The Lincoln Squirrel

News, features and photos from Lincoln, Mass.

My Turn: Vote yes for the community center on Saturday

By Rhonda Swain

Why should you vote in favor of the proposed new Community Center at Lincoln’s upcoming Town Meeting? We on the board of the Friends of the Lincoln Council on Aging (FLCOA) consider these to be compelling arguments in support of the proposal:

  • The community center will be available to everyone in Lincoln, from children to seniors. It will be a welcoming place to find community, whether you are a longtime resident or a newcomer to town.
  • The space envisioned for the community center has been designed specifically to meet the needs of the Council on Aging and Human Services (COA&HS), the Lincoln Extended-Day Activities Program (LEAP), and the Parks and Recreation Department. By providing a new facility, thoughtfully designed, we allow the staff of each of these organizations to do their best work.
  • In addition to providing programming and office space for the COA&HS, LEAP, and Parks and Rec, the community center will be a place for many other town organizations (Girl and Boy Scouts, Garden Club, Lincoln Family Association, etc.) to meet both formally and informally, affording opportunities for intergenerational activities that are much more difficult without a common meeting space.
  • Building a new community center to replace the pods that have served us well beyond their intended useful lives will complete the renovation of the school campus, which is a centerpiece of the life of the town, by adding a state-of-the-art, energy-efficient community center to our state- of-the-art school building. This investment would be in keeping with the environmentally conscious and future-oriented thinking that has been a hallmark of Lincoln throughout its history.

The board of the FLCOA has voted to show our commitment to the new community center by making a contribution. Over the past 40 years, generous donors have entrusted us with gifts and bequests which we have managed prudently. We feel fortunate now to be able to donate $1 million to the community center project. We will also continue to work with the community center funding group to raise additional private funds for the project.

Please join us in seizing this opportunity to build a community center that will be a source of pride for the town of Lincoln — not just for those of us here today who hope to enjoy it, but for generations to come.

“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.

News acorns

Tours of Hartwell pods this week

In preparation for the March 23 Annual Town Meeting, residents are invited to tour the Hartwell pods with Brandon Kelly, Lincoln’s facilities manager, starting at pod A on these dates:

  • Wednesday, March 20 at 6:30 p.m.
  • Thursday, March 21 at 9 a.m.
  • Friday, March 22 at 9 a.m.
  • Saturday, March 23 at 8 a.m.

Article 4 at Town Meeting asks if the town will fund construction of a community center to meet the needs of the Council on Aging & Human Services, the Parks and Recreation Department, and the Lincoln Extended-Day Activities Program. The community center would be built on the site of the Hartwell Pods. 

Indoor arts and farmer’s market on March 30

The third off-season indoor Lincoln Arts and Farmers Market will take place at Pierce House on Saturday, March 30 from 9 a.m.–1 p.m. There will be an Easter egg hunt (open to all, drop by any time to search), fresh cut flowers, spring potted plants, gift cards, crochet arts, alpaca yarn, honey and hot sauce, pottery, and photo opportunities. Click here to pre-book a sitting with photographer Jocelyn Finlay.

Kids invited to play Vernal Pool Bingo

Compete for the prize of an annual parking pass for all Massachusetts state parks worth $60 by entering the Vernal Pool Bingo contest. Contestants must be 18 or younger. The winner will be drawn at random from contestants who have completed two rows of tasks. Forms must be returned by April 28. Click here for more information on the contest and related upcoming events: a reading of The Noisy Puddle: A Vernal Pool through the Seasons on March 30 and a vernal pool walk on April 27. Sponsored by Lincoln Public Library, the Conservation Department, and the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust.

Classes and events at Codman Community Farms

Codman Community Farms is offering several classes and other events this spring — click here for the full list, or click on a title below for details and registration.

Rep. Gentile schedules office hours

State Rep. Carmine Gentile (D-Sudbury) will hold virtual office hours on Tuesday, March 26 from 1–3 p.m. Any constituent who wishes to speak to Rep. Gentile can sign up for a 20-minute time slot by emailing his legislative aide, Ravi Simon, at ravi.simon@mahouse.gov. Please provide your full name, address, phone number, email, and discussion topic.

