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

Letter to the editor: restrict use of leaf blowers

letter

Editor’s note: San Antonio read the following statement at the Leaf Blower Study Committee25 public forum on February 25. Click here to see links to previous coverage of this issue in the Lincoln Squirrel.

To the editor:

When I moved to Lincoln in 1991, I was positively elated to find such a special place. I grew up in Lawrence, Mass., and had lived in Boston, New York and then Los Angeles before returning to the East Coast. Feeling at that point quite starved for clean, safe space away from the pace of modern city life, my hope—no, my mission—was to find a place as uniquely beautiful as Lincoln with its inviting open fields, its intricate network of trails through the woods, and what in the beginning was relative peace and quiet.

[Read more…] about Letter to the editor: restrict use of leaf blowers

Letter to the editor: lighting regulation objection

letter

Editor’s note: This letter is in response to a February 23 letter from Planning Board member Margaret Olson on a proposed Town Meeting warrant article on outdoor lighting.

To the editor:

Article 44 will make every outdoor light in town nonconforming, meaning that if your beautiful Colonial-style porch or pole fixture that projects light up or to the side is damaged, you cannot replace it with another Colonial-style light. Nor will this article halt the red glow of Waltham and Boston that we see to the east at night, nor the glow of Worcester that we see to the west.

How will this be enforced? Will the police come to your door and order you to turn off your outdoor lights? Will we be required to install blackout shades to prevent interior light from leaking into the night sky?

Fossil fuel. Leaf blowers. Now this. Must Lincoln solve all the world’s problems?

Sincerely,

Michael Coppock
214 Aspen Circle

Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to news@lincolnsquirrrel.com. Letters must be about a Lincoln-specific topic, 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 Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published.

Red breast, white snow (Lincoln through the lens, 2/15/15)

A chilly robin taken outside Studio Yellow at the Lincoln Nursery School at deCordova by Alice Edwards on February 5, 2015.

A chilly robin photographed outside Studio Yellow at the Lincoln Nursery School at deCordova by Alice Edwards on February 5, 2015.

Readers may submit photos for consideration for Lincoln Through the Lens by emailing them to news@lincolnsquirrrel.com. If your photo is published, you’ll receive credit in the Squirrel. Photos must be taken in Lincoln and include the date, location, and names of any people who are identifiable in the photo. Previously published photos can be viewed on the Lincoln Through the Lens page of the Lincoln Squirrel.

Council on Aging activities for March

bemisArabic Conversation
March 2 and 16 at 9:45 a.m.
Ms. Azza Omer from Sudan has generously offered to teach a free informal, light and easy conversational Arabic language class on Monday, March 2 and Monday, March 16 at 9:45 a.m. at Bemis Hall. Learning something completely new is great for brain fitness and for having fun. You’ll learn the alphabet and some common words and phrases. Come give the class a try!

Meet with an Aide to Congresswoman Clark
March 4 at 1 p.m.
You are invited to Bemis Hall on Wednesday, March 4 at 1 p.m. to meet with Natalie Kaufman, Constituent Service Representative for Congresswoman Katherine Clark. She will be available to assist residents with Social Security, Medicare, and MassHealth/Medicaid. You are also welcome to discuss other matters with her that she may be able to help with. [Read more…] about Council on Aging activities for March

First Parish hopes to clear final hurdle tonight

firstparish-sm(Editor’s note: This article has been updated to reflect corrections made on February 28.)

By Alice Waugh

The First Parish Church is going before the Planning Board tonight in hopes of getting a final go-ahead for the controversial Stearns Room replacement, but some are worried that the process could drag on even longer.

Discussion among church officials about expanding the Stearns Room, which dates from 1963,  began in 2001 when the Flint family donated a parcel of abutting land to the church. The current proposal calls for a covered, handicapped-accessible entranceway from the sanctuary as well as handicapped restrooms, a sitting area with a fireplace, and a space on the south side of the addition for robing, private phone conversation, and gatherings at various times including after Sunday services when the Stearns Room is full. The room would open to a small patio and a view of the field to the west.

To carry out its plan, the church needed several zoning exemptions, and the process of trying to obtain town approvals began about two years ago. At several hearings, residents objected to how the proposed addition would look and argued that the church should not be exempted from zoning regulations. In response, the church has argued that, given the constraints of the property, it cannot fulfill the goals of a Stearns Room expansion without the exemptions.

In a victory for the church, Planning Board approved most of the site plan in February 2014 and granted relief from zoning limits on lot size, lot width and parking—but it denied the requested four-foot setback on the north side of the property. Based on that decision, building commissioner Daniel Walsh denied a building permit in March 2014.

The church subsequently appealed to the Zoning Board of Appeals, saying applying the setback requirement to the property’s north side was not reasonable in this circumstance, pursuant to the Dover Amendment, and should not be enforced, according to minutes of the ZBA’s meeting on June 19, 2014. The Dover Amendment is a state statute that exempts agricultural, religious and educational corporations from certain zoning restrictions.

