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

Community center group looks at next set of ideas on Tuesday

The current layout of the Hartwell area and the available parking on the Ballfield Road campus (click to enlarge).

Residents can see the next round of design ideas for a community center at the regular meeting of the Community Center Preliminary Planning and Design Committee on Tuesday, Feb. 13 at 4:45 p.m. in Hartwell Pod A.

The CCPPDC and architects showed six options at workshops on January 30 with restimated price tages of $13 million to $16.5 million and have been going through comments left by residents on sticky notes. They also welcome feedback via email at CCPPDC@lincolntown.org.

The committee is also working to incorporate the work of the School Building Committee. Early results from the SBC workshops on January 23 indicated that 77 percent of attendees preferred a mostly new school building at an estimated cost of $89.8 million.

The SBC is taking the lead on campus planning because the school is a much larger project and also because the school owns the buildings on the east side of the campus, even those not being used by the Lincoln School. The four buildings on that side—the main Hartwell building and the three pods—collectively house the school district administration, the Lincoln Integrated Preschool, the Magic Garden Children’s Center, the Parks and Recreation office and program spaces, LEAP, storage spaces, and the school’s repair shop.

“There has to be a place for all of these things between the two projects. This is why we’re taking a whole-campus approach to the planning and why the CCPPDC is following the SBC; we’re not at the same design stage on purpose,” said CCPPDC Vice Chair Margit Griffith. “They refine, we refine; we share feedback, they share feedback. Much of what they do will inform our process.”

77% in survey prefer a mostly new school building

An outline of Option B6 with new construction in blue and renovated areas in gray. The new southeast portion would have two floors. (Click image to enlarge.)

The vast majority of residents surveyed after January 23 presentations on options for the Lincoln School preferred the most compact and expensive scheme costing an estimated $89.8 million. Option B6, which concentrates the school on the north side of the ballfield, includes a two-story classroom segment.

The School Building Committee and architects will host a “mini workshop” showcasing work that’s been done since the January 23 workshops on Friday, Feb. 9 at 9:30 a.m. in Bemis Hall.

Of the 156 residents who completed a feedback survey after the two community workshops in January, 77 percent preferred Option B6, which calls for a mostly new building that retains the two gyms and auditorium (see pgs. 38-43 in the January 23 slideshow). Fifteen percent preferred a comprehensive renovation (Option A3.4, pgs. 32-36) with an estimated price tag of $88.3 million, while 5 percent chose the repair-only scheme costing $48.7 million.

The School Building Committee is still going through the written comments in the surveys. However, SBC Chair Chris Fasciano said there had been feedback on the fact that the three comprehensive renovation options (A1.1, A3.4 and B6) call for three fewer classrooms than the school now has, or would have in the “optimal program” concepts shown at the State of the Town meeting in November (excluding the new preK classrooms). “We have asked the design team to come up with concepts that include those classrooms in the plans. We hope to see them soon,” he said.

All of the latest series of options call for moving preK from Hartwell to the main school building, which would also contain an area for school administration while leaving the district administrative offices (superintendent of schools, etc.) at Hartwell. If preK does in fact move, other functions, such as technology might move out of the school and into Hartwell, but “it’s important to note that no final decisions have been made at this point in the SBC process,” Fasciano said.

Some of those who attended the workshops wondered if the school would quickly become too small if the Oriole Landing project, which calls for 60 units of mixed-income housing, is approved and more families with children move into town.

“Most of the housing in Lincoln is single-family housing that could turn over at any time, so flexibility is an important part of any plan. We’re confident that the current designs could accommodate normal fluctuations in student enrollment, including any potential increase from construction at Oriole Landing,” Fasciano said, adding that the 2012 MSBA project had the same number of classrooms as the current essential program.

In addition to the regular SBC meetings (the next is February 13), there are other meetings on the school project coming up. The design team and some of the architects who live in Lincoln will meet on Tuesday, Feb. 13 at 1 p.m. in the Hartwell multipurpose room to explore design ideas for the project concepts. On March 7 at 7 p.m. (location TBA), sustainability consultant Bill Maclay and the desing team will  talk about the sustainability implications of the range of project concepts.