My Turn: Meet your Article 3 neighbors before you vote

By Barbara Peskin

(Editor’s note: this article was revised on March 19 to add words that were missing at the end of several sentences.)

Whether you are a No for Now, Heck Yeah, or Undecided for the pivotal rezoning vote on March 23 at Town Meeting, I hope you will make the effort to understand the implications of your vote by taking a walk around the 38 properties which would be rezoned under the proposed HCA zoning amendment, properties which include 190 residential homes. These properties are listed below. On your walk, note that each of these properties would be rezoned at a density of 8-25 units per acre.

Codman Road District properties (proposed new density: 10 units/acre):

  • Single-family: 168 Lincoln Rd, 34 Lewis St, 72 Codman Rd, 78 Codman Rd, 84 Codman Rd, 86 Codman Rd, 90 Codman Rd, 94 Codman Rd, 98 Codman Rd 104, Codman Rd, 108 Codman Rd.
  • Town-owned or business: DPW (30 Lewis St).

Lincoln Road/Lewis Street District properties (proposed new density: 11 units/acre):

  • Multi-family: 8 Ridge Road (4 units), 7 Ridge Road (3 units), 20/26 Lewis Street (3 units), 140 Lincoln Road/Ryan Estate (25 units).
  • Two-family: 1 & 3 Lewis Street, 5 & 7 Lewis Street, 14 & 16 Lewis Street, 22 Lewis Street, 154 Lincoln
  • Single-family: 136 Lincoln Road, 148 Lincoln Road, 150 Lincoln Road.
  • Town-owned or business: Joseph’s, Church, 152 Lincoln Road (real estate/dental office building), red 3-S building, Station Park, Food Project, Save-a-Tree, Clark Gallery building, 9 Lewis Street, 146A Lincoln Road.

Lincoln Woods District properties (proposed new density: 8 units/acre):

  • Multi-family: 40 apartments and 94 townhouses located at 1-95 Wells Road.

Village Center District properties (proposed new density: 25 units/acre):

  • Town-owned or business: Doherty’s, resident parking lot, the mall, commuter parking lot, two small town-owned lots adjacent to the railroad tracks.

Here’s why I am voting No for Now. We are close to a solution, but we need more time, and we have more time. The town will be able to comply with the HCA by the deadline of December 31, 2024.

Flaws in the proposed zoning bylaw
  • A three-family home can be eight times bigger than a one-family home on the same size lot. This can easily be fixed by scaling the footprint allowed for buildings with fewer units. Other towns have done this in their HCA bylaws (see image at right).

    An illustration of building massing under the current R1 zoning (top) and the proposed HCA zoning amendment (bottom). Click image to enlarge.

  • We need more green space and tree protection. Other towns include green space and tree protection in their bylaws. Design guidelines are not sufficient protection.
  • Proposed 15-foot setbacks on Lewis Street should be larger; Lewis Street has 11 homes and only one building set back as close as 15 feet. Why didn’t the Planning Board incorporate the input of Lewis Street residents on this?
  • Proposed setbacks on both sides of Lincoln Road (25 feet on one side and 15 feet on the other) mean we could lose the sun-filled tree lined heart of Lincoln. The current buildings are comfortably spaced from each other, and Lincoln Road does not feel crowded by buildings. Imagine 40+ units at the mall, set back only 25 feet from Lincoln Road, with the existing large trees removed or damaged from the new construction, opposite a large apartment building across the street, also set back only 15 feet from Lincoln Road. Note that 55 units could be built on the 5+ acres across Lincoln Road proposed for rezoning (including the St Joseph’s Church parcel and adjacent properties).
  • Concentrated development in our Village Center will increase the heat island in the center of our town.
  • Development of current single-family homes is likely to occur. Owners who want to stay in their homes may change their minds when multistory buildings rise up next door, and developers offer generous prices to purchase their property.
There is a chance to do better
  • Many more people are engaged in the process now than when the districts proposed for rezoning were selected by the Housing Choice Act Working Group appointed by the Select More minds, more hearts, more residents are now aware of the implications of the proposed rezoning and are seeking input to arrive at a better solution.
  • With the new state law, the mall can be rezoned to permit multifamily housing with a 50% vote outside of the requirements of the HCA. Lincoln could determine the appropriate density number, the percentage of units that would be affordable, and the amount of parking required for commercial uses. Such a rezoning would need a 50% vote, not a two-thirds vote. The RLF would have time to present a concept plan and explain the financial requirements for economic sustainability, and the town could engage with the RLF in a partnership which would be beneficial to all.
  • After testing out Option C with the Planning Board’s proposed bylaw amendment, residents are now better informed, and understand the importance of finding at least one other parcel outside of the Lincoln Station area to accomplish HCA compliance.

