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

New RLF proposal shows larger and fewer housing units

The latest iteration of early plans for developing the mall now includes fewer but larger apartments after residents said at a forum in January that the units ranging from 600 to 800 square feet were too small.

At a February 29 public forum, the Rural Land Foundation, which owns the mall, proposed 40 housing units (down from the previous 47), with one- and two-bedroom units of 708 to 1,261 square feet as well as two studios at 513 and 536 square feet as sketched out by Union Architects (see below). Ten percent of the rental units would be designated as affordable. The bank building and the Something Special building would be demolished and rebuilt while the Donelan’s and the post office/restaurant building remain untouched in this phase.

To accommodate Donelan’s, the main parking lot won’t be disrupted during construction. Twisted Tree could operate out of a food truck and other tenants might be able to use temporary trailers or take advantage of phased construction, said RLF Executive Director Geoff McGean.

As in the past, residents at the meeting worried about the town losing control of what gets built on the property if it’s eventually sold to a developer. Current plans call for the RLF to offer a ground lease. “I think we would have a lot of say [in lease terms controlling what can be built] and I don’t say that lightly — that would be critical,” McGean said. Also critical: passage of the HCA rezoning measure at Town Meeting so the RLF can start working with designers, lenders, town officials and others.

“From our perspective, we’ve got a really long process ahead of us and we need to get going,” McGean said. “There isn’t a crisis today, but we feel there will be.”

The presentation also included a history of the mall and sketches of parking and traffic circulation, as well as the two design concepts (traditional and modern) for the buildings that were shown in January. There are no plans for an underground or above-ground parking structure, McGean said. There also won’t be a traffic study until we have “much more of a definitive plan,” he added.

Click images below for larger versions with captions.

mall-floor1
mall-floor2
mall-floor3
mall-parking

Fire heavily damages Old Concord Road home

The damaged house at 14 Old Concord Road looking east toward the Lindentree Farm barn (left).

A fire cause by high winds heavily damaged a home on Old Concord Road in the early-morning hours of February 29.

Neighbors saw fire shooting through the roof of 14 Old Concord Road and called the Fire Department, which responded with Engine 2 and Ladder 1 and was assisted by firefighters from Concord, Wayland, Weston, and Hanscom Air Force Base. No injuries were reported. No one was in the house, which has been unoccupied for some time.

The fire started when a large tree came down over power lines due to high wins and causing a power surge to the house, Fire Chief Brian Young said. The fire was also found to have a “significant head start” due to a lack of working smoke detectors within the home, he added.

The house, which is located behind the Lindentree Farm barn on a separate parcel, is owned by Heather McCune, according to town land records. The one-story flat-roof cinderblock home was built around 1950 and is assessed at just $103,000, though the 2.9-acre parcel is assessed for $943,900.

Clarification and addenda

In the February 27 article headlined “Planning Board splits 3-2 on endorsing zoning amendments,” links have been added to the finalized bylaw and accompanying multifamily and mixed-use zoning map.

A phrase in the February 28 article headlined “Draft of HCA design guidelines released” may have been unclear as to the changing nature of public feedback about the HCA, so the wording has been altered slightly. In general, feedback received by town officials has shifted over time and is currently split between a preference for concentrating affordable housing at the mall (especially once the state allowed housing in mixed-use subdistricts to count toward a town’s required total) vs. spreading it around town.

In the summer 2023 public forums and the State of the Town Meeting in October, participants favored the first option (C), but since then, a number of residents have argued in favor of the second direction, and many specific rezoning options have been floated along the way. “Feedback” obviously refers to residents who have spoken publicly on the issue, but the overall actual sentiment of voters won’t be known until March 23.

HCAWG’s work and the feedback it has received was also summarized by Select Board member Jennifer Glass at the start of that meeting. Her remarks were included in the notes area under slides 3-5 but were cut off in the meeting’s slide deck with notes posted to the HCAWG website, but they can be found here, and this link has been added to the February 28 article.