A second set of community workshops will take place on March 13.

Details on Oriole Landing released; hearing on March 6

The Planning Board’s public hearing on Oriole Landing, a proposal for 60 units of mixed-income housing on Mary’s Way, is scheduled for Tuesday, March 6 at 7 p.m.—just 18 days before residents will be asked to vote on the matter at Town Meeting.

The proposal calls for 60 one- and two-bedroom units on six acres of land adjacent to The Commons. Fifteen of the 60 units would be deed-restricted as affordable according to state guidelines. At the March 24 Town Meeting, voters will be asked to approve a bylaw amendment to establish a North Lincoln Planning Development Overlay District as well as a Preliminary Development and Land Use Plan for the project (click here to view the draft warrant article). Five projects have been approved under this process in Lincoln: Battle Road Farms and the Lincoln North office building (1986), Minuteman Inn (approved in 1989 but never completed), and Minuteman Commons and The Groves/Lincoln Deaconess, now The Commons (2006).

The Planning Board has created a detailed FAQ document about the project, and the Housing Commission also has a website with an overview and background on affordable housing in Lincoln. Plans and other documents relating to the March 6 public hearing are available here. A list of upcoming public forums and official meetings can be found here.

If approved next month by a two-thirds vote, Civico Development must return within two years to the Planning Board for site plan special permit approval through another public hearing process. Civico must also go before the Historical Commission if they plan to demolish an existing structure on the property that may be deemed historically or architecturally significant. The company is working with the commission to develop a plan that will “honor a historic house located on the property,” according to the FAQ document.

Other information from the document:

  • The development would have the second-highest density of housing units per acre in town (10.5), lower than The Commons (11.95) and greater than Minuteman Commons or Lincoln Woods (8.72 and 6.28 units per acre, respectively).
  • Nine to 16 school-age children spread over various grades would be expected to live in Oriole Landing. Since there will be only one- and two-bedroom units, Civico believes the number will be on the lower side.
  • A traffic study indicates that there will be no significant delays at any of the nearby intersections due to added traffic from the development. It is also “not anticipated to have a significant impact” on the Deerhaven Road/Garland Road community. The town is having the traffic study reviewed by a third-party consultant.
  • Estimated rents will run from $1,564–$1,759 per month for the designated affordable units, or $2,200–$2,900 for the market-rate units.
  • The state is expected to allow up to 70 percent of the affordable units (10 of the 15) to be rented to households qualified as “local preference”—tenants who are already Lincoln residents, employees of the town or of Lincoln businesses, or families with children enrolled in the Lincoln Public Schools.
  • The Lincoln Housing Coalition projects that the town will need to add 10 units of affordable housing per decade just to keep pace with development trends and maintain Lincoln’s Subsidized Housing Inventory (SHI) at a minimum of 10 percent. If the SHI falls below this state-mandated threshold in the 2020 census, developers can bypass local zoning restrictions to build so-called 40B projects. Lincoln needs approximately 10 units of affordable housing to meet requirements for 2020.
  • Future expansion is unlikely because the developer is keeping the bedroom count under 90 bedrooms in order to use a septic system. Bedroom counts over 90 require construction of a package treatment plant costing approximately $1 million.

Resident raises money for cow shelters, but farmer questions need

Lincoln resident Barbara Peskin has started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for two permanent cattle shelters at Codman Community Farms—an effort that’s highlighted differing perceptions of animal welfare and the funding needs of the farm as a whole.

Peskin started thinking about the campaign after seeing CCF cows exposed to stormy weather last fall. She noted that the MSPCA had recommended a shelter for a field that didn’t have one, so Farm Manager Pete Lowy placed a livestock trailer in that field for the winter. Another cattle pasture already has permanent shelters.

“It honestly broke my heart that the cows were out there with no protection. I just felt a strong compassion for the cows. I have a strong compassion for all animals. I’ve learned from the MSPCA that while cows raised for beef have very little protection in Massachusetts, they are supposed to be given protection in severe weather,” Peskin said.

