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

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The Commons presents details on plan; hopes to break ground in winter

Green numbers show where parking will be added. New surface spaces are shown in purple (click to enlarge). Existing tree are shown as circles with dotted lines.

At the first session this week of a public hearing on the site plan for expanding The Commons in Lincoln, presenters outlined some minor changes from the plan that was first aired almost a year ago. The Planning Board’s September 10 hearing will be continued to October 2 at 7:05 p.m.

At a Special Town Meeting in December 2023, residents approved rezoning the parcel, a first step in a process that also requires additional approvals from the Planning Board and others, including environmental officials.

As before, the plan calls for 28 new independent living units (14 two-bedroom units in the Flint building, six one-bedroom units in the Russell building, and eight new cottages). The Flint units will be in a separate structure connected to the main building with a sky bridge on the second and third floors.

The net addition of 52 parking spaces on the campus and more connecting sidewalks also hasn’t changed. However, the surface parking will be slightly rearranged so they’re located where they’re most needed on a campus where parking is tight for aides and visitors.

New trees to be planted are indicated in green (click to enlarge).

“The issue wasn’t the quantity of spaces but the location,” said Chris Fee of landscape architecture firm Stantec. “We tried to locate the new parking at three locations where we have problems, in addition to spots for [residents of] new buildings, so this should go a long way to help solve the parking problem.”

Another landscaping change from the previous plan: the existing community garden will be relocated, but a new bocce court and two additional smaller gardens are being deferred. Some trees that weren’t specified at the public hearing will be removed, but several dozen new ones will be planted, along with native plants are also being chosen in coordination with a resident group.

If all goes as planned, construction will begin in the first quarter of 2025 and will take a total of almost two years, though the cottages will be treated as separate construction sites and built on their own timeframe.

Doo-Wop Team hits it out of the park

The Doo-Wop Team from the Lincoln Council on Aging & Human Services sang on the field at Polar Park in Worcester before the WooSox minor-league game on August 16. Group member Peter Stewart plays the organ at Polar Park twice a month and encouraged the group to come and sing. Members also took a moment to sing “Happy Birthday” to member Harold McAleer, who turned 94 the next day. The Doo-Wop team has performed several gigs and donated the proceeds to the Lincoln food pantry over the past year. Left to right: Priscilla Leach, R.L. Smith, McAleer, Mark Faulkner, Stewart, Candace Foster, and Jessica Bethoney. Not visible in photo: Carol DiGianni and Lynne LaSpina.

June activities hosted by the COA&HS

Here are some of the June activities hosted by the Lincoln Council on Aging and Human Services. Most events are open to Lincoln residents of all ages. For a full list — including clinics, exercise classes, regular meetings of interest groups, and online chats with town officials — see the COAHS’s calendar page or newsletter archive page. Call 781-259-8811 or email gagnea@lincolntown.org for Zoom links and other information.

Health and wellness fair
Friday, June 7 at 12:30 p.m., Bemis Hall
Get your questions answered by local healthcare vendors including Lincoln public health nurse, police and fire personnel, Parks & Rec, Emerson Health, AARP, SMOC, elder law attorneys, Vascular Care Group, St. Vincent de Paul, Minuteman Senior Services, independent & assisted living and many more. Free door prizes.

Toni Lynn Washington jazz concert
Thursday, June 13 at 2:30 p.m., Bemis Hall
All ages are invited to a free jazz concert by Boston’s queen of soul and blues. Sponsored by Margo Cooper in celebration of her mother, Ronna Cooper.

“Love, Loss and What I Wore”
Thursday, June 13 at 7 p.m., library Tarbell Room
Friday, June 14 at 12:30 p.m., Bemis Hall
Wordsmove Theater presents this poignant and hilarious play by Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron, based on the book by Ilene Beckerman (details here) that explores matters of the heart and closet. Cast: Carol Becker, Nancy Bush, Mary Crowe, Susan Gates and Sally Kindleberger. Directed by Mary Crowe.

