Re: [LincolnTalk] Why Lincoln should overlay HCA zoning over existing multi-family districts

[Tricia Thornton-Wells]

It’s been very hard to read message after message of people accusing others of trying to ruin this town.  I’m really very sad and tired of hearing it all. 1. At the last town meeting, people told the RLF their renderings were too generic and asked them to put together renderings that were more specific to what they envisioned being developed.  So, trying to be responsive to these requests, they are putting together renderings of what is currently conceived. Of course these are going to be hypothetical!  That doesn’t mean they are acting in bad faith, putting forth a lie. I personally do not believe they are operating in bad faith. Do they have a vested interest in making sure *something* moves forward?  Yes, of course. That doesn’t mean they are willing to go along with something they think will be bad for the town? No. Fundamentally, I believe people who volunteer their time and money to an organization like RLF love this town and want good things for it. 2-3. The upcoming vote will determine whether a majority of the town (most of whom are not on this increasingly toxic echo chamber) believes the Lincoln Station area, owned by RLF, should be allowed to pursue development with more freedom to negotiate than they have now—something that would be profitable, because of increased density, and that could also be a great benefit to the town. I personally believe the RLF has good intent and will work with a developer to build such a space. I also believe that keeping the Mall space as-is is a recipe for commercial/economic failure. I also believe we can be a (small) part of the solution to increasing housing stock in the Boston metro area. Why is everyone so afraid and so convinced that *any* and all change will be bad? We all do the best we can under the circumstances, which are *not* the same circumstances as 20 or 40 years ago.  Please, let’s stop resisting every single thing and have a reasonable conversation about how to move forward based on today, here, in Lincoln in 2023. We all love Lincoln, or we wouldn’t be here. Sincerely,Tricia Thornton-Wells112 Trapelo RdOn Nov 6, 2023, at 6:29 PM, Peter Buchthal  wrote:At the previous planning/hcawg meeting of October 24th, we learned that RLF is planning to hire a consultant to draw potential renderings of a new Lincoln Mall and present them to the town at some point.   It is really hard for town residents to evaluate the potential impact of the proposed changes to  the Lincoln Mall zoning without a detailed discussion.  I understand the planning board is considering further zoning amendments for the new overlay districts to better protect the town's interests.    I foresee several problems with this strategy.  1)  Any drawings or renderings will be purely hypothetical and not binding on the RLF or any future owner of the Mall as there is no requirement that they be actually submitted to the town for a building permit.2)  Assuming a HCA Overlay district is passed at the March Town meeting, I see very few obstacles to building whatever the developer chooses to build as the town will have NO ability to influence a future developer to do anything unless they need a variance for something. 3)  Hypothetically, one day after the HCA Overlay district passes the March Town Meeting, CIVICO could submit drawings to the Town of Lincoln Building Department and the current zoning rules would apply to their project without the ability of the town to influence the project.  As long as CIVICO starts construction within  12 months of submitting building plans, the rules at the time of plan submission would govern the project. period, full stop.  Any future safeguards that the town might want to impose on development within the Mall area wouldn't apply to plans that were submitted prior to the acceptance of any future zoning changes at a different town meetingTo approve any of the current plans with the Lincoln Mall being part of a new overlay district without any zoning amendments to be approved  at the same time, opens the town for an unnecessary disaster.  It would be better for the Town to NOT include the Lincoln Mall in an HCA overlay district so that a normal vetting of plans at a town meeting will ensure that everyone in the Town is happy with the project.  This strategy will allow more affordable units, ensure commercial development is actually built, and will allow a negotiation between the town and the developer for a development of importance to the Town. There is no logical way to skip that negotiation to safeguard the town that we know and love.Peter BuchthalWeston Rd.On Mon, Nov 6, 2023 at 5:12 PM Sara Mattes  wrote:Please let us know exactly what legal teeth site plan review has.I have asked for that repeatedly and have heard….crickets.Yes there will be some wetlands protections, but not Lincoln’s set backs.Yes, there will be some set backs.But please, do tell what legal options will we have to actually control the look and feel of major re

Re: [LincolnTalk] Why Lincoln should overlay HCA zoning over existing multi-family districts

[Jeffrey]

Rich: while your statement is accurate, it is still unclear to me what may
happen in the collision between State and Local standards, e.g., the
difference in wetland buffers once a property owner aligns with a developer
and sues the town asking relief from the State. My understanding is that
our Town officials and the HCAWG do not know the answer at this point. Of
course, developers have tried to sue the town in the past but the State
declined to intervene. I'm not certain the State would take that position
today...so we should be careful about 'by right' permitting and the Town
should try to minimize its risk exposure.

On Mon, Nov 6, 2023, 5:03 PM Rich Rosenbaum  wrote:

> I think it is misleading to use statements such as "the developer can do
> whatever they want".
> Existing regulations and site plan review give the town oversight.
>
> After all, residential property owners have the by right ability to build
> a new home but cannot build whatever they want.
>
>
> On Mon, Nov 6, 2023 at 4:05 PM Sara Mattes  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> 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 
>> 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 

Re: [LincolnTalk] [EXT] Re: Why Lincoln should overlay HCA zoning over existing multi-family districts

[Margaret Olson]

The proposed zoning changes are for two separate zones:
- The "HCA zone"
- A mixed use zone at the Mall.

In other words, there *are* separate mixed use and HCA residential zones.
The current plan is to have one warrant article that creates both zones at
the March town meeting. We do get unit credits towards HCA compliance for
the mixed use zone.