Final bylaw includes adjustments for affordability and commercial use

The multifamily and mixed-use overlay zoning map approved by the Planning Board. Click to enlarge.

The HCA zoning bylaw amendment approved on February 26 by the Planning Board includes changes to maximize housing affordability and to strictly limit the ability of an owner to reduce the amount of commercial space in the mixed-use subdistrict.

Going into the meeting, the draft required 10% of multifamily housing units to be affordable. This was because the state would not allow Lincoln to specify its usual 15% minimum unless the town could show in a feasibility study (which it was not able to do) that that higher ratio would be economically viable.

But the board turned around the burden of proof. Section 12.9.3.2 of the final bylaw now says that 15% will be required unless the state Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities determines in writing that it is not feasible, and then 10% will be required. “This will allow the town to pursue the 15% with EOHLC without having to go back to Town Meeting to change the bylaw to 15%,” Director of Planning and Land Use Paula Vaughn MacKenzie explained on February 29.

Commercial space

Section 12.9.2.3 (part a.10) still says that a minimum of 33% of the gross floor area of all buildings on the lot must be dedicated to commercial use and that the Planning Board may reduce the required percentage of commercial uses by Special Permit “upon a finding that economic and market conditions do not support the required amount of commercial space.”

However, the board added this to the paragraph:

“To support such a finding, the applicant must provide documentation of significant periods of vacancy or non-payment of rent, demonstrate reasonable efforts of marketing such space, and present a report by a qualified independent real estate marketing consultant. The Town may also conduct its own third-party assessment paid for by the applicant pursuant to MGL, c. 44 s. 53G.”

The amended bylaw will go before voters at he March 23 Annal Town Meeting.

My Turn: Don’t post signs in front of other people’s houses

By Mark Robidoux

This office has received multiple questions and concerns from residents that signs are being installed on the town-owned easement in front of private residences without the resident’s permission or town permission.

As a friendly reminder, 16.4 of the local zoning ordinance states signs on town-owned property need approval from the Select Board and a permit from the Building Inspector.

You are welcome to install political signs on your own property or at the following intersections: Sandy Pond and Lincoln Road, Ballfield Road and Lincoln Road, Lincoln Poad and South Great Road, Bedford Road and Morningside Lane, and Codman Road and Concord Road.

Thanks in advance for your cooperation on this very important matter. Please reach out to me with any questions or concerns on the sign bylaw.

Sincerely,

Mark Robidoux, Building Commissioner/Zoning Enforcement Officer
781-259-2613, robidouxm@lincolntown.org

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

Draft of HCA design guidelines released

Editor’s note: This article was amended on February 29 to include a link to remarks accompanying some of the slides.

New buildings that go up in the future HCA subdistricts will have to adhere to design guidelines presented as a draft at a February 27 community forum.

The slide decks from the forum (one with notes and one without) recap the feedback received by the Housing Choice Act Working Group — feedback that has shifted over time between a preference for concentrating affordable housing at the mall vs. spreading it around town — plus resulting changes that HCAWG and the Planning Board made, and answers to some questions. (Remarks by Select Board and Housing Choice Act Working Group member Jennifer Glass in some of the slides in the deck without notes are truncated but can be accessed here.)

The guidelines beginning on page 8 of the two slide decks aim to “ensure new buildings are in keeping with the scale and character appropriate for a village center and support the high quality of design and connection to the outdoors that Lincoln values.” The slides include pictures of various types of building designs that would be acceptable and lay out guidelines with an emphasis on:

  • Open space
  • Front setbacks
  • Enhancing connectivity through sidewalks and paths
  • Minimizing the visual impact of parking
  • Thoughtful landscaping with native and drought-tolerant plants whenever possible

The required site plan review for each project will continue to include minimizing impact on trees as well as imposing controls on storm water management, lighting, and hardscape. Building guidelines also call for articulated facades and use of half stories and stepbacks to break up massing. All new developments should include accessible public space such as restaurant seating, public gathering space, and street furniture.

