Yonca gets it! Kind Regards,
Scott Clary 617-968-5769 Sent from a mobile device - please excuse typos and errors On Wed, Nov 29, 2023, 8:13 AM Lynne Smith <ly...@smith.net> wrote: > Well said, Yonca! Thank you for writing this reminder of how fortunate we > are! > > Lynne Smith > 5 Tabor Hill Road > Lincoln, MA 01773 > 781-258-1175 > Sent from my iPhone > > On Nov 29, 2023, at 6:02 AM, Yonca Heyse <yoncahe...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > Hello neighbors - > > I originally come from Turkey where town decisions are mostly made by the > will of the few and then enforced. With that backdrop, ever since I moved > to Lincoln 10+ years ago, the democratic process in Lincoln has > fascinated and impressed me. Running a town, while trying to build > consensus and with majority votes vs. the will of a single person is a > privilege. I also see that it's not all rosy - the process is long, > exhausting, sometimes (often?) combative and perceptions of who the > messenger is or the skilled marketing efforts of some advocates can sway > the vote. > > I haven't been close to the HCA vote, the process or the choices. Having > said that, I want to point out how special in the world it is how this > particular process unfolded. Facts may be slightly off but this is what I > see: > 1) Town has a mandate > 2) Appoints committee > 3) Committee puts in hours to come up with good options (thank you > volunteers!) > 4) Group of residents aren't satisfied with the options > 5) They don't just complain but probably put in hours to develop other > option(s) > 6) They advocate and advocate and advocate and get their options included > in the vote > 7) The town now has a new option to vote for that may represent the > desires of a portion of the town. > > On December 2nd, we get to vote to determine the best option. This is the > time to hate on Option A, B, C, D, E .....I urge everyone to put in a > fraction of the effort that all volunteers have put in to try to determine > what the right vote for every individual should be. Think about what you > care about (maximizing housing? concentration of housing in the mall? > likelihood of a vibrant commercial base? 4 story high buildings? and > evaluate the options vs. your own criteria. > > May the option that pleases the most win! AND Let's not forget how lucky > we are to get to be part of this decision. > > Respectfully, > Yonca Heyse (1 Sweet Bay Ln) > > > > > On Tue, Nov 28, 2023 at 5:27 PM Scott Clary <scottclar...@gmail.com> > wrote: > >> I hope the readership is paying attention to the tone on both sides of >> this argument. >> >> LRHA's timeline was definitely rushed. There was not a lot of time to >> pull things together. The group had been reaching out to town leadership >> and their requests and suggestions were falling on deaf ears. WE have put a >> great deal of effort and time into this process in a very short time frame. >> There are no formal meeting minutes. This group has been going back and >> forth in many different capacities on the Fly figuring things out. >> >> Most of us caught on to what was happening with town leadership and HCA >> in the fairly recent past. While we are all respectful and appreciative to >> all the volunteer work and hours leadership puts forth, once the details >> were dug into and we were educated, it seemed quite clear that a handful >> thought that they knew better than the rest of us. Perhaps there efforts >> for option C will prevail via town vote. But it's very disappointing that >> Lincoln residents (many of which I consider friends and I plan on remaining >> friends with) and even town officials are chastising and labeling us as >> special interest and outliers, hijacking what a handful have put forward. >> >> This group cares deeply about our town in every way: from providing >> additional multi-unit housing which is already at 41% and substantially >> higher than any of our peer towns, redeveloping the mall in a meaningful >> manner with Town input to ensure we have retail, commercial, mixed use and >> housing, all while trying to add diversity and affordability. >> >> I am a Layman so no knock against Layman and most of us, which apparently >> includes the planning board, the HCAWG, the planning director and the >> $400,000 consultant Utile, did not fully understand the complexities of the >> HCA model put out by the state. That I know of, only one person and a >> Lincoln resident, David Cuetos, fastidiously broke down the model and >> understands it thoroughly and discovered severe flaws in the model that >> have huge implications on the potential final results of HCA. We are >> incredibly lucky to have David reside in Lincoln and caring so much. I want >> to thank him personally for all the time and energy he's put into this so >> that we're all much better informed. >> >> In my 25 years in this special town, there's been hotly debated and >> emotional topics but most always with respect for each other. >> >> Kind Regards, >> >> Scott Clary >> 617-968-5769 >> >> Sent from a mobile device - please excuse typos and errors >> >> On Tue, Nov 28, 2023, 4:23 PM John Mendelson <johntmendel...