Thank you...what say selects? On Mon, Sep 18, 2023, 7:50 AM David Cuetos <davidcue...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I think it is important to clarify what grants the town would be eligible > for if we decide not to comply with HCA. Contrary to what the Housing > Choice Act Working Group's website > <https://www.lincolntown.org/1327/Housing-Choice-Act-Working-Group> states, > none of the grants received by the town since 2021 are named in the HCA > legislation (also referred to as Section 3A of the State's Zoning Act > <https://www.mass.gov/info-details/mass-general-laws-c40a-ss-3a>). The > only three grant programs named in the HCA legislation are MassWorks, the > Housing Choice Initiative and the Local Capital Projects Fund. The town has > to the best of my knowledge never received money from any of those grants. > > The grants listed in the working group’s website, from which the town has > received $737,000 since 2021, are mentioned in the 3A guidelines > <https://www.mass.gov/info-details/section-3a-guidelines>. Guidelines are > neither legislation nor regulation, and they do not carry the force of law. > In any case, the 3A guidelines do not pretend to exclude towns not > compliant with the HCA from those grant programs. All the guidelines state > is “compliance will be taken into consideration”. This does not equate with > exclusion. > > This is a good opportunity to address another legal conflation. In the June > public forum > <https://www.lincolntown.org/DocumentCenter/View/79129/2023-06-06-HCA-Multi-Board_UTILE-RLF-Working-Group-9-FINAL-06062023>, > the Working Group stated that compliance with HCA legislation was not > optional. It rested its case on a “ruling” of the Massachusetts Attorney > General. As long as there is separation of power, ruling rests with the > courts alone. Utterances from the AG are not rulings. > > After submitting a question in June, I am still waiting to hear back from > the Working Group why it decided to go against the town counsel’s legal > opinion. Counsel spoke without ambivalence of the optionality of compliance > with the HCA law, as evidenced by meeting minutes > <https://www.lincolntown.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_03162021-3888> > and video <https://lincolntv.viebit.com/player.php?hash=uYUCrAxv0xLU> > recording > 1:30:15. > > As I have expressed in this forum in the past, the financial impacts to > the town of Lincoln from compliance with HCA are potentially very severe. > If areas zoned for housing are developed, Lincoln would increase its > housing units by a larger percentage than any other town > <https://www.mass.gov/doc/submitted-section-3a-action-plans/download> in > Massachusetts*.* We would potentially increase our housing twice as much > as the second most impacted, which is Weston. We would have to build > approximately ten times more houses than our peer suburban/rural towns of > Dover, Carlisle and Sherborn. I have pleaded with the Select/Working Group > to create a financial analysis group to study the potential cost of > compliance, as it is irresponsible to ask residents to decide without > understanding the impact. Unfortunately, I have not received a response. > There is a precedent of a very similar study conducted in town 15 years ago > by professional consultants, analyzing the financial impact if the Hanscom > base was shut down and we lost the contract with the Department of Defense. > The conclusions of that study were dire. > > The Working Group’s zoning proposals aim to comply with the guidelines. I > argue that we should concentrate on compliance with the law. The law is in > fact much less demanding than the guidelines. It only requires “a district > of reasonable size in which multi-family housing is permitted as of right; > provided, however, that such multi-family housing shall be without age > restrictions and shall be suitable for families with children. For the > purposes of this section, a district of reasonable size shall: (i) have a > minimum gross density of 15 units per acre, subject to any further > limitations imposed by section 40 of chapter 131 and title 5 of the state > environmental code established pursuant to section 13 of chapter 21A; and > (ii) be located not more than 0.5 miles from a commuter rail station, > subway station, ferry terminal or bus station, if applicable.” Given how > disproportionately HCA impacts Lincoln compared to any other town, I > believe the town should not blindly assume compliance with the guidelines > is necessary to be compliant with the law. > > I agree there is a large housing shortage in our State, and Lincoln should > be part of the solution. However, I do not think it is fair to ask Lincoln > to carry ten times the burden of other towns. > > David Cuetos > > 145 Weston Rd > > On Sun, Sep 17, 2023 at 8:08 PM Sara Mattes <samat...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> … and since we already have gotten grants, do we more? >> The septic system at the Mall is part of private property. >> Why are we talking about investing in private property? >> What kind of precedent does that set? >> >> Sent from my iPhone >> >> On Sep 17, 2023, at 7:23 PM, ٍSarah Postlethwait <sa...