My article from the Lincoln Squirrel
My Turn: New website offers appealing options for compliance with the Housing Choice Act November 5, 2023 By Lynne Smith The Housing Choice Act (HCA) asks Massachusetts communities with public transit in the greater Boston area to rezone parts of their town to allow “by right” development of multifamily housing if they want to remain eligible for three state grant programs. “By right” means that the developer of the property would not have to go to Town Meeting to permit the development. The HCA Working Group (HCAWG) is currently developing rezoning options for Lincoln. Using the models provided by the state for HCA compliance and building on the work of the HCAWG, a group calling themselves Lincoln Residents for Housing Alternatives has developed a range of new options that have real merit. They have included these options in an informative website <https://sites.google.com/lincolnresidentsforhousingalternatives.org/info/home> that describes Lincoln’s particular parcels and suggests how rezoning might be accomplished without disturbing the character of the town. The website offers a clear explanation of the compliance rules and the complex models used to develop the options. These simplified explanations in laymen’s terms helped me understand how we might rezone for maximum benefit to the town. The maps make clear how we can maintain our local and rural character by dispersing development as we have always done. In fact, 40% of Lincoln’s housing is already in multifamily developments scattered throughout the town. Over the last 60 years, this approach, requiring Town Meeting approval, has provided many units of housing requiring 15-25% affordability without increasing traffic or sacrificing conservation land. The charts and spreadsheets in the website also make clear how we can: Avoid allocating a greater number of developable units than required for compliance. We must rezone for a minimum but care must be taken not to accidentally permit a maximum. Develop a greater percentage of affordable units by not making the RLF/Lincoln Station proposal “by right,” as HCA only allows us to require 10% affordable. Preserve wildlife corridors and minimize traffic by carefully situating the rezoned areas in parcels that are already developed. The website also explains the HCA compliance issues in easy-to-understand language and provides links to the relevant Massachusetts law. It describes the process Lincoln has followed to get to this point and spells out the future timelines. It also raises questions that the HCA Working Group may need further study to answer. At the State of the Town meeting on September 30, the Working Group gave a polished and convincing description of Option C that concentrated all development near Lincoln Station. Since then, I have thought more about the impact of hundreds of new units at this small, busy area. Many others have raised critical questions about this option and the HCAWG has responded by adding three new options (D1, D2, and D3). This new effort by the Lincoln Residents for Alternative Housing further expands the options available to meet compliance. Discussion and debate are at the heart of the “Lincoln Way” and we benefit by the skills and dedication of volunteers. I urge everyone in Lincoln to study this new website <https://sites.google.com/lincolnresidentsforhousingalternatives.org/info/home>, review the HCAWG information, and register here <http://www.lincolntown.org/1327/Housing-Choice-Act-Working-Group> to attend one of the HCA meetings offered on November 8 at 8 a.m. in person or 7 p.m. virtually.
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