Please join me in voting No for Now, and then let’s unite Lincoln and work together for a better solution.

“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: How attractive is Lincoln’s village center to developers?

By Tom Walker

Setting aside the RLF mall, how financially attractive is developing multi-unit housing in Lincoln’s village center? This is an important question that keeps coming up and has been raised again most recently on LincolnTalk. Some research I did back in November to inform my own choice before the State of the Town meeting may add some useful information to the ongoing conversation.

In November, I reached out to a developer I know who’s been involved in small and large projects around Boston for many decades. My concern was that if Lincoln’s village center is financially very attractive to developers under the HCA, it probably would make sense to err on the side of constraining multi-unit housing development opportunities there (i.e., zone for fewer units). My research led me to a different conclusion.

It turned out that my developer contact, who knows Lincoln well, owns several buildings in neighboring towns similar to Lincoln that he is evaluating for development under HCA. He was kind enough to talk me through the detailed financial analysis for one of these buildings and his analysis provides useful insights into the likelihood of development for properties (in Lincoln’s village center. His potential project involves a relatively large building (>100 units) in a town that borders Lincoln. The building provides reasonable economies of scale and already has sewer and water connections, parking, and adequate stormwater controls.

For the Lincoln village center properties, by way of contrast, parcels would need to be assembled to achieve scale economies, sewage treatment is challenging, parking is constrained, stormwater infrastructure is problematic and facing increasingly stringent state regulations. All these issues would make development in Lincoln substantially more complex and expensive.

Even with the economic advantages afforded the multi-unit housing project in the neighboring town development of the project under HCA turns out not to be financially very attractive. This is due primarily to high construction costs — besides high material and labor costs, the developer pointed to other incidental costs, such builders’ insurance, that have risen dramatically in recent years. Affordability requirements imposed by towns add to the cost. High interest rates and a pullback by lenders have also created real barriers to development. The financial analysis ultimately indicates that a developer would be just about as well off leaving his or her money in the bank as investing in this HCA development project.

While this is just one example, it suggests that development in Lincoln’s village center may not be the path to riches for developers that is sometimes claimed. Yes, lower interest rates will improve the profitability of projects. But the remaining challenges of assembling parcels to achieve scale economies, solving the septic, parking and stormwater issues, addressing affordable housing requirements, and navigating the general complexity of Lincoln’s bylaw and design guidelines all make multi-unit housing in Lincoln’s village center expensive and probably less attractive than opportunities for larger developments in other towns in the region.

Given this state of affairs, my own conclusion back in December was that an option providing the largest number of opportunities (Option C) in the village center maximizes the likelihood that Lincoln gets at least some multi-unit housing, although I’m not at all convinced that the economics will result in much actual building. In the intervening months, I’ve seen no information, data, or analysis that changes my view.

“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.

Candidates share views on HCA, community center, Town Meeting

Here are some selected questions and answers from town election candidates at the PTO forum held on March 12. More information:

Do you believe boards are obligated to follow the will of the town as expressed through TM votes?

(all candidates)

This question was a reference to the split vote by the Planning Board on whether to recommend passage of Article 3. All the candidates answered yes, “but you have obligation to show the facts in an unbiased way and not put your finger on the scale,” Postlethwait said.

Taylor: “If boards are unwilling to support it, you’re effectively undercutting the whole process” of Town Meeting and the work done by town volunteers who studied the issue and made the recommendation.

Glass: “It’s incumbent on boards to take that [Town Meeting vote] as a direct will of the town.”

Clark: “Yes, of course… [but board endorsement decisions] should be intimately connected with what residents want.”

If elected, what will you do to reunite the town?

(Select Board candidates)

Clark suggested following Brookline’s example in tackling the Housing Choice Act. “They did an extremely complicated, secret-sauce solution — they brought everyone together and forged consensus,” he said dryly. “That’s exactly what I would do if you voted me to the Select Board.”