However, beef cattle are hardier than they may appear, and shelters can actually cause other problems, Lowy said.

“Beef cows don’t need shelter, just a windbreak,” he said. “As long as they have access to plenty of hay and water, they’re sturdy and fine. Even the cows on the hill rarely hang out in the shelters. Manure building up in the shelters becomes a health issue, which is why most farms with beef cows don’t have shelters.”

There are no cows on the Codman North field during the winter since it lacks permanent fencing. In the summer, they need shade but not protection from the rain, so they have a portable sun shade that can be moved along with the temporary electric fencing that the farmers shift every few days to rotate grazing areas.

Cattle shelters are not high on the funding priority list for CCF, but Lowy told Peskin to “go for it” if she wanted to raise money on her own and donate the shelters, which will cost a total of $7,240.

“We have a long list of projects for the farm for 2018 and 2019, and we’re focusing on improving the pastures through improved fencing and animal rotations rather than fixed shelters,” Lowy said.

Peskin’s GoFundMe page acknowledges that CCF “has many pressing issues that require funds” and shelters are not a high priority for Lowy or the CCF board. However, while the cows may not need shelter to survive, “surviving is not all there is to life… we can improve their well-being and comfort by providing them with shelter.”

In an email to the Lincoln Squirrel, Peskin added that, “they [the cows] are beings, and I think the shelters would set an example for Lincoln children and all our visitors that we have compassion for all animals. I would note that the Drumlin Farm cows do get these shelters and better (I know Drumlin has more money and volunteers). The shelters are a small but important gesture we can do for the Codman cows that will give them some protection from driving rain, driving snow, and high heat.”

Letter to the editor: Kasper running for L-S School Committee

To the editor:

I am announcing my candidacy for the Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee (LSSC) and looking forward to earning your vote on Election Day (Monday, March 26).

As an L-S School Committee member, I would prioritize the support and enhancement of the many strengths of our dynamic 21st-century high school, including rigorous college-prep academics, educated and experienced faculty, thoughtful core values that guide decision making, and responsible management of budgets and resources in supporting a school environment that encourages well-rounded students who value learning, leading, initiating, serving, and developing both their intellectual and social-emotional potentials. As a current L-S parent, I have seen first-hand the significant positive impacts that these factors have on the daily lives of our students.

There are always ways to improve, and I would prioritize these as well. A climate of inclusion and social safety for all students should be a key focus area within a school culture committed to the core values of fostering caring and cooperative relationships, respecting human differences, and cultivating community. Facilitating smoother eighth-to ninth-grade transitions for all students should also be highlighted, as well as a continued emphasis on reasonable class sizes. Increasing awareness of the L-S Four-year Plan, guidance for a college planning process that entails student initiative and follow-up, would also serve students and families more fully. And further, our Lincoln and Sudbury communities need to continue together in a spirit of relationship building, open communication, creative collaboration, and shared commitment to excellent pubic education for all of our L-S students.

I have been an active volunteer in our local community. Most recently, I contributed as a member of the LSSC School Start-time Sub-Committee (Spring 2017), initiated and led the First Parish in Lincoln Intergenerational Women’s Group (2014-17), led the town-wide Lincoln Campus Master Planning Committee as chair (2015-16), and led the Lincoln School K-8 PTO as chair/president (2011-14).

Professionally, I spent many career years as a management consultant, trainer, facilitator, and educator, serving in various roles on college campuses and within firms before founding my own national consulting company that specialized in strengthening organizational performance and building workplace communities. My professional experiences spanned both private and public sectors, and included collaborations at every level of government from federal to local.

My educational background includes a B.A. in communication science and an M.Ed. in organization development with a specialty in multiculturalism. I have designed and taught undergraduate semester courses, and have professionally fostered on-campus student communities on two major college campuses.

My husband and I have two teenage sons. Our 10th-grader loves his life at L-S, while our eighth-grader will graduate from the Lincoln School this June and then begin ninth grade at L-S this fall. Our family is invested in L-S and its future, and it would be an honor to represent Lincoln, Sudbury, and Boston families in maintaining and increasing the excellence of our beloved high school.

