The June 25 story headlined “Mall redevelopment coming sooner than state-mandated rezoning” indicated that the rezoning proposal for part of the Lincoln mall calls for 42 housing units per acre. The proposal actually calls for 25 units per acre overall. The sketch of the front of the mall showed what a denser concentration on the front acre would look like. The story has been updated.
Mall redevelopment coming sooner than state-mandated rezoning
An illustration of what the mall building might look like if the area was rezoned to allow 25 units of housing per acre. This sketch shows a denser massing of 42 units per acre at the front of the subdistrict, which would be balanced by a lower concentration of housing in the rest. Donelan’s is in white at left rear.
Rezoning to comply with the Housing Choice Act may some day result in more multifamily housing in South Lincoln and perhaps other areas, if developers are interested — but change is probably coming much sooner to the mall. Civico, which designed and built Oriole Landing, is poised to redevelop the mall’s main building with more commercial space and housing — assuming a separate rezoning proposal is approved by voters.
In the second of two public forums on June 20, consultants recapped their June 6 presentation about rezoning options to comply with the HCA. The law will require Lincoln to allow at least 15 housing units per acre (for a total capacity of 635 units) on parcels of land totaling at least 42 acres, 20% of which must be within half a mile of the train station — click here to see the updated slide deck.
Running alongside the HCA work is a separate effort to rezone just the mall area with the goal of encouraging more commercial use while also adding housing above stores in the main building (the post office and restaurant buildings would not be affected). One of the HCA’s stipulations is that commercial use can’t be required in the rezoned areas, but the Rural Land Foundation (owners of the mall) and Civico are proposing a new subdistrict that would pave the way for a mixed-use buildout by right with improved commercial space and 25 multifamily housing units per acre. The subdistrict would include the commuter lot on the east side of the railroad tracks.
“We need to think holistically about this area,” Select Board Jennifer Glass said. “These two kind of work together — two ideas with one zoning package.” The two proposals — a preferred rezoning option selected from five viable HCA concepts, and the mall subdistrict — will be presented at the State of the Town meeting on September 30 and submitted to votes at Town Meeting in March 2024.
“Without a mall subdistrict, it’s highly unlikely we’ll be able to revitalize the mall in keeping with Lincoln’s values and rural character,” said Michelle Barnes, chair of the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust/RLF Board of Trustees. This effort would go beyond the HCA moves (which simply allow denser housing but do not require anyone to build them) because the RLF already has a development partner and a preliminary sketch of a project.
Civico, a developer that is “known to and trusted by the town,” went through the arduous Town Meeting approval process for Oriole Landing but has indicated that “they would not be willing to do so again,” Barnes said.
The mall project would actually allow Lincoln to respond more quickly to the area-wide housing crisis and the state’s push for more transit-oriented housing, she added. If all goes as planned, Civico and the town (which does not have the resources to redevelop the mall on its own) would collaborate on a project in keeping with the town’s character, with the sale of the mall contingent on such a design.
One stumbling block to redevelopment is the age and limited capacity of the wastewater treatment plant that services both the mall and Lincoln Woods. The plant is owned by TCB (The Community Builders, Inc.). Paula Vaughn-MacKenzie, Director of Planning and Land Use, said that the RLF is working with TCB on a plan for upgrading the plant, but the financial details are still unknown. However, the town already received $400,000 from the state in late 2021 to design an upgrade.
TCB and Civico are “both more than confident that they would be able to get a Massworks grant for the mall project as long as the town complies with the HCA,” Barnes said.
Massworks grants are often in the millions and could pay for more than half of the project, Vaughn-MacKenzie said. Even if the HCA weren’t in the picture, “the state would be thrilled [with the mall project]. It’s just the type of project they’d want to support,” Vaughn-MacKenzie said.
Town rezoning approval for a mall project funded by Civico and the state would be a big plus for Lincoln, which would broaden its tax base as well as improve housing and commercial options there, said Planning Board member Gary Taylor. “Right now everything seems to be aligned in trying to make this happen.”
Lexington is the first town to approve rezoning to comply with the HCA while also encouraging improved commercial use. The measure was the subject of articles in the Boston Globe and the New Yorker.
Correction
In the June 22 article headlined “My Turn: In support of a community center,” author Sally Kindleberger’s name was omitted. the article has been corrected.
My Turn: In support of a community center
By Sally Kindleberger
Recently I attended a Community Center Building Committee meeting in an effort to learn more about the process and the objections to a new building. I believe that we need to work together in a cooperative way.