@bayhas.com> >> wrote: >> >> >> The specific grants that the town would no longer qualify for are listed >> below. Which of the grants that you have mentioned that we have received >> are from these specific grant programs? >> >> <image_6487327.JPG> >> >> Sarah Postlethwait >> >> On Sun, Sep 17, 2023 at 7:07 PM Jennifer Glass via Lincoln < >> lincoln@lincolntalk.org> wrote: >> >>> Hello everyone! >>> >>> One of the questions that has come up in conversations about the Housing >>> Choice Act is whether it would be detrimental to lose access to selected >>> state grants. Below is a chart that shows grant funding that the Planning >>> Department has secured since 2021. (For those who can’t see the image >>> below, go to >>> https://www.lincolntown.org/1327/Housing-Choice-Act-Working-Group). In >>> total, Lincoln has received $1.5M, with another $820,000 for which we have >>> applied and are awaiting a decision. >>> >>> Grants have been or are currently being used to: >>> >>> - Draft Lincoln’s Climate Action Plan (learn more at State of the >>> Town on September 30th at the Lincoln School!) >>> - Update the Town’s Municipal Vulnerability Plan, with $50,000 set >>> aside for a resiliency project >>> - Design an upgrade to the waste treatment plant that serves The >>> Mall and Lincoln Woods (and any future development on those properties or >>> the Town-owned MBTA commuter parking lot at the back of The Mall parking >>> lot.) >>> - To actually upgrade the system, the Town will work with The >>> Community Builders (owners of Lincoln Woods) and the Rural Land >>> Foundation >>> to apply for a MassWorks Grant. MassWorks Grants can provide hundreds >>> of >>> thousands to several million dollars for qualifying projects: >>> https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massworks-infrastructure-program >>> - A list of 2022 awards can be found here: >>> https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massworks-2022-awards. MassWorks >>> Grants are part of the Community One Stop for Grown application. >>> - Build the accessible roadside path that now extends from the Town >>> commuter parking lot (next to Doherty’s) to the Police Station and over >>> to >>> a new crosswalk to Codman Farm. >>> >>> >>> In addition to seeking funds to upgrade the water water treatment plant, >>> there are other big infrastructure needs in town such as water main >>> replacement. For example, the 2.7 mile long stretch of water main that runs >>> from the 5 corners to The Mall is in need of replacement, which is >>> estimated to cost $7M - $8M. And, we know there will be more water >>> infrastructure needs over time. Without outside funding, the cost of >>> bonding these projects would be shouldered by residents who are on the Town >>> water supply. >>> >>> Governor Healey recently released her Capital Improvement Plan which >>> adds funds to a number of grant programs. The plan’s investments over five >>> years include: >>> >>> - $1.2 billion in economic development funding, with $163 million >>> for local communities, including grant opportunities through the >>> Community >>> One Stop for Growth >>> <https://www.mass.gov/guides/community-one-stop-for-growth> application >>> portal >>> - More than $125 million for municipal climate-focused grants, >>> including almost $24 million in fiscal 2024 for the Municipal >>> Vulnerability Preparedness >>> <https://www.mass.gov/municipal-vulnerability-preparedness-mvp-program> >>> planning >>> and action grant programs >>> - More than $270 million per year for local transportation programs, >>> including $200 million for the Chapter 90 >>> <https://www.mass.gov/chapter-90-program> local road and bridge >>> program >>> - $134 million for library construction grants for the renovation >>> and expansion of municipal libraries >>> - $50 million in Cultural Facilities Fund grants >>> - $74 million in local support for technology investments through >>> capital programs >>> - The use of $736,000 to unlock $4.1 million in federal funds for >>> ambient air monitoring, as well as support for community-based resilience >>> programs and for parks, trails and open space >>> - $10 million for the launch of the Executive Office of Technology >>> Services and Security’s Digital Roadmap >>> <https://www.mass.gov/service-details/statewide-it-roadmap-for-fy23-25>, >>> which will improve access to Commonwealth digital services >>> - Download the capital investment plan >>> >>> <https://www.mma.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/FY24-FY28CapitalInvestmentPlan.pdf> >>> (1.2M >>> PDF) >>> >>> >>> For additional answers to FAQs, visit >>> https://www.lincolntown.org/1327/Housing-Choice-Act-Working-Group >>> >>> *Jennifer Glass Kathy Shepard Gary Taylor* >>> *For the Housing Choice Act Working Group* >>> >>> <State Grants Since 2021.png> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> 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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