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

sports & recreation

Multi-sport court will be ready within weeks

The new multi-sport court will be located just north of the “tot lot” playground behind the Brooks gym (click image to enlarge).

The multi-sport court that was formally proposed in 2015 will become a reality by June, according to Parks and Recreation Director Dan Pereira.

Residents approved spending $146,000 at Town Meeting in 2015 for an outdoor facility that could be used for basketball, tennis, street hockey, volleyball and other sports. The court will go next to the “tot lot” playground near Codman Pool, which is now closed while it’s being reconfigured in a slightly narrower space to accommodate the new court.

The court took longer than expected to put in place because the site is close to wetlands and required a permit from the Conservation Commission as well as input from a wetlands engineer, Pereira said. That process included studying the pros and cons of other possible locations in town.

The sport court will have lighting so it can be used at night, and it will be installed over a water-permeable grid rather than a concrete pad. This means that the court can be moved without too much trouble if it should have to be relocated as a result of a school and/or community center building project.

The project also includes a new boardwalk to more directly connect the sport court area to the playing fields next to Codman Pool.

The 45-by-80-foot court, which is expected to be ready to use some time next month, can be changed by Park and Rec officials for use by multiple sports, depending on school and community interest, “It’s something that’s not very hard to reconfigure at all,” Pereira said. For example, netting mounted on light poles can be raised or lowered depending on whether it’s being used for tennis or volleyball, and it could even be flooded in winter for ice hockey.

The town’s after-school tennis program will also get more playing time next spring, because the court will be ready for use as soon as the snow melts, unlike the clay courts that need more time and maintenance to recover from the snow and ice. The new facility will also be the only official-size outdoor basketball court in town, Pereira noted.

News acorns

Two concerts at Bemis this weekend

Lyrica Boston Chamber Music will give a free concert on Saturday, April 29 at 2 p.m. in Bemis Hall. On the program will be Schubert’s Trout Quintet and other works in a surprising array of styles. A reception with light refreshments will follow the concert. Musicians will include Laura Bossert (violin), Annie Bartlett (viola), Mariel Bossert (piano), Mina Kim (cello) and Donald Palma (bass). The Lyrica Boston Chamber Music series was founded by Lincoln resident Laura Bossert to provide a launching ground for young emerging artists to perform alongside seasoned professionals. Sponsored by the Friends of the Lincoln Council on Aging.

Dave Whitney and his Big Band will play in Bemis Hall on Sunday, April 30 from 2–5 p.m. Presented by the Friends of the Lincoln Public Library.

Film about relationship violence

Local residents—particularly parents of high school students—are invited to a powerful 90-minute film-based workshop about relationship violence on Thursday, May 4 at 7 p.m. in the L-S auditorium. Escalation tells the story of two college students who fall in love, but whose relationship ultimately turns violent. After the screening, participants are encouraged to talk about relationship violence in a group conversation led by trained facilitators.

The workshop is produced by the OneLove Foundation and presented locally in conjunction with the Lauren Dunne Astley Memorial Fund by the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable with Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School’s Mentors in Violence Prevention team. L-S seniors will have the opportunity to take part in the Escalation Workshop as part of the L-S “Courage to Care Conference.”

‘Wake Up the Nature Linc Garden’ on May 6

As part of Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area “Hidden Treasures 2017,” a regional celebration, Farrington Nature Linc will host a pair of events. At Wake Up the Nature Linc Garden on Saturday, May 6 starting at 10 a.m., visitors can weed, turn over the soil, plant annuals, and then hike to vernal pools to look for tadpoles and frogs. At 2 p.m., there will be a talk about Farrington Memorial’s history. Farrington’s clerk, Susan Taylor, will share what we know about life on one of Lincoln’s oldest farmsteads starting with the first structure in 1650 through the 18th-century chestnut barn and the 1911 Donaldson-built dormitory, up through today’s work bringing youth from low-income, urban communities out into nature. Please RSVP for both events to Wendy@NatureLinc.org.

