Little by little, we are beginning to see the reason why RLF is included in all the options given by HCAWG. Trust and transparency go hand in hand. It is true RLF had done a lot of good for preserving the green space of Lincoln and I think I can speak for all of us that we truly appreciate that! However, it should not be riding on its past laurels! To gain a deeper understanding of why RLF is under financial trouble, we need it to be transparent with its fiscal operation! Thank you!
Susanna S Giles Road On Nov 12, 2023, at 9:54 PM, Bijoy Misra <misra.bi...@gmail.com> wrote:
Now there is a new play that RLF is in negative cash flow and should be allowed to sell. I think they should be given the opportunity to make the case for selling land. To cover under the guise of HCA is inappropriate. It appears dubious and distrustful. Let HCA happen, if we must comply but outside the RLF operations.
RLF should present the case of residential development in Lincoln station separately for approval in town.
I appeal for transparency in all fiscal operations.
Best regards, Bijoy Misra
I would like to address some of the HCA myths that have been flying around: The HCAWG never conducted a survey to support the claim that there was overwhelming support to concentrate all the rezoning at Lincoln Station. There are more than 50 public supporters of the HCA Alternatives Group and many more private ones. The HCAWG held its first open door meeting less than a year ago. It only started presenting proposals five months ago.There were only ten days between the time when their preferred proposal (Option C) was presented at SOTT and the HCAWG’s vote to submit it to the State. Market forces dictate that left to their own devices developers would not build housing in Lincoln that is remotely affordable. It would most likely resemble Sudbury's Cold Brook, where a two-bedroom starts at almost $800,000. Analysts remain divided about whether building luxury housing will alleviate or exacerbate the low-income housing shortage in the Greater Boston area. There is no evidence to suggest that taxes would go down if more multi-family units are added in Lincoln. In fact, common sense would dictate that taxes would go up to provide for the incremental services (particularly education) if the town adds more units at a fraction of the assessed cost of the median house in town. Below are two analyses that would support this: The town actually asked a consultant (Sasaki Associates) to conduct a similar study back when a Hanscom Field closure was in the cards around 2005. In that scenario, Lincoln would have had to absorb 850 new housing units at Hanscom. By happenstance this would be roughly equivalent to the impact of Option C. Option C could lead to 950 incremental units as it would rezone for up to 1,135 units versus the existing 185. The Sasaki study concluded that expenses would go up by 63% and revenues would only go up by a corresponding 28%. The implication is that taxes for existing residents would need to increase by 27%.The study is attached for everyone’s reference. My own analysis of the fiscal impact of HCA rezoning leads to similar proforma tax increases (29%) in a full-buildout scenario.
David Cuetos The town has been working on this for 18 months. Diffuse options were considered, but the overwhelming voices back when the options were being first formulated said to concentrate everything in town center. And I am willing to bet that is still true. To me, it seems that a small but vocal group of people are speaking up now. But we need to vote to comply with the HCA in short order. That is why this process started over a year ago! As it is, this is just a zoning change, and there are no guarantees anything will be built. But it's still more than thoughts and prayers to fix the housing (and climate) crisis.
Diana
Giles Rd
Everyone is sympathetic to housing and new people. The issue is where to build. The overwhelming voice is to exclude the Lincoln station area until a full analysis is done. Congestion, transport and environment are the issues. Hence the appeal is for distributed housing. To sell the Lincoln station area for residential development without analysis would be suicidal for the town. I am speaking on behalf of many who wish to live here and develop the town wholesome retaining its character. Best regards, Bijoy Misra
First, I did not say I wanted people from other towns flocking here. I said the opposite.
Second, I would love to maintain the rural character of Lincoln, too, but the fact is we have a severe housing shortage not just in Massachusetts but across the country. Families who work full time, multiple jobs cannot afford apartments, much less condos or homes. There are people looking to step into home ownership who can't because they are priced out. The Massachusetts shelter system is full, not just from refugees and immigrants, but from people who cannot find housing, no matter how much assistance they have. So, yes, even luxury condos would help. (Though I see the town's commendable track record of negotiating a higher level of affordable housing and trust them to continue to do the same.) But it is also true that Lincoln's exclusionary zoning - which has maintained the rural character we love - has contributed to the housing crisis. Lastly, I would love more taxpayers to come to town because in the end I am also a capitalist and would like to see my taxes go down. So I can buy berries for my kids with abandon.
Diana
Giles Rd
Why on earth would we want people from other towns flocking to Lincoln for their groceries?? The beauty of Lincoln's current commercial area is it provides just what the town needs, and not more. This is an environmentally sound model, if not one for thriving capitalism. Lincoln's affordable housing can be expanded without giving up control to developers. Many people move to Lincoln specifically to avoid the traffic and commercial pressures that are evident in neighboring towns, once beautifully semi-rural, now overbuilt with strip malls. Lincoln has been preserved over the decades by careful planning and zoning.
