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

Workshops focus on three main school project options

The Lincoln School today.

The SBC has narrowed the Lincoln School project options down to three, and architects presented them to residents at community workshops on January 23.

Attendees also heard detailed price estimates from another firm, as well as information on taxation and borrowing scenarios from Finance Committee Vice Chair Andrew Paine, who recapped some of the information from the presentation by FinCom Chair Jim Hutchinson at a multi-board meeting on January 9.

The first set of options considered by the SBC was for an “optimal program” of 178,041 square feet, as shown on pages 7-8 of SMMA architect Joel Seeley’s presentation. (The current building is 148,464 square feet.) Those options ranged in price from $115.6 million to $120.3 million, so the committee asked SMMA to return with some less expensive concepts. The resulting four “A” options retained the L-shaped school on the north and west sides of the ballfield, while the “B” options concentrated just on the north and “C” on the west.

The next round, the “essential program” (pg. 9-10) consisted of eight “A” and “B” concepts calling for 158,171 square feet and ranging from $73.6 million to $100.4 million. The SBC and the architects then added back some of the space cut from the “optimal” concepts to come up with five “essential–refined” options (pg. 11-12) of 160,971 square feet. At this week’s meeting, they presented three options (A1.1, A3.4, and B6) as well as estimates for repair-only and repair-and-renovation options.

  • Repair only – $48.7 million

Install new HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems, add a fire sprinkler system, do accessibility and building code upgrades, replace the roof and the older uninsulated windows, do minimal roadway improvement.

  • Repair plus basic renovation only – $59.2 million

Make the repairs above but replace all windows, do moderate roadway improvements, install new interior finishes (cabinetry, doors, etc), and replace the Smith boiler room.

The three newest options call for:

  • Demolishing some or all of the older Smith building (and more, for Option B6)
  • Adding central administration offices
  • Adding three pre-K classrooms currently located in the Hartwell building
  • Adding a central kitchen and a dining commons area that would also be used for grade-level gatherings, project-based learning or extra art/drama space as needed
  • Adding a connector between the Brooks building and the Reed gym

Two of those options (A3.4 and B6) include hubs for grades 3-8—“neighborhoods” with classrooms as well as breakout, small group, special education, and resource rooms surrounding “a collaboration space providing for flexible, differentiated learning,” SMMA architect Joel Seeley explained. Option B6 calls for demolishing everything except the two gyms, the auditorium section, and the 1994 media center portion. It would consolidate the footprint on the north side of campus, adding a second floor on the east side for grades 7 and 8.

  • Option A1.1 – $75 million (15,538 SF demolition, 29,700 SF new construction) – pg. 27-30 of the presentation
  • Option A3.4 – $88.3 million (10,937 SF demolition, 37,550 SF new construction) – pg. 32-36
  • Option B6 – $89.8 million (72,497 SF demolition, 77,125 SF new construction) – pg. 38-43

The latter three options are not optimal in terms of the number and size of classrooms and hubs—”this is a compromise as we think about the budgetary impact,” said Superintendent of Schools Becky McFall. However, they all represent an upgrade educationally, and Option B6 in particular “offers us a huge improvement in the way we can teach and the way in which kids have the opportunity to learn,” she said.

As teachers in the new Hanscom Middle School have discovered, hubs and spaces of varying sizes “have been a catalyst for thinking about the ways we teach,” McFall said. “We need spaces like this to give students the opportunity to work in teams, foster social and emotional interactions, be curious and problem-solve and debate. This allows us that flexibility to be creative.”

Option B6 may also offer the most flexibility for a future addition if there should be a spike in school enrollment, and Seeley said future refinements might indicate ground-level or vertical expansion possibilities. One resident worried that the town could outgrow the school more quickly than expected if 60 new units of mixed-income housing are approved.