On Mon, Nov 6, 2023 at 8:01 PM Carlson, Jeanine <
jeanine.carl...@tuftsmedicine.org> wrote:

> Good evening, everyone,
>
> Anything that is zoned as "mixed use" does NOT count towards the 42 acres
> that we are required to rezone to meet the state HCA requirement.
>
> All it does is add to the number of units that can be built, without any
> input or oversight from the town of Lincoln regarding affordable housing
> (it only has to have 10%), congestion, etc.
>
> So instead of getting 635 units as mandated by the state, we will end up
> with many more, over which we have no oversight.
>
> It is my belief that we should separate the mixed use propositions from
> the HCA requirements.
>
> The HCA requires that we rezone 42 acres for 15 units per acres, with NO
> MORE THAN 10% affordable.  We can always rezone for additional units if we
> want to, but then we would not be under the state's "free-for-all" HCA
> mandate, which is deleterious to our affordable housing stock, our
> diversity of housing and our ability to distribute new housing throughout
> our community.
>
> Lincoln has always done better than this.  We can always rezone "mixed
> use" acres if we want to, while still requiring what we have always
> required - 15-25% affordable, diversity of housing, 100 feet from wetlands,
> etc.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Jeanine Carlson
>
>
> --
> *From:* Lincoln  on behalf of Jeff B <
> jeffbirc...@gmail.com>
> *Sent:* Monday, November 6, 2023 5:32 PM
> *To:* Margaret Olson ; samat...@gmail.com <
> samat...@gmail.com>
> *Cc:* Lincoln Talk 
> *Subject:* [EXT] Re: [LincolnTalk] Why Lincoln should overlay HCA zoning
> over existing multi-family districts
>
> I'm not sure why we are playing this game of hide the 'expected'
> developments. It is true that very little in life is guaranteed. However, I
> think smart citizens should expect development to follow zoning. Cautious
> citizens should
> I'm not sure why we are playing this game of hide the 'expected'
> developments.
>
> It is true that very little in life is guaranteed. However, I think smart
> citizens should expect development to follow zoning.  Cautious citizens
> should definitely be prepared and expect for it to follow.  I think it is
> safe to say that the HCAWG also appears to expect development to follow the
> zoning based on today's meeting, when more low impact zoning ideas were
> rejected in favor of the current set and "getting something" as I believe
> was said at the time.
>
> There are huge financial incentives that have made the idea of joining the
> HCA zoning attractive to property owners and potential developers.
> Unfortunately some of those incentives might be directly at odds with the
> town's interests.
>
> The Mall has gotten the most attention, as RLF has been the only property
> owner that has publicly stated that they plan to develop.  But
> realistically, it is just one of the new developments that would
> likely follow.
>
> After all, if Doherty's is indeed leaving, zoning it for over 20 housing
> units makes a very strong financial incentive to build something along
> those lines at that location.  Being zoned mixed use doesn't require any
> commercial return and we could as a town see an actual decline in our
> commercial center as a result of the new zoning proposals.
>
> If "Codman corner"  is zoned for 83 units on 4 acres, there is a very
> strong financial incentive to build those 83 units there. If Codman is
> zoned at 180 units, then there will be a very strong financial incentive to
> build 180 units on the street.
>
> All of these potential developments would be done under the new zoning
> without the normal town approval process and without any remaining sticks
> to encourage affordability above 10%, green energy goals, or almost any
> other concerns the town might have.
>
> There is a reason the town has never previously just abdicated our town
> approval process like the HCA proposals suggest we do so.  A small
> committee is now asking the town to do so and take that incredibly bold
> leap of faith.  Asking that we further assume that this zoning doesn't
> matter and maybe nothing changes feels silly at best.
>
> I think the first question any HCA committee should have asked was how
> much do we really want to tie our hands as a town and make it more
> difficult to get affordability above 10% and any other town goals we might
> have from the (most likely) several incoming developments.
>
> Instead, the committee has decided to start with a position that we want
> to reduce our town leverage going forward and done so to such an extent
> that it even incl

Re: [LincolnTalk] Why Lincoln should overlay HCA zoning over existing multi-family districts

[Sara Mattes]

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  
> wrote:
> 
> Why is the town not explaining this to the town...why the deception 
> 
> On Mon, Nov 6, 2023, 4:06 PM Sara Mattes  > 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 >> > 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 >> > 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 appr

Re: [LincolnTalk] Why Lincoln should overlay HCA zoning over existing multi-family districts

[Jeff B]

I'm not sure why we are playing this game of hide the 'expected'
developments.

It is true that very little in life is guaranteed. However, I think smart
citizens should expect development to follow zoning.  Cautious citizens
should definitely be prepared and expect for it to follow.  I think it is
safe to say that the HCAWG also appears to expect development to follow the
zoning based on today's meeting, when more low impact zoning ideas were
rejected in favor of the current set and "getting something" as I believe
was said at the time.

There are huge financial incentives that have made the idea of joining the
HCA zoning attractive to property owners and potential developers.
Unfortunately some of those incentives might be directly at odds with the
town's interests.

The Mall has gotten the most attention, as RLF has been the only property
owner that has publicly stated that they plan to develop.  But
realistically, it is just one of the new developments that would
likely follow.

After all, if Doherty's is indeed leaving, zoning it for over 20 housing
units makes a very strong financial incentive to build something along
those lines at that location.  Being zoned mixed use doesn't require any
commercial return and we could as a town see an actual decline in our
commercial center as a result of the new zoning proposals.

