Exactly why we moved here and do not want to see it destroyed.. > On 04/20/2023 10:04 AM EDT judyta frodyma <judyta.frod...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > "Bronxville is 1 mile square. Lincoln (again according to Google) is 15 > square miles, of which something like 35% of the land in town is held in > conservation." > > That's the whole point. We moved to Lincoln because we valued the land, the > conservation, the rural timeless feel, and the space. We have something > extremely rare here, within a short driving distance to a major city. We need > to protect it. Building more housing will take that away, and will tax the > ecological ecosystems we have in place that are already struggling. We are > not the only ones who use and need the land, and the belief that housing is > somehow of greater value than untouched, overgrown, "wild" land is a false, > human-centric premise that has led our society to the climate crisis we're in > now. > > More housing in Lincoln will take away from Lincoln's character and endanger > the broader, non-human community we live in. I personally don't want a town > centre, or a community centre for that matter. I want trees and fields and > ponds and salamanders and turtles that don't die crossing the road. I want my > children to grow up in a town where they understand that people care about > the land as much as they do about each other. The land can't speak for > itself, we are all it has. > > On Thu, Apr 20, 2023 at 8:06 AM Lis Herbert <lisherb...@gmail.com > mailto:lisherb...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > I agree. > > > > I'd like to push back on the idea that you can't live in Lincoln without a > > car. We moved here in June 2016 with two young kids, and I didn't know how > > to drive. I got them around town using a bike trailer -- to camps, to > > school, to playdates, etc. It wasn't ideal, and I would have much preferred > > an electric cargo bike, but I had to get myself to and from Cambridge via > > Porter Square and inbound trains involve stairs. (It would have been too > > heavy for me to lift onto the train, and I couldn't leave it in Lincoln at > > the station for days on end.) > > > > All of that is to say that you can probably manage most, if not all, > > erranding around town with an electric or regular old bicycle, and that > > includes transporting other people, but for that I'd recommend the > > electric. > > > > If, on top of an electric or regular bicycle, people living without cars in > > Lincoln had access to a number of Zipcars, located at the train station, I > > think they could forgo owning a car altogether. (If you are wondering how > > much I drive now that I have a license, I can tell you that I have put 168 > > miles on my car since January 1.) > > > > I'd also like to push back on the idea that Lincoln can't support more > > housing. I grew up in New York City, and moved to a very small town in > > Westchester County called Bronxville when I was in 7th grade. Bronxville, > > like Lincoln, is a very desirable place to live, with a much-admired school > > system, in close proximity to the city, and served by the commuter rail. > > > > Unlike Lincoln, Bronxville has, like virtually all towns along the train > > tracks in Westchester County, a terrific commercial center > > https://www.bronxvillechamber.org with an impressive number of shops, > > restaurants, and services. Within walking distance of the train station, > > there are several hundred apartments, many of which are by and large much > > less expensive on a per square foot basis than single family houses in > > town. Metro-North is relied upon by most people to commute or go into the > > city since street parking is a nightmare, garages are expensive, and Grand > > Central is a treat. And (a different conversation but worth mentioning) the > > bustling commercial center and greater housing density both help pay for > > things like the school and community services. > > > > According to Google, Bronxville and Lincoln have a near identical > > population of a little more than 6,000 people. Bronxville is 1 mile square. > > Lincoln (again according to Google) is 15 square miles, of which something > > like 35% of the land in town is held in conservation. My point is that > > Lincoln, unlike Bronxville, is rural, and it is going to stay rural, > > whether we allow 10 units of housing to be built near the train station, or > > 100. And Lincoln could, I think, support -- with its similar population, > > both size-wise and socioeconomically -- at least half a dozen more of > > something (anything!) near the train station. > > > > I draw this comparison between two very desirable and familiar-to-me towns > > with similar populations and demographics to say that Bronxville's mayor > > sort of, maybe, has a leg to stand on when she says > > https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/22/opinion/new-york-housing-crisis-kathy-hochul.html > > that the state housing mandate is going to be very difficult to fulfill, > > and besides, they already have a lot of apartments. From the standpoint of > > this very late-to-drive, public-transportation-loving relative outsider, it > > is hard to believe that anybody in Lincoln is trying to make a similar > > claim. > > > > Lis > > > > > > On Wed, Apr 19, 2023 at 12:16 PM Sara Lupkas <sara.lup...@gmail.com > > mailto:sara.lup...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > I agree. And it seems to be a chicken-or-egg scenario. I believe it is > > > more likely that the region would see better transit services if we build > > > more housing and have a greater consumer base demanding those services. I > > > don't see why the MBTA would invest in upgrades when there's no > > > population to service. > > > > > > On Wed, Apr 19, 2023 at 10:57 AM Bob Kupperstein <bobk...@gmail.com > > > mailto:bobk...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > > > It's not accurate to suggest that it's not possible to live in Lincoln > > > > without a car - and rather 'auto-centric' IMO. Transportation may be > > > > expensive (as is purchasing, maintaining and fueling a car) and > > > > inconvenient, but it IS possible. There are and have long been people > > > > who commute to work on the commuter rail - and most necessities are > > > > available a couple of stops away in Waltham. > > > > > > > > Many hourly and low-wage workers face significant transportation > > > > hurdles and excessive commuting times living in/around the greater > > > > Boston area. Compared to that, the cost/inconvenience of depending on > > > > the commuter rail (as it is now) looks significantly different. > > > > > > > > When considering the appeal of housing near our transportation hub, we > > > > need to look at it through the lens of those with significant housing > > > > and/or transportation challenges, rather than current town residents. > > > > Again, IMHO. > > > > > > > > Suggesting that rail improvements must come first is just a smokescreen > > > > for delay, delay, delay. > > > > > > > > -Bob > > > > > > > > On Tue, Apr 18, 2023 at 9:19 PM Robert Ahlert <robahl...@gmail.com > > > > mailto:robahl...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > > > > > If this vision came to pass, especially 10 to 30 minute electrified > > > > > service into and through Boston to other regional locations, then we > > > > > would have a modern system which could coax folks out of their cars. > > > > > > > > > > https://commonwealthmagazine.org/transportation/moultons-ambitious-expensive-and-enthralling-transportation-vision/ > > > > > Until then, I think it is really unfair to be forced to build housing > > > > > when the current MBTA service does not make it possible to live in > > > > > Lincoln without a car. We will just end up with more cars and same > > > > > train service. Maybe it will be worth it by 2050? > > > > > > > > > > Rob A > > > > > -- > > > > > Robert Ahlert | 781.738.1069 | robahl...@gmail.com > > > > > mailto:robahl...@gmail.com > > > > > -- > > > > > The LincolnTalk mailing list. > > > > > To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org > > > > > mailto: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 > > > > mailto: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. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > Sara Lupkas > > > > > > -- > > > The LincolnTalk mailing list. > > > To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org > > > mailto: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 > > mailto: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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