Repair estimates have gone up

The estimated cost of a repair-only project has jumped from Dore and Whittier’s $29.2 million in 2015 to $48.9 million for a project beginning in the second quarter of 2020. However, the 2015 figure did not include any improvements to roads and parking, landscaping, stormwater management, or utility infrastructure, nor did it take into account the cost of phasing or temporary accommodations for students during construction.

The latest cost estimates were prepared by owner’s project manager Daedalus Projects using data from the Massachusetts School Building Authority, which tracks all school construction spending in the state. The cost of new construction has climbed from an average of $367 per square foot in 2015 to a projected $471 in 2019, said Shane Nolan, senior project manager at Daedalus. Contributing factors include a building boom in Boston’s Seaport district and construction of the casino in Everett, which are leading to labor shortages and high demand for materials and equipment, he said.

Borrowing limits

Echoing Finance Committee Chair Jim Hutchinson’s statements at a multi-board meeting on January 9, FinCom Vice Chair Andrew Payne said that Lincoln’s bond advisors have indicated that the town could borrow $100 million for the school and community center projects and perhaps more while still maintaining its AAA bond rating.

State guidelines set a bond debt limit for Lincoln of $106 million (the town currently has about $9 million in outstanding debt), but since the bonding would go toward a school and a community center, getting approval to go over that limit should be “straightforward,” he added.

Property tax impacts

What will this mean for property tax bills? If the town borrowed $100 million over a 30-year period, property tax bills could go up by as much as 20 percent, with the average single-family tax bill climbing from $15,185 in fiscal 2017 to $17,702, assuming a bond interest rate of 4 percent (pgs. 13 and 15 of the FinCom’s presentation). The committee’s scenarios use bond interest rates of 4 and 5 percent, though the current rate is just below 3 percent (pg. 18).

To cushion the blow, the FinCom recommends using some of the town’s debt stabilization fund (currently $4.7 million) to pay down some of the balance for the first two or three years of debt service, so a 15 percent tax hike could be “smoothed” to three years of 5 percent increases.

Comments from several residents indicated mixed feelings. While many cringed at the potential tax hike, most also dismissed the repair-only or repair-and-renovation options, and some even wondered whether classrooms could be added.

On Tuesday, Jan. 30, residents will hear about possible designs and costs for another major construction project: the community center. There will be identical sessions from 8–10 a.m. and 7–9 p.m in Hartwell pod B.

Property sales in December

37 North Great Rd. — J. Arthur Gleiner to Lincoln and Maria Miara for $1,026,000 (December 27)

7 Upland Field Rd. — Gregory A. Spitzer Trust to Ramin and Elizabeth Doorandish for $1,150,000 (December 22)

104 Todd Pond Rd. — Edward A. Julian to Matthew and Julia Von Wahlde for $1,395,000 (December 8)

7 Tower Rd. — David K. Bruenner to Andrew Thompson and Annmarie Rebola-Thompson for $804,000 (December 7)

Lincoln women rally on one-year anniversary of 2017 event

(Editor’s note: Click here to see Lincoln Squirrel coverage of the 2017 women’s marches in Boston and Washington, D.C.)

To the editor:

Last Saturday, four women from Lincoln—Lucretia Giese, Julie Hibben, Suzy Karl and I—joined the throngs of marchers on the Cambridge Common to commemorate and advance the goals of the first anniversary of the extraordinary Women’s March of January 21, 2017.

It was an unexpectedly mild January afternoon, and the crowd was a cheerful and lively mix of families, students, women and men, young and old (though predominately young), and even pets. There was not an actual march. Rather, one might call it a rally or gathering featuring several speakers from diverse backgrounds, including Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, Congresswoman Katherine Clark, and Cambridge Mayor Mark McGovern.