If "Codman corner"  is zoned for 83 units on 4 acres, there is a very
strong financial incentive to build those 83 units there. If Codman is
zoned at 180 units, then there will be a very strong financial incentive to
build 180 units on the street.

All of these potential developments would be done under the new zoning
without the normal town approval process and without any remaining sticks
to encourage affordability above 10%, green energy goals, or almost any
other concerns the town might have.

There is a reason the town has never previously just abdicated our town
approval process like the HCA proposals suggest we do so.  A small
committee is now asking the town to do so and take that incredibly bold
leap of faith.  Asking that we further assume that this zoning doesn't
matter and maybe nothing changes feels silly at best.

I think the first question any HCA committee should have asked was how much
do we really want to tie our hands as a town and make it more difficult to
get affordability above 10% and any other town goals we might have from the
(most likely) several incoming developments.

Instead, the committee has decided to start with a position that we want to
reduce our town leverage going forward and done so to such an extent that
it even included proposing zoning municipal land that gives 0 credit to the
laws compliance.

The core issue isn't complicated -- should the town try and maintain as
much oversight as possible, or should we cater to the financial interests
of developers and affected property owners in the hopes that the
reduced oversight and regulations makes more buildings happen.

Jeff Birchby
Twin Pond Lane

On Mon, Nov 6, 2023 at 3:51 PM Margaret Olson  wrote:

> The HCA is about zoning - what property owners have a right to do with
> their property. It is not about housing production and there is no town
> project to develop housing.
>
> The Mall is private property owned by the Rural Land Foundation. The RLF
> is a private 501(c)(3) organization. It would be unusual for a private
> organization to publicly discuss their negotiations with a developer or
> developers. As a private organization the RLF is not subject to the state's
> RFP (bidding) process.
>
> I can't help but point out that the Boston Public Garden is surrounded on
> three sides by dense development, including several buildings with ground
> floor retail and apartments or offices above.
> Monument Square in Concord has multifamily housing - 30 Monument square is
> a condo building. There are additional condos and apartments within .2
> miles.
>
> On Mon, Nov 6, 2023 at 1:43 PM Deborah Greenwald <
> 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 
>> 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, 

Re: [LincolnTalk] New Options for HCA Compliance

[Bijoy Misra]

Thank you.  It is not clear how the stuffing units at the train station
idea came about in Lincoln.
It an old colonial model to give the city workers a place to live near a
train station to get to work
in time.  Lincoln has a farming base and an independence character.  People
live in town and
pursue professions.  The train stop does not bring any visitors to create
revenue for the town.
Our compliance should be proportional to the benefit.
The town Committee being tied up to a single developer is a serious mistake
and could be
unlawful.  Let there be several small developments and various bids should
be secured by
the Committee.  As I expressed in 2019, the town character must be the
first priority against
any imposed stipulation.  The current WG should be reconstituted to
properly deliberate the
options and the priorities.  We elect people on trust, but the election
should not disconnect
the elected representative from understanding the views of the residents.
It would be grossly
unfair if the Select Committee and the WG ignore the considered opinions
expressed through
this public medium.
Best regards,
Bijoy Misra
.  .

On Mon, Nov 6, 2023 at 7:54 AM Lynne Smith  wrote:

> My article from the *Lincoln Squirrel*
>
>
> My Turn: New website offers appealing options for compliance with the
> Housing Choice Act
>
> November 5, 2023
>
> By Lynne Smith
>
> The Housing Choice Act (HCA) asks Massachusetts communities with public
> transit in the greater Boston area to rezone parts of their town to allow
> “by right” development of multifamily housing if they want to remain
> eligible for three state grant programs. “By right” means that the
> developer of the property would not have to go to Town Meeting to permit
> the development. The HCA Working Group (HCAWG) is currently developing
> rezoning options for Lincoln.
>
> Using the models provided by the state for HCA compliance and building on
> the work of the HCAWG, a group calling themselves Lincoln Residents for
> Housing Alternatives has developed a range of new options that have real
> merit. They have included these options in an informative website
> 
>  that
> describes Lincoln’s particular parcels and suggests how rezoning might be
> accomplished without disturbing the character of the town.
>
> The website offers a clear explanation of the compliance rules and the
> complex models used to develop the options. These simplified explanations
> in laymen’s terms helped me understand how we might rezone for maximum
> benefit to the town. The maps make clear how we can maintain our local and
> rural character by dispersing development as we have always done. In fact,
> 40% of Lincoln’s housing is already in multifamily developments scattered
> throughout the town. Over the last 60 years, this approach, requiring Town
> Meeting approval, has provided many units of housing requiring 15-25%
> affordability without increasing traffic or sacrificing conservation land.
>
> The charts and spreadsheets in the website also make clear how we can:
>
>- Avoid allocating a greater number of developable units than required
>for compliance. We must rezone for a minimum but care must be taken not to
>accidentally permit a maximum.
>- Develop a greater percentage of affordable units by not making the
>RLF/Lincoln Station proposal “by right,” as HCA only allows us to require
>10% affordable.
>- Preserve wildlife corridors and minimize traffic by carefully
>situating the rezoned areas in parcels that are already developed.
>
> The website also explains the HCA compliance issues in easy-to-understand
> language and provides links to the relevant Massachusetts law. It describes
> the process Lincoln has followed to get to this point and spells out the
> future timelines. It also raises questions that the HCA Working Group may
> need further study to answer.
>
> At the State of the Town meeting on September 30, the Working Group gave a
> polished and convincing description of Option C that concentrated all
> development near Lincoln Station. Since then, I have thought more about the
> impact of hundreds of new units at this small, busy area. Many others have
> raised critical questions about this option and the HCAWG has responded by
> adding three new options (D1, D2, and D3).
>
> This new effort by the Lincoln Residents for Alternative Housing further
> expands the options available to meet compliance. Discussion and debate are
> at the heart of the “Lincoln Way” and we benefit by the skills and
> dedication of volunteers.
>
> I urge everyone in Lincoln to study this new website
> ,
> review the HCAWG information, and register here
>  to
> attend one of the HCA meetings offered on November 8 at 8 a.m. in person or
> 7 p.m. vir