As an example of developer-friendly zoning, Lexington has long had commercial zoning in the center, yet there are empty storefronts and over a dozen random banks. There are only two restaurants that have lasted over the years, dozens have shuttered. Zoning for the benefit of developers doesn't guarantee businesses will come, or stay. Belmont is also struggling with empty storefronts, it is happening across the region. Developers come and go, but residents are left with the developers' decisions, rarely based on the long term goals of the town. This is not a good model for Lincoln. If Lincoln cedes control to developers, it is in perpetuity, it can't be reversed.
Many in town hope that the working group of the HCA ruling will slow the process, take the necessary time to address the concerns of the townspeople, and allow alternative choices on the ballot.
Gail O'Keefe
The best way to make sure commercial stays commercial is to make the businesses viable and the best way to do that is to make sure there are people shopping there. Sorry but people from other towns are not flocking to Lincoln to buy $10 pints of strawberries from Donelans. And I've only been here 5 years and have noticed the string of restaurants that have tried to fill the ONE space. Whether we make any changes there's no guarantee these businesses will stick around. That's capitalism folks. But we can help by AT LEAST zoning for more housing in the area.
Diana Giles Rd
Along similar lines, how can the town ensure commercial space stays commercial as the new owners could easily decide to raise very high or not renew any commercial lease in order to build more luxury residential units by right as long as the project has unused housing units within the zoning allotment.
Peter Buchthal Weston Rd How can the RLF guarantee that any particular commercial space will remain once they sell the land to Civico? Are they planning to include a requirement for a supermarket in the deed? Anything else would just be a "recommendation". Hi All,
We know that a zoning change does not “dictate” that anything be built or changed, but we also know that major changes WILL happen in Lincoln, should this pass. Do any of you remember many years ago when zoning changes were made that impacted any changes an owner could make (as much as a bay window) without ZBA approval on pre-existing non-conforming lots? Some people who are pushing for the re-zoning here are the same people that tried to instill the fear of “mansionisation” should we allow any changes to homes on less than 2 acre lots. At town meeting, they showed pictures of dense mid-rise housing from other towns to scare people into taking away the rights of the pre-existing (grandfathered) non-conforming lot owners. Now some of these same people are advocating for providing similar dense mid-rise housing that they were adamantly opposed to. What happened to the “stewards of the land?”
Sincerely,
Margo Martin
Michelle Barnes from the RLF can confirm, but I believe Donelan's will remain after the mall redevelopment.
A reminder: zoning affects what the property owner has a right to do with their property. It does not dictate that anything be built or changed.
Hi all,
If I am reading the rezoning plans correctly.... the Reducition in retail includes eliminating Donelans and the Bank.
Is this correct?
Theresa K
Is the alternative for the nation area to fill it with dense housing, while we are told there will be reduction in retail? And, that housing will only reflect the wealth gap-only 10% affordable, and the rest, high-end?
What happened to the concept of a “vibrant commercial center?” What happened to a “walkable village?” What will everyone walk to as retail is reduced? Each other's units?
Let us be more creative in what we can develop. As Ken has suggested, we have done it in the past. We seem to have lost our mojo. Let’s get it back.
The HCA is NOT the answer.
Hello LincolnTalkers,
During the discussion on the Zoom forum hosted by the HCAWG on Wednesday evening, I mentioned the recently released report on the history of exclusionary zoning in the Boston area. And also, for those of you who couldn’t stay to see it following the Wednesday morning forum at Town Hall, below is the link to hear the presentation sponsored by The Boston Foundation.
Unless we know our history, it is known that history has a tendency to repeat itself. With respect to objections raised to the options offered by the Housing Choice Working Group, I do hope that current residents can follow the example of earlier Lincoln leaders from the 1970’s who worked with, rather than against, the 40B mandate from the state to provide more affordable housing. That, and their efforts to preserve land in a way that could be shared with others, made Lincoln a model community that attracted national attention.
With the Housing Choice Act, there is no less an opportunity to combine our responsibility to provide more housing in the greater Boston region with helping to revive the ailing Lincoln Station area. After all, given our current manner of approving development around Lincoln Station and the fact that there has been no interest by developers in doing so for the past eighteen years, even with more favorable economic conditions, why should we expect anything different other than more empty spaces available for lease going forward?
I urge us to affirm the work of the Working Group to fulfill the spirit of the Housing Choice Act by supporting Option C, including the rezoning of the mall, to address this conundrum.
Here is the link to the report:
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