Two of the signs seen on Cambridge Common. (Photos courtesy Barbara Slayter)

We four Lincolnites largely milled around the Common with others trying to inch ever closer to the platform so we could hear the speeches and see Healey’s “The Future is Female” T-shirt. While we heard only parts of her speech praising activists for standing up for immigrants, safe communities, health care and civil rights, we had ample opportunity to marvel at the clever signs and posters and enjoy the presence of children clad in pink jackets, hats or mittens, and the many dogs with pink (even pink plaid) woolen coats. I had dusted off my pink “pussy hat” from last year’s march and joined the ranks of pink-hat-clad women!

Organizations touting their advocacy roles ranged from Jamaica Plain’s Grandmothers for a Brighter Future (of which there is an active contingent in Lincoln) to the Boston Mayday Coalition, which focuses on protecting undocumented immigrant workers from the threat of deportation. Issues were also well represented on numerous signs: “I March for 100% Renewable Energy,” “Save DACA Now,” “Resist Deportation,” and “Black Lives Matter.”

Left to right: Suzy Karl, Lucretia Giese, Julie Hibben, and Barbara Slayter.

The expansion of the continuing Women’s March agenda was reflected in the sign saying “We rise by lifting others, all genders, all abilities, all races, all religions.” Noteworthy was an emphasis on respect, dignity, and full equality for all people, which was reflected in speakers who represented not only women from minority groups but also those concerned about prison reform and violence.

Is last year’s Women’s March morphing into a movement? Is women’s activism, whether on specific issues or in seeking office, emerging into a significant political phenomenon? This remains to be seen, but the continuing energy exhibited by women activists is heartening. Posters such as “Grab ‘Em by the Polls,” “First We Marched, Now We Run,” and “See You at the Polls” suggest that we’ll be hearing more from the marchers of 2018.

Sincerely

Barbara Slayter
7 Trapelo 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.

Public hearings coming up

The Lincoln Planning Board will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, Jan. 23 at 7 p.m. to review an application for Site Plan Review under Section 17 of the Zoning Bylaw. The applicant, Patricia M. O’Hagan Nominee Trust, 270 Concord Rd., proposes to add a ground-mounted solar array.

The Lincoln Conservation Commission will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, Jan. 24 at 7:30 p.m. in response to the duly filed Notice of Intent by Steve Nohrden for an addition to the existing garage, and replacement of existing septic leaching field within the 100-foot buffer zone at 14 Old Cambridge Turnpike in Lincoln.

The Zoning Board of the Appeals will hold a public hearing on Thursday, Feb. 1 at 7:30 p.m. to hear and to act on the following petitions:

  • Food Project, 10 Lewis St., for new tenant and renew a special permit.
  • Stephen Nohrden, 14 Old Cambridge Turnpike, for a special permit to demolish and reconstruct a new larger garage with office and bathroom on a nonconforming lot.
  • Neil Aronson, Trustee of the 9 Strafford Way Nominee Trust, 76 Trapelo Rd., to transfer name and renew special permit for an accessory apartment.
  • Care Dimensions, 121-129 Winter St., to extend and amend the original special permit granted February 5, 2015.

The Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee will hold public hearings on Tuesday, Feb. 13 at 7:30 p.m. in Conference Room B at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, regarding the FY19 school budget. and school choice.Copies of the FY19 Budget will be available in the Superintendent’s Office at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School from Jan. 26, 2018 and may be inspected during regular office hours.

Considering and comparing school options on Tuesday

An important milestone in planning for the Lincoln School project arrives on Tuesday, when residents will have a chance to voice opinions and ask questions about a range of renovation and construction concepts.

In November and December, architects presented options for a mostly new school (the “B” options) or renovating and adding to the existing building (the “A” options). On January 10, the School Building Committee saw a subset of those concepts: option A1, four variations on option A3, and the least expensive “B” concept. Estimates for those six options start at $73 million, whereas a repair-only project would cost about $48 million. However, cost estimates and building design sketches are very approximate at this stage, the SBC noted.

The identical workshops will be on Tuesday, Jan. 23 from 8–10 a.m. and 7–9 p.m. in the Reed Gym.