“I have great faith in Lincoln’s resilience,” Glass said. “This is not the first or last time [we’ll have] difficult conversations. It’s OK to disagree about things; the choice is about how we handle that disagreement. We have to have trust in the democratic process.” She also noted that Brookline and Milton (which reversed an earlier vote to comply with the HCA) have a representative town meeting form of government, unlike Lincoln’s open town meeting.

Do you see flaws with the HCA law?

(all candidates)

Taylor: “There are things that could have been improved in HCA, but there’s really nothing in it you can’t work with.”

Clark: “The spirit [of the HCA] is something Lincoln has complied with for 40 years. We have done in spirit what the state was trying to get us to do.”

Postlethwait: “I have a huge issue with the HCA. The state could have forced developers to have 20% affordable housing. There’s not a housing crisis, there’s an affordable housing crisis.” Lincoln should resubmit an affordable-housing feasibility study to achieve that goal, she added.

Glass: “There were definitely some flaws. There was no provision for affordable housing at all.” After making some adjustments in the law’s specific requirements, “the state has actually done a pretty good job of allowing towns some flex as to how this plays out for them.”

If the HCA doesn’t pass, what process do you propose to bring the community to “yes” by December?

(Planning Board candidates)

Postlethwait recommended disbanding the Housing Choice Act Working Group and form a new group with renters and residents of South Lincoln “to better represent the town so more voices can be heard.” When the rezoning options were being discussed in the fall, she charged, “people dug in their heels and refused” to negotiate.

“Rezoning was being reconsidered all along alongside the HCA. The idea that we suddenly put it together is a misconception,” Taylor said. As for renegotiating for a different option, “I’m less optimistic than Sarah is,” he added. “When you look at [Options] E and C, there are key differences and I don’t know there’s a way to agree on those because it’s pretty fundamental.

“Getting approval from the state is not quick,” Taylor continued. “Even though we have several months, it would be a difficult lift to get there.”

Do you believe Town Meeting is equitable and proper in this day and age? If not, how can we make it so?

(all candidates)

While all the candidates agreed that Town Meeting is difficult for some residents to attend in person (those with small children, those with mobility issues or fear of illness, etc.), they noted that the process is dictated by state law and can’t be changed at the local level.

Clark recommended a change whereby important issues could be voted on at the ballot box and Town Meeting restricted to “other things that didn’t have such a major impact on people.”

Postlethwait urged the town to provide “clickers” for voting at Town Meeting to speed up the process (something that will be discussed on March 23), as well as free child care rather than the $40-per-child cost required by LEAP.

“Town Meeting isn’t equitable. It’s the historical way we’ve run our town governments, which worked pretty well when everyone who came was old white men, but things have changed since then,” Taylor said. “It’s a state-level problem, and it would take a very thoroughgoing deep dive to figure out how to change” the all-in-person format, which is “very inspiring — I would miss it.”

Glass noted that several measures in recent years have streamlined Town Meeting, such as expanded use of the consent calendar and having personations about some warrant articles ahead of time and available online. The only feasible alternative is to switch from open town meeting to representative town meeting, “but you lose your voice that way. When you have everyone in the room discussing those issues, it builds community even when the issues are hard.”

Is the community center a good use of the town’s tax dollars?
(all candidates)

Here the candidates disagreed. Glass said yes, cited the costs of “nothing happening and renovating town buildings. There is no sort of easy, cheap solution for properly taking care of our buildings,” largely because of the town’s stringent building code and ban using fossil fuels in new buildings or gut renovations.

Taylor said he voted for the 75% option in December that “would cover our needs but be more fiscally responsible. But I’m also committed to the town government structure we have. Town Meeting decided and I’m fully behind the choice that was made.”

“I’ll go along with whatever the [March 23] vote is, but if it’s voted down, it could mean a much more modest proposal. I think it costs too much money and can be done in a more frugal way,” Clark said. “We have the highest [per-household] indebtedness of almost any town in the state… Maybe we can revisit what the community center should be.”

