traffic coming from the opposite direction but must yield to oncoming traffic if there are “vulnerable users” (bicyclists, pedestrians, or any other non-vehicle) ahead or alongside.

An example of a sign about advisory shoulders.

Farrar Road was chosen as a pilot by the  Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPEC) in service of its broader goal to make Lincoln’s roads safer for all. If the measure turns out to be successful, other “minor connectors” in town might get the same treatment. There are 17 miles of  minor connectors that offer routes to schools and access to conservation trails but are not major roads.

The lines will advise all road users of the legal rights of way and safe passing distance. “It doesn’t change the way folks should use the road — it’s not like a stop sign or speed limit. It just advises about what’s safe,” BPEC member Bob Wolf told the Select Board at its June 21 meeting. The committee has been working with police, the Roadway and Traffic Committee, the DPW, the Planning Board, and representatives of candidate neighborhoods. Wolf and fellow BPEC member Ginger Reiner presented the idea to residents at one of last November’s State of the Town meetings.

The town has submitted an “application to experiment” to the Federal Highway Administration for the advisory shoulders, which are a relatively recent invention in this country. If all goes well, the painting could take place as soon as September, Wolf said.

Route 2A improvements

Another project in the planning stages is repaving and adding safety features to Route 2A. The current plans (which are at the 75% complete stage) call for traffic islands at intersections, and reconfiguring the Route 2A/Lexington Rd, intersection to make it safe for those approaching on Brooks Road.

MassDOT plans to move the Route 2A/Lexington Rad intersection slightly to the west. The green area is the new roadway.

Town officials recently offered feedback on the latest round of plans by MassDOT and expects to hear their response in several weeks. Among their requests:

  • Add pedestrian-activated flashing lights at all intersections
  • Add a crosswalk at Brooks Road
  • Add pedestrian islands at certain intersections
  • Make the road shoulders 4 feet wide where practicable

Select Board member Jonathan Dwyer said the town should hear the next response from MassDOT in four to six weeks. The agency has been “accommodating and respectful” to previous requests, he added.

Path in South Lincoln field

A third pedestrian-friendly project that’s currently out to bid is a pathway alongside Lincoln Road from the railroad tracks to the intersection with Codman Road. The paved path would be on the grass north of the stone wall and row of flowering trees and would skirt the community gardens.

The proposed path alongside Lincoln Road in green. The Doherty’s gas station property is in gray.

The project will be funded by a previously awarded grant from a state program to encourage safe travel and connectivity to mass transit for pedestrians and bicycles. The original deadline for completing the work was June 30, 2021, but the town was unable to award the contract through the initial bidding process, so the new deadline for bids is July 30. MassDOT gave the town an extension until November 30 to complete the work, said Director of Planning and Land Use Paula Vaughn-MacKenzie.

Some residents have expressed concern that the path would cut through the community gardens or is intended to promote access to the Codman Community Farm store. But CCF Board President Nancy Fleming wrote in LincolnTalk in May that the path has nothing to do with the store. She also explained and defended driveway work and other changes at the farm.

“For the first time in decades, we are financially stable, our animals are extremely well cared for, and we are plowing resources back into the aging infrastructure of the farm in ways that were impossible just five years ago,” she wrote.

New survey seeks input on the future of South Lincoln

The current zoning in South Lincoln (left) and the changes that were proposed in 2019. Click image for larger version.

Residents are invited to fill out a new survey asking for thoughts on development at Lincoln Station.

For the last two years, the Planning Board has been considering changes to the zoning in South Lincoln in the area around the Mall at Lincoln Station and the commuter rail station. The goal is to encourage more diversity in housing in that area (especially with the advent of the Housing Choice Act) as well as commercial activity, services, and amenities in and around the mall. Some residents have expressed concern about the size of the area proposed for rezoning, the density and scale of permitted buildings, and the impact of development on traffic and Lincoln’s finances.

To give officials a clearer sense of public sentiment on these topics, please take the survey at tinyurl.com/villagecentersurvey. To request a paper survey, call 781-259-2610. The deadline to participate is June 30.

Background in the Lincoln Squirrel:

New restaurant not opening this month after all

Lincolnites who were eagerly anticipating a new restaurant in town this spring will be disappointed, as plans to open Turenne have fallen though.

Tim and Bronwyn Wiechmann announced in February that they would be operating “Turenne in Lincoln” in South Lincoln, opening this month to succeed Real in space owned by the Rural Land Foundation (RLF).

