Hi, As a parent whose child attended LEAP many years ago, I know how valuable the program is to many local families. I do not know the statistics on the school size and usage and do not pretend to do so. I only know what I’ve read in the LT threads. As a teacher/educator for 40+ years in 3 districts (Needham, Newton and NYC), I can tell you that as faculty members across disciplines and grades, we were often required to move, share classrooms, and utilize space creatively in order to re-allocate space for new or growing programs. We all dreaded moving and/or sometimes sharing classrooms, but logistically it always worked out. If the student numbers are as low as some people report, perhaps, as others have mentioned, it would pay off to re-evaluate the building’s current use and space in order to find a home for LEAP. I completely understand why LEAP needs to have its own space, however, how much space is actually required? To reiterate what many people have said, if taxes continue to increase in order to build a community center and new building for LEAP, Lincoln will become unaffordable for some homeowners, especially those on fixed incomes, people who have lived here for many years. The town boasts trying to support affordable housing, but many people cannot afford the taxes now, and many more may not be able to withstand inevitable increases, should the “wish list” projects be approved.
Additionally, just to comment on the Housing Choice presentation. I drove through the center of town late afternoon the other day. Between traffic back ups from the train and the 4 way intersections, it took me almost 20 minutes to get home. And I live quite close to the center. I can’t even imagine what it would be like with so many additional cars and people living in the “village.” Just because people may LIVE NEAR the train, does not mean they will be able to utilize public transportation to get to work, drive their children to activities, shop etc… And how would this traffic impact our first responders? If you haven’t done it recently, try driving through Wayland and Sudbury at rush hour. These towns have grown substantially, however the road system has not. On routes 20 and 117, cars barely move at rush hour (which seems to start earlier and last longer). I know that others have mentioned concerns about potential traffic, but it really hit me when I could neither get home quickly, nor to a medical appointment without leaving quite a lot of much needed extra time. Although according to the presentation, the actual land being considered for the developments is only .4 percent, the impact will be huge. Cookie Martin 14 Giles Rd.
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