Re: [LincolnTalk] District contiguity question

[Carl Angiolillo]

 more than half contiguous. The
> only impact of having a discontiguous piece of Lincoln Rd that is less than
> 5 acres is that those 2.7 acres do not count towards our minimum
> requirement of 42. This is not an issue as option E adds up to 56.9 acres
> not including the 2.7.
>
> *Question 2*
>
> When an area is included in HCA there is a probability of redevelopment.
> Once a district is rezoned, in this case to 18 units/acre, the value of
> tearing down the buildings and redeveloping increases. By including this
> historic district as part of HCA rezoning, there is an enhanced risk that
> those historic buildings will be lost to redevelopment.
>
> It would be useful for the Chair of the Historical Commission, who is also
> a member of the WG to clarify the WG's stance. Are the buildings worth
> protecting or not? If they are worth protecting, they should not be
> included as the risk of tear down and redevelopment increases. The only
> reasonable explanation seems to be that the WG considers the redevelopment
> of these parcels to be of greater utility than the historical value of said
> buildings.
>
>
>
>> From: Carl Angiolillo 
>> Date: Fri, Nov 24, 2023 at 08:21
>> Subject: Re: [LincolnTalk] Mass. Investment in Communities that Build
>> Around Commuter Rail Stations
>> To: ٍSarah Postlethwait 
>> CC: Lincoln Talk 
>>
>>
>> I love learning new things about town and appreciate Sarah's attachment
>> with the history of Lewis St. But it also raises a few questions.
>>
>> > North Lewis was excluded [from Option E] at the request of the Lincoln
>> Historical Society since every property on the North side of Lewis is
>> considered Historical
>>
>> First, omitting the historic lots (e.g. the building with the Clark
>> Gallery, the Food Project building, 14 Lewis, and the Pickle Factory
>> buildings) seems to make the lots across the street on the south/west side
>> of Lewis St discontinuous with the rest of the subdistrict. Does that
>> present a compliance issue for Option E? (I recall the Housing Choice Act
>> Working Group including a few lots in Options C and D primarily for
>> continuity reasons.)
>>
>> Second, does rezoning a historic building under the HCA reduce it's
>> protection and if so to what degree?
>>
>> Third, did the Lincoln Historical Society (Sara Mattes et al) or anyone
>> else make a similar request to the Housing Choice Act Working Group to omit
>> these lots from options C and D and if so what was the reason for including
>> them anyway?
>>
>> Carl
>> Codman Rd
>>
>> P.S. Apologies if these questions have already been answered, I am not
>> confident I have read all of the emails flying back and forth.
>>
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Nov 22, 2023, 9:05 PM ٍSarah Postlethwait 
>> wrote:
>>
>>> My parcel is included in every single proposal from the HCAWG and option
>>> E. I am affected if every single option gets passed. And if I fought to
>>> exclude my land you would call me a NIMBY (as many already have).
>>>
>>> I do not look forward to the implications of being rezoned and having
>>> properties being sold around me affecting my property value and raising my
>>> taxes, but I am willing to do so to avoid having something as drastic as
>>> option C to be passed, which allows over 1100 units to be built in south
>>> Lincoln.
>>>
>>> Both North and South Lewis Street were included in option E originally
>>> since Lewis Street has been discussed to be rezoned for decades AND it’s
>>> included in every other proposal from the town. However North Lewis was
>>> excluded at the request of the Lincoln Historical Society since every
>>> property on the North side of Lewis is considered Historical.
>>>
>>> If you would like to learn more about the historical significance of
>>> North Lewis Street, I would highly recommend the attached article.
>>>
>>> Sarah Postlethwait
>>>
>>> Lewis Street
>>>
>>> Proponent of option E
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Wed, Nov 22, 2023 at 7:30 PM Lis Herbert 
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> It would likewise be much more transparent for proponents of E to
>>>> identify themselves and their respective properties within the boundaries
>>>> that have been drawn on Lewis Street, which appear to comprise just a
>>>> handful of lots.
>>>>
>>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>>
>>>> On Nov 22, 2023, at 6:32 PM, ٍSarah Postlet

Re: [LincolnTalk] bus service from hanscom

[Carl Angiolillo]

I am sorry you had such an uncomfortable experience, that sounds awful.