Also as part of the celebration, there will be free admission to the Gropius House and Codman Estate on May 6.

Flower and plant sale

On Saturday, May 6  from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Lincoln Town Hall, a selection of plants from Stonegate Gardens and gifts from the Lincoln PTO will be available for purchase at the PTO’s biennial plant sale and fundraiser. You’ll find flats and potted arrangements, fun and affordable Mother’s Day gifts, and a free kid’s potting activity (be sure bring your child’s old boots for the project!) Plant sale is rain or shine, and lemonade and treats will be available for sale by the Brooks School class of 2018. Volunteers will be available to assist in loading.

Borrow nature-themed backpacks for kids

Four new nature-themed backpacks, designed by the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust, are available for two-week check out in the Children’s Department at the Lincoln Public Library.

The “Birding, Trackers, Insects, and Trees Etc.” backpacks contain laminated field guides and books for identifying animals and plants; tools to assist with exploration such as magnifying lenses, binoculars, and insect nets; activities to record observations and engage in hands-on learning (story books, nature logs, and plaster casts of animal tracks); and reference materials including a Lincoln trail map, environmental ethics awareness cards, and information on ticks and mosquitos. Many items were sourced and purchased at discount with help from staff at the Audubon Shop at Drumlin Farm.

“As a parent, grandparent, former science teacher, and former director of environmental education in the Lincoln Public Schools, I’ve had lots of experience seeing the value of getting children outdoors exploring nature on local trails and in their backyards. Children are curious and love making discoveries on their own, with a few friends or even a grandparent, and the backpacks will facilitate these opportunities,” said Gywn Loud, a trustee for Lincoln Land Conservation Trust.

The nature backpacks are funded by Lincoln Land Conservation Trust and Friends of the Lincoln Library.

News acorns

 Park & Rec seeks new member

The Lincoln Parks & Recreation Committee has an open seat and is seeking a resident to fill it ASAP. The term of service would be through March 2019.  We are accepting applications through Friday, April 14. Anyone interested in serving on the committee should fill out the town volunteer form and return it to Peggy Elder in the Selectman’s Office by April 14.

Tick season is here

The Board of Health urges residents to take precautions against deer tick bites, which can cause Lyne disease and other ailments. Preventive measures and tick removal guidelines can be found here.

Volunteers, artists sought for Lincoln Arts Show

The second annual Lincoln Arts Show on Patriots Day Weekend at Bemis Hall is still seeking volunteers for setup, hosting during the show, reception, and take-down. Contact Sarah Chester at schester636@gmail.com. The show is also still accepting entries until Monday, April 10. Click here for entry forms. Come see paintings, photography, ceramics, hand crafts, etc., created by your Lincoln friends and neighbors. Free admission. The opening reception is Saturday, April 15 from 5–6:30 p.m. Show times are:

  • Saturday, April 15 from 12–5 p.m.
  • Sunday, April 16 from 1–5 p.m.
  • Monday, April 17 from 11 a.m.–3 p.m.

Sponsored by the Lincoln Parks and Recreation Department and the Council on Aging.

Donate household items to Domestic Violence Roundtable

The Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable invites area residents to donate new household items to help families transitioning from a shelter to establish a new home. The Shower for Shelters runs from Monday, April 10 through Sunday, April 30. New unwrapped gifts may be dropped off at the Lincoln Public Library, the Goodnow Library in Sudbury or the Wayland Public Library. Items may also be dropped off at the group’s free wine-tasting event at Sudbury Wine and Spirits in the Rugged Bear Plaza (410 Boston Post Rd., Sudbury) on Friday, April 21 starting at 7 p.m.

