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

My Turn: CCBC has reduced space but questions remain about cost

By Lynne Smith

At its May 17 meeting, CCBC and ICON Architecture claimed they reduced the space needed for a new building by 8,000 square feet compared to the space proposed in 2018 by Maryann Thompson Architects. ICON’s Ned Collier said the current program is “going in the direction of 75%” of the 2022 cost option of $25 million. They will “reduce programming for a 50% option” and also provide a 100% option at the June 13 meeting before the summer hiatus.   

In my opinion, and based on those expressed in the CCBC survey results, the upper amounts are unlikely to win approval at any Town Meeting and are surely a waste of time for the committee and the architects. A 50% option for a new building would cost $12.5 million and that may be more than most will want.

Also at the May 17 meeting, ICON presented a chart showing 6,700 square feet of space to be shared among COA/HS, PRD, LEAP (the after-school program), and Magic Garden (the pre-school program). While the chart showed many activities for an average week, there was a great deal of space that was not accounted for — shown as FT (Free Time) on the chart — and other blocks of time that were inexplicable, such as the five hours in the kitchen spent for Meals on Wheels. The chart also indicated the maximum number each room would hold, not the number who actually have attended. I was not convinced of the need for this much space, much less the additional unshared space required for administration, LEAP, support and maintenance, which totals around 11,000 square feet. I assume the shared-space chart and the description of unshared space will soon be available on the CCBC website.

Many participants suggested using existing town spaces for programming. Dan Pereira explained that CCBC was not considering using any buildings that were not town-owned. This surprised many of us who are aware that Lincoln and other towns happily use churches and schools for senior and youth programming, and some suggested that leasing privately owned buildings could work very well. As one of the amenders of the 2022 vote, I was surprised to learn that “only town-owned buildings” were being considered.

The April CCBC survey results, including free-form comments, are now available on the CCBC website. These comments reveal much about the mood of the town: questions about the need for a community center and the location, but primarily questions about cost. I asked that the CCBC respond to these comments at the upcoming public forums. If they do not, I fear many residents will simply tune out and vote against any expenditure.

On Tuesday, May 23, CCBC will hold another public forum at 7 p.m. in the Hartwell multipurpose room and on Zoom. ICON will show visuals of the spaces required, not just charts. I urge everyone to attend to learn about this project in time to affect the outcome. We need to make our voices heard about the cost and value of a 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.

May 23 community center forum on site planning, cost implications

The Community Center Building Committee (CCBC) will hold its next public forum on Tuesday, May 23 at 7 p.m. in the Hartwell multipurpose room to go over site development issues and their cost implications. Click here for the Zoom link.

Based on information from ICON Architects that was shared at the April 25 forum, the 75% cost option would be “acceptable [and] replicates what we have now” in terms of programming space, Town Administrator Tim Higgins said at the May 8 Select Board meeting. The 50% option will mean less money to spend on site development, meaning that there will be tradeoffs to evaluate in terms of things like the building’s distance from wetlands and neighbors, the amount of green space that can be preserved, the need to relocate parking, the site regrading required, etc. Shrinking certain spaces or eliminating some programs may be necessary to meet the 50% option cost.

ICON is developing design options at 50%, 75%, and 100% of the latest cost estimate of $26 million as directed by residents in November 2022. The 75% and 50% options would amount to $19.5 million and $13 million, respectively.

If some activities now slated for the community center are instead kept in their current locations to reduce building costs, “the 50% option better do a good job of doing that,” board member Jim Hutchinson said. The architects are “not putting that out there only because [they’re] required to provide it; they want it to be a feasible option.”

Even if there were no new construction, it will cost about $2 million for each of the three Hartwell pods to “bring them up to code and put them in suitable condition for [long-term] use,” Higgins said. One cost-saving possibility might be simply updating and linking two of the pods and adding a connector between them, he added.