Does anyone else have actual experience with the 76 bus? Several people in
other threads have recommended it but it's not clear how many of them have
actually taken it. As someone who commuted by transit for many years
I found recommendations from fellow straphangers more useful.

Another good reality check is ridership numbers. According to 2018
ridership data*, on an average weekday ~11 people got on and ~11 people got
off at Old Bedford Rd, ~6 people got on and ~6 people got off at the Civil
Air Terminal, and ~288 people got on and ~259 people got off at Lincoln
Station.

So while there were people who relied on both in 2018, the train appeared
to be ~16 times more popular despite being more expensive and similar in
scheduled travel time.

Carl
Codman Rd

* I pulled data from Spring 2018 for Lincoln Station at
https://mbta-massdot.opendata.arcgis.com/datasets/MassDOT::mbta-commuter-rail-ridership-by-trip-season-route-line-and-stop/explore
and data for Fall 2018 for Old Bedford Rd and Civil Air Terminal
https://mbta-massdot.opendata.arcgis.com/datasets/MassDOT::mbta-bus-ridership-by-trip-season-route-line-and-stop/explore


Unfortunately they did not have data from the same season and it's
certainly possible that some of the difference is due to seasonal
differences but I would not expect it to be this substantial. It's also
possible that there is an error in my calculations or I am misinterpreting
the source data so I'd encourage anyone who is interested to double-check
my work.


On Mon, Nov 27, 2023 at 6:27 PM Stephanie Smoot 
wrote:

> I used the bus service to Alewife to get into Boston for about three
> months.  I would not recommend using the bus to commute to Boston
> especially if you live in south Lincoln.  While it is about a third cheaper
> than the commuter rail monthly pass, it is very slow, uncomfortable, and
> can be dangerous.  I would budget two hours in morning and three hours in
> evening to get back and forth.
>
> if you are using it as a commuter, the bus is frequently off schedule so
> add time.  In the morning there were always seats and ran close to schedule
> but the bus filled up as it slowly worked its way thru Lexington.  Time to
> get to Alewife is about one hour plus any waiting time.   Then you would
> take the red line into boston which has had had many delays so add generous
> time to get into Boston.
>
> The evening route was truly horrible-one of the worst of any public
> transportation system I have experienced.  First, you have to get to
> Alewife from Boston and there are many delays so add  a lot of  time.  If
> you miss one of the infrequent evening busses and by then crowds of people
> were waiting  to cram onto bus and you have to stand outside to keep your
> place for at least an hour.  Regularly, the driver did not know the routes
> and riders were coaching along the way.   Once when I as really desperate,
> I took Bedford bus and got off at I-95 overpass and walked to  parking
> space in Lincoln. But it is very dark,heavy traffic and there are few
> sidewalks on 2A and it took a lot of time.
>
>
> Regards,
> *Stephanie Smoot*
>
> 857 368-9175  work
> 781 941-6842  personal cell
> *617 595-5217 *work cell
>
>
>
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> .
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Re: [LincolnTalk] Mass. Investment in Communities that Build Around Commuter Rail Stations

[Carl Angiolillo]

I love learning new things about town and appreciate Sarah's attachment
with the history of Lewis St. But it also raises a few questions.

> North Lewis was excluded [from Option E] at the request of the Lincoln
Historical Society since every property on the North side of Lewis is
considered Historical

First, omitting the historic lots (e.g. the building with the Clark
Gallery, the Food Project building, 14 Lewis, and the Pickle Factory
buildings) seems to make the lots across the street on the south/west side
of Lewis St discontinuous with the rest of the subdistrict. Does that
present a compliance issue for Option E? (I recall the Housing Choice Act
Working Group including a few lots in Options C and D primarily for
continuity reasons.)