Re: [LincolnTalk] Why Lincoln should overlay HCA zoning over existing multi-family districts

[Peter Buchthal]

At the previous planning/hcawg meeting of October 24th, we learned that RLF
is planning to hire a consultant to draw potential renderings of a new
Lincoln Mall and present them to the town at some point.   It is really
hard for town residents to evaluate the potential impact of the proposed
changes to  the Lincoln Mall zoning without a detailed discussion.  I
understand the planning board is considering further zoning amendments for
the new overlay districts to better protect the town's interests.I
foresee several problems with this strategy.

1)  Any drawings or renderings will be purely hypothetical and not binding
on the RLF or any future owner of the Mall as there is no requirement that
they be actually submitted to the town for a building permit.
2)  Assuming a HCA Overlay district is passed at the March Town meeting, I
see very few obstacles to building whatever the developer chooses to build
as the town will have NO ability to influence a future developer to do
anything unless they need a variance for something.
3)  Hypothetically, one day after the HCA Overlay district passes the March
Town Meeting, CIVICO could submit drawings to the Town of Lincoln Building
Department and the current zoning rules would apply to their project
without the ability of the town to influence the project.  As long as
CIVICO starts construction within  12 months of submitting building plans,
the rules at the time of plan submission would govern the project. period,
full stop.  Any future safeguards that the town might want to impose on
development within the Mall area wouldn't apply to plans that were
submitted prior to the acceptance of any future zoning changes at a
different town meeting

To approve any of the current plans with the Lincoln Mall being part of a
new overlay district without any zoning amendments to be approved  at the
same time, opens the town for an unnecessary disaster.  It would be better
for the Town to NOT include the Lincoln Mall in an HCA overlay district so
that a normal vetting of plans at a town meeting will ensure that everyone
in the Town is happy with the project.  This strategy will allow more
affordable units, ensure commercial development is actually built, and will
allow a negotiation between the town and the developer for a *development
of importance to the Town.* There is no logical way to skip that
negotiation to safeguard the town that we know and love.


Peter Buchthal
Weston Rd.


On Mon, Nov 6, 2023 at 5:12 PM Sara Mattes  wrote:

> Please let us know exactly what legal teeth site plan review has.
> I have asked for that repeatedly and have heard….crickets.
> Yes there will be some wetlands protections, but not Lincoln’s set backs.
> Yes, there will be some set backs.
> But please, do tell what legal options will we have to actually control
> the look and feel of major redevelopment.
>
> The repeated reference to “existing regulations and site plan review” is
> cold comfort.
>
> The whole point of the HCA is to get around our existing bylaws…to make it
> easier for developers to create  larger, denser housing development than is
> currently allowed.
>
>
>
>
> --
> Sara Mattes
>
>
>
>
> On Nov 6, 2023, at 5:02 PM, Rich Rosenbaum  wrote:
>
> I think it is misleading to use statements such as "the developer can do
> whatever they want".
> Existing regulations and site plan review give the town oversight.
>
> After all, residential property owners have the by right ability to build
> a new home but cannot build whatever they want.
>
>
> On Mon, Nov 6, 2023 at 4:05 PM Sara Mattes  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> wrote:
>>
>> Dear All,
>> I would very much like to have David's proposals included in our vote

[LincolnTalk] ISO small apartment to rent (for 1 tenant)

[Roni]

Hi all! I'm looking for housing for myself and my one (very clean, quiet,
well-behaved, non-destructive) cat. I adore Lincoln and was wondering if
anyone has any sort of in-law apartment, accessory unit, or guest house
they'd consider renting out? Thanks in advance! :)
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Re: [LincolnTalk] Why Lincoln should overlay HCA zoning over existing multi-family districts

[Susanna Szeto]

Thank you David!  We should take this letter to every district that is proposed 
by HCAWG!
Susanna

> On Nov 5, 2023, at 10:01 PM, David Cuetos  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
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[LincolnTalk] My questions to Jennifer Glass and HCAWG

[Susanna Szeto]

Dear Jennifer and HCAWG
I don’t know if there will be time to ask my questions on zoom.  So I hope it 
is ok for me to ask my questions here!
1.  May I know why there seems to be a common thread that include rezoning the 
Lincoln Mall in all the options C, D1, D2, D3?

2.  Are there members of RLF also are members of the HCAWG?  Isn’t that a 
conflict of interest if the mall is part of the parcel being considered?

3.  Why is the HCAWG would not want to consider some of the other options that 
are HCA compliance and have less dramatic change to the rural character of 
Lincoln that a group of resident for housing alternative had come up with?

I want to thank each of you for your volunteer work you have given to our town!
I do not want you to think that your work had gone unnoticed!  However, Lincoln 
is also blessed with a young group of Lincoln residents who also had taken upon 
themselves to work on trying to solve this problem that the State had imposed 
on us!