Strawberry & Ice Cream Social
Thursday, June 20 at 12:30 p.m., Bemis Hall
Make your own ice cream sundae topped with luscious local strawberries, chocolate, and more, and then share conversation with old friends and new. Please RSVP by June 14 by calling 781-259-8811. Transportation available for those who need a ride. Sponsored by the Friends of the Lincoln Council on Aging.

The Gardner Museum Theft
Friday, June 21 at 12:30 p.m., Bemis Hall
Bob Ainsworth shares the story of Isabella Stewart Gardner’s life and her creation of the museum. He delves into the heist on March 18, 1990, when 13 priceless objects were stolen. Why was the heist successful? Who are the suspects?

Classical Piano Concert
Friday, June 28 at 12:30 p.m., Bemis Hall
Join us for a concert with Abla Shocair and her grandchildren, Nooreddeen and Zaineddeen Kawaf. Music includes compositions by Beethoven, Liszt, and Chopin.

Seniors at The Commons mentor staff with English tutoring and more

(Editor’s note: This article is based partly on material supplied by Gabriella Pais of Montagne Powers.)

Retirement offers almost endless possibilities for how to spend one’s time—travel, golf, a new or renewed hobby — but seniors like Elaine Smith and other residents at The Commons in Lincoln are busy helping those who help them.

Smith is the founding member of RAMP, the Resident Associate Mentoring Program, where residents with skills, experience, and time are paired with Commons associates who need mentorship. Often, the employees work with resident mentors on English as a second language, but they offer other types of help as well.

RAMP is a voluntary program, but associates are paid for the work time they spend in their classes. An associate’s supervisor will direct them to RAMP if they are seeking assistance, at which point they’ll meet one on one with a mentor. Since its inception, about 40 residents have tutored an equal number of associates.

Smith and others started the program via FaceTime in 2021 during the Covid epidemic and later switched to in-person sessions. “When I looked around, I could see there were a lot of [residents] who were quite intelligent and had various expertise in the work world and otherwise. There were people who had a lot to give,” she said of her fellow residents. When they went to the head of Human Resources, “they were very much in favor of what we wanted to do.”

One supervisor who’s recognized the benefits of associate enrollment in RAMP is David Aviles, the campus plant operations director. An associate for whom David has seen positive outcomes for is Marcia Alves Xavier de Souza, the lead housekeeper of assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing. Marcia has worked at The Commons since May 2021 and was promoted to supervisor after only six months. As a housekeeping leader, she must be able to both run an efficient team and advocate for herself and her colleagues, and speaking English more fluently allows her to meet those goals. Marcia and her ESL resident mentor have worked together in hour-long structured lessons that include homework.

De Souza’s first language is Portuguese; she understands English but is still learning to speak it more conversationally. She and her resident mentor have been working on her English speaking and writing skills for the past several months. “My teacher is very patient with me, and every Tuesday and Thursday I have my class,” she said. She’s also getting extra practice by sharing and strengthening her skills at home and in her church. 

Aviles has seen great improvement in de Souza’s comprehension and use of English, and he understands the value that the program holds for someone in her role. “She is a very important part of the Plant Operations team. She has about nine to 10 employees under her that follow her direction,” he said. In fact, he feels enrollment in the program should be a required part of training for new associates who need assistance. “We have about five new hires and they’re all excited about this program,” he said.

While many associates enroll in RAMP to improve their English, mentors also help in other areas including legal forms, personal finance, and even piano lessons. In one case, RAMP helped a woman navigate the complex legal process required to become the guardian of her niece who was visiting from another country. Another associate recently earned their American citizenship thanks in part to help from RAMP.

“It felt like one of my kids had gotten into college — I was so happy,” said Smith, a retired Wellesley College chemistry professor.

Tutors, associates, and The Commons all benefit from RAMP. “It’s an example of how they feel about what’s being done for them,” she said as she displayed a heartfelt thank-you note from one associate. “You get a tremendous feeling of satisfaction in knowing that you’re helping someone who needs the help.”

The Commons in Lincoln held a celebratory luncheon for RAMP resident tutors and associates on March 19 prepared by RAMP associates. Click on image below for larger versions with captions.