Second, does rezoning a historic building under the HCA reduce it's
protection and if so to what degree?

Third, did the Lincoln Historical Society (Sara Mattes et al) or anyone
else make a similar request to the Housing Choice Act Working Group to omit
these lots from options C and D and if so what was the reason for including
them anyway?

Carl
Codman Rd

P.S. Apologies if these questions have already been answered, I am not
confident I have read all of the emails flying back and forth.



On Wed, Nov 22, 2023, 9:05 PM ٍSarah Postlethwait  wrote:

> My parcel is included in every single proposal from the HCAWG and option E.
> I am affected if every single option gets passed. And if I fought to
> exclude my land you would call me a NIMBY (as many already have).
>
> I do not look forward to the implications of being rezoned and having
> properties being sold around me affecting my property value and raising my
> taxes, but I am willing to do so to avoid having something as drastic as
> option C to be passed, which allows over 1100 units to be built in south
> Lincoln.
>
> Both North and South Lewis Street were included in option E originally
> since Lewis Street has been discussed to be rezoned for decades AND it’s
> included in every other proposal from the town. However North Lewis was
> excluded at the request of the Lincoln Historical Society since every
> property on the North side of Lewis is considered Historical.
>
> If you would like to learn more about the historical significance of North
> Lewis Street, I would highly recommend the attached article.
>
> Sarah Postlethwait
>
> Lewis Street
>
> Proponent of option E
>
>
>
> On Wed, Nov 22, 2023 at 7:30 PM Lis Herbert  wrote:
>
>> It would likewise be much more transparent for proponents of E to
>> identify themselves and their respective properties within the boundaries
>> that have been drawn on Lewis Street, which appear to comprise just a
>> handful of lots.
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>> On Nov 22, 2023, at 6:32 PM, ٍSarah Postlethwait 
>> wrote:
>>
>> 
>>
>> Are you also speaking as a member of Fin comm?
>>
>> It would be much more transparent if members of town boards would include
>> their respective board in their email signature when commenting on town
>> matters in LincolnTalk (especially when voicing your own biased opinion).
>>
>> It’s also worth noting that we are currently in compliance, and will be
>> for all of 2024 and qualify for all the funds being discussed.
>> If our water mains can’t last a couple more months after December 2024
>> until the town is able to make an informed decision, then why haven’t we
>> applied for these funds now while we are still in compliance?
>>
>> This rush towards December 2024 is unnecessary. Especially when 4 story
>> 48’ buildings with no lot limits (besides 25’ setbacks) at the mall are
>> being discussed in planning board meetings…
>>
>> Sarah Postlethwait
>>
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Nov 22, 2023 at 5:47 PM Rich Rosenbaum  wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> *It’s a little like asking us to make a YUGE leap of faith.*
>>>
>>> An alternative would be to take a different leap of faith that none of
>>> the following happen:
>>>
>>>  - we end up delaying so much that we miss the deadline for complying
>>>  - we no longer qualify for state funding for needed repairs and
>>> replacement of our past-the-expiration-date water mains
>>>  - we end up with a bond to pay for a very, very large bill to keep
>>> clean water flowing to our faucets
>>>
>>> Rich
>>> (speaking as a citizen of Lincoln)
>>>
>>>
>>> On Wed, Nov 22, 2023 at 5:01 PM Sara Mattes  wrote:
>>>
 Amen.
 It’s a little like asking us to make a YUGE leap of faith.
 It makes the argument that we should proceed with extreme caution and
 not make any changes where these questions might come into play, esp. a
 challenge to our wetlands bylaw.


 --
 Sara Mattes


 --
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>>> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/.
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>>>
>>> --
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>> To 

Re: [LincolnTalk] 15 Units per Acre - Part 5: "More Time, More Options" please

[Carl Angiolillo]

Chiming in to say I agree with Rob.

To be clear, I don't support the 5 (previously 18) options proposed by the
Lincoln Residents for Housing Alternatives. (A few, such as E2, don't seem
too bad. Others, such as E4 which focuses density in the Farrar Pond
wildlife corridor, do.) My point is that support for additional survey
options isn't dependent on support for the options themselves.