My last question is
4.  What is the harm in taking a look and discuss the many options that the 
group had come up and work together that is best for Lincoln?

Thank you for your attention to my questions!

Susanna Szeto
Giles Road


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[LincolnTalk] Snow tires

[Ilana Wind]

Want new snow tires? I’ve got 4 top-of-the-line Bridgestone Blizzak WS90s 
gently used on my Toyota Prius for 3 months in mild winter 2023. No longer have 
the car or need the tires.

Paid $600 (buy 3, get one free), asking $200 or best offer. 

Ilana
781-640-8341

Sent from my iPhone
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[LincolnTalk] Hillel Stavis, innovative founder of Harvard Square’s WordsWorth Books, dies - The Boston Globe

[Garrick Niemiec]

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/11/05/metro/hillel-stavis-innovative-founder-harvard-squares-wordsworth-books-dies-78/
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Re: [LincolnTalk] Why Lincoln should overlay HCA zoning over existing multi-family districts

[David Cuetos]

*I am surprised to hear from an elected official who has attended the same
meetings I have that the WG proposal selection process is not about housing
production. Whenever one listens to WG discussions, it is very clear this
is very much a housing production plan. The WG is very deliberate in its
desire to rezone parcels with very low existing units that have a very
large probability of being developed at a much higher density. Conversely,
the WG is intent on shunning multi-family properties that would lead to
little redevelopment. This is the critical disagreement between the WG and
many Lincoln residents. *

*How is the redevelopment of the Mall not a housing production plan when we
hear that a developer is enlisted and basically ready to break ground as
soon as they have a chance?*


On Mon, Nov 6, 2023 at 17:47 Karla Gravis  wrote:

> This is a very interesting point. According to the post below, the RLF is
> a private organization, and we shouldn’t expect them to share their
> negotiations with Civico. Yet this private organization, which stands to
> benefit from HCA rezoning, has secured not only one but two seats on the
> working group.
>
> We are being told that residents cannot sit on the working group, yet a
> private organization can? I believe if we have one stakeholder in the
> working group we should allow residents as well.
>
> We are told that Civico refuses to go through town meeting, and now we are
> being told that the RLF, as a private organization, does not need to share
> their negotiations. Why are we forgoing the town meeting process, which
> would allow us to control the level of affordable housing beyond the 10%
> HCA allows as well as potentially many other concessions, because one
> developer refuses to go through it?
>
> In terms of site plan reviews – my understanding is they deal with
> basically 5 issues: lighting, topography, drainage, screening, traffic
> circulation.  There's also a (IMO vague) subjective requirement of
> architectural harmony.  Site plan reviews cannot really stop a project,
> they only dictate mitigation. Let’s remember the plan is to build 85 - 100
> units PLUS one level of commercial space in the mall. Why not allow
> ourselves the ability to vote on it as a town?
>
>
>
>
>
>> -- Forwarded message -
>> From: Margaret Olson 
>> Date: Mon, Nov 6, 2023 at 15:50
>> Subject: Re: [LincolnTalk] Why Lincoln should overlay HCA zoning over
>> existing multi-family districts
>> To: Deborah Greenwald 
>> CC: David Cuetos , Lincoln Talk <
>> lincoln@lincolntalk.org>
>>
>>
>> The HCA is about zoning - what property owners have a right to do with
>> their property. It is not about housing production and there is no town
>> project to develop housing.
>>
>> The Mall is private property owned by the Rural Land Foundation. The RLF
>> is a private 501(c)(3) organization. It would be unusual for a private
>> organization to publicly discuss their negotiations with a developer or
>> developers. As a private organization the RLF is not subject to the state's
>> RFP (bidding) process.
>>
>> I can't help but point out that the Boston Public Garden is surrounded on
>> three sides by dense development, including several buildings with ground
>> floor retail and apartments or offices above.
>> Monument Square in Concord has multifamily housing - 30 Monument square
>> is a condo building. There are additional condos and apartments within .2
>> miles.
>>
>> On Mon, Nov 6, 2023 at 1:43 PM Deborah Greenwald <
>> 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 
>>> 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

Re: [LincolnTalk] Why Lincoln should overlay HCA zoning over existing multi-family districts

[Karla Gravis]

This is a very interesting point. According to the post below, the RLF is a
private organization, and we shouldn’t expect them to share their
negotiations with Civico. Yet this private organization, which stands to
benefit from HCA rezoning, has secured not only one but two seats on the
working group.

We are being told that residents cannot sit on the working group, yet a
private organization can? I believe if we have one stakeholder in the
working group we should allow residents as well.

We are told that Civico refuses to go through town meeting, and now we are
being told that the RLF, as a private organization, does not need to share
their negotiations. Why are we forgoing the town meeting process, which
would allow us to control the level of affordable housing beyond the 10%
HCA allows as well as potentially many other concessions, because one
developer refuses to go through it?

In terms of site plan reviews – my understanding is they deal with
basically 5 issues: lighting, topography, drainage, screening, traffic
circulation.  There's also a (IMO vague) subjective requirement of
architectural harmony.  Site plan reviews cannot really stop a project,
they only dictate mitigation. Let’s remember the plan is to build 85 - 100
units PLUS one level of commercial space in the mall. Why not allow
ourselves the ability to vote on it as a town?





