The HCAWG has had many meetings that have been open and are available on video. I believe if you go to the town website, you can find them. Citizens comments and questions are there too. http://www.lincolntown.org/1327/Housing-Choice-Act-Working-Group
I do not believe there to be deception. I believe everyone is trying to do what they believe is best for the town. There are a lot of different opinions about what that is. Some of those opinions are expressed with great passion. As the saying goes…it’s complicated. ------ Sara Mattes > On Nov 6, 2023, at 6:54 PM, Garrick Niemiec <garrickniemiec...@gmail.com> > wrote: > > Why is the town not explaining this to the town...why the deception > > On Mon, Nov 6, 2023, 4:06 PM Sara Mattes <samat...@gmail.com > <mailto:samat...@gmail.com>> wrote: >> Once rezone with the HCA, the property owner can put up pretty much whatever >> they want. >> That is the point of the HCA-to get around our normal process for managing >> development in Lincoln. >> No proposals are required for the town to see. >> The development is BY RIGHT, they just need to comply with some very basic >> zoning-wetlands setbacks, other set backs, etc. >> >> And, as was made clear in a public presentation, dense housing is the most >> profitable use of the land, not retail. >> >> The discussion about the Mall is confusing as concepts were discussed and >> proposals were to be offered at a later date. >> In addition, the RLF said they were looking to most lily sell and were in >> discussion with a local developer-CIVICO. >> Regardless of what is discussed now, as it stands now, once rezoned the >> owner, either the RLF but most like a new owner, can do whatever they see >> fit with that land. >> >> That is why this is all so difficult and generating so much debate. >> >> It is important that we all learn as much as possible and attend each and >> every meeting to better understand what is being proposed and what is at >> stake. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> ------ >> Sara Mattes >> >> >> >> >>> On Nov 6, 2023, at 1:43 PM, Deborah Greenwald <deborah.greenw...@gmail.com >>> <mailto:deborah.greenw...@gmail.com>> wrote: >>> >>> Dear All, >>> I would very much like to have David's proposals included in our vote. He >>> And are we taking bids from multiple developers? Some might be more >>> amenable to more low income units. >>> To me it seems that considering any development near Codman Farm is akin to >>> building an apartment building on the Boston Public Gardens or Concord's >>> Monument Square. That area is one of Lincoln's jewels and should be >>> preserved. >>> On Sun, Nov 5, 2023 at 10:01 PM David Cuetos <davidcue...@gmail.com >>> <mailto:davidcue...@gmail.com>> wrote: >>>> I have received some questions from residents trying to understand why our >>>> HCA proposals overlay zoning over existing multi-family districts. I >>>> thought the rationale was important enough to share it with the wider >>>> public. >>>> >>>> I believe the town would be better served by separating as much as >>>> possible the zoning exercise required for compliance approval from actual >>>> development. Zoning existing multifamily developments accomplishes that >>>> goal, as those properties already have the characteristics we would like >>>> to see and they are unlikely to be redeveloped. Let me explain the logic >>>> behind the separation. >>>> >>>> HCA compliance requires us to zone a certain number of acres to a certain >>>> density by right. What that means is that as long as the developer does >>>> not go past our height and setback bylaws, they do not need to ask the >>>> town for feedback. This is not what historically happened in Lincoln. >>>> Historically every multi-family development was a give and take between >>>> the developer and the town. In that process the town was able to extract >>>> important concessions like the number of affordable units, measures to >>>> reduce environmental impact, etc. >>>> >>>> While that give and take was quite important, for areas rezoned under HCA >>>> the town's influence is diminished even further as developers would get an >>>> override over certain town bylaws the State considers too restrictive. >>>> Among them two are chief: affordability and wetland setbacks. The state >>>> will only allow us to ask a developer to include 10% affordable units. The >>>> town’s bylaws require 15%, and historically the town has never approved >>>> anything below 25%, including some units reserved for low income >>>> households. 25% is also the lowest percentage of units for an entire >>>> development to count towards 40B State requirements. The other requirement >>>> at odds is wetlands setback. The town’s bylaws require 100’ and the State >>>> only gives us 50’. This difference would be critical in some sensitive >>>> areas like Codman Rd. >>>> >>>> Our view is that it is detrimental to the town’s general interest to allow >>>> a developer to build a large multifamily building without going through >>>> town meeting approval. The success of Oriole Landing is testament to the >>>> usefulness of town meeting: a win-win for the town and the developer. We >>>> have actually learned from other towns like Winchester that we can drive a >>>> much tougher bargain than we have done in the past. >>>> >>>> We see with skepticism claims that the Oriole Landing developer, who made >>>> an estimated $12M profit and was able to get through town meeting in nine >>>> months, does not want to go through town meeting again. Lincoln has >>>> historically not been an obstructive town towards multi-family developers >>>> and there is no reason to think that would change now that HCA has lowered >>>> Town Meeting approval thresholds from 2/3 to just a simple majority. >>>> >>>> I ask all residents to consider that when they vote to rezone an area, >>>> they are de facto abdicating their democratic right to influence future >>>> development. >>>> >>>> David Cuetos >>>> Weston Rd >>>> -- >>>> 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 >> <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. >>
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