For one thing, adding "other compliant option" and "do not comply" options
would allow the people who hold those preferences to feel heard.

For another, it also gives more accurate information. If a C or D option is
still the top choice it gives us confidence that it is the best option to
bring to town meeting, whereas if the “other” option is the top choice then
it gives us time to address concerns and course-correct before taking it to
a vote.

On the other hand, attempting to draw inferences from empty ballots may
underestimate dissatisfaction just as attempting to draw inferences from
Lincoln Talk overestimates it. And it also conflates those who might
support a different compliant option with those who would never support
*any* compliant option.

These are awkward and uncomfortable questions but ignoring them doesn't
help us avoid a "nay" vote, it just means we won't know where we stand
until then.

Carl
Codman Rd

On Sun, Nov 12, 2023 at 8:27 AM Robert Ahlert  wrote:

> Hi all -
>
> As of this morning, I believe there is still no option being added to the
> Dec 2nd Ranked Choice Survey on the HCA for "More Time, More Options" or
> "None of the Above"
>
> Please email the Selects and HCAWG as well as talk to your friends and
> neighbors about your concerns with the Options put forward by the HCAWG.
>
> Also, please visit our website for updated E alternatives.  It provides
> some examples of what we believe would also comply, just with a different
> set of strategies.
>
>
> https://sites.google.com/lincolnresidentsforhousingalternatives.org/info/a-fairer-approach
>
> [image: image.png]
>
> Rob Ahlert (not the spokesperson, just a member)
> 185 Lincoln Rd, Lincoln, MA 01773
> --
> *Robert Ahlert* | *781.738.1069* | robahl...@gmail.com
> --
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> .
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>
>
>
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Re: [LincolnTalk] HCA & Codman Road

[Carl Angiolillo]

here this community resident group
>> (growing by the day) is headed with this.  When options drafted back in the
>> spring and summer included places like Oriole Landing, Commons, North
>> Lincoln, etc, that made sense. Why were they removed?
>>
>> I think if the MBTA were on its game and able to move people efficiently,
>> the commuter rail area would make a lot of sense.  But the MBTA has made
>> absolutely NO COMMITMENT to improving rail service and is in fact going in
>> the wrong direction.
>>
>> So with that, we need to zone+build where there is already multi-family
>> housing in place (no green field development) AND where the
>> infrastructure ACTUALLY exists.  Therefore, the Route 2 corridor by far
>> makes the most sense.  Is that a car-centric approach?  Yes.  Is America
>> Europe or will it ever be?  No.  We cannot wind back the clock 100 years
>> and magically turn ourselves into Switzerland. Should we do nothing? No, we
>> should put 130 units = 20% by the commuter rail via HCA zoning.  If that
>> works out, we can add more.  But don't give away everything to HCA zoning
>> now, we don't have to.
>>
>> Wishful thinking that the MBTA will get its act together will ruin the
>> rural character of S. Lincoln (note the massing and volume of structures
>> proposed).
>>
>> Remember from the Village Center survey, people don't want that density
>> near L. Station and they DO want to preserve rural character...
>>
>> 
>>
>>
>> And again, why rush?  This isn't due until December 2024, yes there is a
>> Town Meeting schedule to manage but this is too important to rush it.
>>  Let's open it back up to 5 to 7 options for folks to choose from in
>> December to get a real sense of the town.
>>
>> Pay very careful attention to Options D1 and D2 tonight at the Planning
>> Board and see if they are both lemons like the false choices at SOTT.
>>
>> Rob
>>
>> On Fri, Oct 20, 2023 at 9:44 AM Carl Angiolillo 
>> wrote:
>>
>>> For what it's worth, as one of the lots under consideration on Codman Rd
>>> I support all of the HCA options that have been presented so far and I look
>>> forward to seeing the additional proposals from the HCWG and from citizen
>>> efforts like Rob Ahlert et al.
>>>
>>> I would have no objection to swapping out logistically constrained
>>> acreage on Codman Rd and elsewhere for more practically buildable acreage
>>> near Lincoln Station or other areas of existing density served by public
>>> transit.
>>>
>>> (As previously mentioned, my primary objection would be to zoning that
>>> encourages car-dependent greenfield development due to the unnecessarily
>>> higher natural and environmental impact.)
>>>
>>> Carl
>>> Codman Rd
>>>
>>> On Thu, Oct 19, 2023 at 3:36 PM David Cuetos 
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Whether a development can accommodate a septic for a given building
>>>> size or not is a different matter. The issue at hand is that the town has
>>>> submitted a compliance proposal to the State that uses a 50’ wetland buffer
>>>> instead of 100’. If we rezoned and the tried to stop a developer from
>>>> building on that 100’ buffer, we will have no leg to stand on. A lot of
>>>> these problems are exacerbated by sending a poorly thought out proposal
>>>> that unnecessarily includes sensitive land. There are better proposals that
>>>> do not put wetlands at risk.
>>>>
>>>> On Wed, Oct 18, 2023 at 21:44 Margaret Olson 
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Yes the state used its definition of developable land to calculate how
>>>>> many acres and how many units we must zone for. This definition ignored
>>>>> many aspects of a property and the regulations that constrain its
>>>>> development, not the least of which is septic. My experience on town 
>>>>> boards
>>>>> suggests that septic requirements are going to be far more limiting than
>>>>> the wetlands regulations .
>>>>>
>>>>> On Wed, Oct 18, 2023 at 9:17 PM David Cuetos 
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> The State is very clear what it considers developable land. Land
>>>>>> outside the 50' wetland buffer is developable. Lincoln has historically
>>>>>> excluded land between the 50' and 100' buffer. This difference has been a
>>>>>> known fact to the Committees and t