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Owners postpone move to expand The Commons

In this map of The Commons campus, the additional units that had been proposed are shown in yellow.

Faced with resident objections and a tight timeline, New England Life Plan Communities, which owns The Commons in Lincoln, has postponed their push for an expansion proposal that was slated for a February 28 Planning Board public hearing.

Owner’s representative OnePoint Partners submitted a proposal to the Planning Board on February 6 that called for 32 new apartments in the existing Flint and Russell buildings and eight freestanding and attached cottages at various locations on the campus. This gave residents and others about three weeks to prepare for the public hearing, which would have preceded a vote at the March 25 Annual Town Meeting. Because The Commons resides in a zoning overlay district with specific conditions, a two-thirds majority approval would have been required at that time.

“We have engaged in several conversations with current Commons residents and it has become clear that more collaboration is required to address certain elements of the project. In order to ensure these critical stakeholders are given multiple opportunities to provide input, we need more time than the few weeks before the March Town Meeting allows,” said Larry Bradshaw, chairman of the board of New England Life Plan Communities, in a February 23 letter to the Planning Board.

David Levington, a Commons resident who has been active in organizing opposition to the proposal, said he was “pleased and relieved” by the postponement. “Everyone will have to work together in an open manner so that The Commons can grow in a manner that is healthy for all. The upset has been corrected and we’re moving forward — residents, management, ownership.”

He didn’t specify whether some aspects of the proposal were more objectionable than others but added, “Eventually a new plan will be developed… and I do look forward to a collaboration in which the residents have a voice.”

“Thanks to the efforts of the executive director of The Commons, Reynaldo LeBlanc, and the Resident Council, a number of formats were provided for residents to present their questions and concerns about the proposed expansion of The Commons to the new owners and their consultant and management teams,” said council president Judith Foster. “As a result of these meetings, the owners have withdrawn the proposed plan in order to allow more time to address the concerns of residents. We are looking forward to a productive partnership between residents and the ownership team.”

The Commons seeks to add 40 independent living units

In this map of The Commons campus, the proposed additional units are shown in yellow (click to enlarge).

Citing a long waiting list as well as the area’s aging demographics, The Commons in Lincoln is proposing to add 40 new independent living units along with more parking‚ but some current residents aren’t happy about the prospect. 

Because The Commons resides in a zoning overlay district with specific conditions, a two-thirds majority approval is required at Town Meeting next month for the plan to go forward. The Planning Board will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. via Zoom. The agenda and Zoom link will be posted on the Planning Board schedule page. There will also be information sessions in the Lincoln Public Library’s Tarbell Room on Thursday, March 2 from 6–8 p.m. and two sessions on Thursday, March 9 (2–4 p.m. and 6–8 p.m.)

Owner’s representative OnePoint Partners submitted a detailed proposal to the Planning Board on February 6 that calls for 32 new apartments in the existing Flint and Russell buildings and eight freestanding and attached cottages at various locations on the campus. Six of the 11 new units in the Flint building would be designated as affordable housing to be rented at the 80% area median income threshold, increasing the total number of affordable units at The Commons to 14.

The plan also calls for a net addition of 56 parking spaces — 82 new surface spaces at cottages and 18 new garage spaces minus 44 spaces removed for construction. The Commons currently has 259 total units, which includes 90 units in the assisted living/memory care/skilled nursing area that opened in 2016. The current proposal “is the final phase of the complete build out of the Commons,” said Sarah Laffey, partner at OnePoint Partners. 

“I think we’re all terribly disappointed. It was like a coup,” said David Levington, a resident at The Commons. “They’re adding more units so we’ll have more people but no more facilities,” he added, saying there already isn’t enough gathering and activity space — a concern expressed by other residents as well. “They’re asking us to spend more time in our rooms.” 

“NELPC [New England Life Plan Communities, owners of The Commons] and the onsite management team of The Commons is working closely with the resident council and ensuring that residents’ questions and concerns are addressed,” Laffey said.

