I would like to respectfully disagree with some of the points made on this thread.
"1) *Options C is the best hope for retaining the retail businesses at the Mall*." If the Town really cared about the retail businesses at the Mall they would locate a new Community Center in the Mall or near the Mall (maybe commuter parking lot?). The amount of retail activity generated by the daily different Community Center participants ( 100+?) far exceeds the retail activity of new housing. The new zoning laws being contemplated by the PB do not set a reasonable floor on the amount of retail businesses reserved for the Mall. Unless Option E is selected, new bylaws that cater to the interests of maximizing residential housing at the expense of retail space will be adopted at the same time as Option C in March. RLF may have pledged that they will protect the commercial interests of the Mall, but the current draft bylaws do not support those words. *"In general, the need for a Town Meeting approval - no matter what town - is seen as a roll of the dice with a high risk of failure at the last minute. Further, Lincoln's history in that regard does not inspire confidence." * The State has changed the voting requirements of Town Meetings approvals for Multi Family housing projects. The project must simply garner a simple majority of residents at a town meeting which is a much lower threshold than a 2/3 vote previously. If a project deserves town approval, a simple majority is not an unreasonable bar. The Town of Lincoln has no history of rejecting multifamily projects that could not garner a simple majority. *"Most of the towns around us, however, will have designated large areas as multifamily “by right”.**What developer in his right mind would risk thousands of dollars to take a proposal to town meeting, only to see it voted down, when he could easily go to the next town, and develop something by right? * HCA zoning approvals for our neighboring towns do not have to be submitted to the state until December 2024. So,, we really don't know what other towns are doing yet. We have no evidence that developers will prefer other projects and chose to not redevelop the Mall at the right price. I think there are few if any large areas being rezoned for that can be easily acquired in 1 transaction like the Lincoln Mall. If a developer has to acquire several parcels within an HCA district for a project, that increases the cost for the developer even the project can be developed by right. The Lincoln Mall is a critical and visible part of the town of Lincoln and Lincoln residents should demand more oversight on this redevelopment that the HCA provides. RLF has tried to provide verbal assurances to the Town that there will be outreach, site plans and communication but the only teeth in restricting the wishes of a future developer/owner are our future zoning bylaws that are proposing 4 floors and 48 feet of building. PB members are apparently trying to make the redevelopment even more attractive by offering up our commuter lot to the owner of Lincoln Woods as a quid pro quo for them to allow the Lincoln Mall increased usage of the Lincoln Woods waste treatment plant. Shouldn't the town get the full picture with all of the details BEFORE deciding on rezoning the Mall by right? *Only Option E provides a path forward for the redevelopment of the Lincoln Mall with town oversight and full disclosure.* Peter Buchthal Weston Rd On Wed, Nov 29, 2023 at 7:57 AM Pastor Allen <pastorall...@gmail.com> wrote: > Ruth Ann is absolutely correct, and I 100% agree with her logic and > endorsement of option C. > > I also think it important to emphasize and expand upon the concerns she > raises about "Option E," and the town meeting process in general. > > Those who invest in large projects are not looking to run a substantial > risk of losing the major upfront investments and commitments they must make > in any project before it gets to the point of final approval. That's > reasonable: we would not ask our friends or neighbors to throw a pile of > their money and years of effort on the table and risk it all on a roll of > the dice, and we would be resentful if they asked it of us. > > In general, the need for a Town Meeting approval - no matter what town - > is seen as a roll of the dice with a high risk of failure at the last > minute. Further, Lincoln's history in that regard does not inspire > confidence. > > And so, with plenty of other nearby towns competing for those same > investments, investors and developers have no need to ever put Lincoln on > their shortlist of possible project opportunities. This will become even > more true as more and more communities conform to the HCA. > > Developers look for an approval process that they see as fair and > predictable. (And it's that perception that counts, not our convictions to > the contrary.) They look for assurance that if they play by the rules, > they will have a reasonably good chance of success. What the rules are is > not as important as that they are predictable and stable. > > So, the onus is upon us to craft a set of rules and processes to guide > their efforts, so that their project meets the town's expectations and > needs. It is in everyone's best interest to put those guard rails in at the > front end of the approval process, rather than having them burst upon the > scene at the last minute. > > Many will point to Oriole Landing as an example of how town meeting can > work. I was involved in that entire process from our first meeting with > them through to the groundbreaking of the completed project. It needs to be > pointed out that it was Civico's first exposure to the town meeting > process, and they have already said they would never willingly do so again. > > So, as long as the current Town Meeting approval process is in place, we > will rarely, if ever, be approached by developers - whether we actively try > to recruit them or not. and even if we are approached, there is little > chance they will stick with us through the entire approval process. > > Lincoln will not only never have a seat at the table when such projects > are in their formative stages, we likely won't even know the table exists. > > Allen Vander Meulen > > Sent from my iPhone > > On Nov 28, 2023, at 21:02, Ruth Ann Hendrickson <raand...@earthlink.net> > wrote: > > > > I support new and more affordable housing in Lincoln, and I’d like to see > most of it in the area of the train station and the Lincoln Mall. I will > therefore be supporting option C at the Special Town Meeting on December 2. > > 1) *Options C is the best hope for retaining the retail businesses at the > Mall*. I remember when the roof caved in, and Donelan’s was out of > business for over a year. We missed them terribly. If we even needed a pint > of cream, we had to go out of town. Retail is struggling all over the > country, but I notice that West Concord, (population 7,003 per Census > data: ACS 2021) which developed a large apartment complex near the Nashoba > Brook a few years ago, has managed to retain real retail, not just banks > and restaurants. I am hoping that with enough new housing in the mall area, > we also could have a thriving retail center. > > 2) *History shows that adding new housing enriches the Town.* Change is > always worrisome. When Farrah pond village near where I live was proposed, > the neighbors were violently against it because of traffic. The traffic has > not materialized, and Farrar Pond Village has turned out to be a wonderful > place for Lincoln people to retire. Recently, because of the cost of > housing, it has also attracted families with children to the extent that > they have built a playground. When the town developed Lincoln Woods, people > were aghast; much denser than Farrar Pond Village and right there in the > middle of town. And yet I know someone who works at Donelan’s who is able > to live there, and a friend of mine, who has MS, is also able to live there > to be near her mother. This complex has definitely given living options to > Lincoln people who needed it. The proposed new housing would again add > housing for our children and those who work here. > > 3) *Our Agricultural Heritage is safe.* Remember, 40% of the Lincoln is > permanently in conservation. 40%! Those fields will continue to be farmed > by local farmers. Codman farm belongs to the town and will also remain in > perpetuity. The trails we love to walk will always be there. Adding some > higher density housing near the train station will not affect that. > > 4) *Do not be fooled by Option E. *Some think that, if we chose Option E, > we can slow down and develop housing at our own pace under the town meeting > process. Most of the towns around us, however, will have designated large > areas as multifamily “by right”. What developer in his right mind would > risk thousands of dollars to take a proposal to town meeting, only to see > it voted down, when he could easily go to the next town, and develop > something by right? The RLF will be unable to replenish their endowment > and revitalize the mall in this new housing development environment. Please > vote to allow the RLF to develop the mall/housing complex by right. The RLF > is a non-profit whose mission is to assist the town of Lincoln in shaping > its land-use destiny. History has show that they can be trusted to work to > the Town’s benefit. > > -- > Ruth Ann Hendrickson > (She, her) > > -- > 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/ > . > Change your subscription settings at > https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. > >
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