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

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.

Police log for May 1–10, 2023

May 1

The one-car accident on Concord Road on May 1.

Orchard Lane (4:49 p.m.) — An officer responded to take a fraud report.

Concord Road (6:05 p.m.) — Single-car crash near Giles Road. the vehicle apparently drifted out of its lane, striking multiple objects. The operator of the vehicle appeared to attempt to correct the drifting but ultimately struck a tree, causing the vehicle to roll onto its side. The operator was transported to the hospital and the vehicle was towed from the scene.

Aspen Circle (8:06 p.m.) — An officer spoke to a resident about an ongoing dispute with a neighbor.

May 2

Codman Road (5:52 a.m.) — One of the Codman Farm dogs was seen walking by the roadside. A message was left for the farmer.

Old Concord Road (8:19 a.m.) — A resident called to report a bank fraud scheme.

Codman Community Farms (11:56 a.m.) — Codman Farm requested to speak with an officer regarding an individual who visited the farm.

Bedford Road (4:51 p.m.) — A resident called to report a scam involving a fraudulent wire transfer.

Granville Road (5:11 p.m.) — A caller reported a fraudulent bank loan was initiated in their name.

Tower Road (8:45 p.m.) — An individual asked to speak with an officer regarding messages received over social media.

May 3

South Great Road (9:20 a.m.) — Police responded to a minor one-car crash. The operator was soon on their way.

Sandy Pond Road (9:40 a.m.) — An individual spoke to an officer regarding a fraudulent unemployment claim filed in their name.

167 Ent Road, Hanscom AFB (4:16 p.m.) — An individual spoke to an officer regarding a fraudulent unemployment claim filed in their name.

May 4

South Great Road (6:42 p.m.) — A caller reported what appeared to be a sick beaver walking by the side of the road near Farrar Pond. After a consult with Animal Control, it was determined that the best course of action was to let the beaver be.

Bedford Road (10:03 p.m.) — A caller reported two vehicles parked on Bedford Road making a lot of noise. The noise was a result of a promposal (outcome unknown).

May 5

Old Concord Road (9:06 a.m.) — An officer served court paperwork.

Wells Road (3:38 p.m.) — A wellbeing check was requested. The individual was fine.

May 6

The Commons in Lincoln (4:19 a.m.) — Police were notified that a resident was having difficulty gaining access to their residence. Staff were ultimately able to get the person safely inside.

St. Anne’s Church (10:04 a.m.) — A report was received for the odor of natural gas coming from the inside of St. Anne’s Church. The Fire Department responded and determined the cause was a faulty stove.

Lincoln Road (1:54 p.m.) — A minor motor vehicle crash occurred behind the police station involving a police cruiser and subcontractor vehicle.

Library Lane (5:14 p.m.) — An officer conducted a check of a vehicle parked and occupied on Library Lane. The operator had pulled and parked in order to change their shoes.

Old Winter Street (10:42 p.m.) — A caller reported an unknow vehicle was blocking their driveway. An officer responded and was able to locate the operator.

Lincoln Road (11:57 p.m.) — A caller reported hearing someone screaming. Officers checked the area but were unable to locate anyone in distress.

May 7

Winter Street (12:05 a.m.) — One-car crash resulting in the vehicle resting on its side. Officer arrived and spoke to the operator, who stated they were lost. The operator was issued a citation for negligent operation and a marked lanes violation. The vehicle was towed from the scene.

North Commons (9:56 p.m.) — A caller reported a possible argument involving two males. An officer responded and spoke to the reporting party.

South Great Road (11:45 a.m.) — A Lincoln officer assisted the Weston Police Department in a search for an elderly female who was reported missing. At 1:04 p.m., an officer was able to deploy a drone to aid in the search for the missing elderly woman from Weston. At approximately 2:30 p.m., Weston Police located the missing party.

Sandy Pond Road (12:36 p.m.) — A caller reported seeing a red dirt bike operating at a high rate of speed heading in the direction of the water treatment plant. An officer checked the area but was unable to locate the dirt bike.

May 8

Cambridge Turnpike eastbound at Bedford Road (6:28 a.m.) — A caller reported a motor vehicle crash involving a motorcycle. Lincoln police and fire responded to the scene; firefighters transported the operator of the motorcycle to the hospital. Massachusetts State Police were investigating the crash.

Codman Community Farms (8:26 a.m.) — Staff at the farm called to report an encounter with an individual they’d had dealings with in the past. The party left before police arrived on scene.

May 9

Wells Road (3:34 p.m.) — A caller reported a beaver in the parking lot. A police officer arrived on scene as the beaver was making its way to a stream behind the property. The beaver ultimately left the lot.

Cambridge Turnpike westbound (5:41 p.m.) — Police and fire units responded for a two-vehicle crash. One of the operators was transported to Lahey Hospital by the Lincoln ambulance. Massachusetts State Police are investigating the crash.

Birchwood Lane (7:15 p.m.) — Notification was made to a resident at the request of an outside law enforcement agency.

May 10

Codman Community Farms (7:20 p.m.) — An officer responded to the farm at the request of the farmer.

Sandy Pond Road (2:39 p.m.) — A caller reported a slight odor of gas in the area. The Fire Department measured the air and found zero readings.

Deerhaven Road (3:36 p.m.) — An individual spoke to an officer regarding a fraudulent unemployment claim filed in their name.

Transfer station, North Great Road (4:20 p.m.) — An object believed to be an unexploded shell was turned in at the transfer station. As a result, the Massachusetts State Police Bomb Squad was called to the scene. A subsequent X-ray of the device showed it was safe to transport from the scene for safe detonation at a location to be determined by State Police.

Lexington Road (6:21 p.m.) — A resident who had observed potentially suspicious activity spoke to an officer.

Baker Bridge Road (8:35 p.m.) — A caller reported a pedestrian who looked lost. An officer responded to the area and located the pedestrian. The party was transported back to the station to make arrangements for transportation home.