> -- Forwarded message -
> From: Margaret Olson 
> Date: Mon, Nov 6, 2023 at 15:50
> Subject: Re: [LincolnTalk] Why Lincoln should overlay HCA zoning over
> existing multi-family districts
> To: Deborah Greenwald 
> CC: David Cuetos , Lincoln Talk <
> lincoln@lincolntalk.org>
>
>
> The HCA is about zoning - what property owners have a right to do with
> their property. It is not about housing production and there is no town
> project to develop housing.
>
> The Mall is private property owned by the Rural Land Foundation. The RLF
> is a private 501(c)(3) organization. It would be unusual for a private
> organization to publicly discuss their negotiations with a developer or
> developers. As a private organization the RLF is not subject to the state's
> RFP (bidding) process.
>
> I can't help but point out that the Boston Public Garden is surrounded on
> three sides by dense development, including several buildings with ground
> floor retail and apartments or offices above.
> Monument Square in Concord has multifamily housing - 30 Monument square is
> a condo building. There are additional condos and apartments within .2
> miles.
>
> On Mon, Nov 6, 2023 at 1:43 PM Deborah Greenwald <
> 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 
>> 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 Stat

Re: [LincolnTalk] Why Lincoln should overlay HCA zoning over existing multi-family districts

[Robert Ahlert]

Hi all -

We might want to bump up our legal budget going forward because with the
HCA behind them, developers might not be so inclined to listen to a town's
planning board.  If a developer's site plan and proposal meets the
technical requirements for the zoned area, how long can the Planning Board
hold up a 36 foot high box with windows?

Let's please not be naive and give away our prime in-town parcels to HCA
zoning, we'll regret it.  There are many, many alternatives ...

https://sites.google.com/lincolnresidentsforhousingalternatives.org/info/a-fairer-approach

Rob

On Mon, Nov 6, 2023 at 5:13 PM Sara Mattes  wrote:

> Please let us know exactly what legal teeth site plan review has.
> I have asked for that repeatedly and have heard….crickets.
> Yes there will be some wetlands protections, but not Lincoln’s set backs.
> Yes, there will be some set backs.
> But please, do tell what legal options will we have to actually control
> the look and feel of major redevelopment.
>
> The repeated reference to “existing regulations and site plan review” is
> cold comfort.
>
> The whole point of the HCA is to get around our existing bylaws…to make it
> easier for developers to create  larger, denser housing development than is
> currently allowed.
>
>
>
>
> --
> Sara Mattes
>
>
>
>
> On Nov 6, 2023, at 5:02 PM, Rich Rosenbaum  wrote:
>
> I think it is misleading to use statements such as "the developer can do
> whatever they want".
> Existing regulations and site plan review give the town oversight.
>
> After all, residential property owners have the by right ability to build
> a new home but cannot build whatever they want.
>
>
> On Mon, Nov 6, 2023 at 4:05 PM Sara Mattes  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> 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 
>> 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

Re: [LincolnTalk] Why Lincoln should overlay HCA zoning over existing multi-family districts

[Sara Mattes]

Please let us know exactly what legal teeth site plan review has.
I have asked for that repeatedly and have heard….crickets.
Yes there will be some wetlands protections, but not Lincoln’s set backs.
Yes, there will be some set backs.
But please, do tell what legal options will we have to actually control the 
look and feel of major redevelopment.

The repeated reference to “existing regulations and site plan review” is cold 
comfort.

The whole point of the HCA is to get around our existing bylaws…to make it 
easier for developers to create  larger, denser housing development than is 
currently allowed.




--
Sara Mattes




> On Nov 6, 2023, at 5:02 PM, Rich Rosenbaum  wrote:
> 
> I think it is misleading to use statements such as "the developer can do 
> whatever they want". 
> Existing regulations and site plan review give the town oversight.
> 
> After all, residential property owners have the by right ability to build a 
> new home but cannot build whatever they want.
> 
> 
> On Mon, Nov 6, 2023 at 4:05 PM Sara Mattes  > 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 >> > 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 >> > 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

Re: [LincolnTalk] Why Lincoln should overlay HCA zoning over existing multi-family districts

[Rich Rosenbaum]

I think it is misleading to use statements such as "the developer can do
whatever they want".
Existing regulations and site plan review give the town oversight.

After all, residential property owners have the by right ability to build a
new home but cannot build whatever they want.


On Mon, Nov 6, 2023 at 4:05 PM Sara Mattes  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 
> 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 
> 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 fro

Re: [LincolnTalk] Why Lincoln should overlay HCA zoning over existing multi-family districts

[Sara Mattes]

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  
> 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  > 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 

Re: [LincolnTalk] Why Lincoln should overlay HCA zoning over existing multi-family districts

[Margaret Olson]

The HCA is about zoning - what property owners have a right to do with
their property. It is not about housing production and there is no town
project to develop housing.

The Mall is private property owned by the Rural Land Foundation. The RLF is
a private 501(c)(3) organization. It would be unusual for a private
organization to publicly discuss their negotiations with a developer or
developers. As a private organization the RLF is not subject to the state's
RFP (bidding) process.

I can't help but point out that the Boston Public Garden is surrounded on
three sides by dense development, including several buildings with ground
floor retail and apartments or offices above.
Monument Square in Concord has multifamily housing - 30 Monument square is
a condo building. There are additional condos and apartments within .2
miles.

On Mon, Nov 6, 2023 at 1:43 PM Deborah Greenwald <
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 
> 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.
>> 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/

[LincolnTalk] Elementary Chairs Needed

[Jennifer Goodman]

Hi,

I run the family program at the Unitarian church in Cambridge, and I’m looking 
for second hand elementary sized chairs. Does anyone have any extras? Before we 
buy more plastic…

Thank you!!!