Rey LeBlanc, executive director at The Commons, was away and unavailable for comment this week. Several residents who praised his work noted that he was “in a difficult position” as the liaison between residents and the owners of the complex since the expansion was announced.

Benchmark Senior Living and a private equity firm sold The Commons in 2021 to NELPC, a nonprofit entity. The Groves in Lincoln, as it was called when it opened in 2010, was owned by the New England Deaconess Association and Masonic Health Systems of Massachusetts but had an occupancy rate of only 59% in 2013, when it filed for bankruptcy after defaulting on payment of $88.4 million in tax-exempt bonds. 

“While the Commons currently operates profitably, the expansion will provide further economies of scale by spreading operating costs over a greater number of units, which should ultimately serve to increase the financial stability of the community,” Laffey said. “As a not-for-profit, the improved financial benefit of this expansion will only serve to shore up The Commons’ own financial resources and strengthen its own financial condition and will not inure to the benefit of an outside owner or investor.” 

When NELPC became the owner, it entered into a long-term agreement with Benchmark Senior Living whereby Benchmark would continue in its role as the day-to-day manager of the operation of the Commons.

Lincoln will earn $1.33 million in property taxes from The Commons (Lincoln’s single largest taxpayer) on an assessed value of $92.8 million in fiscal 2023. In fiscal 2022, the assessed value of its property accounted for about 4% of the town’s total, according to the Assessor’s Office. Laffey said it was still unclear how much more tax money the town could expect from the expansion, though a coUrbanize website devoted to the project says projections show a net benefit for the town of more than $200,000 annually. Despite its not-for-profit status, The Commons will continue to pay property taxes, she added.

Voters must approve both the development plan and the amended North-Lincoln Planned Development District at Town Meeting, but the project also needs a signoff from the Planning Board, the Historic Commission (for demolition of a vacant house on the property), the Conservation Commission (to ensure compliance with wetlands laws), and the MassDEP (for approval of a groundwater discharge permit).

Assuming all the permits are acquired, it’s still unknown at this point when construction might take, how long it will last, or whether it will be done in stages or all at once, Laffey said.

News acorns

COA&HS holiday open house

All are invited to celebrate the holiday season with conversation on Friday, Dec. 9 from 11 a.m.–1 p.m. at Bemis Hall. There will be piano music by Ken Hurd, a free light lunch and desserts, and two special guests: Town Administrator Tim Higgins and Select Board member Jennifer Glass. Bring your phone and capture the moment in our special photo booth. Sponsored by the Friends of the Lincoln Council on Aging & Human Services.

Grownups’ Night Out

All are welcome to join LincFam for a special Parents’ and Caregivers’ Night Out on Friday, Dec. 9 from 7:30-9 p.m. in the Codman Community Farms kitchen for wine, cheese, and snacks. Tickets are $20 (cash or Venmo @LincFam). If cost is a barrier, reach out to info@lincfam.org and we’ll handle the rest. Registration required; click here.

Volunteer sought for Water Commission vacancy

The Town of Lincoln is seeking applicants to fill a vacancy on the Water Commission to fill out the remainder of Ruth Anne Hendrickson’s term that will expire in March 2023. To continue serving after that, the person appointed will then need to stand for election. At that time, there will be a second opening as well, since commission member Michelle Barnes does not plan to run for reelection.

The Water Commission’s job is to ensure that the town’s drinking water meets all applicable federal, state, and local laws and standards, as well as ensuring that the system revenue covers system operations, debt service, and reserves. For more information, please visit their web page. Letters of interest should be sent to Peggy Elder, administrative assistant in the Select Board’s Office, elderp@lincolntown.org, or call the Select Board’s Office at 781-259-2601.

State of the Town, community center discussions on tap

The two community center options chosen in 2018 (click to enlarge).

The proposed community center, which is headed for a town meeting vote later this month, will be one of the topics discussed at the first of two State of the Town (SOTT) meetings on Monday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. Click here to register for the first night and get the Zoom link.