Postlethwait agreed. “The Council on Aging & Human Services should be its own building and there are better places for it.” For example, the town preschool moved from the Hartwell building to the renovated school, “and there’s got to be a classroom or two we can use.” Water mains need to be replaced, among other future expenses; “there’s always things we have pay for as a town, and I just don’t think a brand-new $25 million building is the way to do it,” she said.

Town Moderator Sarah Cannon Holden reminded attendees that the community center funding must win a two-thirds majority on March 23 to pass, as well as a simple majority at the ballot box two days later.

Opening statements by candidates at PTO forum

Here are the prewritten opening statements (in alphabetical order) that the four candidates made at the Lincoln PTO candidate forum on March 12. Click here to read more about the forum.

Frank Clark

Select Board challenger

I’m running because the town deserves a choice between the divisive path we’re currently on and a more moderate, and more inclusive way forward.

Our town seems to have lost its sense of balance. We are a very small town, and I worry that our aspirations are beyond what we can realistically accomplish without permanently damaging the character of the town and the social fabric of the town. I believe the majority of the town’s residents just want to know that the town’s essential character will be preserved & public money is spent carefully. We have to recognize that our rapidly rising taxes are pushing people out of town.

Among all Massachusetts towns, Lincoln has one of the highest long-term debt loads, about $40,000 per household. Add the community center and our debt will rise to about $50,000 per household and we might be #1 in the Commonwealth. We have other projects waiting in the wings and we’ve fallen behind on essentials such as road maintenance.

We have lost a sense of moderation… we borrowed $90 million to renovate our school because we didn’t want to wait for state aid. And now, We’re heading towards approval of the most expensive option for the community center. And the HCA rezoning promoted by town leadership goes far beyond what’s required by the State, and we haven’t done the analysis to be sure we can handle the large increase in population that will result.

On this issue, the Planning Board is split and the Select Board is wavering. And the town is very polarized. I’m preaching for unity, and that won’t happen with a 55/45 vote at Town Meeting. We can come together but we need consensus, not a winner-take-all attitude.

Town leaders cannot take refuge by saying “we’re just doing what Town Meeting wants.” We look to the Select Board and Planning Board for leadership and the town is heavily influenced by their recommendations and by the subcommittees they appoint. But we’re not being given the balanced, objective information we need to make wise decisions about big projects. The subcommittees that do the research for big projects become invested in an outcome and they rarely give us “both sides of the story.” It is disingenuous for town leaders to now say ‘we’re just following orders’ from Town Meeting.

I believe we need new leadership to get us back on track.

Jennifer Glass

Select Board incumbent

I moved to Lincoln with my family at the end of 2006. Many things drew us to the community: Its conservation land; the school system, the modernist deck houses; and it’s on the commuter rail, which has always been a prerequisite for choosing a place to live.

In 2007, the School Committee was looking for volunteers to serve on its Class Size Policy Subcommittee. As a former Kindergarten teacher, I thought this would be an interesting way to bring my experience to our new community. It was a great experience, and our group hammered out a policy that focused on what was best for our children while being fiscally responsible to the town. It also began my interest in tackling complex, emotional, and controversial topics.

I ran for School Committee in 2008 and served for 9 years, 7 of them as Chair, and in 2017, a friend encouraged me to run for the Select Board. For the past seven years on the Select Board, I have focused on building community, holistic planning, and finding creative ways to ensure community voice in our decision-making. That has played out in a number of ways:

  • We are sitting in one of them. As part of the School Committee and School Building Committee, I helped build community consensus to get this school renovated.
  • I have worked extensively with the Green Energy Committee and helped shape Lincoln’s new Climate Action Plan.
  • I helped establish and now co-chair the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, & Antiracism Committee.
  • I worked with my colleagues to recognize Juneteenth and Pride Month, listened to the 3rd graders who thought we should recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
  • I helped craft a new property tax abatement program for income-eligible seniors.
  • I am a member of the Affordable Housing Trust.
  • And I am, of course, part of the Housing Choice Act Working Group.
  • For fun, I’ve been editor in chief of the Select Board newsletter, have learned how to set up hybrid Zoom meetings, and organized the December 2020 scavenger hunt on Lincoln’s amazing trail network.

I love working with all of you to serve our town, and I respectfully ask for your support to continue to do so.

