By Susan Hall Mygatt

I am running for one of the two open positions on Lincoln’s Planning Board. As a resident of Lincoln since 1977, I care deeply about the town and hope you will consider voting for me.

My experience and why I am running

I have been thinking about taking this step for more than a year. For the past 18 months, I have attended a majority of the Planning Board meetings. I am very familiar with Lincoln’s zoning bylaw, the Planning Board’s regulations, and the issues and requests which the board addresses, particularly those which have come before the Board since the Fall of 2023. I served on Lincoln’s Zoning Board of Appeal for eight years, and since 2019 have served on Lincoln’s Conservation Commission, of which I am currently co-chair.

As a retired real estate lawyer, I understand the limits and opportunities inherent in Massachusetts’ zoning statute, which establishes the powers of Lincoln’s Planning Board. This professional experience allows me to interpret state and municipal legal requirements quickly and accurately.

Susan Hall Mygatt

I am a keen seeker of the facts and am comfortable asking uncomfortable questions, always with respect. This approach leads to better decisions. I believe that my presence on the board will have a positive impact on the town.

My values

I value Lincoln’s rural character while recognizing the statewide need for more housing. We need to arrive at a comfortable balance between nature and the built environment, a balance which protects the aspects of Lincoln that the town values and at the same time carefully plans for inevitable change.

I value meaningful community input on important local decisions and will strive to create a welcome atmosphere for the opinions of our engaged residents. I may not always agree with you, but I will always listen to you!

I value a clear and open public process, where decisions are made in full view of the public, and important information is shared with the public on a timely basis. If you have questions or suggestions, please contact me at susanhallmygatt@comcast.net. I would like to know your position on the local issues which concern you.

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

Editor’s note: Planning Board member Ephraim Flint is not running for another term on the board. Three candidates — incumbent chair Margaret Olson, Ahlert, and Susan Hall Mygatt — are running for two open seats. Suzanne Parker also filed papers to run but has decided to drop out.

By Rob Ahlert

My name is Rob Ahlert, and I will be hosting a virtual meet and greet to discuss my background, why I think I’m a good candidate for Planning Board and to have a discussion on key planning and development issues with those who join. This first virtual meet and greet will be on Thursday, March 13 at noon (optional registration here; Google Meet link here).

I am a 10+ year resident of Lincoln and live in the Lincoln Station area. My goal is to bring a new energy and perspective to the Planning Board along with my leadership, analysis and engineering skills. I very much appreciate the support already given to me by Eph Flint and his suggestion that I would be a good candidate for this role. I am starting the process of learning what is important to folks in town and will look forward to continuing that journey should I be elected. I believe it is important to move forward with collaboration, compromise, and fact-based decision making, and to leave the “us vs. them” mentality in the past.

Rob Ahlert

Please join this virtual meet and greet to:

• Get to know me as a person
• Understand my background, skills, and ideas for Lincoln
• Ask questions and make comments
• Discuss your concerns for future town planning and development

I’ll do a ~10-minute introduction and then spend the rest of the time in Q&A and discussion I particularly encourage people to attend who may not agree with me on planning and development topics so I can learn about different perspectives before potentially taking on this role for the town. If this format seems to be useful, I’ll set up follow-up sessions.

Please mark your calendars, store this Google Meet link, and join the meeting on March 13. Also, please visit my website at www.lincolnforward.org to learn more about me and my positions ahead of time, or to provide your written thoughts on the challenges facing Lincoln as it relates to planning and development. The Google Meet link is also on my website, and I will forward to LincolnTalk as well. Once you join via the link, I will admit you to the meeting. Please plan to include your full name when you join.

Also, if you see me around at Donelan’s or the transfer station or elsewhere, please say hi.

Rob Ahlert, 185 Lincoln Rd.
www.lincolnforward.org 

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

By Margaret Olson

I am Margaret Olson, and I am asking for your vote in the upcoming town elections for Planning Board. I have lived in our beautiful town for 27 years and have served on the Planning Board for over ten years, working to make everything we love about this town even better. During my tenure on the board, we have:

• Instituted Lincoln’s first Dark Sky lighting regulations
• Worked with town staff to streamline and formalize the site plan review process
• Incrementally relaxed the accessory apartment unit zoning
• Passed the Housing Choice Act zoning, securing our state funding and enabling the town to qualify for a $430,000 grant through the MBTA Communities Catalyst Fund to replace the water main on Lincoln Road.

I believe in an open and collaborative approach to solving problems. I also encourage incremental changes. When I joined the board, the zoning requirements for accessory apartments made it difficult and, in some cases, impossible for residents to create an apartment that was usually needed immediately for a family member or caregiver. When an application complied with the zoning, it was never denied. We were overregulating to the detriment of the town. The board relaxed the requirements in 2021. When those changes created no issues, the board further relaxed the requirements in 2023. When the state mandated that towns permit accessory apartments (or accessory dwelling units, to use the state’s term) under 900 square feet this past summer, we were ready. We are currently crafting a bylaw that complies with state law and works for Lincoln.

This is a small town — overregulation costs everyone money. From staff time to individual’s costs to get projects through permitting, I do my best to make good use of those dollars. If we are adding regulations, we need to be clear on what problem we are solving and that we do so efficiently. Planning Board reviews should focus on being thorough, fair, consistent, and predictable.

The state is continuing to create pressure on single-family zoning. Until the housing crisis significantly abates, I expect we will see continuing regulatory pressure from the state. I believe it is the Planning Board’s job to craft zoning that implements the requirements of state legislation while ensuring protections are in place to safeguard our community.

Along with many other Lincolnites, I deeply value Lincoln’s open spaces, our tree-dominated landscapes, and our roadsides. We will need to continue to work together to preserve our landscape while doing our part to ease the housing crisis.

As the Planning Board’s member of Lincoln’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, the Roadside and Traffic Committee, and the Transportation Coalition, I continue my commitment to policies that promote sustainability, mobility, and safety. Join me in making Lincoln safe for everyone and all modes of transportation: for our health, for our enjoyment, and for the environment. You can learn more about me at margaretolson.com.

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.