At a Special Town Meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 30 at 7:30 p.m., residents will decide whether to spend up to $325,000 to develop preliminary schematic design options for a new community center, which would be built on the Lincoln School’s Hartwell campus. The Community Center Building Committee has compiled a list of FAQs and is posting them in segments on its new website at lincolncommunitycenter.com. You can also use the site to ask a question and get on the mailing list using that page, which will be updated with more background soon. The town’s official CCBC page with the March 2022 Town Meeting presentation, list of members, agendas, etc. can be found here. You can see also Lincoln Squirrel stories about the history of the project here.

Both SOTT meetings will feature presentations, Q&A sessions, and breakout rooms. Also on the SOTT agenda Monday night: 

  • Council on Aging & Human Services
  • Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, & Anti-Racism (IDEA) Committee
  • Lincoln Public Schools
  • Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School 

The agenda for the second night of SOTT on Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. is below. Click here to register and get the Zoom link. 

  • Green Energy Committee/Climate Action Lincoln 
  • Conservation
  • Bicycle &Pedestrian Advisory Committee
  • Housing Commission
  • Lincoln Land Conservation Trust/Rural Land Foundation
  • Planning Board

State of the Town meetings look to the future

There will be a two-night State of the Town meeting via Zoom in mid-November with an overarching theme: “What should Lincoln be like in 2050?”

“Lincoln’s boards and committees are focused on work that will have long-term implications for and impacts on our town. There are conversations about housing, education, human services, multi-modal transportation, diversity and equity, land use, and climate change (to name but a few),” the Select Board said in their most recent newsletter. “Many topics are interrelated and require us to think about our values, envision the future, and weigh (sometimes difficult) tradeoffs. We need your ideas, insights, questions, and dreams to guide our work as we draft the plans, policy proposals, and budgets that you will vote on at subsequent Town Meetings.”

Residents are invited to read and respond to a “Letter to Our Grandchildren” by the 1971 Planning Board excerpted in the Select Board newsletter that outlined issues of the day including zoning, housing prices, roadside paths, and even trash (“We wonder whether you will have solved the problem of solid waste? Maybe our best hope is that you will be wise enough to produce less of it…”).

Discussion questions for today include:

  • How would you describe Lincoln in 2022? (housing, transportation, human services, education, diversity & equity, town governance, land use practices, energy consumption, etc.)
  • What is your vision for 2050?
  • What would you include in a new “letter to our grandchildren”? What actions do we need to take to fulfill your vision? What are your top priorities?

Send a few words, a few paragraphs, photos, poetry or whatever conveys your ideas using this form. The deadline is Tuesday, Nov. 1.

The State of the Town schedule and topics of discussion are listed below. The links can also be found on the town’s SOTT web page.

Monday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. — Night 1 (Zoom event — register here)

  • Community Center Building Committee
  • Council on Aging & Human Services
  • Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, & Anti-Racism (IDEA) Committee

Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. — Night 2 (Zoom event — register here)

  • Planning Board
  • Conservation, Rural Land Foundation/Lincoln Land Conservation Trust
  • Green Energy/Climate Action
  • Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee

News acorns

Support 8th-grade grads at their sole fundraising event

The Lincoln School’s eighth-graders are getting ready to graduate. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to have dances or bake sales again this year, which are the usual sources of funds, so they need to do some serious fundraising to support the cost of the graduation celebration and the traditional class gift to the school. They will hold a car wash on Saturday, May 21 at the Town Hall from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. (rain date: May 22). Click here to purchase a ticket ($20) and/or make a donation. This is their one opportunity to raise the needed funds, so please consider making a donation. This cohort has been particularly impacted by COVID, missing out on all the major middle school field trips, dances, and many enrichment activities, so we really hope to make this an extra-special graduation.

Open Studio artwork to be shown

Artworks by participants in Lincoln Parks and Recreation’s Open Studio will soon be on display in the Lincoln Public Library gallery, with an opening reception for the exhibit on Thursday, May 19 from 4-6 p.m. Open Studio meets weekly in a large, light-filled room during the school year on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Hartwell Pod A. For more information, call 781-259-0784 or contact Sarah Chester at schester636@gmail.com.