Sarah Postlethwait

Planning Board challenger

You may be able to tell that I don’t like public speaking and this is definitely not inside of my comfort zone, but I feel the current issues facing our town are far too important to sit on the sidelines and just hope for the best.

I am extremely invested in a successful South Lincoln rezoning, as this is the place my family calls home. I deeply care about ensuring more housing is built — especially more affordable housing, while also protecting the rural character of our town and ensuring that our commercial center is able to thrive. I may not have a formal background in development — but I am unprejudiced, versatile, and eager to learn. I am dedicated to looking out for the best interest of the town and our stated goals- safeguarding what we have achieved in the past, while at the same time adapting for the needs of the future.

I have grown increasingly concerned, as with many other of my fellow residents, with Lincoln’s chosen path to comply with the state mandated Housing Choice Act, and its proposed bylaws. I have dedicated countless hours to researching the law, its guidelines, its compliance model — every detail around it. I have studied several other town’s HCA bylaws to see how our own bylaws can be improved.

I feel we can do better. And we have plenty of time to do better! But instead of being the squeaky wheel, I’ve decided to be a part of the change and to run for a seat on the planning board.

Lincoln’s current Housing Choice Act proposal is rezoning 71% more land than is required by the state. The multifamily developments that are being permitted on these acres can be built by right. This means as long as a developer follows the set of rules established in our town’s bylaws, they can build the maximum allowed, and the town has no right to deny that development. It’s imperative the HCA proposal and bylaws that we pass align with the vision we see for our town. I feel what is being submitted for town meeting vote in a couple weeks does not.

Our HCA proposal puts our commercial center at risk. It is seriously lacking in environmental protections for all 72 acres of rezoned land. It does not limit negative impacts on the resources and residents in the rezoned area. We are the stewards of this land. We are the ones who should be safeguarding it. If we are going to rezone it for multifamily developments, the least we can do is ensure that the bylaws are written in a way that reasonably minimizes the negative environmental impact of development.

I firmly believe that the current proposed path towards HCA compliance has major flaws that could significantly change the landscape of the town that we all know and love. But I am hopeful we can all sit down at a table, find common ground, and come up with a path towards HCA compliance that will gain significant support, fully comply with the regulations of the law, and protect the values that are important to this town.

Thank you for considering voting for me for planning board, and I hope that my focus on critical thinking, thoroughly researched planning and inclusive dialogue will bring value to Lincoln and win your vote.

Gary Taylor

Planning Board incumbent

Most residents encounter the Planning Board when seeking to remodel or build a home. Through Site Plan review we guide development in ways that respect Lincoln’s values and protect abutters and the environment. Since I joined the board, we’ve made this process more user-friendly and less time-consuming for everyone, allowing us to spend more time planning.

The board regularly proposes changes to Lincoln’s bylaws to address state requirements and local land use and environmental issues. Recent examples are the liberalization of the accessory apartment bylaw and adoption of the 2023 opt-in stretch energy code to improve energy efficiency.

Now we face the Housing Choice Act mandate for zoning allowing “by right” multi-family housing near our metro rail station. How should we respond? After decades of concern over the viability of the mall and years of study about how to address Lincoln’s housing needs, five options were presented to voters at December’s Special Town Meeting, and Option C focusing housing in the mall area was selected.

I hope the coming Town Meeting votes “yes” on Article 3 (zoning implementing Option C). Whether or not is passes now, I shall honor Town Meeting’s decision, and my professional expertise and town experience will be of value in helping Lincoln through this process. I have learned how to bring people together and get things done.

I’m particularly proud of my role in the addition of over 100 units of affordable housing units in Lincoln. These include 30 at The Commons, one of the first senior living facilities with affordable units, and 60 at Oriole Landing that protect Lincoln for decades from the threat of 40B development, which — unlike the HCA — would circumvent Lincoln zoning entirely.

Lincoln has in the past strived successfully to strike a balance between preserving its shared values and responding as needed to change affecting our town and the world around us. I hope that we can continue to thread that needle effectively. I ask not only for your vote, but as well for your participation in the continuing dialogue that will shape Lincoln’s future.

My Turn: Re-elect Gary Taylor to the Planning Board

Dear friends and neighbors,

We are asking for your support and your vote on Monday, March 25 for the reelection of Gary Taylor to the Planning Board.