Requested items include twin-size sheets, pillowcases, summer blankets and comforters as well as pillows, crib sheets, bath towels and face cloths, unscented cleaning products and laundry detergent, laundry baskets, kitchen utensils, flatware, dishes, drinking glasses and small kitchen appliances. Gift cards are also welcome. For a complete list of requested items, please visit the Roundtable website. All gifts collected are donated to clients of REACH Beyond Domestic Violence, The Second Step, and Voices Against Violence.

Lincoln Minute Men stepping off with historical observances

The Lincoln Minute Men (LMM) have several activities to observe events surrounding Patriots Day starting this Saturday, April 8. Click here for a listing of events at Minute Man National Historic Park or click here for a map of the park.

Saturday, April 8 — The Capture of Paul Revere

March behind the LMM down Battle Road or join them at the capture site where Paul Revere’s ride ended in Lincoln. See Revere, Samuel Prescott, William Dawes, Mary Hartwell, and Major Mitchell tell the true story, despite poetic efforts by special guest Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Music and musket fire.

  • Minute Man National Historic Park Visitors Center, 2:45 p.m.
  • Capture site, 3 p.m.
Saturday, April 15 — Battle Road: Capt. Smith, Parker’s Revenge, and Tower Park

The LMM interpret the home of William Smith and his wife Catharine Louisa in the 1775 home of their first captain. Later, hundreds of British and Colonial soldiers recreate the running battle along the deadly stretch of road on the border of Lincoln and Lexington. Then both sides regroup to battle at Tower Park in Lexington.

  • Captain William Smith House, 9:30 a.m. to noon
  • Parker’s Revenge battle site behind Visitors Center, 2 p.m.
  • Battle of Tower Park (1200 Massachusetts Ave., Lexington), 4 p.m.
Sunday, April 16 — Lincoln Salute: Festival of 18th-century Fife and Drum Music

The LMM host fife and drum groups from as far away as Michigan in a musical performance. Bring your picnic basket and lawn chairs for rousing entertainment.

  • Pierce Park, 2-3:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 16 — Alarm and Muster

An ancient Revolutionary War veteran reminisces about those fateful early hours of April 19, 1775. Capt. William Smith rides down the hill to alarm the citizens of Lincoln. Bells ring, drums roll and the LMM fall in to receive their orders to defend Concord. Then march with the LMM to Pierce House for a firing demonstration.

  • Library lawn opposite First Parish Church (3 Bedford Rd.), 7 p.m.
Monday, April 17 — Dawn Tribute and March to the Concord Parade

The LMM salute the patriots buried in the Old Meeting House Cemetery as they emerge from the mists of the burial ground for roll call. Fifers play a lament and the muskets fire a volley. Then join the LMM on their walk to Concord (3 miles) amid colonial music and musket fire. There will be bus transportation across Route 2 courtesy of Doherty’s Garage. All ages welcome.

  • Outside Bemis Hall, 6:45 a.m.; Concord parade, 9 a.m.
Sunday, April 23 — Old Burial Ground Tribute

March with the LMM and the Regulars from Pierce House to the Old Burial Ground on Lexington Road to honor the patriot dead and five British soldiers killed in Lincoln along the Battle Road. Hear Mary Hartwell tell her story of their burial. Ceremonies include music and musket salutes by both sides. A reception follows, courtesy of the Lincoln Historical Society.

  • Pierce House, 2:30 p.m. (reception at 4 p.m.)

Open Space and Recreation Plan completed

Lincoln’s recently completed 2017 Open Space and Recreation Plan (OSRP) identifies new and ongoing priorities for conservation measures, agriculture, recreation, and potential land acquisitions.

The OSRP Advisory Committee explored ways that key landholders can work together to prioritize shared uses for existing municipal, private, and institutional land. Land across town was prioritized based on a set of criteria for suitability for one or more of these uses. The result of this process is the open space and recreation action plan and accompanying map, which are intended to guide decisions about future land acquisitions and conservation partnerships.