For mixed-use buildings:

  • Sidewalks and outdoor space adjacent to buildings should be designed to accommodate outdoor seating and gathering areas that complement the commercial space within the building.
  • Front setback areas should be designed either as a public visual amenity or accessible public space.

Other guidelines in the draft:

  • Public directional signage should follow current town signage design
  • Outdoor displays must be approved by the Planning Board
  • Bicycle racks are required
  • Sustainability is required through the town’s Specialized Stretch Code and Ten Town Pilot Program.
Upcoming meetings:
  • Rural Land Foundation forum outlining latest thoughts about redevelopment of the mall via Zoom — Thursday, Feb. 29 at 7 p.m.
  • Town Meeting preview forum on Housing Choice Act — Thursday, March 14 from 7–8:30 p.m. (details TBA)
  • Planning Board meeting to review and approve design guidelines to submit to Town Meeting — Tuesday, March 19 at 7 p.m. (Zoom only)
  • Annual Town Meeting — Saturday, March 23 starting at 9:30 a.m. in Donaldson Auditorium

Town candidate forum slated for March 12

The Lincoln PTO will host a town election candidate forum on Tuesday, March 12 from 7–9 p.m. in the Lincoln School Learning Commons. It will also be accessible via this Zoom link.

Candidates will have three minutes to introduce themselves and present a substantive statement of their platform. Moderators Rob Stringer and Sarah Cannon Holden will then direct questions to candidates that were submitted on cards filled out by attendees shortly after they arrived, or that are posed via the chat function on Zoom. Candidates will have two minutes to respond. The LPTO can’t guarantee that there will be enough time to get to all the questions.

The forum is intended not as a debate but as an information session and meet-and-greet whereby voters can get acquainted with candidates and their views. Candidates have been asked to refrain from addressing or referring to fellow candidates and to refrain from campaign speeches or speechifying.

The candidates scheduled to participate in the forum are as follows (each seat is for a three-year term):

Select Board:

Planning Board:

Upon arrival, attendees should stop at the LPTO table to fill out a name tag before settling into the Learning Commons. Volunteers will also offer audience members question forms and pencils prior to entering the Learning Commons. Attendees will be invited to join in a collective round of applause for all the candidates at the beginning and end of the Introductions round and are asked to refrain from cheering for anyone candidate during that round.

Planning Board splits 3-2 on endorsing zoning amendments

The multifamily and mixed-use overlay zoning map approved by the Planning Board. Click to enlarge.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with links for the bylaw and accompanying map, and a quote by Trish O’Hagan was removed after she said it was inaccurate.

In a dramatic split echoing the townwide controversy about proposed zoning amendments, the Planning Board voted 3-2 on February 26 to endorse the bylaw they wrote to be presented at the March 23 Annual Town Meeting.

The board’s vote came after members made final tweaks to the bylaw based on Option C, which residents approved at a Special Town Meeting in December 2023. The outline of that option, which has been forwarded to the state for a Housing Choice Act compliance check, would allow multifamily housing clustered in South Lincoln, including over a redeveloped mall. Lincoln Residents for Housing Alternatives formed to oppose that idea, instead seeking to omit the mall from the HCA rezoning package and spreading permitted affordable housing around other parts of town. 

Board Chair Margaret Olson presented a compilation of HCA feedback they’ve received in recent months. Various residents have advocated for and against things like whether a fourth story should be allowed, limiting or increasing allowed parking, how to best preserve commercial activity, and even whether or not to pass over the measure at Town Meeting altogether and work on a new plan.

Given the divisiveness of the issue, “we are quite prepared to be given new direction if that is what the town would like us to do,” Olson said.

During the public comment period, Deb Howe worried that the amended bylaw didn’t address the notion of an underground or above-ground parking structure which might be needed to accommodate new residents as well as businesses. Ben Shiller argued that it would be very difficult to fit the 100 units of multifamily housing that the Rural Land Foundation has said it needs to sustain the mall’s economic viability.