Thank you for your consideration on Election Day!

Carole Kasper
140 Concord Road, Lincoln
kasperlssc@gmail.com

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.

Solar program deadline extended to Feb. 28

The deadline for the Solarize Mass program for Lincoln, Sudbury, and Wayland (Solarize LSW) has been extended to Wednesday, Feb. 28. Homeowners who sign a contract with Solar Flair or New England Solar Hot Water by that date will qualify for savings on installations of solar photovoltaic (PV) and solar hot water systems.

President Trump recently imposed a 30 percent tariff on all non-U.S.-made solar PV panels. Solar Flair had pre-purchased a limited number of Canadian solar panels—enough for approximately 25 systems in the three towns. Once these panels are spoken for, prices will increase.

There is additional urgency to act now. In Massachusetts, utilities are required to purchase solar renewable energy credits (SRECs) each year from customers who have solar installations. The current set of SREC incentives is set to expire some time later this year and a new program with lower payments to homeowners will replace it.

Lincoln currently has about 110 solar installations and is adding more at a rate of 13 to 19 per year, said Belinda Gingrich of SolarizeLSW. Residents interested in obtaining a free site visit to determine their home’s solar photovoltaic or solar hot water viability should contact Gingrich at SolarizeLincoln@gmail.com, Matt Arner (matt@solarflair.com) of Solar Flair and/or John Moore (john@neshw.com) of New England Solar Hot Water to schedule an appointment.

Lincoln to hold Democratic caucus on March 3

Registered Democrats in Lincoln will hold a caucus on March 3 at Bemis Hall to elect delegates and alternates to the 2018 Massachusetts Democratic State Convention. This year’s state convention will be held June 1-2 at the DCU Center in Worcester, where thousands of Democrats from across the state will come together to endorse Democratic candidates for statewide office, including Constitutional officers and gubernatorial candidates.

Registration for the caucus—which is open to all registered and pre-registered Democrats in Lincoln—starts at 9:30 a.m. and the caucus starts at 10 a.m. Pre-registered Democrats who will be 18 by Sept. 18, 2018 will be allowed to participate and run as delegates or alternates. Lincoln can elect six delegates and four alternates to the convention. Youth, minorities, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ individuals who are not elected as delegates or alternates may apply to be add-on delegates at the caucus or at www.massdems.org.

Those interested in getting involved with the Lincoln Democratic Town Committee should contact co-chair Gary Davis at garyddavis04@gmail.com.

Public forums and other meetings scheduled for Oriole Landing proposal

A schedule of important dates for the Oriole Landing proposal (click image to enlarge or click here to see this on the town’s Oriole Landing website).

Civico Development and town officials have scheduled several public forums and meetings on the proposed Oriole Landing mixed-income housing development. The next forum is Tuesday, Feb. 6 from 2:30–4 p.m. in Bemis Hall.

If approved, Civico will build 60 units of housing—15 of them deed-restricted as affordable—in two adjacent buildings on Mary’s Way abutting The Commons (see this January 15 Lincoln Squirrel article for more information). The developer touts the proposal as a way to attract both new residents and current Lincoln residents looking to downsize but stay in town.

Residents will be asked at the March 25 Annual Town Meeting to approve two measures relating to the project: a zoning change to establish a North Lincoln Planning Development Overlay District, and a preliminary development and land use plan for the project. If it gets those approvals, the plan must later undergo a site plan review with details on traffic and environmental impacts and get a special permit from the Planning Board.

More information:

 

News acorns

One-act plays presented at L-S

LSB Players, the theater production company of Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, presents the fifth annual Winter One-Act Plays. Facebook Ruins Everything directed by Adam Rose ’18, Episode in the Life of an Author directed by Ruby Carmel ’18, and An Adaptation of Macbeth directed by Jack Troiano ’18 will be performed on Friday, Feb. 9 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 10 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. in the Rogers Black Box Theater at L-S. Tickets are $15 for adults and $8 for senior citizens/students—click here to reserve.