Re: [LincolnTalk] Wildlife Will Be Indebted to You

[Carl Angiolillo]

If one suspects that Option C is less popular than the alternatives
wouldn't it be useful to see that reflected in the straw poll results to
settle the question? While Lincoln Talk and conversations with neighbors
have been useful for understanding concerns and exploring new ideas, I'd be
reluctant to rely on those as a bellwether of what the town would
ultimately vote for.

Carl
Codman Rd

(As I'm also interested in options that minimize the environmental impact,
is there an option that you feel does this best and that is worth taking a
close look at?)

On Wed, Oct 25, 2023 at 10:29 AM Barbara Peskin  wrote:

> Dear Lincoln,
> It sounds like a number of people at SOTT that voted for Option C are now
> reconsidering whether it should even be on the table given the other viable
> options. Some have expressed they didn't have a clear understanding at
> SOTT. If you are one of those people who would not have voted for rezoning
> to make way for the clear cutting of 11 lots on Codman Road for 180 condo
> units and 360 cars, had you understood the other options, please consider
> emailing the Selectman asking them not to include Option C at the December
> 2 straw poll. This web page lists the Selectman's individual contacts
> http://www.lincolntown.org/158/Select-Board.
>
> The wildlife living in and depending on the habitat on Codman Rd will be
> indebted to you.
>
>
>
>
> ~
> Barbara Peskin
>
> *My Moments in Nature Photo Gallery: barbarapeskin.com
> *
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Re: [LincolnTalk] Thoughts on the Housing Choice Act and the October 10th Multi-Board Meeting

[Carl Angiolillo]

I support restricting the bulk of new development to the Lincoln Station
area (with the remainder in other areas of existing human density) because
I think it represents the best chance we have of meeting our legal and
ethical obligations while protecting the environment and what is unique
about Lincoln.

I supported this back when our lot was just outside the rezoned area. We
were recently added to increase acerage but then explicitly called out in a
slide in yesterday's meeting as one of the lots that is not logistically
buildable due to wetlands. And I think making an honest attempt to flesh
out one or more additional options will end up being helpful so I'm
ultimately unsure what our personal impact will be beyond a likely increase
in traffic and nearby construction, both of which concern me.

