Tricia, thank you so much. You have captured how I have been feeling and thinking.
Lincoln Talk gives us an opportunity to share opinions and differences. And that's great. But there are a few who pounce as if they are prosecuting attorneys and judges all in one, pounce sometimes personally, sometimes nastilly. Town officials, volunteers like.you and me , through time have worked hard and created the Lincoln we have today. Our current officials are doing.the same. It takes vision, hard work and meetings til midnight and constancy through issue by issue,. They can't have the luxury to pounce. The RLF has brought so much to the town in helping to shape it with creativity and brilliance. Preserving land, creating a shopping center, helping with housing, creating the Lincoln we love. We moved here in 1974, from Weston, valuing Lincoln, the land, the ethos, the creativity that established open space and Lincoln Woods, the preservation of farm lands and the community, working together. There have always been differences of opinion and we have managed to find solutions So can we, please, move forward--all of us who share deep feelings about Lincoln-- showing respect for each other. Joan On Mon, Nov 6, 2023, 8:49 PM Tricia Thornton-Wells < triciathorntonwe...@gmail.com> wrote: > It’s been very hard to read message after message of people accusing > others of trying to ruin this town. I’m really very sad and tired of > hearing it all. > > 1. At the last town meeting, people told the RLF their renderings were too > generic and asked them to put together renderings that were more specific > to what they envisioned being developed. So, trying to be responsive to > these requests, they are putting together renderings of what is currently > conceived. Of course these are going to be hypothetical! That doesn’t mean > they are acting in bad faith, putting forth a lie. I personally do not > believe they are operating in bad faith. Do they have a vested interest in > making sure *something* moves forward? Yes, of course. That doesn’t mean > they are willing to go along with something they think will be bad for the > town? No. Fundamentally, I believe people who volunteer their time and > money to an organization like RLF love this town and want good things for > it. > > 2-3. The upcoming vote will determine whether a majority of the town (most > of whom are not on this increasingly toxic echo chamber) believes the > Lincoln Station area, owned by RLF, should be allowed to pursue development > with more freedom to negotiate than they have now—something that would be > profitable, because of increased density, and that could also be a great > benefit to the town. I personally believe the RLF has good intent and will > work with a developer to build such a space. I also believe that keeping > the Mall space as-is is a recipe for commercial/economic failure. I also > believe we can be a (small) part of the solution to increasing housing > stock in the Boston metro area. > > Why is everyone so afraid and so convinced that *any* and all change will > be bad? We all do the best we can under the circumstances, which are *not* > the same circumstances as 20 or 40 years ago. Please, let’s stop resisting > every single thing and have a reasonable conversation about how to move > forward based on today, here, in Lincoln in 2023. We all love Lincoln, or > we wouldn’t be here. > > Sincerely, > Tricia Thornton-Wells > 112 Trapelo Rd > > > > On Nov 6, 2023, at 6:29 PM, Peter Buchthal <pbucht...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > At the previous planning/hcawg meeting of October 24th, we learned that > RLF is planning to hire a consultant to draw potential renderings of a new > Lincoln Mall and present them to the town at some point. It is really > hard for town residents to evaluate the potential impact of the proposed > changes to the Lincoln Mall zoning without a detailed discussion. I > understand the planning board is considering further zoning amendments for > the new overlay districts to better protect the town's interests. I > foresee several problems with this strategy. > > 1) Any drawings or renderings will be purely hypothetical and not binding > on the RLF or any future owner of the Mall as there is no requirement that > they be actually submitted to the town for a building permit. > 2) Assuming a HCA Overlay district is passed at the March Town meeting, I > see very few obstacles to building whatever the developer chooses to build > as the town will have NO ability to influence a future developer to do > anything unless they need a variance for something. > 3) Hypothetically, one day after the HCA Overlay district passes the > March Town Meeting, CIVICO could submit drawings to the Town of Lincoln > Building Department and the current zoning rules would apply to their > project without the ability of the town to influence the project. As long > as CIVICO starts construction within 12 months of submitting building > plans, the rules at the time of plan submission would govern the project. > period, full stop. Any future safeguards that the town might want to > impose on development within the Mall area wouldn't apply to plans that > were submitted prior to the acceptance of any future zoning changes at a > different town meeting!!!! > > To approve any of the current plans with the Lincoln Mall being part of a > new overlay district without any zoning amendments to be approved at the > same time, opens the town for an unnecessary disaster. It would be better > for the Town to NOT include the Lincoln Mall in an HCA overlay district so > that a normal vetting of plans at a town meeting will ensure that everyone > in the Town is happy with the project. This strategy will allow more > affordable units, ensure commercial development is actually built, and will > allow a negotiation between the town and the developer for a *development > of importance to the Town.* There is no logical way to skip that > negotiation to safeguard the town that we know and love. > > > Peter Buchthal > Weston Rd. > > > On Mon, Nov 6, 2023 at 5:12 PM Sara Mattes <samat...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> Please let us know exactly what legal teeth site plan review has. >> I have asked for that repeatedly and have heard….crickets. >> Yes there will be some wetlands protections, but not Lincoln’s set backs. >> Yes, there will be some set backs. >> But please, do tell what legal options will we have to actually control >> the look and feel of major redevelopment. >> >> The repeated reference to “existing regulations and site plan review” is >> cold comfort. >> >> The whole point of the HCA is to get around our existing bylaws…to make >> it easier for developers to create larger, denser housing development than >> is currently allowed. >> >> >> >> >> ------ >> Sara Mattes >> >> >> >> >> On Nov 6, 2023, at 5:02 PM, Rich Rosenbaum <s...@bcdef.com> wrote: >> >> I think it is misleading to use statements such as "the developer can do >> whatever they want". >> Existing regulations and site plan review give the town oversight. >> >> After all, residential property owners have the by right ability to build >> a new home but cannot build whatever they want. >> >> >> On Mon, Nov 6, 2023 at 4:05 PM Sara Mattes <samat...