COA&HS topics include cooking, driving, probate 

Here are some of the May activities hosted by the Lincoln Council on Aging and Human Services. Most events are open to Lincoln residents of all ages. For a full list — including clinics, exercise classes, regular meetings of interest groups, and online chats with town officials — see the COAHS’s calendar page or May newsletter. Call 781-259-8811 or email gagnea@lincolntown.org for Zoom links and other information.

Brain-Healthy Cooking For One
Friday, May 13 at 1 p.m.
Learn to eat nutritiously, reduce food waste, and stretch your shopping budget when cooking for one. Senior Living residence chefs will show us how to prepare several tasty Mediterranean-style meals from a short list of cost-effective, brain-healthy ingredients. Please RSVP by calling 781-259-8811 by May 11.

The Driving Dilemma
Friday, May 20 at 1 p.m.
This presentation will review what we know about driver safety for seniors, how to keep driving safely, and the warning signs that may signal it is time to retire from driving. Beth Dugan, an Associate Professor of Gerontology at UMASS Boston, is actively investigating healthy aging She serves on the Governor’s Council to Address Aging Issues in Mass., has been a guest on WGBH, and is author of The Driving Dilemma: The Complete Resources Guide for Older Drivers and Their Loved Ones.

Probate Avoidance & Beneficiary Designations
Friday, May 27 at 1 p.m.
Elder law attorney Sasha Golden will share important news regarding probate avoidance and beneficiary designations. There have been many changes in the laws recently concerning naming beneficiaries of retirement plans. Sasha is a Lincoln resident and donates her expertise for monthly legal clinics & programs.

Summer farmer’s market kicks off on June 4

The first Lincoln Arts and Farmers Market for the 2022 season will be Saturday, June 4 from  9 a.m.–1 p.m. on the lawn in front of the Tack Room at 145 Lincoln Rd. The market will run weekly June-October. This year there will be more vendors, more produce, and more coffee along with music, food, arts and crafts. Stay updated on planning and vendor availability each week via this Facebook page.

Dramatic Shakespeare compilation on tap

The Lincoln Public Library will host “Shake-scene” on Friday, June 10 at 1 p.m. in Bemis Hall. Join Shakespearian performers Stephen Collins and Poornima Kirby for a rollicking ride through some of the bard’s finest poetry and most compelling characters in this original compilation of scenes, monologues and sonnets woven together with facts and lively banter. A Q&A period will follow the hour-long presentation. This program is cosponsored by the Friends of the Lincoln Library and the Friends of the COA.

Musical duo in Pierce House tent

“Elizabeth & Ben Anderson: Scottish Fiddle and Cello Duo” will take place under the tent at the Pierce House on Wednesday, June 15 at 7 p.m. Blending Scottish tunes with lively rhythms and innovative harmonies, the pair create a sound rooted in tradition, inspired by the contemporary but completely original. This program is supported by a grant from the Lincoln Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

Garden club hosts Roaring ’20s fundraiser

The Lincoln Garden Club’s Roaring 2022 Prohibition Party fundraiser extravaganza takes place on Friday, June 17 from 6-9 p.m. in the Pierce House tent. Fine hors d’ oeuvres and wine, along with two signature cocktails (“hooker’s lips” highballs and chocolate mint mojitos) will be served. Lincoln resident Nicholas Ribush will be performing with his 1920s brass band along with Amy Kucharik, who will sing naughty flapper songs. The Minuteman Model A Club of Sudbury will also be on hand with eight of their 1920s cars to provide ambience and beautiful photo backdrops as guests arrive.

This is not a costume party but the dress code is “cocktail glam,” so bring out the shimmer, sparkle and shine! No password required at the door at this speakeasy, but you must show your vaccine card with three or four shots. Tickets are $55 and must be purchased in advance. All proceeds will go towards maintaining Lincoln’s Station Park as well as towards many other community service projects stewarded by the Garden Club. Questions? Call Joanna Schmergel at 617-645-9059.