When the schools were rebuilt, it was a huge cost to taxpayers. My taxes went up significantly, but I was willing to pay them because I believed that it is important to pay it forward to support the generation that is coming behind us. I have no kids, but I know education is one of the most important things we can do for our children, our future, and our country.
During the time that the schools were being built, folks that use the Recreation Department and the Council on Aging and Human Services were told to be patient — “once the schools are built, a community center will follow.” But low and behold, there has been a huge pushback. There are a number of people who want to reduce the building size significantly! This will make it difficult for the current programming to happen.
We have been told that activities could be housed elsewhere. That would put huge stress on the employees of all three departments, who would have to drive all over. We were told that people are being forced out of town because they can’t afford the taxes. I have talked to others who dispute this assertion. There are those who are demanding that the Parks and Rec Department and the COA&HS provide data proving the value of the project. This puts tremendous strain on the four full-time employees at the COA&HS. How can they do their real jobs if there is continuous demand that they prove their value? Perhaps those asking for and needing additional data could come and gather it themselves.
I attend many events at the COA&HS and before the pandemic, I was at the Rec Department taking classes twice every week.
I think it would really help those who question the value of this new building to take the time to attend classes and activities at both the COA&HS and the Rec Department. By attending programs/activities over time and talking to participants, you will see the real value of what is provided as well as some of the concerns about the current spaces. This can’t be done on a drop-in basis; one needs to spend time in order to fully experience the programs that are provided.
And there is so much more programing that could be provided. Off the top of my head I can think of five or six new classes that would be great — story telling, improvisation, sign language, Granny and Grandpa reading programs with little kids, support groups for struggling kids, tech support provide by the middle schoolers, self-defense, and much more. But we need a building with enough space to accommodate programming and to meet the needs of the hordes of baby boomers who are knocking at the door.
I do understand the concerns of people about costs, but if a building continues to be put on hold, or a new building can’t meet programming needs, what is the point? Costs will only go up and up. I don’t see them ever going down. Now is the time to seize the day and build something that everyone can be truly proud of. Lincoln is a town filled with creative and thoughtful minds. We need to work closely and collaboratively together to find a good solution to meet the needs of all!
Kindleberger is a Lincoln resident in North Commons.
“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.
Lincoln and others are working on waste reduction, but there’s a ways to go
Editor’s note: This is a follow-up piece to the “Where Does It All Go?” series published in the Lincoln Squirrel in August 2022. Links can be found at the bottom of this article.
By Alice Waugh
Lincoln is doing its part by recycling and composting diligently, but there’s always room for improvement to meet the state’s ambitious goals for reducing solid waste disposal — trash, recyclables, and everything in between.
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s 2030 Solid Waste Master Plan released in 2021 calls for reducing disposal statewide by 30% percent (from 5.7 million tons in 2018 to 4 million tons in 2030) by 2030 and sets a long-term goal of achieving a 90 percent reduction in disposal to 570,000 tons by 2050. To this end, MassDEP has been banning more items from the trash and encouraging composting, while recycling sorting facilities are working on reducing contamination and educating consumers about what and what not to recycle.
Residential waste by category that was processed by Wheelabrator/WIN Waste Innovations in North Andover in 2019 (top) and 2022.
Trash and what goes into it
There’s a long list of items that are not allowed to go into the trash, including construction and demolition materials (asphalt pavement, brick, concrete, clean gypsum wallboard and wood) as well as tires, large appliances, lead acid batteries, metal, yard waste, and cathode ray tubes in addition to recyclables. In November 2022, that list of banned materials was expanded to include mattresses, textiles, and commercial food from facilities and organizations generating more than one-half ton of those materials per week (down from the limit of one ton per week imposed in 2014)
The largest category of waste sent to municipal waste combustors (a.k.a. MWCs, incinerators, or waste-to-energy plants) is organic material — mostly food waste. However, the share of those organics in the waste stream for WIN Waste Innovations (formerly Wheelabrator) in North Andover, Lincoln’s trash handler, dropped sharply from 35.6% of the waste stream in 2019 to 24.8%, according to the report for 2022. This is at least in part due to the availability of grants through MassDEP’s Sustainable Materials Recovery Program that helps pay for compost bins and implement programs.