At that June meeting, the ZBA granted permission for the north side setback by a 4-0 vote (member Megan Stride abstained). However, the board noted that the church would have to go back to the Planning Board to finish the site plan review process. Tonight the Planning Board will consider those elements of the site plan it hasn’t already reviewed, such as landscaping, lighting and drainage—”things they didn’t get around to before,” said Director of Planning and Land Use Chris Reilly. The Planning Board can’t revisit the building itself, which has already won the necessary approvals; “they have to be disciplined and look just at the remainder of the site plan review process, unless someone brings forth new information,” he said.

But Lincoln resident Ken Hurd, an architect who has been working for the church, was not reassured. “There have been hints that they want to look at more things,” he said. “They have changed their minds before, so we just don’t know.” Asked for specifics, Hurd said the board approved minutes of a September 2013 meeting in November of that year but later rewrote them shortly before its vote in February 2014.

“There’s a little lack of trust about what they say and what gets posted,” Hurd said on Tuesday afternoon.

On behalf of the First Parish Building Committee, Hurd this week wrote a letter to the Planning Commission to reiterate the benefits of the new addition, saying it would “affirm the dignity of everyone who might be part of this community institution… It is not our intent to simply build real estate, but to create an experience that is spiritually uplifting and satisfying to the soul as well as true to the values of Lincoln and an entire spiritual community.”

Meanwhile, the church also needed approvals from the Historic District Commission to demolish the old Stearns Room and build a new one. After a contentious hearing in November 2014, the commission voted to grant a certificate of appropriateness for the new construction by a vote of 5-2, with members Ruth Wales and Bryce Wolf voting no. The commission also voted 6-0 (with Wolf abstaining) to grant a demolition permit.

Previous coverage in the Lincoln Squirrel:

Snow use complaining (Lincoln through the lens, 2/24/15)

"I guess we'll have to live with it," these birds seem to be saying. — Photo by Harold McAleer

“I guess we’ll have to live with it,” these birds seem to be saying. —Photo by Harold McAleer

Readers may submit photos for consideration for Lincoln Through the Lens by emailing them to news@lincolnsquirrrel.com. If your photo is published, you’ll receive credit in the Squirrel. Photos must be taken in Lincoln and include the date, location, and names of any people who are identifiable in the photo. Previously published photos can be viewed on the Lincoln Through the Lens page of the Lincoln Squirrel.

Letter to the editor: proposed changes to outdoor lighting rules

letter

Editor’s note: This letter concerns one of the warrant articles to be voted on at Lincoln’s Annual Town Meeting on March 28. A preliminary list of warrant articles can be found on this Town of Lincoln webpage. The Board of Selectmen is scheduled to sign the warrant on February 25.

To the editor:

The Planning Board has long considered issues of exterior lighting and light pollution, primarily through the site plan review process. Although the widespread availability and affordability of energy-efficient LED and compact fluorescent lighting benefits the global environment, these new technologies may also be potentially detrimental to our immediate environment here in Lincoln. The Planning Board is proposing changes to the Lighting Section of the Zoning Bylaw to insure that we preserve the rural character and sensitivity to conservation values that are Lincoln’s tradition, while still allowing for illumination that maintains or improves safety and energy efficiency. Please note that our proposal only regulates newly installed lighting. Existing lighting is grandfathered.

If you look up into the sky on a moonless night, you will see thousands and thousands of stars, stars that have inspired wonder and beauty through the millennia of human history—or you would see thousands of stars if they were not drowned out by light pollution. It is not only our ability to see the night sky that is lost with excess outdoor lighting. Insects, nocturnal animals and migrating birds are all confused or disoriented by artificial light. The emergence of LEDs and their blue-rich white outdoor lighting has aggravated these issues. Blue-rich white light mimics the spectrum of daylight disrupting circadian rhythms in both people and animals.

The eye has limited ability to rapidly adjust between one lighting level and another, and the adjustment period becomes even longer as we age. As we move from the interior to the exterior after dark we need light for safety that is minimally disruptive to the environment and wildlife that Lincoln has spent so much time and treasure protecting.

The proposed zoning changes apply only to newly installed light fixtures and are summarized below:

  • All exterior light fixtures must be fully shielded so they neither project nor leak light upwards towards the sky.
  • All lights shall have Color Corrected Temperature (CCT) of 3000K or below. The CCT describes the color of the light. A CCT of 3000K or below is a “warm white” light, typical of traditional incandescent bulbs. The CCT is typically specified on the package for LED and compact fluorescent bulbs.
  • Each fixture shall be limited to a maximum of 900 lumens, comparable to the output of a traditional 60-watt incandescent bulb. Lumens are a measure of the intensity of light output. A consistent level of lighting with multiple fixtures at a lower intensity is more effective for human vision and creates less light pollution.

We hope you will support Article 44 at Town Meeting and welcome your input.

Sincerely,

Margaret Olson for the Lincoln Planning Board

Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to news@lincolnsquirrrel.com. Letters must be about a Lincoln-specific topic, 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.