Jennifer
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[LincolnTalk] Stop Private Jet Expansion stand outs

[Trish O'Hagan]

Our weekly Lincoln stand outs on Rt 2A are over for the season.  It is a bit 
chilly and dark these days.
We are so grateful for all those friends and allies who showed up weekly to 
hold signs and wave to passers-by.  Thanks for the great conversations and 
commitment to stopping this private jet expansion project.  Private jet 
expansion will increase our  greenhouse gas emissions at a time when we must be 
doing all we can to reduce them. 
There is still much to be done, so please check the website 
athttp://www.stopprivatejetexpansion.org for ways to stay involved.
Sincerely,

Trish O'Hagan  and Alex Chatfield

 

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Re: [LincolnTalk] Why Lincoln should overlay HCA zoning over existing multi-family districts

[Deborah Greenwald]

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  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.
> 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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[LincolnTalk] November 8th Housing Choice Community Forums!

[Deborah Howe via Lincoln]

Hi, Lincoln Talkers – I'm writing as a private citizen, one who lives in 
Lincoln Woods and whose backyard shares a fence with the out-of-town commuter 
rail lot. I am a landscape architect, and tend to see built form and open space 
around built form as readable expressions of a homeowner's -- or a community's 
-- values. Everyone I have spoken to in Lincoln appreciates the need for more 
housing here (and not just single-family homes on 2-acre lots). I don't know 
anyone who doesn't acknowledge that need. My take on the HCA issues facing 
Lincoln: 1) I believe the RLF parcel rezoning should be decoupled from the HCA 
effort. The Mall area is important central enough that its rezoning and 
redevelopment should be subject to a more rigorous vetting than it's currently 
getting. I may have missed something crucial, but I haven't found in Town 
documents any siting standards that address development in Lincoln's biggest 
retail/commercial zone. It makes sense to define, at a minimum, building siting 
parameters (distance between building mass and rights of way) disposition of 
stone walls and mature trees, building height setbacks, dumpster locations, car 
storage/parking limits and accommodation, etc.) as well as realistic projected 
impacts on the town (traffic management, infrastructure amendments, etc.) 
before any developer is given an option to build by-right there. 2) The Town 
might be best served by slowing down the HCA compliance process as much as 
possible, and rethinking its approach to the public process. So many people 
have asked good questions about the rezoning; it's good to see that the boards 
involved are now recognizing that the public process presents a wonderful 
opportunity to develop even better zoning options. In a town where brainpower 
is practically an energy source, it makes sense to harness it! (In the late 
90s, after protests about a cookie-cutter redesign of Cambridge's Fresh Pond 
Reservation landscape, the City of Cambridge enlisted citizens from all sectors 
of the City to develop a text master plan for the whole reservation. The 
Committee was given the charge to reach consensus on a huge range of issues -- 
and remarkably, it did. The process required a lot of thought, time, and the 
assumption of good will by all parties. The City used the Committee's 2000 
Master Plan report to guide all subsequent design and construction throughout 
Fresh Pond Reservation, Cambridge's largest and arguably most successful public 
open space. That process, and its result convinced me that patient and 
civic-minded consensus-building really works.) We are all stakeholders in the 
HCA zoning effort. A citizens' advisory committee that draws together pertinent 
Lincoln officials with Lincolnites from every part of town could reflect 
Lincoln's best consensus thinking, and result in a rezoning option that more 
fully reflects the Town's values and character. I do appreciate all the work 
that has gone into solving the HCA puzzle so far, and I'm looking forward to 
the November 8 community forums. See you there -- Deb Howe Sent from iCloud-- 
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[LincolnTalk] From 10/26 "Greater Boston"-Hanscom matters, yes, it matters

[Sara Mattes]

https://youtu.be/GayTrCoxnm0?feature=shared 

--
Sara Mattes




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[LincolnTalk] Wed pop up shares full

[Lindentreefarm Csa]

Thank you
Lindentree Farm
Sent from my iPhone
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[LincolnTalk] Alert: Water Main Flushing

[LaFalam, Darin]

The Water Department will be flushing water mains in the following areas this 
afternoon and evening, Monday 11/6/23, between 2:00pm and midnight:

Old Sudbury Road
Silver Hill Road
Herman Lane
Weston Road
Conant Road
Woodcock Lane
Old Sudbury Road
Laurel Drive
Moccasin Hill Road

If you experience any discolored water as a result of the flushing, please 
avoid hot water use. Flush the water from an exterior faucet for about 10 
minutes or until it clears.

Join us on Facebook for Water Department alerts, news and updates at:  
https://www.facebook.com/groups/747772673496079

Appreciatively,

Darin


[lincolnseal black&white]

Darin M. LaFalam
Water Superintendent

Phone: 781-259-2669
Email: lafal...@lincolntown.org

16 Lincoln Road
Lincoln, MA 01773

www.lincolntown.org/219/Water-Department





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[LincolnTalk] Join us for a Family Movie Night! Wednesday, Nov 15th at 5:00pm

[Abigail Adams via Lincoln]

Join us for a Family Movie Night!




First Parish is hosting a movie night with pizza and popcorn! Come get cozy and 
watch Zootopia with us - Pizza will be served at 5:00pm, movie will begin at 
5:30pm with popcorn. Refreshments and cheese board for adults. We’ll have 
gluten free options as well.