Under an agreement with Black Earth Compost, Lincoln began accepting compost at the transfer station in 2019 (the company also does curbside pickup and lists what is and isn’t compostable). The amounts dropped off each month rose consistently year over year until the first quarter of 2023, when the transfer station accepted 12 tons of compost — down from 14.5 tons in the first quarter of 2022, according to the Department of Public Works.
Source: Lincoln Department of Public Works
The state is also working to reduce food waste from small businesses and residents by fostering more development of community and drop-off composting programs as well as efficient models for curbside food waste collection.
Years ago, transfer stations in Lincoln and other towns used to take construction and demolition debris as bulky waste for incineration, but that material is no longer acceptable in the municipal waste stream. Some of it (along with recyclables) was still sneaking into the bulky waste container near the metals container at the transfer station, but since the container became accessible only with the help of a DPW employee, the amount of unacceptable materials has dropped, the DPW reported.
On the other hand, the percentage of construction and demolition debris collected by Waste Innovations in North Andover has increased from 11.4% to 18.8% of the materials total from 2019 to 2022 for reasons that are unclear. The Construction & Demolition Recycling Association and MassDEP provide information on managing debris, including where to dispose of it.
The state monitors the loads sent to MWCs can levy fines on towns that include too many unacceptable items. In the past year, four municipalities — Arlington, Boston, Natick, and Quincy — have been warned though not fined by MassDEP for having recyclable cardboard in their trash, according to MassDEP spokesman Ed Coletta. Cambridge (mattress/box springs) and Watertown (mattresses and tires) were also warned.
Burning vs. burying
Back in the day, most garbage was sent to a landfill or burned in open fires, both of which had (and still have) drawbacks. Like many densely populated parts of the country, Massachusetts began running out of space for landfills, which also released greenhouse gases such as methane into the atmosphere, as well as other pollutants into the ground and water. MassDEP has closed all unlined landfills and requires the remaining few to close when they reach capacity. Most of the state’s trash now goes to MWCs via transfer stations or private haulers. Today it has only 16 active landfills, and three of those accept only ash and other waste left over from MWC combustion.
Those facilities are about half as energy-efficient as modern natural gas power plants, with an electrical efficiency of approximately 24% vs. 50%, Coletta said. “The electrical efficiency of a MWC is lower primarily due to the fuel type (i.e., solid waste) that has less energy content (for example, less carbon and greater water content) than natural gas,” he explained. Like landfills, MWCs emit pollutants, although they are regulated by MassDEP and the federal government to ensure they do not “pose significant risks to public health or the environment,” though the agency notes that it’s not possible to completely eliminate emissions from combustion.
As alternatives to incineration for nonrecyclable plastic, gasification and pyrolysis (heating in the absence of oxygen to produce hydrocarbons to make more plastic or fuel oil) are being explored, but there are challenging costs and drawbacks. Pyrolysis still produces carbon dioxide and other atmospheric pollutants, and it is energy-intensive, sometimes requiring even more energy than it yields. The mixture of different types of plastic and contaminants being pyrolyzed is also a problem.
“There’s too many types,” said Jen Dell, a chemical engineer, in a 2022 Chemical Engineering News article. “There are too many additives. You can’t recycle them all together, and separating them out defies the second law of thermodynamics. It is just impossible to reorder all these plastics once they’ve been put into a curbside bin.” Finally, some also point out that pyrolysis does nothing to reduce dependence on plastics, since it only produces more plastic.
For cities and towns today, “the question of whether landfills or municipal waste combustion facilities is a complicated question – each has its pros and cons. Our focus in our 2030 Solid Waste Master Plan is to reduce the amount of waste that is disposed overall, whether it is disposed of at an in-state landfill, in-state combustion facility, or out-of-state landfill,” Coletta said.
In a welcome twist that was unforeseen when polluting landfills were filling up and closing, some capped landfills such as Lincoln’s are now being turned over as sites for solar panels. Lincoln has hired a firm to install a solar installation atop the landfill across from the transfer station that could eventually generate enough electricity to power all town-owned buildings excluding the schools.
Recycling
As always, the best approach to reducing overall waste is a combination of the “five Rs”: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Rot. (“Refuse” means saying no to disposable single-use plastic, coffee cups, utensils, straws, shopping bags, food packaging, and anything else you could replace with a reusable or compostable option.) Even though it’s listed as #4, recycling — in particular, single-stream recycling — is probably the most familiar strategy.