Among the report’s goals for the Conservation Department and Lincoln Land Conservation Trust are to continue and in some cases expand the following efforts:

  • Developing the Baseline Inventory and Monitoring Program for new and existing conservation properties. This includes acquiring legal records validating each property’s conservation status, gathering documentation such as photographs and biological inventories, and establishing a monitoring program for all deeded and CR (conservation restriction) properties.
  • Controlling non-native, invasive species.
  • Engaging in education and outreach efforts within municipal government, local and regional organizations, schools, and the general public.
  • Identifying and protecting critical parcels or corridors that play a key role in fulfilling the goals of the OSRP.
  • Promoting co-sustainable agricultural practices, such as community-supported agriculture and regional land/farmer matching programs, the Pollinator Meadow on the Lincoln School campus, mobile chicken farming at Codman Community Farms, and sustainable crops and livestock farming at Drumlin Farm.
  • Considering licensing some fields that currently lie fallow in the interest in promoting local, sustainable farms and increasing the diversity of farming operations in Lincoln.

One of the top priorities identified during the 10-month planning process is to improve the town’s athletic fields, which are in poor shape due to heavy use and lack of irrigation. Voters at Town Meeting last week approved construction of a new field on the Wang property, but this will reduce usage of the existing fields only moderately. Capital improvements such as increasing access to wells and irrigation should be considered and the upcoming school project should also examine possibilities for adding another additional field, the report says.

Other future recreation facilities that would require more land are a skate park, neighborhood parks, basketball court, and municipal track, the report notes. The newly acquired Wang property doesn’t have the right size or configuration to include a track around the future athletic field.

Specific segments of the OSRP and related documents can be found here:

Town Meeting approves Wang purchase and solar initiatives

The site of the Wang land just south of Bedford Road’s intersection with Route 2 (click to enlarge).

Residents paved the way for a new athletic field, more conservation land, and a municipal solar power installation as well as easing rules on home solar installations with three Town Meeting votes last week.

Amid much clapping and cheering, residents unanimously approved purchase of 12 acres of the Wang property off Bedford Road. The town will purchase the land from the Rural Land Foundation, which (together with the Birches School) bought a 16-acre parcel from the estate of Lorraine Wang. Birches will use four acres including a large house to relocate its school from its current quarters in the Stone Church building. Three of the town’s 12 acres will be used to build a much-needed athletic field while the rest goes into conservation.

The town’s $2 million expenditure—$800,000 for the land plus $1.2 million for athletic field construction—will come from bonding $1.3 million over 15 years, to be repaid with anticipated income from the Community Preservation Act (CPA). Another $500,000 will come from the general balance and $200,000 from Lincoln Youth Soccer (LYS).

CPA funds come from a 3 percent property tax surcharge and a partial match from the state. The fund replenishes annually by about $950,000, so there will still be money left over for other capital projects in coming years.

Cars will access the site only from Bedford Road, though walkers will be able to get there via conservation trails. The town will also get a permanent easement for use of the future Birches School parking lot as well as a bathroom accessible from the field.

LYS and Park and Rec sponsored an engineering study of the town’s athletic fields that confirmed they were in bad shape from overuse and lack of irrigation. “There’s very little topsoil and the field are incredible compacted” to the point that aerators have gotten broken, Parks and Recreation Department Director Dan Pereira said at Town Meeting.

Adding the new field will help somewhat, but the other fields on the school campus will still need help, ideally from installing irrigation. However, given the ongoing drought and other upcoming expenditures, “it’s not a great time to be considering that… we’re under no misconception this is a simple fix,” Pereira said. Park and Rec is working with the Water Commission to investigate solutions such as using reclaimed water, he added.

Solar installation atop landfill

The nine acres of new town conservation land connects two other parcels of existing conservation property but also serves another purpose. It will allow the town to make a “land swap” so some of its transfer station property can be taken out of conservation and turned into a solar photovoltaic facility that could supply as much as half of the town’s publicly used electricity.