At both sessions, the Finance Committee will also provide a high-level overview of updated financial parameters. Preliminary finance numbers were discussed at the multiboard meeting earlier this month. The workshops will serve as an opportunity to make comparisons in advance of a special Town Meeting on June 9, when they will a vote on a preliminary design.

The framework for evaluating choices includes these guiding principles:

Educational program:

  • Create engaging and inspiring learning spaces
  • Foster 21st-century learning skills
  • Facilitate communication and collaboration
  • Optimize connection to the natural environment
  • Integrate pre-K into the Lincoln School

Community:

  • Campus feel — maintain or enhance the connection with the outdoors and other parts of campus
  • C0mmunity spaces — enhance and/or add spaces shared with the community such as the auditorium. a dining commons, and gymnasiums.
  • Sustainability — provide a sustainable, energy-efficient and healthy building
  • Financial responsibility — provide a long-term, financially responsible solution.

SBC consultants are further refining the baseline repair concept to get a firmer understanding of the minimum cost, and they are also working with sustainability expert Bill Maclay to analyze the energy and lifetime sustainability impacts of each concept.

News acorns

LLCT screens “Earthflight”

The Lincoln Land Conservation Trust presents “Earthflight” followed by a talk by retired marine biologist and veterinarian Vincent Durso on Monday, Jan. 22 from 7:30–9 p.m. in the LLCT office in Lincoln Station above the post office. Using trained HD camera-carrying birds, drones, paragliders, and remote-control microflight planes, see amazing viewpoints that have never been seen before  In episode one of a six-part series, fly across North America with migrating snow geese, pelicans, and bald eagles over the Great Plains, the Grand Canyon, Alaska, New York City and the Golden Gate Bridge as they encounter bears, dolphins, bison, and spawning fish. Following the film, Dr. Durso will discuss specific migrating bird habitats in Lincoln, including water, field and forest, and how the migrant species differ in these varied locations.

“Question box” service at First Parish

The First Parish in Lincoln (FPL) will host a “question box” service on Sunday, Jan. 28 at 10 a.m. in the church at 4 Bedford Rd. In this service, the parishioners submit anonymous, spiritually themed questions for Rev. Manish Mishra-Marzetti, FPL’s senior minister, to answer. Refreshments and hospitality will follow the service.

“Psychedelic Cinema” at deCordova

On Friday, Feb. 2 at 6:30 p.m., the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum presents “Psychedelic Cinema,” a groovy night of film, music, and art making where attendees can sip on cocktails and dance to retro hits from a live DJ while they watch vibrant images from Psychedelic Cinema float across the screen. Take a break to see mesmerizing art on view in the current exhibitions or make some of their own. Psychedelic Cinema is a collection of vibrant, hallucinatory films from the late 1960s created by experimental filmmaker Ken Brown. Originally projected behind performers like Jimi Hendrix and the Velvet Underground, it offers a visual tapestry of multi-layered imagery to enhance the auditory experience. Tickets are $20 for members, $25 for nonmembers, and $5 for children 12 and under. Each ticket includes film, music, art-making activities, exhibitions, one complimentary drink, and snacks. Additional cocktails will be available for purchase.

Residents invited to run for local office

Are you looking for a rewarding if occasionally vexing way to feel more connected? Willing to undertake new challenges?  Unafraid to speak up? Then run for local office! Nomination papers, which are available at the Town Clerk’s Office now, must be returned by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 6. The annual Town Election will take place on Monday, March 26.

The following offices will appear on the March ballot:

  • Board of Selectmen (one seat for three years)
  • Board of Assessors (one seat for three years)
  • K-8 School Committee (two seats, both for three years)
  • Water Commissioner (one seat for three years)
  • Board of Health (one seat for three years)
  • Cemetery Commission (one seat for three years)
  • Planning Board (one seat for three years)
  • Commissioner of Trust Funds (one seat for three years)
  • DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum trustee (one seat for four years)
  • Housing Commission (three seats: one for year, one for two years, and one for three years)
  • Parks and Recreation Committee (one seat for three years)
  • Lincoln-Sudbury Regional District School Committee (two seats, both for three years)
  • Bemis Trustee (one seat for three years)

To learn more, click here visit this link  or contact the Town Clerk’s Office at 781-259-2607 or brookss@lincolntown.org.

