Jeff, I’m not an architect either, but am pretty sure the Onigman lot would never host 20, let alone 15 units, unless Lincoln decides to adopt municipal sewage. A development isn’t just a building footprint; it needs to conform to setbacks, building codes, parking access and probably many other standards. (Full disclosure: I wasn’t even able to get a permit for a single-car garage on a 2-acre lot, due to such restrictions). The economics would probably have to be much more favorable than they are at present.
I also enjoy walking to town on a trail that takes me to Todd Pond Road – a much quieter route than Codman Rd.! Jennie Bowles Terrace From: Lincoln <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Jeff B Sent: Monday, October 16, 2023 11:43 AM To: David Onigman <[email protected]> Cc: [email protected] Subject: Re: [LincolnTalk] HCA & Codman Road David, Looking at the town's GIS, it looks to me like your 2.8 acre plot could definitely have a much larger footprint than the existing house, even with the wetlands on the property. And at 15 units an acre, it could potentially house 20+ units? What was your sourcing for the inability to develop further? I admit, I'm one of the few town residents who is not an architect so I might be missing something. The HCA working group says that this rezoning would potentially shift 11 units into 180 units, so I'm just trying to pin down where these could potentially be. If most of the Codman owners are not planning on taking advantage of this change (or cannot), then excluding these lots from a HCA plan would seem to cost little to the goals of increased housing stock. In general I'm really struggling with the general issues of this HCA plan that takes a very residential street now -- Codman -- and rezones it to something entirely different. It seems like not just taking a downtown area and densifying it, but rather expanding the downtown area dramatically in a way that doesn't feel like the Lincoln we all know now and (when time allows) walk through to get to Codman Farm and Donelans or the Tack Room. The feel of houses like yours really makes the walk feel more like being on one of our many trails in town, versus on a busy street sidewalk. Add my voice to all the others on here that would be very interested in seeing a HCA compliant proposal that doesn't include the Codman subdistrict. If we as a town discover we love the feel of the new downtown housing project awaiting a greenlight, we can always add a Codman district later and double the effect. But we don't have the luxury of clawing it back ever, and this current plan looks like a blind leap that would cost a feel that many in the town cherish. Jeff Birchby Twin Pond Lane ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: David Onigman <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > Date: Mon, Oct 16, 2023 at 10:35 AM Subject: [LincolnTalk] HCA & Codman Road To: <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > I have been hesitant to engage in the housing discussion on LincolnTalk, but after reading a few recent comments about the motives for some of the Codman Road residents and their advocacy in favor of the Housing Choice Act and our road being included in it, I am inspired to weigh in. I live on Codman Road and was one of the residents that advocated in favor of my area of South Lincoln to be included in the proposals submitted to the Commonwealth to be in compliance with the Housing Choice Act. I consider myself a housing advocate and generally speaking am in favor of the legislation. There is a housing crisis in this country, and in Massachusetts, and every town can do their part to contribute a small bit to increased inventory to support this issue. I also consider myself an advocate of public transportation and am a frequent user of the commuter rail. My family is able to currently be a one car family largely in part to my proximity to the train into Boston. I am in support of all plans that include these subdistricts to be as close to the Commuter Rail as possible, as I believe that to be in the spirit of this legislation, and also what is best for our town planning. I love Lincoln, I think Lincoln is an amazing place to live and raise children. Lincoln is over 40% conservation land and nothing is ever going to change that. I believe that the effects of the HCA to loosen a bit of the zoning laws in certain subdistricts to not be by-right single-family housing is a good thing. I believe towns like Lincoln that are looking to support a small commercial center and maintain services like a grocery store need to modify a bit of the by-right zoning to ensure that things like having a grocery store are sustainable. Let me clarify that my beliefs are not driven by any personal financial aspirations linked to my property. For those seeking assurance, my lot, surrounded by wetlands, isn't viable for further development. Our family home, built in 1951, has always stood here, and we have no intentions of leaving. So I am just here to say - yes, in my backyard, I support the HCA, I support Codman road being included as one of the subdistricts. Every town can do a small part to support more housing inventory and every town can do a small part to allow more housing near public transportation. I’m not looking to engage in any LincolnTalk back and forth on my thoughts on this, but if anyone is looking to discuss these topics further offline, please feel free to write me an email and we can grab a cup of coffee. -- The LincolnTalk mailing list. To post, send mail to [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> . 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 [email protected]. Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. Change your subscription settings at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln.