Beyond the points above I'm not sure what else I can do to convince you. I
think most of us are motivated by a desire to protect what we love about
Lincoln, we just disagree on how best to do that.

To be honest, in an ideal world I would have preferred staggered changes
over time (to allow us to iterate and refine based on experience) and a
gradual density gradient to allow "missing middle" housing at the periphery
of a denser core (to avoid the awkwardness of large, high density buildings
immediately adjacent to two acre lots). But I lack the expertise to
interpret Lincoln's current legal obligations so I am taking them at face
value.

I support continuing to explore ways to decrease negative impacts and risk
while meeting our obligations, but this is the best option I've seen so far
given the hand we've been dealt.

Carl
Codman Rd

* P.S. I don't expect to sway anyone's opinions with regard to ethical
obligations via a mailing list but would be happy to chat offline.

On Wed, Oct 11, 2023, 8:28 AM Robert Ahlert  wrote:

> Last post…
>
> I have encouraged the select board to create a distinct option D, which
> will offer a clear alternative to option C. Clearly, from the plan to raze
> single-family homes in the Codman District, there is no limitation to where
> these can be put in town. They just need to be contigous subdistrict
>
> And at $32 million for 6 acres, I’m guessing some groups will jump at the
> chance to be included in the zone.
>
> The people should decide, not the working group.
>
> Rob
>
> On Wed, Oct 11, 2023 at 12:00 AM Carl Angiolillo 
> wrote:
>
>> I share similar questions about the percentage of affordable housing,
>> overall volume, and timeline that others have already raised so I won't
>> belabor those. However, I just wanted to chime in on the question of
>> *location.*
>>
>> > What drew you here? I suspect it was the investment of previous
>> generations in the preservation of  fields and forest, and the trails and
>> open space.
>>
>> Absolutely. (That and being able to live within walking distance of a
>> train station, supermarket, and farm.) I hope we can all agree that any
>> housing solution should preserve the fields, forests, trails, and open
>> space that make Lincoln unique.
>>
>> From a conservation standpoint, focusing on density in areas that are
>> already the most disrupted by human activity (such as Lincoln Station but
>> also The Commons, Oriole Landing, Lincoln North, etc) seems like it's our
>> best hope to minimize impacts to Lincoln’s fields, forests, trails, and
>> open spaces.
>>
>> From an environmental standpoint, density near Lincoln Station has the
>> additional advantage of allowing for the largest share of trips by foot,
>> bike, or transit compared to any other location in town. Given the sad
>> state of the MBTA this share isn't as large as it should be, but any amount
>> is better than none.
>>
>> From a historical perspective, a dense core surrounded by open space is
>> how towns developed for thousands of years before the popularization of the
>> automobile. Every year more people seem to acknowledge the social,
>> financial, and environmental benefits of this approach.
>>
>> For these reasons I believe that greenfield development with
>> scattered housing units throughout the town is not a good option.
>>
>> Carl
>> Codman Rd
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Oct 10, 2023 at 5:02 PM Bijoy Misra 
>> wrote:
>>
>>> May I intimate people that some of the developers could be the members
>>> in this group?  They are carving their way monitoring this discussion.
>>> A developer would like a concentrated landing and that is where we could
>>> be headed through the navigation of our captains.  The resistance voice
>>> of
>>> distribution of projects in town through a single developer or by
>>> finding
>&g

Re: [LincolnTalk] Thoughts on the Housing Choice Act and the October 10th Multi-Board Meeting

[Carl Angiolillo]

I share similar questions about the percentage of affordable housing,
overall volume, and timeline that others have already raised so I won't
belabor those. However, I just wanted to chime in on the question of
*location.*

> What drew you here? I suspect it was the investment of previous
generations in the preservation of  fields and forest, and the trails and
open space.

Absolutely. (That and being able to live within walking distance of a train
station, supermarket, and farm.) I hope we can all agree that any housing
solution should preserve the fields, forests, trails, and open space that
make Lincoln unique.