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >>> Once rezone with the HCA, the property owner can put up pretty much >>> whatever they want. >>> That is the point of the HCA-to get around our normal process for >>> managing development in Lincoln. >>> No proposals are required for the town to see. >>> The development is *BY RIGHT*, they just need to comply with some very >>> basic zoning-wetlands setbacks, other set backs, etc. >>> >>> And, as was made clear in a public presentation, dense housing is the >>> most profitable use of the land, not retail. >>> >>> The discussion about the Mall is confusing as concepts were discussed >>> and proposals were to be offered at a later date. >>> In addition, the RLF said they were looking to most lily sell and were >>> in discussion with a local developer-CIVICO. >>> Regardless of what is discussed now, as it stands now, once rezoned the >>> owner, either the RLF but most like a new owner, can do whatever they see >>> fit with that land. >>> >>> That is why this is all so difficult and generating so much debate. >>> >>> It is important that we all learn as much as possible and attend each >>> and every meeting to better understand what is being proposed and what is >>> at stake. >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> ------ >>> Sara Mattes >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> On Nov 6, 2023, at 1:43 PM, Deborah Greenwald < >>> deborah.greenw...@gmail.com> wrote: >>> >>> Dear All, >>> I would very much like to have David's proposals included in our vote. >>> He >>> And are we taking bids from multiple developers? Some might be more >>> amenable to more low income units. >>> To me it seems that considering any development near Codman Farm is akin >>> to building an apartment building on the Boston Public Gardens or >>> Concord's Monument Square. That area is one of Lincoln's jewels and should >>> be preserved. >>> On Sun, Nov 5, 2023 at 10:01 PM David Cuetos <davidcue...@gmail.com> >>> wrote: >>> >>>> I have received some questions from residents trying to understand why >>>> our HCA proposals overlay zoning over existing multi-family districts. I >>>> thought the rationale was important enough to share it with the wider >>>> public. >>>> >>>> I believe the town would be better served by separating as much as >>>> possible the zoning exercise required for compliance approval from actual >>>> development. Zoning existing multifamily developments accomplishes that >>>> goal, as those properties already have the characteristics we would like to >>>> see and they are unlikely to be redeveloped. Let me explain the logic >>>> behind the separation. >>>> >>>> HCA compliance requires us to zone a certain number of acres to a >>>> certain density by right. What that means is that as long as the developer >>>> does not go past our height and setback bylaws, they do not need to ask the >>>> town for feedback. This is not what historically happened in Lincoln. >>>> Historically every multi-family development was a give and take between the >>>> developer and the town. In that process the town was able to extract >>>> important concessions like the number of affordable units, measures to >>>> reduce environmental impact, etc. >>>> >>>> While that give and take was quite important, for areas rezoned under >>>> HCA the town's influence is diminished even further as developers would get >>>> an override over certain town bylaws the State considers too >>>> restrictive. Among them two are chief: affordability and wetland setbacks. >>>> The state will only allow us to ask a developer to include 10% affordable >>>> units. The town’s bylaws require 15%, and historically the town has never >>>> approved anything below 25%, including some units reserved for low income >>>> households. 25% is also the lowest percentage of units for an entire >>>> development to count towards 40B State requirements. The other requirement >>>> at odds is wetlands setback. The town’s bylaws require 100’ and the State >>>> only gives us 50’. This difference would be critical in some sensitive >>>> areas like Codman Rd. >>>> >>>> Our view is that it is detrimental to the town’s general interest to >>>> allow a developer to build a large multifamily building without going >>>> through town meeting approval. The success of Oriole Landing is testament >>>> to the usefulness of town meeting: a win-win for the town and the >>>> developer. We have actually learned from other towns like Winchester that >>>> we can drive a much tougher bargain than we have done in the past. >>>> >>>> We see with skepticism claims that the Oriole Landing developer, who >>>> made an estimated $12M profit and was able to get through town meeting in >>>> nine months, does not want to go through town meeting again. Lincoln has >>>> historically not been an obstructive town towards multi-family developers >>>> and there is no reason to think that would change now that HCA has lowered >>>> Town Meeting approval thresholds from 2/3 to just a simple majority. >>>> >>>> I ask all residents to consider that when they vote to rezone an area, >>>> they are de facto abdicating their democratic right to influence future >>>> development. >>>> >>>> David Cuetos >>>> Weston Rd >>>> -- >>>> The LincolnTalk mailing list. >>>> To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org. >>>> Browse the archives at >>>> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. >>>> Change your subscription settings at >>>> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. >>>> >>>> -- >>> The LincolnTalk mailing list. >>> To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org. >>> Browse the archives at >>> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. >>> Change your subscription settings at >>> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. >>> >>> >>> -- >>> The LincolnTalk mailing list. >>> To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org. >>> Browse the archives at >>> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. >>> Change your subscription settings at >>> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. >>> >>> >> -- >> The LincolnTalk mailing list. >> To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org. >> Browse the archives at >> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. >> Change your subscription settings at >> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. >> >> -- > The LincolnTalk mailing list. > To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org. > Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/ > . > Change your subscription settings at > https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. > > -- > The LincolnTalk mailing list. > To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org. > Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/ > . > Change your subscription settings at > https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. > >
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