“There seems to be a lack of analysis around implications of rezoning,” said David Cuetos, adding that the town-commissioned feasibility study for allowing more than the state minimum of affordable units was “badly bungled.”

Susan Hall Mygatt, who at last week’s public hearing suggested passing over the measure, said on Monday that while the board is apparently obligated to advance it to Town Meeting, “you’re not required to sell it or recommend we vote for it.” 

It was clear that a unanimous vote wasn’t going to happen when Ephraim Flint read a statement signed by him and fellow member Lynn DeLisi asking their fellow board members to go back to the drawing board and craft a bylaw with more public input and consensus.

While most residents agree that the town should comply with the HCA while also preserving the town’s character, there is “little agreement on how the rezoning should be done,” the statement said. Additionally, some of those who voted for Option C in December “have said they would have voted differently had they better understood the options and their consequences in more detail.” 

Flint and DeLisi suggested removing the mall subdistrict from the amended bylaw and then creating a committee of members “equal in opposing views” to work with the Planning Board on a compromise solution for other areas to rezone, including the mall. If their fellow board members didn’t go along with these suggestions, they asked that it be “formally stated” at Town Meeting that “two of the five Planning Board members were opposed to bringing this entire package to a vote at this time.”

How best to guide redevelopment of the mall has been a bone of contention along with where in town to allow multifamily housing. The board included the mall in the HCA bylaw revision because the state changed its guidelines last summer so towns could count housing in mixed-use subdistricts as part of its required total. “We took that opportunity because it would reduce the amount of units we would have to zone for elsewhere” in town, Olson said. “All along, we have tried to minimize the compliance footprint.”

“What [the RLF] has shown us to date, I would have liked to have seen a year ago,” DeLisi said. 

“You and me both,” Olson replied.

“We’re looking at zoning changes that are going to change our town for generations. We have to be careful and thoughtful about it and not be pushing too fast,” DeLisi said. “It’ll be a slim margin no matter what. Let’s try to get 80% of people at [a later] Town Meeting to say yeah, let’s vote for this compromise.”

But Olson firmly rejected the idea of the Planning Board not endorsing Article 3 on the Town Meeting warrant or passing it over altogether. “To me as a voter, if I voted for something that gave direction for the board and the board did not do that, I would be absolutely outraged,” she said.

Olson indicated that having the bylaw rejected by residents in March would not necessarily be a wholly negative outcome. “People get anxious when things are voted down at Town Meeting. I’m like, ‘That is information. We will take that information and act on it along the lines you are describing’,” she said. “I feel like we should do our duty as Planning Board members and present Option C as we were directed by Town Meeting, and if Town Meeting tells us ‘We have changed our minds,’ that’s fine… People talk about a silent majority — but we have no idea who’s the majority. We’ll hear from the town.”

“Developers are trying to sell a project that people want to live in, “ Nicholson said. “If you put so many restrictions on things, nothing will happen and that’s been the problem over decades. That’s why we are where we are. At some point you do have to take a little bit of risk and accept that it’s not going to please everyone.”

DeLisi and Flint eventually voted “nay” on the motion to endorse the HCA zoning bylaws as amended that evening, with the other three (Olson, Craig Nicholson, and Gary Taylor) voting “aye.”

My Turn: HCA in Lincoln – managing risks and finding solutions

By Rob Ahlert

When it comes to finding a solution to the Housing Choice Act riddle for Lincoln, there are many paths the town could choose to go down. When choosing which path to go down, an organization (e.g., our town) usually carefully identifies its options and the risks vs rewards for each, ultimately choosing the option which has the lowest risk and the highest reward. The conundrum we face in Lincoln is that the reward for one group (e.g., a lot more housing in one area) is in fact a major risk for the other group (too much housing in one area). So how do we as an organization (Lincoln) move forward to make a decision when we don’t even have the same objectives?