>From a conservation standpoint, focusing on density in areas that are
already the most disrupted by human activity (such as Lincoln Station but
also The Commons, Oriole Landing, Lincoln North, etc) seems like it's our
best hope to minimize impacts to Lincoln’s fields, forests, trails, and
open spaces.

>From an environmental standpoint, density near Lincoln Station has the
additional advantage of allowing for the largest share of trips by foot,
bike, or transit compared to any other location in town. Given the sad
state of the MBTA this share isn't as large as it should be, but any amount
is better than none.

>From a historical perspective, a dense core surrounded by open space is how
towns developed for thousands of years before the popularization of the
automobile. Every year more people seem to acknowledge the social,
financial, and environmental benefits of this approach.

For these reasons I believe that greenfield development with
scattered housing units throughout the town is not a good option.

Carl
Codman Rd


On Tue, Oct 10, 2023 at 5:02 PM Bijoy Misra  wrote:

> May I intimate people that some of the developers could be the members
> in this group?  They are carving their way monitoring this discussion.
> A developer would like a concentrated landing and that is where we could
> be headed through the navigation of our captains.  The resistance voice of
> distribution of projects in town through a single developer or by finding
> several developers may eventually quell naturally or artificially.
> Thought to alert!  Have a good meeting.
> Bijoy Misra
>
> On Tue, Oct 10, 2023 at 12:46 PM William Broughton 
> wrote:
>
>> "Developers are evil" is an oversimplification that is a convenient way
>> to make it seem like a silly concern. What we need to be eyes wide open
>> about is the reality that developers are not here to be our friends and
>> keep Lincoln's best interests in mind. They are running a business, and
>> their objective is to make a profit by building. There is nothing wrong
>> with that at all, but we need to remember that we, the citizens and
>> government of the town, are their checks and balances. The proposals
>> shared, which overshoot the minimums required by the HCA, give developers a
>> green light with a substantial amount of running room. Once that is
>> approved, the town and residents are more restricted in ability to rein
>> them back in.
>>
>> Will
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Oct 10, 2023 at 10:13 AM John Mendelson 
>> wrote:
>>
>>> I just don't buy the "developers are evil" argument.  How else do we
>>> build without a healthy public/private development partnership?
>>>
>>> What do you propose to do other than nothing?
>>>
>>> We continue to hear arguments that our school is overbuilt and under
>>> enrolled, our taxes are too high, etc.  We've already preserved 40% of our
>>> land in perpetuity.
>>>
>>> What is really at stake here?
>>>
>>> John
>>>
>>> On Tue, Oct 10, 2023 at 10:01 AM Robert Ahlert 
>>> wrote:
>>>
 Developers John!  Save it from Developers!  I'm trying to
 illustrate the scale of what this approval could enable.  I understand
 fully that Zoning does not equal Building 1:1 but why risk it?  Why not
 propose a true compromise solution?

 You seem to think you are on high moral ground here.  All you are doing
 is helping future wealthy residents - no one else!

 Rob

 On Tue, Oct 10, 2023 at 9:55 AM John Mendelson <
 johntmendel...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Save it from what?  Progress?  Working to help solve the regional
> challenges of housing, traffic, environment?  Providing housing
> alternatives?
>
> Or should we just continue to approve 20,000 sq/ft single family
> houses on big lots and put our heads in the sand?
>
> Lincoln is not an island despite what many seem to wish it could be.
>
> John
>
> On Tue, Oct 10, 2023 at 9:47 AM Robert Ahlert 
> wrote:
>
>> 1000% agree with Susanna. Well said.  I have young children and want
>> them to enjoy Lincoln as it is now, not as another Concord or Bedford or
>> Lexington.
>>
>> Lincoln is precious, save it!
>>
>> Rob
>>
>> On Tue, Oct 10, 2023 at 9:41 AM Susanna Szeto 
>> wrote:
>>
>>> A developer’s only objective is to make money!  It is not a
>>>