We will also be collecting diapers for the Metro-Boston Diaper Drive - Any and 
all clean, unused diapers welcomed - loose or in packages.




Please RSVP so we have an accurate count for all our nibbles. All are welcome 
and encouraged to attend - This is not a drop-off event - parents/caregivers 
can mingle and relax over refreshments.




If you would like to make a suggested donation of $10/family to help cover food 
costs - follow the link, select Youth Programs and type in notes, “Movie Night 
11/15”

https://fplincoln.breezechms.com/give/online 


Date: Wednesday, November 15th



Time: 5:00pm - 7:30pm

Location: Stone Church (14 Bedford Road)

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[LincolnTalk] Three spaces POP UP of veggies WED 11/8 lindentree

[Lindentreefarm Csa]

Hi all three spaces left

POP UP veggie share
Lindentree Farm
Wednesday Nov 8…..,,3 pm to 6 ish

Lettuce
Kale
Cabbage
Garlic
Sweet potatoes

$20

RSVP ASAP 

Thank you
Moira
Lindentree Farm
Lincoln

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[LincolnTalk] Black LLBean Women's Large Jacket Missing After "Top of the Town"

[Fred Hopengarten]

Dear Seniors:
 
At the conclusion of Saturday Night's Top of the Town event at Nashawtuck
Country Club, my wife went to put on her coat but noticed that the coat
located where she had left her jack was an LL Bean Black Men's Large,
instead of her LL Bean Black Women's Large.
 
If you got home and discovered that the jacket you were wearing was too
small for you, please contact us privately so that we can effect an
exchange.
 
Betty Herr, MD, drbettyh...@gmail.com
Fred Hopengarten, hopengar...@post.harvard.edu
 


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[LincolnTalk] New Options for HCA Compliance

[Lynne Smith]

My article from the Lincoln Squirrel


My Turn: New website offers appealing options for compliance with the Housing 
Choice Act
November 5, 2023

By Lynne Smith

The Housing Choice Act (HCA) asks Massachusetts communities with public transit 
in the greater Boston area to rezone parts of their town to allow “by right” 
development of multifamily housing if they want to remain eligible for three 
state grant programs. “By right” means that the developer of the property would 
not have to go to Town Meeting to permit the development. The HCA Working Group 
(HCAWG) is currently developing rezoning options for Lincoln.

Using the models provided by the state for HCA compliance and building on the 
work of the HCAWG, a group calling themselves Lincoln Residents for Housing 
Alternatives has developed a range of new options that have real merit. They 
have included these options in an informative website 
 
that describes Lincoln’s particular parcels and suggests how rezoning might be 
accomplished without disturbing the character of the town.

The website offers a clear explanation of the compliance rules and the complex 
models used to develop the options. These simplified explanations in laymen’s 
terms helped me understand how we might rezone for maximum benefit to the town. 
The maps make clear how we can maintain our local and rural character by 
dispersing development as we have always done. In fact, 40% of Lincoln’s 
housing is already in multifamily developments scattered throughout the town. 
Over the last 60 years, this approach, requiring Town Meeting approval, has 
provided many units of housing requiring 15-25% affordability without 
increasing traffic or sacrificing conservation land.

The charts and spreadsheets in the website also make clear how we can:

Avoid allocating a greater number of developable units than required for 
compliance. We must rezone for a minimum but care must be taken not to 
accidentally permit a maximum.
Develop a greater percentage of affordable units by not making the RLF/Lincoln 
Station proposal “by right,” as HCA only allows us to require 10% affordable.
Preserve wildlife corridors and minimize traffic by carefully situating the 
rezoned areas in parcels that are already developed.
The website also explains the HCA compliance issues in easy-to-understand 
language and provides links to the relevant Massachusetts law. It describes the 
process Lincoln has followed to get to this point and spells out the future 
timelines. It also raises questions that the HCA Working Group may need further 
study to answer.

At the State of the Town meeting on September 30, the Working Group gave a 
polished and convincing description of Option C that concentrated all 
development near Lincoln Station. Since then, I have thought more about the 
impact of hundreds of new units at this small, busy area. Many others have 
raised critical questions about this option and the HCAWG has responded by 
adding three new options (D1, D2, and D3).

This new effort by the Lincoln Residents for Alternative Housing further 
expands the options available to meet compliance. Discussion and debate are at 
the heart of the “Lincoln Way” and we benefit by the skills and dedication of 
volunteers.

I urge everyone in Lincoln to study this new website 
,
 review the HCAWG information, and register here 
 to attend 
one of the HCA meetings offered on November 8 at 8 a.m. in person or 7 p.m. 
virtually.


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[LincolnTalk] Concerts Dec 2/3

[Sarah Liepert]

Hi LT! Get your tickets now! In just a few weeks, Mistral Music will usher in 
the holidays with our annual Baroque extravaganza. These concerts will sell 
out! If you are new to Mistral, pls contact me ASAP; I have a limited number of 
complimentary tickets for each venue.

There will be two performances: Saturday, December 2, at 5 PM at Ruggles 
Baptist Church, Boston; and Sunday, December 3, at 4 PM at South Church, 
Andover.

The program features harpsichord, oboe, flute, violin, viola, and cello.

Come join us to be uplifted with works by Bach, Telemann, and Vivaldi, as well 
as Marcello, Falconieri, and Royer.

Click here for program details:

https://mistralmusic.org/event/the-baroque-big-band-brookline/

Tickets at mistralmusic.org

All best,

Sarah Liepert
Mistral Board, Chair of Councils
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