As you probably are suspecting, the right answer is to find a compromise.

OK, but how do we compromise? How do we not end up with a solution that only 51% of the population is satisfied with?

This is where sitting down together and documenting the risks/fears that folks have is critical.  And it will get very touchy because it’s hard not to quickly dismiss someone’s fears when you think you already have the answer. This is where talking, listening and documenting risks becomes critically important. What are the risks? Can we quantify and agree on the likelihood and impact on a 1 to 10 scale for each risk? Are there any obvious mitigations?

During a workshop or series of workshops, each risk can be graded on likelihood (1 to 10) and Impact (1 to 10).  The risk can either be “Accepted,” “Needs More Info,” or “Mitigated” and a workshop participant (or participants) can be assigned to take responsibility for that action. Below are some examples from a list of risks I’ve heard on both sides of the discussion.  

  • Risk #1: Developers put in offers on over 50% of the parcels in the first year after maps are published.
  • Risk #2: Developers will not build family-friendly three-bedroom apartments or condos.
  • Risk #3: Traffic will be bumper to bumper on Lincoln Road from Five Corners to Codman Road, not just during the rush hours but also at other times of the day and on weekends.

These are just three examples. There are likely 50+ unique risks we could document if we had a workshop on this topic.

When faced with a decision that has a lot of risks, does leadership go ahead and choose an option that exposes the organization to potential large downside impacts, especially given that reversing this decision would be over a year away? I would hope not, especially in a consensus-driven organization like a town. This is not a private enterprise with a CEO, this is a town.

So we document a lot of risks/fears from folks on both sides of discussion. What do we do next? Now comes the really hard work. Do we decide to just accept one of these risks because both the likelihood and impact are so low? Are we aware of an immediate mitigation that we can apply that will lower the likelihood or impact? Do we need more information? How much time and money do we need to gather more info or mitigate?

If you’ve read this far, some of you are really rolling your eyes saying this is way too much trouble to go through to get to a solution to the HCA riddle. But that’s the point. By going through this trouble, we better understand risks that each other see and find a consensus solution, choosing a compromise path.

That is what Brookline did, that’s what we can do as well. On March 23rd, vote “No for Now” on the HCA-related article and then we can get to “Yes” together before December 2024 and easily comply.

Calling all leaders and/or project managers/therapists to the table!

“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: Elect Sarah Postlethwait to Planning Board

By Barbara Peskin

(Editor’s note: Postlethwait is challenging incumbent Gary Taylor for a seat on the Planning Board in the March 25 town election.)

We are so fortunate that Sarah Postlethwait seeks our vote for the Lincoln Planning Board. Sarah is responsive, smart, and a team player. Should you arrive at the Planning Board with an issue for your own property, Sarah will care about your goals, consider them fairly, and work with you and the Planning Board to craft a balanced solution.

For rezoning, future planning and HCA planning, Sarah knows our bylaws and state laws for rezoning inside and out. She researches thoroughly, knowing that the details are key when making decisions that impact our town’s future. Her communication style is clear, thoughtful, and respectful. If I have any bylaw question, especially around a topic I am struggling to understand, I turn to Sarah. She finds a way to explain it so I get it. Sarah also has a great sense of humor.

Sarah understands and prioritizes the financial and environmental impacts of Planning Board decisions on you and on Lincoln. She will work with the Planning Board team, invite input, and give respect to all opinions.

If you want to vote for someone who cares deeply for Lincoln’s legacy while understanding how Planning shapes the future of living, working and raising a family in Lincoln’s present, vote for Sarah Postlethwait.

Meet Sarah at a coffee chat on Wednesday, Feb. 28 from 9-10:30 a.m., at 241 Old Concord Rd., hosted by Joanne and Jack Wise. Drop in for all or part of the time. I think you’ll learn why she wins my vote, and also deserves yours at the polls on March 25.

“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.