As noted in the Lincoln Squirrel last year, Lincoln’s recycling rate (the proportion of recyclables diverted from the trash) since 2012 has averaged about 40%, which is slightly better than the statewide average of 33% but well below world-leading cities including San Francisco, Seattle, and Los Angeles in the U.S., which recycle or divert about 80 percent of their waste from landfills and MWCs.
Lincoln sends its single-stream recycling to Waste Management in Billerica for sorting and sale. A group of residents from the Green Energy Committee and Mothers Out Front visited the facility in February 2023 to learn how the process works and made this two-minute video. But they still had some unanswered questions, so the Lincoln Squirrel talked to Chris Lucarelle, Waste Management’s Area Director for Recycling Operations. Here are his replies:
Is it correct to say that anything stamped with #1, #2 or #5 is recyclable?
We prefer that we say “plastic bottles, jars, tubs and lids” rather than numbers.
Can other household items made of plastic be recycled along with cans, bottles, etc.? For example, plastic toys/chairs/buckets, reusable plastic kitchenware?
Not kitchenware, but we do separate items like buckets and crates that are bales and sold as a bulky rigid plastic grade.
What happens to nonrecyclable plastic? Can it be sold for pyrolysis or some other use, or does it all get sent to the incinerator?
We are working on solutions for those miscellaneous plastics but we’re not quite there yet.
How big a problem is contamination of recyclable plastics with nonrecyclable types or other things?
Because we sort all of our plastics optically, we are able to make bales of just PET or HDPE [#1 and #2] without contaminating the batch. To keep plastics out of the paper when sorting, we are now automating our paper lines with optical sorters to extract any plastic that found its way into the stream. Sometimes it’s usable flattened containers that can be recovered and sometimes it’s film and pouches that ends up with the residue.
Do you expect to be able to accept black plastic as a recyclable material any time soon?
Some of our facilities have the technology today to recover black plastic, but not all facilities yet.
Aside from “tanglers” (plastic bags, wire, rope, hoses, etc.) that jam the machines, what do you often see in the recycling stream that should not be there?
Small camping propane tanks and lithium ion batteries, both of which are a fire hazard.
What about small metal household items other than cans such as old saucepans, metal pipes, tools, or other small hardware?
This type of scrap metal tends to jam in our equipment or risks injury to our workers. Scrap metal should not be placed in a curbside bin.
Are empty plastic medicine bottles considered trash?
Yes — plastics smaller than two inches in any dimension should not go in the recycling bin. This includes loose plastic bottle caps, which tend to fall through the equipment at recycling processing facilities (put caps back on bottles before recycling).
I hear that small Fancy Feast-type cat food cans should not be part of single stream recycling – why?
They are often lined with plastic.
Is shredded paper OK?
Many of our MRFs [materials recovery facilities] accept shredded paper from commercial sources as an independent stream. When it is placed in the single-stream bins, it ends up contaminating the glass.
(Belinda Gingrich, who was part of the tour by Lincolnites, also noted that shredded paper and small scraps “fly about like confetti. Any paper smaller than two inches on a side will most likely get lost in the system and end up in the trash containers that reside under the conveyor belts.”)
More information about recycling:
- Recyclopedia (created by Recycle Smart MA, a program funded by MassDEP), where you can look up almost anything to find out whether you can put it in your recycling bin. For items that aren’t allowed, the site also suggests other means of disposal, such as Beyond the Bin.
- Recycling 101 from Waste Management, which sorts the recyclables from Lincoln and other area towns
- The Lincoln transfer station
- The “Where does it all go” series in the Lincoln Squirrel from 2022:
Police log for June 5–14, 2023
June 5
South Commons (5:52 a.m.) — Officers assisted an outside agency in making contact with a party who turned out to be in a different town.
Hanscom Drive (9:36 a.m.) — A two-car crash occurred at the intersection of Hanscom Drive and Old Bedford Road. The first vehicle was turning left onto Old Bedford Road after stopping at the stop sign. A vehicle traveling west on Old Bedford Road about to turn south on Hanscom Drive was then struck by the first vehicle. The operator of the first vehicle was issued a citation for failing to yield at an Intersection. Both vehicles were driven from the scene.
Trapelo Road (3:44 p.m.) — Police received a report of approximately six people fishing at the Cambridge Reservoir. The parties were advised about the fishing restriction and sent on their way.
Trapelo Road (5:56 p.m.) — A teenager was reportedly fishing in the Cambridge Reservoir. An officer arrived and observed the individual packing up after realizing fishing was prohibited.