The solar installation on 7.1 acres of the capped landfill next to the transfer station could generate 650-980 kilowatts for the town. It’s unclear how much savings that will translate into because the tax credit situation is “in flux right now,” said John Snell, chair of the Green Energy Committee (GEC). Any agreement with a solar installer must be at least revenue neutral for the town, “but we think we can do better than that,” he added.

Although the landfill is “obviously not the crown jewel of Lincoln open space,” said resident Bob Domnitz, “this asset isn’t something we should give away without something coming back to the town… Please make sure the town gets some significant financial benefit from this project.”

The amended bylaw also calls for the town to “devote reasonable efforts” to use the existing driveway from Route 2A rather than a possible new entrance from Mill Street.

Once the town gets formal permission from the state for the land swap, officials will look for a solar developer in the hope of starting construction next year.

Relaxing rules for home solar

Solar installations on private homes will be less restrictive after another Town Meeting bylaw amendment vote. A 2013 change allowed rooftop solar installations but said that they had to have a setback from the roof edges of at least one foot. This requirement made some smaller projects uneconomical by reducing the available roof area “by a fairly significant margin” (44 percent in one case), said GEC member Jim Hutchinson.

The amended bylaw removes that setback requirement and increased the maximum allowed height for ground-mounted solar installation from 10 to 12 feet. The Planning Board may also now grant waivers to the solar installation requirements on a case-by-case basis.

Voters give the go-ahead to school project and community center planning

(Editor’s note: Additional stories about the March 25 Annual Town Meeting will be published this week.)

Lincoln will move ahead with feasibility studies for both a locally funded school project and a community center as a result of votes at Saturday’s Annual Town Meeting.

Residents voted unanimously to release $750,000 that was put aside in 2015 for a new feasibility study that will lead to another town-wide vote a year from now on a specific project to pursue. The money was originally allocated for a project that specifically would have included state funding; in the wake of repeated denials from the Massachusetts School Building Authority, Saturday’s vote means the money can now be used for a project funded solely by the town.

As a result of the vote, residents passed over another warrant article that asked whether Lincoln should apply once again for MSBA funding. School officials have said that the chances of Lincoln getting invited into the funding pipeline again were extremely slim because the Lincoln School is not structurally unsafe or severely overcrowded.

“There seems to be a growing sense of community readiness to move forward,” School Committee Chair Jennifer Glass said. “This will also provide clarity for other decisions in town” such as the community center.

Glass and Finance Committee Chair Peyton Marshall reviewed information they presented at multi-board meetings on January 30 and March 8 about why a major school project is needed, how much it might cost, and the tax implications of various levels of borrowing to pay for it. Consultants Dore and Whittier said in 2014 that basic repairs and required code upgrades for safety and handicapped accessibility will cost at least $30 million.

“That’s a lot of money, but there really is no ‘do nothing’ option,” Glass said; that level of spending would result in a building that’s “safe, accessible, has better air and light, no leaks and comfortable temperatures” but has no other improvements. Depending on what additional options are chosen such as educational upgrades, cafeterias and site work pr even an entirely new school, the project could cost up to $68 million.

“The point of the feasibility study is to narrow [cost estimates] down to some number that we bring to the town, and the town votes on which one of these project concepts to we develop into a real project” at a vote in spring 2018. After that, detailed plans and costs will be finalized and the project will come up for a bonding vote perhaps as soon as Fall 2018, Glass said.

Asked by a resident whether the town could simply reuse the 2012 feasibility study, Glass said, “I recommend not doing that.” That study resulted in a plan that failed to win a two-thirds bonding majority in 2012 for various reasons, including cost and the layout of the new school building and campus. This time around, residents will have a chance to choose form one of two or three design concepts before the funding is put to a vote.

The silver lining of the 2012 defeat is that “we’ve learned some things since then—how to be even more creative with spaces in the building and a sense of how the campus maintains a feeling that everyone is happy with,” Glass said.