Over summer, the architects will refine the three options and present them on September 30 at a hybrid charette/State of the Town Meeting. A Special Town Meeting to select a preferred option will be held in November or early December.

Last week, the CCBC noted on its website that ICON, the Parks and Recreation Department, and the Council on Aging and Human Services “have made significant progress in scaling down the building program to include only proven program needs. The original 2018 project, which included both program needs and wants, was approximately 23,000 sq ft (plus another 7,000 sq ft of renovated space for LEAP and the school maintenance program). To date, we’ve scaled the building program down to just under 17,000 sq ft, and continue to look for more efficiencies. This will form the basis of the needs program, and is shaping up to become our 75% option (still including the other 7,000 sq ft of renovated space for LEAP and school maintenance program). From there, we can work our way down to a 50% option and back up to a higher-end option.”

News acorns

Retirement celebration for Becky McFall

The Lincoln School Committee invites all residents to a retirement celebration for Dr. Becky McFall on Thursday, June 8 from 4–7 p.m. in the Lincoln School Learning Commons and courtyards to honor her more than 30 years of dedication to public education and her 11 years of service as Superintendent of Schools. 

The school is collecting photos and video tributes to Dr. McFall that will be shown during the event and given to her upon her retirement. Click here to submit a photo or video (30 seconds maximum). The program will begin at 5 p.m. Please RSVP by Monday, May 22. Light hors d’oeuvres and beverages; casual attire.

No school district funds are being used for this event. If you would like to make a non-deductible contribution, please send via Venmo to “Tara-Mitchell-365” or mail a check to Tara Mitchell, 67 Sandy Pond Rd., Lincoln MA 01773. Any funds left over after the celebration will be donated to the school building project.

School project on Lincoln trails

Four eighth-grade students are doing a project looking at use of Lincoln trails. Click here to take their survey. 

A deCordova history tour: Julian and Lizzie

Have a peek into the fascinating lives, vision, and grand accomplishments of Julian deCordova and Elizabeth “Lizzie” Dana deCordova, whose dream of a “castle on a hill” became their home and later a museum and sculpture park. On Sunday, May 21 from 10–11:30 a.m., we’ll tour the building outside and inside to discover unusual architectural features, changes over the years, hear some fun and interesting stories, and discuss some of the sculptures that are important to deCordova’s history. The cost is $12 for members and $20 for nonmembers (free for children). Click here to learn more and register.

Concerts at deCordova 

An Evening of Jazz and Julia
Thursday, May 25 at 5 p.m.
Mezzo-Soprano Vanessa Schukis portrays culinary icon Julia Child in composer Lee Hoiby’s Bon Appétit. Schukis will keep the audience laughing with her fast-paced performance of Julia Child in this 25-minute one-act operetta, accompanied by pianist Scott Nicholas. The concert takes place in the Dewey Family Hall at deCordova. Click here to buy tickets.

Gracie Curran & the High Falutin’ Band
Wednesday, May 31 at 6 p.m.
With their unique blend of blues, soul, jazz and Americana, the band is a musical melting pot that will take you on a journey through the human condition that’s inspiring, at times hilarious, and authentically heartfelt. The concert takes place on Linda’s Lawn (indoors in case of rain) so bring chairs and blankets. Click here to buy tickets.

Ash & Eric
Wednesday, June 14 at 6 p.m.
This folk duo writes songs that reflect the hope and pain we all experience, sung in voices as vulnerable and honest as their lyrics. Their songs feel like a warm welcome, a shoulder to lean on, and a hand to hold at the end of a long day. The concert takes place on Linda’s Lawn (indoors in case of rain) so bring chairs and blankets. Click here to buy tickets.

Correction

In the May 17 article headlined “Watering limited to one day a week as town works to repair leaks,” the word “not” was missing in the second-to-last paragraph. It should have read:

Though the old pipe’s contents are not counted as part of Lincoln’s water usage, “it is water we’re losing from Flint’s Pond and we’re eager to get it fixed,” said LaFalam, adding that the Water Department hopes to get it fixed this spring or summer.”