Sudbury Street, Maynard (7:19 p.m.) — The Lincoln Fire Department responded to the town of Maynard for station coverage due to a working fire.
June 6
Hanscom Drive, Gate 1 Area (4:22 a.m.) — Lincoln officers assisted Hanscom Air Force Base security in attempting to locate an individual suspected in connection with a house break who had left the base. Hanscom security subsequently located Analea Doan, 21, of 82 Brick Kiln Road in Chelmsford and arrested her on two outstanding warrants. In addition, she was charged with assault and battery on a household member, breaking and entering during the nighttime, and malicious destruction of property.. Lincoln police were called a second time at 5:32 a.m. after she had been taken into custody by Hanscom security on base due to her civilian status. She had no affiliation with the Air Force or any other branch of the military at the time of her arrest.
North Great Road (7:56 a.m.) — Police received a report of a cow loose on Route 2A by the Concord town line. The Minute Man National Historical Park police were notified.
Sandy Pond Road (8:31 p.m.) — Police received a report of several people fishing at Flint’s Pond. The area was checked but there were no parties located.
June 7
Winter Street (12:04 p.m.) — Domestic incident involving assault and battery; details withheld for victim privacy.
Sedgemeadow Road, Wayland (4:00 p.m.) — Lincoln police responded to the town of Wayland to assist in the search of a missing person. Approximately 15 minutes later, the person was located.
Concord Road (4:41 p.m.) — Police responded to a report of a suspicious motor vehicle. The area was checked but no vehicles were located.
June 8
Thoreau Institute, Baker Farm Road (12:12 p.m.) — An individual requested guidance related to an ongoing incident.
Tower Road (1:50 p.m.) — Officers responded to the residence for a dispute between two individuals.
Garland Road (3:01 p.m.) — An individual came to the station to speak with an officer about an ongoing issue.
June 9
Old Bedford Road (1:55 a.m.) — An abandoned unoccupied vehicle left on the side of the road was awaiting a tow truck.
Virginia Road (4:17 p.m.) — Concord police notified Lincoln police that they would be conducting a well-being check on an individual walking on Virginia Road. The party was fine.
June 10
Virginia Road (7:00 p.m.) — Police received a report of an individual in distress. Police arrived and identified the party, who refused any assistance once back at their residence.
Sunnyside Lane (9:10 p.m.) — Police responded to a minor two-vehicle crash and assisted the parties with exchanging information.
June 11
Baker Bridge Road (10:59 p.m.) — A cyclist called police to report being grazed by a passing vehicle. An officer was in close proximity and was able to stop the suspected vehicle. The operator of the vehicle was unaware they had made contact with a cyclist. The cyclist was uninjured and requested that the operator be made aware of the incident. Officers spoke with all parties involved. The motorist was advised of the 4-foot distance afforded to cyclists when passing.
Lincoln Road (4:29 p.m.) — A caller reported two small children appeared to be walking unattended on Lincoln Road. An officer was in the area and saw that an adult was approximately 20 yards behind the children.
Stratford Way (8:31 p.m.) — An individual spoke with an officer regarding disturbing unsolicited text messages.
June 12
Route 117, canoe landing parking lot (2:25 a.m.) — An officer performed a site check discovered a vehicle parked unattended.
Wells Road (4:15 p.m.) — An officer gave court paperwork to an individual.
June 13
Trapelo Road (7:16 a.m.) — An officer discovered a minor motor vehicle crash while en route to another call. The operators had already exchanged paperwork.
Trapelo Road (9:13 a.m.) — An officer spoke to two operators regarding a road rage incident on Old Sudbury Road. As a result, one of the vehicle operators was cited for a marked lanes violation.
Brooks Hill Road (10:14 a.m.) — The Fire Department responded to a residence for a fire alarm activation. The cause of the alarm turned out to be burnt food.
The Commons of Lincoln (4:09 p.m.) — Registry of Motor Vehicles paperwork was served in hand.
Birchwood Lane (6:53 p.m.) — An individual spoke to an officer regarding a scam involving the fraudulent use of gift cards.
Minuteman Technical High School (11:25 p.m.) — A motorist reported being locked in the school parking lot. They were freed a short time later.
June 14
Tower Road (2:15 p.m.) — A runner and motorist had a verbal confrontation. A police officer spoke with both parties.
Morningside Lane (4:01 p.m.) — An individual spoke to an officer regarding a possible scam.
Wells Road (8:01 p.m.) — An individual spoke to an officer regarding an ongoing incident.