Library opens late on Feb. 8

The Lincoln Public Library is developing a new state-mandated five-year plan of service.
The library will be opening at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 8 so staff members can participate in the process.

Ms. G predicts six more week of winter

Ms. G, the official state groundhog who resides at Drumlin Farm in Lincoln, saw her shadow on February 1, so there will be six more weeks of winter. There’s now a website where you can learn about the history of Ms. G and Groundhog Day.

Talk on Provincetown preservation

Preservation consultant Eric Dray will discuss Provincetown’s successful preservation efforts in “Advocacy and Sense of Place: The Provincetown Experience” on Sunday, Feb. 11 from 4–5:30 p.m. Bemis Hall. Dray’s consulting business focuses on preservation planning in local communities, including National Register nominations, survey work and support to Community Preservation Committees and local historic districts.

Lincolnites flock to Top of the Town gala

Attendees at the Top of the Town gala. (Photo by Harold McAleer)

Dozens of Lincolnites enjoyed the annual Top of the Town gala sponsored by the Council on Aging at the deCordova Museum on January 20. Click here to see Harold McAleer’s video photo montage of the event with musical accompaniment.

Free income tax preparation help

Volunteers certified under the AARP TaxAide program will prepare your federal and Massachusetts personal income tax returns or answer your tax questions. This free service can answer most of the tax issues faced by low- and middle-income taxpayers, with special attention to those over age 60. Appointments begin in February. Call the COA office at 781-259-8811 to schedule a confidential appointment on a Wednesday afternoon or Thursday and get a list of documents to bring.

DeCordova installs site-specific public artwork in Cambridge

The window installation in Cambridge by Vanessa Irzyk (click image to enlarge).

The deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum has installed a new site-specific public artwork in the windows of a Cambridge office building. The installation, part of deCordova’s corporate art loan program, features 12 sculptural paintings created specifically for the space by local artist Vanessa Irzyk and will be on view at 1 and 101 Main St. in Cambridge for six months. The site-specific installation was requested by deCordova corporate member CBRE New England, located in Kendall Square’s Riverfront Office Park. The artist used found wood from Vermont, paintings, and colored tape to make a dynamic 3D installation.

This is the sixth site-specific installation at this property as part of deCordova’s corporate art loan program. DeCordova’s corporate art loan program lets corporate members exhibit artwork of both established and emerging contemporary New England artists directly in their offices. The original artworks are from deCordova’s permanent collection and over 200 lending artists. The corporate program also recently facilitated a site-specific art display for corporate member BioMed Realty at 210 Broadway in Cambridge.

21 Lincolnites take out candidacy papers for town election

As of Thursday, Feb. 1, the following residents have taken out nomination papers for town offices that will be up for election on March 26, 2018:

Board or CommitteeOpenings/termsCandidates
Board of AssessorsOne for three yearsEdward Morgan*
Board of Health
One for three yearsPatricia Miller*
Board of SelectmenOne for three yearsJennifer Glass*
Cemetery CommissionOne for three yearsSusan S. Harding,* Carol DiGianni
Commissioners of Trust FundsOne for three years—
DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park TrusteesOne for four yearsJonathan Rapaport
Housing CommissionOne for three years, one for two years, one for one year Evan Gorman,* Bijoy Misra,* Keith Gilber
Lincoln-Sudbury Regional District School CommitteeTwo for three years**Gerald Quirk,* Carol Marie Kasper, Robert Stein
Parks and Recreation CommitteeOne for three yearsAdam Hogue, Rey Romero, Sarah Chester
Planning BoardOne for three yearsGerald Taylor*
School CommitteeTwo for three yearsPeter Borden,* Alvin L. Schmertzler*, Catherine Bitter
Trustees of BemisOne for three yearsMimi Borden
Water CommissionOne for three yearsRobert B. Antia*

* incumbent

There are still no candidates for Commissioners of Trust Funds position.

Nomination papers must be taken out by Friday, Feb. 2 and filed by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 6. A final list of candidates who will appear on the ballot will be published after that.