The story has been updated, and a photo and video have also been added.

Watering limited to one day a week as town works to repair leaks

One of the burbling leaks off Deerhaven Road shot about a month ago. Click here or on image to see a short video of the same leak shot earlier this week during a dry spell.

Editor’s note: This article has been superseded by updated information — see “Water Dept. clarifies: Outdoor watering is OK two days a week” (May 23, 3013).

As of May 1, Lincoln homeowners are allowed to do outdoor watering on only one day a week — mainly because the town does not comply with water usage guidelines due to ongoing leaks, among other reasons.

The Mass. Department of Environmental Protection adjusts summer watering rules every year depending on the drought condition, which is currently Stage 0 (no drought). Normally this would correspond with Stage 1 for Lincoln (no restrictions on watering), but the town is required to set its watering limit one level higher than the state’s because of its noncompliance — thus, Stage 2.

Last year, Stage 2 meant watering was restricted to two days a week, but MassDEP just released new rules reducing that to one day a week before 9 a.m. and after 5 p.m., although watering ornamentals and flower gardens with drip irrigation, hand-held house or watering cans is permitted any time. The change is so new that the state and town websites have not yet been updated with the latest information, according to Water Department Superintendent Darin LaFalam.

In recent years, Lincoln has been in violation at various times of three state water usage guidelines by exceeding:

  • the 0.53 mgd (million gallons per day) average withdrawal from the Charles River watershed allowed by its Water Management Act permit
  • the 65 gallon-a-day per capita target
  • the state goal of having less than 10% of water unaccounted for as a result of leaks in town mains and on private property between mains and individual homes

The three problems are tied together and are caused not just by residents using too much water in their homes and gardens, but because of water loss due to non-metered use and leaks — many of which have been going on for years. Some are hard to find because they’re underground and special equipment is needed to locate them.

“We’ve been working hard to reduce our unaccounted-for water,” LaFalam said. “We have gone to leak detection surveys twice a year, compared to the industry standard of once every two years. Our unaccounted-for water dropped from 26% in 2021 to a preliminary 5% in 2022,” though MassDEP is still reviewing that report, he added.

In 2022, Lincoln’s water use met the 0.53 mgd limit, though the average residential gallons per capita per day (RGPCD) was 73 mgd, compared to the DEP goal of 65 mgd, LaFalam said. “We did find some large leaks in 2022 and expect this number to be lower in the future, particularly with town residents’ cooperation with water conservation. The better we do on the unaccounted-for water, the lower the average daily water use will be and the lower the RGPCD will be.

“I think the leaks repaired last year go a long way towards reaching the three guidelines listed,” he added. “Continued vigilance with leak detection is also necessary. We recently fixed a ‘small’ leak on Brooks Hill Road that we estimate had leaked over 1 million gallons of water so far this year. We are also trying to get homeowners to repair leaking service lines as quickly as possible.”

The town’s water mains are very old and frequently spring new leaks. Some of the more dramatic leaks — though they don’t contribute to the unaccounted-for water — are in several places along a century-old disused clay pipe that once carried water from Flint’s Pond to Concord.

After a rainstorm, the leak creates an eight-inch-high “geyser” that’s loud enough to hear from the road about 100 feet away, but burbles above ground constantly even in dry weather, according to one resident who lives near the pipe south of Deerhaven Road close to Mill Brook. The resident said there are multiple leaks in the area that provide enough water for kids to play in during the summer, and that they’ve been going on for years.

Though the old pipe’s contents are not counted as part of Lincoln’s water usage, “it is water we’re losing from Flint’s Pond and we’re eager to get it fixed,” said LaFalam, adding that the Water Department hopes to get it fixed this spring or summer.