My Turn: CCBC meetings focus on building size and parking lot
By Lynne Smith
One of the reasons many of us suggested looking at other buildings in town to host programs for seniors was to reduce the size of buildings required on the small Hartwell campus. The space there is precious, especially the green space that hosts the approximately 150 children at LEAP and Magic Garden. Concerns about the size of the buildings and the location of the parking lot were discussed at both the June 13 public forum and the June 14 regular CCBC meeting.
At the public forum, ICON architect Ned Collier presented five site plans illustrating five cost levels. The plans included a variety of buildings: a new two-story building, a new one-story building, and renovations of existing pods. All plans required removal of the existing parking lot and a new one installed at the back of the building. All plans included the same cost of $3.5 million for site work. (Full description of the plans and the meeting included in the Lincoln Squirrel on June 14 and on the Lincoln Community Center website.)
Committee members and public attendees were seeing these plans for the first time and it was a lot to take in. I appreciated the printed version provided to those of us attending in person. For the 35 people on line, it must have been difficult to process so much information. Collier cautioned us that these were not “designs” but site plans.
For those of us who were hoping for a viable low-cost option, the site plan labeled 2A was a good start. The plan called for housing programs in 10,000 square feet located in total renovation of pods A and B. Many in town believe that 9,000 to 10,000 square feet is sufficient for accommodating all the “needed” programs. However, as with all five plans, the parking lot behind the building came at the expense of the green space. Parents of children at LEAP and Magic Garden expressed concern as they realized what the loss of the playing areas would mean to the 150 after-school and 120 preschool children.
At the June 14 meeting, CCBC Chair Sarah Chester announced the agenda as a discussion of the comments from the forum the night before. Instead, committee members spent over an hour discussing the siting of the parking lot but did not reach a consensus decision. The discussion was important, but it should have been conducted in a working group weeks ago with ICON providing topography and other technical information.
The parking discussion delayed a topic that was at the core of the comments at the public forum: the attendance data that supports the required square footage. COA Director Abby Butt has provided a great deal of data but it does not include numbers for “actual attendance.” Serious people in Lincoln are asking for this data because they don’t want to support a building that is larger than required. Susan Taylor commented that this information is critical for answering community questions about the actual size required to meet program needs. Peter von Mertens suggested that these numbers be gathered for COA programs. (PRD attendance data has already been posted on the CCBC website.) Jonathan Dwyer volunteered to help Butt develop these numbers and bring them back to the committee in the next week or two. Collier said that ICON needed confidence that this number was solid for final development of the schematic design.
In the last few minutes of the meeting as it opened to the public, Dennis Picker read a prepared set of comments about ways to reduce the amount of “shared space” by utilizing existing town-owned buildings. He had carefully looked at the programs listed for the COA and concluded that about 1,500 square feet of space could be saved by having several regular programs at the Pierce House and Bemis Hall. Locating these programs off site would mean that a 9,000-to-10,000-square-foot option on the Hartwell campus would not leave out valuable programs. He also proposed minimizing the amount of area devoted to lobby, reception area, and waiting rooms.
We need to consider carefully Picker’s suggestion, COA attendance data, and the location of the parking lot. I believe there is an opportunity to put a new building on the existing footprint of Pod A and leave the parking lot where it is. We could then do a slight remodel of Pod B so it could continue to be used for the maintenance facility and COA and PRD programs. That will save the wonderful green space and play areas at the back of the building. If the parking lot is undisturbed, we might not have to worry about the wetlands setback and the site work would be minimized. A walkway to the Brooks Gym parking lot could be used for additional parking.
The committee will have one more meeting in June to confirm the attendance data, square footage required, and site plans so ICON can proceed with design over the summer. CCBC will schedule one meeting in July and one in August with ICON. These meetings will be posted on the community center website. As always, I urge everyone in town to participate in these meetings before we make a final decision on the community center.
“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.
News acorns
Bells to ring Monday after for Juneteenth
At its May 22 meeting, the Lincoln Select Board reaffirmed Lincoln’s recognition of Monday, June 19 as “Juneteenth” in Lincoln. The proclamation shares some history of the Juneteenth holiday and underscores the Town’s commitment to “using our voices and resources to protect the rights of all residents, students, employees, and visitors to participate fully in the life of our community.” In recognition of the important events of June 1865, the Select Board voted to issue a proclamation and to arrange for the ringing of church bells throughout the community on Monday at 4 p.m.