Community center vote

With only a handful of “nay” votes, residents also voted to spend $150,000 for a feasibility study for a community center to house the Council on Aging and the Parks and Recreation Department as well as other town groups. A 2015 report by the Community Center Study Committee and its consultant said that a two-story, 22,000-square-foot facility on the Hartwell side of the school campus would cost about $13 million.

The $150,000 appropriation must also win a simple majority at the March 27 town election to move forward.

The feasibility study would result in a conceptual site plan and an updated cost estimate, but there is no timeline for when construction might start. However, the school and community center building committees and architects would work closely together to coordinate planning for the two projects as much as possible. This collaboration would ensure that a community center “can be added to the campus at the right time and in the right location and configuration,” and its construction would “follow at a time that is fiscally responsible,” Selectman James Craig said.

Asked if the two building committees would join to hire a single architect, “the answer is a big maybe,” Glass said. Such a firm would need to have expertise in both types of projects “and they’d have to be a good fit for our endearing and occasionally idiosyncratic town. “If two different firms are used, town and school officials can make collaboration between those firms “a foundational requirement for getting hired,” she said.

Several residents recommended combining the feasibility studies as well as using a single architectural firm. Staff members at a school and community center provide many of the same teaching and counseling functions, said Doug Swain. “Their educational and quality-of-life goals for people in the town of Lincoln are exactly the same and their building needs are almost identical.”

A completely shared space isn’t possible because of state regulations designed to limit access to school children by non-school staff.

Resident Ken Hurd, an architect, said he supports both projects but was not in favor of developing separate schematic drawings for the school and community center. In talking to other architects and engineers, “most of them think this is a bad idea to have two teams working in parallel in trying to master-plan a [campus] site,” he said.

“We really need to hire one architect with two teams in its firm, as well as a good land architect. This is a site and campus planning exercise as well,” said resident Owen Beenhouwer, also an architect. Any firm that’s qualified to design a school “will have more than ample experience in dealing with a smaller building as well.”

“Nothing is off the table in terms of the firm” to be hired, Craig said. “The goal is to have these [projects] be in concert with each other.”

Moving forward, planning for the community center will include refining the exact needs of the COA and PRD in terms of their programming and space usage, as well as considering future uses for Bemis Hall.

Cost implications

Right now, Lincoln is in a good borrowing position compared to other area towns in terms of property tax rate growth and its debt-to-operating-budget, Marshall said. The town could borrow up to $80 million to pay for school and community center projects without endangering its AAA bond rating, he said.

Assuming a 30-year bond at an interest rate of 5 percent and the current median property value of $972,200, the maximum annual average tax increase during the repayment period would range from $929 (for a $30 million bond) to $2,478 ($80 million). The median taxpayer would see a hike of $275-$310 per year for every $10 million the town borrowed, according to page 11 of his handout. The median property tax bill in fiscal 2018 is $13,613.

Letter to the editor: vote yes on community center feasibility study

letter

To the editor:

The warrant for the  Annual Town Meeting on March 25 includes an article to approve $150,000 to fund “a feasibility study and preliminary design development plans for a community center to be located within the Hartwell Complex of the Ballfield Road school campus.” If funding for a school project feasibility study is approved, the board of the Lincoln Council on Aging and the Parks and Recreation Committee recommend approval of the community center article at both Annual Town Meeting and the town election to be held on Monday, March 27. The benefits to all residents of Lincoln in funding feasibility studies for both the school and community center projects are many, and include:

  • Funding feasibility studies for both projects assures that planning will be done jointly, and therefore will take into account the needs of both projects most efficiently.
  • Beginning the process for a community center project now will save the town money in the long run. Multiple committees have determined that both the Council on Aging and Parks and Recreation need significantly improved facilities and construction costs will only increase over time.
  • The community center will provide all residents with attractive space for programs and activities they already enjoy as well as new ones, with enough parking that is a reasonable distance, and that is fully accessible. This includes:
    • Adults and children who participate in Parks and Recreation programs
    • Seniors who attend COA programs and use COA social services
    • Members of community organizations who will hold meetings and programs in the community center
    • Residents of all ages who need confidential health and social services
    • All members of the community who would like to participate in fun and community-building activities like community suppers and townwide fairs, and
    • Anyone who would like a place to gather to socialize with others in a relaxed, welcoming place.
  • A community center in the Ballfield Road area, along with the schools and athletic fields, would enhance Lincoln’s sense of community by providing one place for formal and informal opportunities for residents from many generations and a diversity of interests to come together to get to know one another and feel a part of a vibrant and welcoming town.

The reasons for supporting a community center are as many and as individual as each town resident. What would you like a community center to do for you?

Sincerely,

Lincoln Council on Aging Board
Lincoln Parks and Recreation Committee

Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Letters will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published.

Letter to the editor: Soccer players urge ‘yes’ vote on Wang land

letter

To the editor:

There’s good news and bad news about Lincoln’s athletic fields. The good news: youth recreation is at an all-time high and our kids are using our fields more than ever. The bad news: the few fields we have in Lincoln are vastly overused. This, combined with a lack of irrigation, has created terrible playing conditions for the more than 327 families who participate in Lincoln Youth Soccer (LYS). If you’ve had the opportunity to walk our fields, you know this. If you haven’t, this may come as a surprise. A third-party report, commissioned by Parks & Rec and LYS this fall, confirmed that:

  • our fields are in terrible shape
  • despite investments in maintenance, the fields are deteriorating
  • improving the quality of our fields will require irrigation and rest.

That we find ourselves in this situation in Lincoln—a town known for its love of open spaces—is surprising. As president of LYS, the largest youth athletic association in town, I hear this frequently from our families and the many who travel to Lincoln to compete against our teams.

At the upcoming Town Meeting on March 25, we have a unique opportunity to turn this situation around. Up for consideration is a warrant article to purchase 12 acres of land—three of which would be developed as an athletic field and nine to be conserved. We will be asked to approve $1.8 million in Community Preservation Act funds to underwrite this endeavor with no negative impact to taxes or ability to bond future projects. To show our support, LYS has led a fund-raising effort to contribute $200,000 of private donations to the project.

On behalf of LYS and the hundreds of children running around our fields, I strongly encourage you to attend Town Meeting on March 25 and to vote YES. This investment allows us to increase our field inventory and ensure our recreational fields are treated with the same care as our many wonderful open spaces.

Sincerely,

Eric Harnden
20 Todd Pond Rd.

Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Letters will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published.

Video explains financing and plans for Wang land purchase

The site of the Wang land just south of Bedford Road’s intersection with Route 2.

Lincoln residents will be asked at Town Meeting to approve a total of $2 million for land purchase and construction that will yield the town’s first new athletic field in more than 50 years as well as new conservation land. However, because of the type of financing that’s being considered, the expenditure will not result in any additional tax burden.

The Rural Land Foundation (RLF) and the Birches School teamed up to buy the 16-acre Wang property off Bedford and Oak Knoll Roads in November 2016. The Birches School will use four acres (including an existing 12,000-square-foot house at 100 Bedford Rd.) for its new headquarters plus a public parking lot that will also serve the adjacent athletic field. Residents will be asked to approve the purchase of the other 12 acres using Community Preservation Committee (CPC) funds.

CPC funds come from a 3 percent property tax surcharge and a partial match funds from the state (26 percent last year). The fund replenishes annually by about $950,000, and the town proposes to borrow $1.3 million over 15 years against this income. Another $500,000 will come from the general balance. The purchase will have no impact on the town’s bonding ability going forward, according to an informational video about the project distributed by the Parks and Recreation Committee.

Artist’s rendering of the new athletic field.