Asked whether the state might loosen its requirements over time as the population grows, he noted it was quite the opposite. “MassDEP will not get more relaxed when it comes to conservation. They are getting more and more strict, as evidenced by the Stage 1 water conservation level being reduced from two days outdoor watering per week to one day,” he said.

Correction

The hours for the eighth-grade car wash on Saturday, May 20 (rain date: May 21) have changed. It will now be held from 8 a.m–2 p.m., not 10 a.m.–3 p.m, as originally reported in the May 15 edition of News acorns. That post and calendar listing have been updated.

News acorns

Eighth-grade car wash on Saturday

The Lincoln School eighth grade will hold a car wash on Sunday, May 21 from 8 a.m.–2 p.m. at Town Hall to benefit their graduation activities. The cost is $20 though any donation will be accepted. You can pay on site using cash, PayPal or Venmo, or prepay with PayPal by clicking here.

Survivorship and disability panel discussion

The Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable will host a panel via Zoom on domestic violence survivors with disabilities on Tuesday, May 23 at 6:30 p.m. The event, held in partnership with the Sudbury Commission on Disability, will feature a program coordinator from IMPACT Boston, an attorney from the Women’s Bar Foundation, and a survivor advocate from Boston Center for Independent Living. They’ll highlight some of the challenges in seeking services as well as ways to support survivors with disabilities. ASL interpretation and closed captioning will be provided. Click here to register.

Lincoln Dems to caucus on June 4

The Democratic Town Committee will hold a caucus to elect delegates to the 2023 Massachusetts Democratic Party Convention (to be held on September 23 in person in Lowell) on Sunday, June 4 at 2 p.m. at Bemis Hall. Doors open at 1:30 and close at 2:15 sharp, as required by Massachusetts Democratic Committee rules. Five delegate and four alternates will be elected to represent Lincoln at the 2023 Massachusetts Democratic Party Convention. All registered Lincoln Democrats are eligible not only to vote and be a delegate. Democrats who will be 16 by May 23, 2023 may pre-register for the caucus and participate and run as a delegate or alternate to the convention, although they are not eligible to vote in general elections until they are 18. Youth, minorities, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ individuals who are not elected as a delegate or alternate are encouraged to apply to be an add-on delegate to the caucus at the caucus or by visiting or at www.massdems.org/massdems-convention.

CCF marks 50th birthday with benefit dinner

Codman Community Farms will celebrate its 50th birthday at “An Evening in the Field” on Thursday, June 8 from 6–9:30 p.m. The adults-only event starts with cocktails and passed hors d’oeuvres followed by a multi-course plated dinner at a long communal table nestled in the fields surrounded by fruit trees and gardens. Tom Fosnot and Ruth-Anne Adams of The Hyve, will serve a menu almost exclusively made of Codman-grown ingredients: vegetables and herbs from the gardens, eggs from their chickens, and protein from their pastured animals. Click here to order tickets.

Meeting, public forums to tackle town’s options under Housing Choice Act

The Housing Choice Act Working Group (HCAWG) has scheduled a virtual multi-board meeting and two public forums in June to discuss the town’s path towards compliance with the state housing law.

The goal of the Housing Choice Act is to create more transit-oriented zoning areas (meaning areas surrounding MBTA stops including Lincoln’s train station) where multifamily housing is allowed by right. Under the updated guidelines released last fall, Lincoln would be required to allow either 692 or 563 units in one or more multifamily zones, depending on whether or not the Hanscom housing units are counted. In March, HCAWG met with consultants from Utile Design to review how the state calculates developable land and to walk through an initial analysis of current zoning in Lincoln to begin identifying areas that might be logical places for rezoning. 

The meeting co-hosted by the Select Board and the Planning Board will be on Tuesday, June 6 at 7 p.m. Click here for the Zoom link. The public forums will be:

  • Friday, June 16 at 8 a.m. in person at the Town Hall
  • Tuesday, June 20 at 7 p.m. via Zoom — click here to register.