New three-year teacher contract ratified
The Lincoln Educators Association and the Lincoln School Committee have ratified/approved the Collective Bargaining Agreement that will be in effect September 1, 2023 through August 31, 2026. One outcome of the new agreement is that the start date for all students will now be Thursday, August 31, 2023. The School Committee approved a revised 2023-2024 calendar adjusted to conform to the negotiated agreement to move a teacher development day from the end of the year to before the start of school for students. Meet and Greets — particularly for younger children — may be scheduled on August 29 or 30.
Lincoln students honored
Katherine Mountz and Anaysha Benalfew recently graduated from the Nashoba Brooks School.
Katherine Mountz and Anaysha Benalfew graduated from the Nashoba Brooks School (a coed lower school for preK-3 and an all-girls middle school for grades 4-8 in Concord) on June 9. Also, Robert Reiter and Kellie Snyder were Dean’s List students at North Shore Community College in spring 2023.
LincFam hosts Grownups Night Out
All are welcome to join LincFam to celebrate summer solstice at another Grownups’ Night Out on Tuesday, June 27 from 8–10 p.m. at the Codman Community Farms market. LincFam will provide the drinks and snacks For $10 per person payable at the event or Venmo @LincFam. Click here to RSVP.
Session on town’s Climate Action Plan
The town is kicking off the summer review period of the Climate Action Plan and all are welcome at a virtual event on Thursday, June 29 from 7–8 p.m. Join us to learn more about the plan and the strategies to reduce carbon emissions and increase our community’s resilience to climate change impacts that came from the planning process. Interpretation services will be available in Spanish, Mandarin, and Russian. Click here to register. Questions? Email Assistant Director of Planning and Land Use Jennifer Curtin at curtinj@lincolntown.org.
Check out electric vehicles on July 4
CFREE (Carbon Free Residential, Everything Electric), a working group of the Green Energy Committee, is sponsoring an electric vehicle display with various models and at least one dealer on Tuesday, July 4 after the parade at the Pierce House Boy Scout barbeque. If you have an EV you’d would like to show off, please email Colette Sizer at cfreeworking@gmail.com.
Barn Buddies for kids at Codman
Kids ages 5-8 are invited to enroll in Barn Buddies at Codman Community Farms held on four Wednesdays starting July 5. With a crew of trained youth farmer guides, kids will learn about the farm’s pasture-raised chickens and their eggs, visit the pigs and cows, work in the market garden, pick and arrange flowers, etc. Dress in work clothes and close-toed shoes and prepare to get dirty. Sessions meet rain or shine. Session 1 is on July 5, 12, 19, and 16 from 10:30–12 p.m. Session 2 is August 2, 9, 16, and 23 from 10:30–12 p.m. You can also sign up for individual classes. Click here for more information and registration.
Lincoln schools pay tribute to retiring Superintendent Becky McFall
Members of the Lincoln Public Schools Step Team put on a show to show their appreciation for Dr. McFall.
Over 200 people came to a July 8 gathering to express their gratitude for outgoing Superintendent of Schools Becky McFall’s leadership of the school district through multiple building projects and Covid. Past teachers, administrators, and community members joined current staff and friends to celebrate Dr. McFall’s tenure at the Lincoln Public Schools.
The event started off with a performance by the LPS Step Team of students from Hanscom and Lincoln led by METCO Director Marika Hamilton. The steppers displayed their art form of making a capella-style beats with their body to create an experience that brings together dance, music, and community. They entered the Learning Commons wearing gray wigs and chanting “Will the real Dr. McFall please stand up, please stand up, please stand up!” They performed several dances including “Joyful” and were encouraged by loud audience applause.
The plaque noting that the Learning Commons have been named after McFall.
Those who paid tribute to McFall with heartfelt words, smiles and tears included Matt Reed and Blake Siskavich (co-presidents of the Lincoln Educators Association), Hanscom Middle School Principal Erich Ledebuhr, Director of Educational Operations and Technology Rob Ford, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Jess Rose, Col. Taona Enriquez and Chief Master Sgt. Alan Weary of Hanscom Air Force Base, and past School Committee chairs Jennifer Glass, Tim Christenfeld, and Tara Mitchell.
The current School Committee capped off the evening by presenting Becky with a pillow quilted by Lincoln resident Dilla Tingley and surprised Becky by informing her that the Learning Commons will be named after her. John MacLachlan, Chair of the School Committee unveiled a brass plaque that commemorates the McFall Learning Commons.