Letter to the editor: support hurricane victims at student-run blood drive

To the editor:

Did you know that January is National Blood Donors Month? On Wednesday, Jan. 24, the Lincoln School Student Council will be hosting their first-ever blood drive in Lincoln in the Reed Field House (Brooks gym).

Soon after hurricane Irma hit Puerto Rico, the Student Council decided they wanted to do something to help all the people whose lives were affected by that tragic event. One student came up with the idea of hosting a blood drive. The other students liked the idea and contacted the Red Cross for more information. Sadly, it turned out that they could not actually send donated blood to Irma victims themselves, as blood had already been sent there immediately after the disaster.

However, the Student Council still liked the idea of hosting a blood drive. They learned that every two seconds, someone in the U.S. is in need of blood, and donors are always essential to restock the supply. They also learned that each blood donation can help three at least people in need. Currently, the blood supply is running low, due to many blood drives being canceled due to weather and donors are even more needed.

On the day of the blood drive, students will also be hosting a used book sale and bake sale. They still liked their idea of helping Puerto Rico in its recovery efforts, so all proceeds from the two sales will aid victims of the Puerto Rico hurricane. If you have any gently used books you don’t need any more, you can drop them off at the Lincoln School office anytime before the blood drive, or you can bring them in during the event.

To donate blood, we encourage you to sign up for a time slot, but walk-ins are also welcome. All donors will be rewarded with a $5 Dunkin Donuts Gift Card. To register online, go to www.redcrossblood.org and go to the “Find a blood drive” box. Type in “01773”, then select the “By distance” tab and click on “Brooks Middle School.”

The blood drive is a student-initiated and student-run activity. The whole Student Council is very passionate about this and are hoping for this to be a success. Please spread the word to all your family and friends—we would like to see as many people as possible at the blood drive. We hope to see you there!

Sincerely,

Prerna Karmacharya and Quinn Harnden (Lincoln School eighth-graders)

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.

Clark rallies the Democratic troops at Lincoln event

Rep. Katherine Clark addresses the crowd of close to 100 in Bemis Hall on January 14.

U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark (D-Mass. 5th) advocated for national Democratic candidates running for Congress  at a “Campaign 2018 Red to Blue Kickoff Rally” sponsored by the Lincoln Democratic Town Committee in Bemis Hall last Sunday,

Clark is now vice chair in charge of recruiting for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), whose goal is to identify, train and encourage Democratic candidates in targeted congressional races across the nation. She described 18 new candidates that the DCCC has endorsed in 16 states from Arizona to New York, with more expected in upcoming primary elections.

These young candidates make up a group referred to as the Blue Wave that Democrats hope will retake control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the November elections. Twenty-four seats must “flip” from Republican to Democrat for Democrats to regain the majority.

So far, over 400 Democratic candidates have registered with the Federal Election Commission for Congressional races—almost seven times the previous high number in 2007. Democrats are encouraged by recent election results in Virginia, New Jersey, Alabama, Florida and Wisconsin, where this week a first-time Democratic candidate won a state senate seat that had been held by the opposition for over 17 years.

Clark also asked the audience to volunteer and support candidates running to replace retiring Congresswomen Niki Tsongas (D-Mass. 3rd) and Carol Shea Porter (D-N.H. 1st). Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass. 6th) has endorsed several candidates with military experience for a variety of offices including Congress on his ServeAmerica PAC. Emily’s List is likewise endorsing women for seats in state and local elections as well as for Congress and the Senate.

—Submitted by Gary Davis and Barbara Slayter, co-chairs of the Lincoln Democratic Town Committee