However, “Lindsey Parker just informed us that her partnership with Turenne ended,” Geoff McGean, executive director of the RLF, told the Lincoln Squirrel on April 18. “We do not know any details, but from what she shared with us, Bronwyn and Tim from Turenne were brought in as potential operators of the restaurant but ultimately they could not reach an arrangement that worked for both parties.”

Real was owned jointly by Lindsay Parker of Concord and Tom Fosnot and Ruth-Anne Adams of Sudbury but closed in November 2020 after less than two years. Fosnot and Adams left the partnership and Parker became sole owner of a restaurant that now had no chef or operations staff.

McGean said that Parker, who holds the lease as Lincoln Station Partners, is looking for a new operator but has also listed the business and its assets for sale for $275,000, according to a listing sheet from the Boston Restaurant Group, Inc.

Requests for comment from Parker and the Wiechmanns were not immediately returned on Sunday.

Uncertainties surround new state multifamily housing law

A new state law effectively requires Lincoln and other MBTA communities to allow denser housing around their train stations, but it will be many months before the state clarifies the law and explains exactly what’s required, Town Counsel Joel Bard said at a March 17 Planning Board/SLPAC meeting on the topic.

State zoning law as revised by the Housing Choice Act says MBTA communities must have a least one district of “reasonable size” within a half-mile of the MBTA stop that permits multifamily housing by right. “Multifamily housing” is defined as a minimum of 15 units per acre, “subject to any further limitations” imposed by the Wetlands Protection Act and Title V, which outlines requirements around septic systems.

For the time being, all communities are considered to be in compliance with the Act, Bard said. Eventually, MBTA communities that do not comply will not be eligible for grant funding from the Housing Choice Initiative, the Local Capital Projects Fund, or the MassWorks infrastructure program. Town officials will gather information about how much funding Lincoln has received from these programs in recent years.

In its preliminary guidance about the new law, the state Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) does not define terms such as “reasonable size” of the zoning district, or whether development proposals can be denied if they don’t also meet every wetlands and septic requirement. “There will be a discussion of what is a zone of ‘reasonable size’ in a very small town” that’s more rural than Somerville but more densely populated than Deerfield, for example, said Bard, whose law firm published this update on the legislation last month.

Lincoln Woods has 125 units on 17 acres of land for a density of about 7.5 units per acre. Oriole Landing has about 10 units per acre.

“Lincoln should get credit for allowing density near [the train station] over the years — so ‘reasonable size’ might be smaller for Lincoln than other communities that have done very little,” Bard said.

The existence of Lincoln Woods wouldn’t let Lincoln off the hook in any case. The town would still have to change its zoning to allow future developments of that type by right, rather than by special permit and Town Meeting approval.

Well before the Housing Choice Act was passed, the Planning Board and its South Lincoln Planning and Advisory Committee (SLPAC) were working on rezoning proposals that would encourage more housing and mixed-use development in South Lincoln with the goal of creating a more vibrant village center for residents and businesses. Board chair Margaret Olson wondered how that work could proceed with the new uncertainties.

“I wouldn’t let this slow down your process,” Bard said, adding that it would be several months at least before state authorities give clearer guidance in implementing the new law. He suggested that when the Planning Board was ready, it could send a draft of its proposal to the DHCD for an advisory opinion.

Another unresolved question involves mixed-use development in which a single structure contains both housing and commercial space. “If the residential component is by right, but the commercial component is not, what prevents the town from effectively preventing the development based on aspects of the commercial development?” asked Michelle Barnes, chair of the RLF/Lincoln Land Conservation Trust, which hopes to redevelop the mall.

“Good question,” Bard replied.

Until further state guidance is forthcoming, all communities are considered to be in compliance with the Act, Bard said. Eventually, MBTA communities that do not comply will not be eligible for grant funding from the Housing Choice Initiative, the Local Capital Projects Fund, or the MassWorks infrastructure program. Town officials will gather information about how much funding Lincoln has received from these programs in recent years.

In 2018, the state allocated $500,000 for designing improvements to Lincoln’s MBTA station but never released the money. The fate of that funding is now more uncertain than ever. Meanwhile, the MBTA is cutting service everywhere after taking a financial hit from the Covid-19 pandemic, and it’s unclear what the long-term future holds for Lincoln’s train service.

Because many people may continue to work from home even after the pandemic is over, “use of the commuter rail may change dramatically… this whole notion of being an ‘MBTA community’ is kind of up in the air,” observed resident Sara Mattes.