Dr. McFall is retiring this summer and Dr. Parry Graham will become the new superintendent as of July 1.
Architects unveil cost estimates for community center
The five community center site options and costs from ICON Architects (click to enlarge).
At a June 13 public forum, architects presented five basic site designs for a community center that satisfy the three cost parameters approved by residents in November 2022 — but some residents were disappointed in some features of the lower-cost options.
All five concepts call for 60 parking spaces behind the “solar-ready” community center (a solar PV canopy would be installed as part of a separate project). Site work is expected to cost $3.5 million regardless of how the buildings and parking are configured. The figures include site work, construction and “soft costs” (professional fees, owner’s contingency, furniture and equipment, etc.) as explained in the presentation that will be posted soon on the Community Center Building Committee website.
Option 1 (the “100% option”) come to $22.6 million and includes a new two-story building to replace pods A and C, a new maintenance building, and a renovated pod B. Options 1A, 1B and 2 are $16.7 to $18 million, while Option 2A would cost $11.3 million. The four options at 50% and 75% would require some combination of less new construction, not renovating one of the pods, and/or fewer total square feet for programming for Parks and Recreation and the Council on Aging and Human Services.
The price points were set as percentages of a $25 million estimate for two concepts developed by Mary Ann Thomson Architects in 2018. Those concepts were estimated to cost $15.2 million to $16.2 million in 2018 dollars. In 2021, that figure was revised upward by cost estimators to $25.4 million in 2025 dollars. However, Ned Collier of ICON Architects reported that his firm’s cost estimators looked again at the 2018 concepts and determined that they would cost about $30 million today, partly because construction costs have risen by around 8% annually rather than the projected 5%.
“Materials and labor and labor have greatly increased over the intervening years,” he said.
Only Option 1 includes a new maintenance building on the Hartwell campus, which would add about $1 million to the price tags for options 1a, 1B, 2, and 2A. “We ask the town to consider whether this is the highest and best use [as a] large percentage of the project cost,” Collier said. But he got immediate pushback.
“A maintenance building is a must — you can’t not include that in the cost,” said Susan Taylor, the School Committee’s representative on the CCBC.”You can’t just lop off part of this project and say we’ll think about maintenance another day.”
“I’m discouraged that you dispensed with a function that’s currently being provided” in part of pod B, said Buck Creel, former Administrator for Business and Finance for the Lincoln Public Schools. Collier responded that the structure could be added to any of the other options, which (except for option 1A) are “below [cost] targets by a sufficient amount.”
Other residents at the forum were worried about losing the possibility of not renovating the LEAP pods (Options 1A, 1B and 2A) or losing program space. Option 2 would deduct 1,000 square feet, while option 2A would remove 3,000 square feet.
“This doesn’t have enough space for the programs we already have,” said Parks & Recreation Commission member Rob Stringer. “I’m concerned that Lincoln is selling itself short.”
He also noted that if some of the programs of the COA&HS and Park & Rec (which is headquartered in pod C) were to remain in Bemis Hall and an unrenovated pod C respectively, the cost to renovate those buildings would have to be figured in. Collier estimated that a standalone renovation of any of the pods (which would include bringing it up to current building code) would cost $3 million.
If square footage is removed for the COA&HS as per Options 2 and 2A , “what are Abby [Butt, COA&HS director] and her team expected to do?” Select Board member Km Bodnar said. “If you’re building a building that’s shrinking but adding services [over time], how does that make sense if we’re using this building for the next 30 years? I understand the price points but I don’t think we are going in a realistic direction by decreasing the size.”
“More people will be coming,” said resident Wendy Kusik, noting that as the town’s population ages, the need for COA&HS will only increase over time.
Taylor said she had thought before the forum that the three price opinions would deliver the same programming. “What programs or services are we eliminating?” she asked.
“I shared your hope that we would be able to fit the [full] program in each of the scenarios, but changes in the market are really preventing that,” Collier said, adding that “this exercise is cost-driven” and the architects are not taking a position.
There was still some sentiment to scale back the community center size and/or locate some services in other buildings in town. “Do we really need 13,000 square feet? I don’t think so. The rooms we designed are way too big,” said resident David Cuetos.
Over the summer, ICON will flesh out the options with some design detail in preparation for a presentation and charrette at the State of the Town meeting on September 30. Residents will choose a preferred option at a Special Town Meeting on December 2 and then vote to authorize a spending measure at Annual Meeting and at the ballot box in March 2024.