News acorns – 2/23/15

acornMassPort to present Hanscom plans at HATS meeting

On Thursday, Feb. 26 at 7:30 p.m., the Hanscom Area Towns Committee (“HATS”), an alliance of the Selectmen of Lincoln, Concord, Lexington and Bedford will host officials from MassPort as they present the agency’s recently adopted strategic plan, including plans for Hanscom Air Field. The presentation will be made by MassPort’s chief executive officer, Tom Glynn, and other senior staff. The meeting will be held at the Lincoln Town Offices and the public is welcome. A video of the meeting will be available several days later on the HATS web site.

Second leaf blower forum scheduled

On Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 7 p.m., Lincoln’s Leaf Blower Study Committee will host a second public forum to discuss the status of leaf blower regulations and alternative approaches and seek feedback. The forum will be held in the upstairs conference room at the Town Office Building (16 Lincoln Rd.). Previous coverage and letters to the editor in the Lincoln Squirrel:

Group presents documentary on social rejection

On Tuesday, March 10, the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable will present the new documentary film Reject at 7 p.m. in the Lincoln-Sudbury High School Auditorium ( 390 Lincoln Road, Sudbury). Admission is free.

Reject offers a powerful look at the cost of social rejection at a young age and a timely analysis of real-life educational techniques to nurture positive social development from preschool age up. The film highlights some of the devastating consequences for victims of chronic, repeated rejection over time. Not only is rejection hurtful, but it has the potential for erupting as violence. A study of the backgrounds of school shooters found that the majority were victims of ostracism.

Reject is a “must see” for any adult who parents, teaches, coaches, leads or is otherwise engaged with preschool through high school children. The film can be used in workshops or training programs to raise awareness about ostracism and provide facts for discussion. Information about how to acquire the film will be distributed at the March 10 showing. The film is in limited release but later in 2015 it will be available for purchase at a modest cost.

Remember this in July… (Lincoln through the lens, 2/22/15)

Window Icicles looking into the kettle hole at The Village at Farrar Pond in Lincoln on February 15. Photo by Jim Wojno

Window icicles looking into the kettle hole at The Village at Farrar Pond in Lincoln on February 15. —Photo by Jim Wojno

Readers may submit photos for consideration for Lincoln Through the Lens by emailing them to news@lincolnsquirrrel.com. If your photo is published, you’ll receive credit in the Squirrel. Photos must be taken in Lincoln and include the date, location, and names of any people who are identifiable in the photo. Previously published photos can be viewed on the Lincoln Through the Lens page of the Lincoln Squirrel.

Letter to the editor: thanks from Domestic Violence Roundtable

letter

To the editor:

On behalf of the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable and the families living in area domestic violence shelters and transitional housing programs who received your generous donations, I would like to thank everyone who helped make their Valentine’s Day a little brighter. Valentine bags were delivered to clients of REACH Beyond Domestic Violence, The Second Step and Voices Against Violence. This is one of the many projects organized by the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable as a reminder to families who have suffered abuse that the community cares about them and wishes them well on their journey to safety. It is a small gesture on our part, but it has a big impact on them.

The Roundtable would especially like to thank Sudbury Extended Day pre-K students for once again decorating the Valentine bags. The children’s decorations add a special touch to the gift bags. Also, thank you to the Lincoln Council on Aging and Marlborough Savings Bank of Sudbury. We also appreciate the contributions of the League of Women Voters of Sudbury and the parents and staff of Sudbury Extended Day as well as the anonymous donations left by caring members of the community. This is indeed a community effort.

Collecting items for the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable are (left to right) Karen Cohen, Marilyn Ellsworth, Isabel Rivera, Laura Van Zandt, Joan Gaumnitz and Diane Seligman.

Valentine’s Day bags assembled by Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable members Karen Cohen, Marilyn Ellsworth, Isabel Rivera, Laura Van Zandt, Joan Gaumnitz and Diane Seligman.

Everyone can make a difference. If you were unable to help with the Valentine Collection, but would like to support the Roundtable’s community projects, please watch for news about our upcoming Shower for Shelters that will take place in May. This drive benefits families transitioning from shelter to new homes.

The Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable is a community-based nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting safe and healthy relationships, raising public awareness about abusive and controlling behaviors whether exhibited through bullying, teen dating violence, domestic violence, or elder abuse, and ending relationship violence in all its forms. If you share our determination to make our communities safer, please join us at our meetings. The group meets the second Tuesday of each month from September to May at 3 p.m. in the Community Meeting Room of the Wayland Public Safety Building at the intersection of Routes 20 and 27 in Wayland Center. The meetings are free and open to the public. More information about the Roundtable and its activities and about domestic violence can be found at www.domesticviolenceroundtable.org.

Sincerely,

Diane Seligman, Sudbury
Valentine Outreach Committee Chair

Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to news@lincolnsquirrrel.com. Letters must be about a Lincoln-specific topic, 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.