Committed to forward thinking and planning, Gary Taylor brings significant town board experience and professional expertise to the Lincoln Planning Board. His skills in analysis and resolution of complex issues — as well as his positive approach and collaborative style — have helped Lincoln continue to be a place where we enjoy living and raising our children while upholding values that make us good neighbors in our region and in the world around us.

Gary’s public service to Lincoln has been substantial and lasting. He has proved that he can get things done. He has been instrumental in a wide range of positive changes in Lincoln in three terms on the Select Board, nine years on the Finance Committee, six years on the Planning Board, and leadership roles on the Lincoln Housing Commission and Affordable Housing Trust. Among the town’s accomplishments during his service:

  • Improved Planning Board approval procedures with capable planning staff, thereby moving the board away from micromanaging individual property plans
  • Adoption of the state’s most strict environmental building code
  • Creation of more than 100 new affordable homes that not only served our residents but also blocked housing developers from using state law 40B to ignore local zoning
  • Conservation of large, key open spaces to connect wildlife corridors and recreation
  • Development of The Commons in Lincoln senior living facility, with an affordable component, so older people who need support can remain in Lincoln or move near their children
  • Computerized the town’s accounting and integrated budgeting with the schools

Gary is not a one issue candidate. Future projects* need his skills in analysis and resolution of the many associated complex issues:

  • Responding to the state Housing Choice Act calling for denser “by right” housing near our commuter rail station and our small commercial center
  • The design and funding of a new community center
  • Proposed expansion of private jet services at Hanscom Field by MassPort
  • Preparing for crowds coming to Minuteman National Historic Park for our nation’s 250th Celebration and for proposed repaving of Rte. 2A
  • Planning for climate initiatives such as electric charging stations and solar arrays

Gary’s considerable professional training and experience add to his value on the Planning Board. With degrees in law and in finance and planning management, he has provided expert testimony in high-stakes energy-related litigation and is co-founder of an economic consulting firm that grew from two people to 400 with 14 offices in the U.S., Europe, China and Australia. He currently is a senior advisor to Massachusetts Sen. Mike Barrett on energy issues.

Abigail Adams
Sarah Andrysiak
Chris Andrysiak
Dea Angiolillo
Ken Bassett
Laura Berland
Sarah Bishop
Rebecca Blanchfield
Paul Blanchfield
Pam Boardman
John Bordiuk
Rory Bordiuk
Janet Boynton
Stephen Brand
David Briggs
Elaine Briggs
Julie Brogan
Erica Bronstein
Kim Buell
Larry Buell
Brian Burns
Karen Carlson
Ted Chan
Alex Chatfield
Deb Choate
Buzz Constable
Rosamand Delori
Alice DeNormandie
Penny DeNormandie
Tom DeNormandie
Jona Donaldson
Brianna Doo
Betsy Doorandish
Ramin Doorandish
Anne Doyle
Rachel Drew
Nataly Dvash
Jeff Eaton
Andy Falender
Jon Ferris
Kristen Ferris
Caroline Fiore
Mike Fiore
Nancy Fleming
Jim Fleming
Rainer Frost
Martha Frost
Amy Funkenstein
Andy Gnazzo
Mark Goeteman
Josh Grindley
Sandy Grindley
Gina Halsted
Tom Haslett
Emily Haslett
Alan Hein
Nancy Henderson
Jim Henderson
Ruth Ann Hendrickson
Lis Herbert
Zach Herbert
Ruth Hodges
Shira Horowitz
Sue Howland
Tony Howland
Chris Hug
Ken Hurd
Pam Hurd
Kimberly Jalet
Brian Jalet
Bryan Kelly
Elizabeth Kelly
Jon Kelman
Joan Kimball
John Kimball
Chris Klem
Sue Klem
John Koenig
Steve Kropper
Bob Kupperstein
Patrick Lawler
Judith Lawler
Jesse Lefkowitz
Barbara Leggat
Jackie Lenth
Karin Levy
David Levy
Paula Light
Jonathan Light
Rosemary Lloyd
Lew Lloyd
Mary Helen Lorenz
Sara Lupkas
Scott Lupkas
Rick Mandelkorn
Nancy Marshall
Peyton Marshall
Rachel Mason
Lucy Maulsby
Chris McCarthy
John Mendelson
Ellen Meyer Shorb
DJ Mitchell
Matt Mitchell
Richard Mollica
Staci Montori
Buffer Morgan
Terri Morgan
Jennie Morris Gundy
Patty Mostue
Brooks Mostue
Jayne Mundt
Rachel Neurath
Richard Nichols
John Nolan
Trisha O’Hagan
Barbara O’Neil
David O’Neil
Katherine Page
Eloise Patterson
Jeff Patterson
Lisa Paul
Terry Perlmutter
Ginger Reiner
Kurt Reiner
Dana Robbat
Joe Robbat
Cathy Rogers
Allen Rossiter
Selina Rossiter
Lucy Sachs
Surendra Shah
Kathleen Shepard
Ray Shepard
Paul Shorb
Barbara Slayter
Vicky Slingerland
Tucker Smith
Jonathan Soo
Kara Soo
Nancy Soulette
Sue Stason
Bill Stason
James Stock
Susan Taylor
Pam Thayer
David Urion
Allen Vander Meulan
Peter Von Mertens
Tom Walker
Katy Walker
Ben Wells
Jeani Welsh
Susan Welsh
Blandyna Williams
Fred Winchell
Claire Winchell Manning
Krystal Wood
Jen Zeis