The total cost of $2 million breaks down to $800,000 for purchase of the land (three acres for the athletic field and nine acres for conservation) and $1.2 million for construction of the field. The town will also get a permanent easement on the parking lot that the Birches School will build—something that will save the town $500,000. Users of the field will also have access to a school bathroom.

Another benefit of the town acquiring the land is that it can be used as a “solar swap.” By adding new acreage to the town’s inventory of conservation land, it can take an equal amount out of conservation for a municipal array at the capped landfill.

The town’s current athletic fields on the school campus are in poor shape due to overuse and lack of irrigation. Assuming all goes as planned, the new field will be built by September 2017 and ready for use in August 2018. Conservation officials also plan to make trail connections from the new conservation land to adjacent parcels.

After the Park and Rec video was released, the committee answered questions posed by residents on LincolnTalk. Those answers are reprinted below.

Would putting synthetic turf in help with heavy field usage? 

Yes, artificial or synthetic turf is much more durable than natural grass fields. Community Preservation Act funds, however, can’t be used to pay for an artificial turf field. There are also a number of growing concerns with artificial turf, including high temperatures for children, off-gassing of the materials as well as the fact that there are still ongoing maintenance costs. While cost savings have been highlighted as among the benefits of an artificial turf field, the life expectancy and costs savings for artificial turf fields are now being questioned.

Has anyone studied the projected traffic onto Bedford Road and Route 2? 

Yes, Birches School and the Rural Land Foundation hired MDM Transportation to perform a traffic study of the area. They found that “the expanded Birches School and adjoining soccer field use will be accommodated along Bedford Road at operating levels that are well below capacity under full enrollment and during soccer field use periods (weeknights and Saturdays).” There will be a number of site improvements made to the area, including improving sight lines and widening the existing driveway to enable two exit lanes and one entry lane.

You mention that the Selectmen, FinComm, CapComm and School Committee are supporting this project. Is the Planning Board in support? 

We specifically approached the Selectmen, the Finance Committee, the Capital Committee and School Committee for their support of the project, but did not ask the Planning Board. We, however, did receive site plan approval for the project.

Has the Chief of Police signed off on this project? 

The police chief is aware of the project and has not expressed concern, although his formal approval was not part of the site plan approval process. The fire chief has signed off on emergency access to the property and our highway superintendent, and the town’s consulting engineer (not the project engineer) have reviewed our traffic study and are informing our site management plans.

Will there be any neighbors to whom the field and parking lot will be visible, who formerly saw only woods?

There is one immediate abutter, and we have worked closely with them to make sure that they are not negatively impacted, using landscape and fencing to ensure privacy. In addition, we met early on with the immediate neighborhood to not only share the initial announcement with them, but also to solicit their questions and concerns. The current site plan reflects their feedback.

The Carroll School on the Wayland/Lincoln border is creating new athletic fields. Is it possible to rent those? 

The Carroll School will not be renting the fields to area towns or schools in response to neighborhood concerns.

Have you looked at any other single-family lots in Lincoln on which to build a field? 

We have been actively looking for the past 15 years at all opportunities; however, for a number of reasons these other lots have not panned out. The Wang property at 100 Bedford Road works for several reasons, including access from Route 2 and the center of town; low impact on neighbors; and the partnership with the Rural Land Foundation, which makes the potential acquisition feasible since they are in essence providing the town with a bridge loan, giving us the time we need to examine the transaction in the Town Meeting framework; and the partnership with Birches School provides a number of cost savings related to the parking lot and restroom facility.

Why can’t the town build an athletic field on the flat lot abutting the school by the Smith building? 

The agricultural field behind the Smith School is privately owned and mostly in conservation. Taking land out of permanent conservation designation is an extremely difficult process. It requires permission of the land owner and then involves finding a lot with comparable conservation value to swap. Approval from the Conservation Commission, Town Meeting and the Commonwealth is also required. In the 15 years that we have been searching, we have not been able to find a lot that would be large enough to accommodate a field of this size with adequate parking, let alone a flat, open parcel.