[LincolnTalk] Retail/ mall

Why is there talk about no retail at the mall? Aren’t we lucky to have a grocery store and restaurants and post office and something special here in town? It was great with the hardware store …. Isn’t the point to drive less to get necessities? Everybody is happy to drive to Waltham or concord

Re: [LincolnTalk] Retail/ mall

The draft zoning for the mall includes a required retail component. The planning board is still working out the details of that requirement. On Sat, Dec 16, 2023 at 1:11 PM Lindentreefarm Csa wrote: > Why is there talk about no retail at the mall? Aren’t we lucky to have a > grocery store and r

Re: [LincolnTalk] Retail/ mall

You're not missing anything Moira. The rlf and town leadership are pro residential development and are reaching for max density and has indicated there would be a decrease in the commercial aspect of the mall. Highest, best and most profitable use of land is typically residential and a developer i

Re: [LincolnTalk] Retail/ mall

The claim that the town leadership is "pro development and are reaching for max density” - as well as implying illegal favoritism - departs very far from reality, re-casting a very complicated and nuanced landscape with a trite and false generalization. We have a very diverse group of people in

Re: [LincolnTalk] Retail/ mall

Thank you for your feedback Allen. I've been paying fairly close attention. I try to stay on point with facts. Interpret as you will, but nothing I stated is false. "Implying illegal favoritism. Trite and false generalizations." Really. Thanks. Kind Regards, Scott Clary 617-968-5769 Sent from

Re: [LincolnTalk] Retail/Mall

I would like to address this statement in the email below: “The facts are that the Mall needs help to remain viable” Let's not conflate the RLF finances with the Mall finances. The 990 filings indicate that the Mall itself has been consistently profitable over the last five years

Re: [LincolnTalk] Retail/Mall

I would note that mall 'viability' goes beyond its P&L statement. Do the stores get enough foot traffic to remain viable? Is the mall considered high enough quality space to attract new retail tenants? Keep the ones we have? I don't know the exact answer to these questions but a mall without tenan

Re: [LincolnTalk] Retail/Mall

“Do the stores get enough foot traffic to remain viable? Is the mall considered high enough quality space to attract new retail tenants? Keep the ones we have? I don't know the exact answer to these questions.” Exactly. We are being told by the RLF that the mall is not sustainable and that theref

Re: [LincolnTalk] Retail/Mall

It was mentioned in the most recent Planning Board/ HCAWG meeting that the owner of “Something Special” is very concerned this will put him out of business. I think it would be a great idea to invite all the current mall business owners to a HCAWG meeting to discuss if they are viable now, if they

Re: [LincolnTalk] Retail/ mall

I respectfully argue that the "intense process of research, discussion, vetting, and negotiation with many parties" mentioned by Allen Vander Meulen around the Mall development has not effectively occurred. This is evident given the difficulties the planning board is now facing, as well the lack

Re: [LincolnTalk] Retail/Mall

Has anybody asks them how they are doing and what changes in the environment would hurt/help them? How are they doing now? Lots of new foot traffic a plus? RIse in rents a dela killer? I have not seen them asked and/or invited to meetings, so how do we know? -- Sara Mattes > On Dec 16,

Re: [LincolnTalk] Retail/Mall-Viability/Profitablity

Here is another statement about revenues. It appears that except for the COVID year, the revenues exceeded expenses for the RLF. How could that be if the tenants, who have been there for some time (Something Special has been there 47 years!) were paying enough rent to make the total operation pr

Re: [LincolnTalk] Retail/Mall-Viability/Profitablity

I’m not sure how my name got at the end of this post, but this is not my statement. On Tue, Dec 19, 2023 at 11:48 PM Sara Mattes wrote: > Here is another statement about revenues. > It appears that except for the COVID year, the revenues exceeded expenses > for the RLF. > How could that be if

Re: [LincolnTalk] Retail/Mall-Viability/Profitablity

Sara, I think the answer is right there in the Charity Navigator report that you linked: Financial Metrics Full Credit Partial Credit No Credit Liabilities to Assets: Ratio - 70.52%0 out of 15 points The Liabilities to Assets Ratio is determined by Total Liabilities divided by Total Assets (

Re: [LincolnTalk] Retail/Mall-Viability/Profitablity

A gentleman from RLF was very defensive when I wrote about this a month back. He said that RLF runs because of its staff and the salary should not be questioned. He didn't acknowledge that RLF had created the blueprint for the Mall demolition that was presented in a public meeting in Donaldson Room