“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.

Correction

The March 14 article headlined “Community center group sees final sketches” listed incorrect construction start and completion dats for the proposed community center. If approved at Town Meeting and the ballot box, construction could begin in mid-2025 and be completed by fall 2026.

News acorns

Learn more about community center on Friday

A group of residents will share information and images of the proposed community center at Donelan’s Supermarket on Friday, March 15 from 3–6 p.m. Meet with fellow community members, ask questions, and share your thoughts. Discover the center’s features, amenities, and programs, and connect with Wendy Kusik, Peter Von Mertens, Laura Crosby, Ellen Meyer Shorb, among other CCBC board members.

Candlelight vigil for children of war

The Youth Programs Committee at the First Parish in Lincoln is hosting an interfaith candlelight vigil on Wednesday, March 20 from 6–7 p.m. at the white church for all children lost in both the Palestinian and Israeli communities. Children can bring a bird they’ve made for a specific child (see Birds of Gaza for ideas) or for children more broadly. Craft kits with various art supplies to create birds are still available outside the side door of the Stone Church. Birds can be fashioned out of any medium you choose (clay, paper, your own materials, etc.). A short prayer will be offered at the vigil that is appropriate for all ages.

Speaker to address “One Water” concept

Lincoln’s Hydrology Speaker Series continues on Thursday, March 21 at 7 p.m. on Zoom with Dr. Chi Ho Sham, chair of New England Section of American Water Works Association, speaking on the “One Water” concept and how it relates to the town of Lincoln. Dr. Sham is a trained hydrologist who will offer insights into our water here in Lincoln. Click here for the Zoom link (passcode: 054919). Sponsored by the Water Commission, the Conservation Commission, the Agricultural Commission, and the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust.

Presentation on lawn alternatives

The Lincoln Garden Club presents “Native Lawn Alternatives” on Tuesday, April 2 at 7 p.m. in Bemis Hall and on Zoom with Alexis Doshas, nursery manager at the Native Plant Trust’s Nasami Farm. Rethinking your lawn? Replace some or all with native ground covers to create a healthier ecosystem. Alexis will cover techniques for land transformations and refer to specific ground covers for various conditions. Co-hosted by the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust and Lincoln Common Ground. To register for the Zoom link, click here.

Community center group sees final sketches

(Editor’s note: this article was corrected on March 15 to correct the estimated construction start and completion dates.)

ICON Architects previewed its Town Meeting presentation on March 13 to the the Community Center Building Committee. Residents will vote on whether t0 approve spending $24 million for its construction at Town Meeting on March 23, where a two-thirds majority is required for passage, and again at the ballot box on March 25, which requires only a simple majority.

If voters approve, construction could begin in mid-2025 and be completed by fall 2026, ICON’s Mark McKevitz said.

Click on an image below for a larger version and arrows to advance and go back.

CC-newfloorplan
CC9
CC7
CC-overhead-view
CC5
CC1
CC4
CC3
CC2
CC6
CC8