Dear Lincoln,
I'm sorry I don't know how to reply to a thread on Lincoln Talk directly - but I wanted to reply to the one that started as you see below.
It is misleading to say being against Option C is being against new development. None of the people I have talked to dislike Option C because they don't want any new development. In fact they all support reasonable development. The Option C rezoning proposal is not reasonable for Lincoln.
I hope all of us considering Option C first explore the Lincoln Station area to see the variety of multi-family zoning that exists there now. Go check out the Flying Nun apartments, Lincoln Woods, Ryan Estates and more. This housing came through 2/3 votes at Town Meeting over many years. You won't see the same level of housing in Carlisle, Weston or other similar towns that also provide home to wildlife and let people live in and around nature.
Solution: Eighty five -100 units could be added at Lincoln Mall with a separate proposal from RLF at Town Meeting. In this climate, a modest proposal of 85-100 units would most certainly pass by 2/3 vote. More than likely RLF would have 15% of the units be affordable.
Option C is not that modest proposal. With Option C we would be rezoning the small section of Codman Rd between 117 and Lincoln Rd to allow 180 units of housing instead of 11. With Option C HCAWG proposed rezoning to allow an estimated 454 additional housing units and estimated 900 cars. Under HCA rezoning guidelines there can be no affordability requirements. Add to the picture multiple new traffic lights, cars going down Tower Rd via Waze, and buildings and nightlights impacting the wildlife corridor. Rezoning to meet HCA state level guidelines needs to be very thoughtful, and Lincoln can do better than Option C, if it chooses.
Housing advocates, who also care about Lincoln's wildlife corridors, affordable housing and aren't blind to all the housing we already have in the Lincoln Station area, can vote against Option C and still have pride in themselves and Lincoln. Lincoln's leaders can propose an HCA rezoning option focused on the Commons that wants to expand anyway. RLF can propose 85-100 units at the Mall. We do not need to completely change Lincoln for us, the new residents and our wildlife if we rezone and add housing thoughtfully.
I am replying to the post that started this way
Hello LincolnTalkers,
I do not wish to rub salt in anybody’s wounds, and I certainly understand the anxiety around the possibility of change, but I’d like to remind everyone why the Housing Choice Act was enacted, not in the first place, but as a last resort.
In many of Boston’s surrounding suburbs, there have been decades of resistance to providing more housing using techniques such as local zoning restrictions, concerns about traffic counts, burgeoning school populations, declining property values, and increased taxes to support additional services, etc. And now, I hear the argument that we won’t have enough affordable housing if we allow any new development.
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