If the community center could be built built at Lincoln Station, an option to consider, to minimize net cost, is to design a multi-level facility with some form of housing included.
This is a technique that colleges sometimes do with academic buildings and dorms, because the extra residences are “profitable” with an incoming long term revenue stream. This was the approach for a recent building at my alma mater of WPI, where a single building, with separate entrances, houses both the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center and a residence hall. Bob On Fri, Nov 25, 2022 at 9:55 PM Ken Hurd <kenh...@keha.com> wrote: > Hello LincolnTalkers, > I wish to applaud all those who have taken the time to revisit and > question the financial pros and cons of building a community center at this > time, and thanks particularly to those who have recently commented on the > advisability of building it at the Hartwell site. > > I fully support building a new facility, but it has long been my opinion > that such a major investment by the town should be deployed where it is > most needed - namely in the Lincoln Station area. For more than ten years > since Town Meeting approved the Comprehensive Long Range Plan, in which the > revitalization of Lincoln Station was overwhelmingly one of the highest > priorities, the area has lain dormant and in serious need of a catalyst to > jumpstart its transformation into the compact, vital, walkable village > center that was a stated goal at the time. A community center in such a > location would be the equivalent of an anchor store in a retail setting, > and by virtue of attracting more people on a regular basis, it would create > more opportunities for a clustered cross-current of activities spawning > greater social interaction. > > In my opinion, it would constitute the classic suburban planning error to > create a new center that stands alone like the suburban mall accessible > only by car. In addition, because of school protocols, there would be very > limited inter-generational co-mingling until after school hours, if at > all. And, even if there weren’t a greater awareness about the effects of > climate change, wouldn’t it make far more sense to locate a community > center where there are already other crucial services such as the post > office, grocery store, cleaners, a cafe and restaurant, etc.? > > If the vote for more funding fails at the Special Town Meeting next > Wednesday evening, November 30th, I urge residents, the Selects and the > Planning Board to seriously reconsider Lincoln Station as the location that > would best serve the interests and greater good of the town going forward. > > Thank you for all those who have weighed in on this discussion. > > Respectfully, > Ken Hurd > > Lifting the Human Spirit by Design > 781-259-3300 > 781-259-8900 cell > www.keha.com > > > > > > > > On Nov 25, 2022, at 1:02 PM, John F. Carr <voxsciuro...@gmail.com> wrote: > > I just skimmed over the 2015 report which is the foundation for what > we are discussing. > > That report tried to steer people away from the Lincoln Station area. > One of the six options was to build on the commuter rail parking lot > and include an underground parking garage (the most expensive kind of > parking) to make up for lost parking. Since then COVID killed > commuter rail. The parking lot is just another town-owned vacant lot. > > When you take the cost of an underground garage out of the picture, > the commuter rail parking lot becomes the cheapest building site (in > 2015 dollars, and including the cost of renovating Hartwell facilities > that don't move). It has the advantage of being near shops, Codman, > and Lincoln Woods. We might end up with a community center rather > than a place one drives to and drives home from. > > On Fri, Nov 25, 2022 at 10:16 AM Margaret P Flint > <margaretpfl...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > How about this idea for the Community Center: the building at the Mall at > Lincoln Station now occupied by Something Special and Lincoln Dog Training. > > Several things in its favor: > > -It is across the street from Ryan Estates Greenridge, and adjacent > to Lincoln Woods. > > -There are two restaurants adjacent which would eliminate the need > for a food preparation area, a significant cost. > > -Also, there is a grocery store right there, which would allow > users to double up on car trips. > > -There is ample parking. > > There are two downsides that I can think of. I’m sure there are more. > > - Something Special would need to move. But I see a for rent sign > across the street. Perhaps the cost of moving Something Special could be > built into the cost of renovating for a Community Center. The dog training > facility is also there, but it is my understanding that most > of that work takes place outside the building. > > -The Rural Land Foundation would lose rent revenue. > > Thoughts? > > > > > -- > The LincolnTalk mailing list. > To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org. > Search the archives at http://lincoln.2330058.n4.nabble.com/. > 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. > Search the archives at http://lincoln.2330058.n4.nabble.com/. > 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. > Search the archives at http://lincoln.2330058.n4.nabble.com/. > 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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