@gmail.com> >> wrote: >> >>> What about the timeline? Option E was presented to the HCAWG one week >>> ago with the Thanksgiving holiday in between. There has been no time for >>> scrutiny let alone public discussion. >>> >>> How is that reasonable especially in light of incessant calls that the >>> working group's process and timeline was rushed? >>> >>> On Tue, Nov 28, 2023 at 4:08 PM Karla Gravis <karlagra...@gmail.com> >>> wrote: >>> >>>> Option E was presented in a public meeting on 11/21. You can look at >>>> the video of the meeting here >>>> <https://cloud.castus.tv/vod/lincoln/video/65649a1ec9814f00089fa36f?page=HOME> >>>> . >>>> >>>> The citizens group came together organically, not unlike the citizens >>>> group that sprung up in Newton (and displaced five incumbents in the recent >>>> elections). The Brookline Select Board also worked with citizen >>>> groups, going as far as visiting each building on Harvard St to make >>>> decisions on which ones to include as a group. This form of citizen >>>> involvement is happening in other towns. >>>> >>>> 100 residents emailed the Selects asking for an additional option to >>>> Options C and Ds. I would argue the “special interest” here is the >>>> inclusion of the RLF project into *every* single option the HCAWG has >>>> presented, even though many people have requested an option without it. I >>>> would also argue it is a special interest when RLF employees criticize a >>>> grassroots citizens group, without disclosing their affiliation to the RLF. >>>> Another “special interest” is Civico having a say in our bylaws. >>>> >>>> *Why does every single HCAWG option include the mall? *There would >>>> have been no need for a citizen-generated option if the HCAWG had 1) put >>>> forth an option without the mall and/or 2) addressed the numerous concerns >>>> (and mistakes) with options C and D. These concerns were brought up >>>> publicly. >>>> >>>> Let’s remember Utile created the options in private meetings. There >>>> were no open discussions where the HCAWG went parcel by parcel as to what >>>> was included or not. Utile came up with the options privately (based on >>>> some loose guidance but no parcel-by-parcel open discussion whatsoever) and >>>> then were presented to the public. Perhaps if there had been open >>>> discussions with Utile, we would have been quicker to catch the multiple >>>> mistakes in the submission before it was sent to the State. (18 extra acres >>>> of parcels, LW zoning at 20 units/acre, etc). Must be noted that it was the >>>> citizens' group who caught the mistakes. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> ---------- Forwarded message --------- >>>>> From: John Mendelson <johntmendel...@gmail.com> >>>>> Date: Tue, Nov 28, 2023 at 15:44 >>>>> Subject: Re: [LincolnTalk] Lincoln Residents for Housing Alternatives >>>>> and HCA Choices >>>>> To: Lynne Smith <ly...@smith.net> >>>>> CC: Lincoln <lincoln@lincolntalk.org> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> This strikes me as extremely hypocritical in regard to the way the >>>>> dialog has unfolded over the past few months. >>>>> >>>>> Why should this group receive preferential treatment in terms of the >>>>> process used to develop an option we are being asked to vote on? Many >>>>> members of the group who developed option E have spent the last few months >>>>> demanding transparency, calling into question the ethics of the volunteers >>>>> on the working group and elsewhere, destabilizing the process, and >>>>> generally using the public forum of Lincoln Talk as a bully pulpit to push >>>>> their agenda. >>>>> >>>>> I am asking for meeting and voting records in order to fully evaluate >>>>> the merits of and intent behind option E, just like many have asked for >>>>> and >>>>> received for Options C and D. >>>>> >>>>> To vote for an option (E) that has not had the same level of public >>>>> scrutiny is a terrible idea. >>>>> >>>>> John >>>>> >>>>> On Tue, Nov 28, 2023 at 2:56 PM Lynne Smith <ly...@smith.net> wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> I am writing in response to recent comments on Lincoln Talk, one of >>>>>> which accused the Lincoln Residents for Housing Alternatives (LRHA) of >>>>>> being a “*special interest group, which has had secret meetings to >>>>>> develop…options with no public notifications of meetings or publication >>>>>> of >>>>>> minutes*”. >>>>>> >>>>>> This group of residents sprang up organically from individuals using >>>>>> Lincoln Talk, our only open-ended Town-wide communication platform. They >>>>>> did not have the advantage of being appointed as committee members by the >>>>>> Selects. Instead, they attended meetings, read distributed >>>>>> information, and looked up relevant Massachusetts’ law. Their ideas >>>>>> grew during back-and-forth discussions on Lincoln Talk. There is no open >>>>>> meeting law to restrict residents from talking together. To characterize >>>>>> these discussions as ‘secret meetings’ is offensive to me. >>>>>> >>>>>> These individuals, without a hierarchy of leaders but with similar >>>>>> ideas and meeting mostly on line, created a web site >>>>>> <https://sites.google.com/view/lincoln-hca-info/home> with >>>>>> fact-based information regarding the Housing Choice Act and a fifth >>>>>> option, >>>>>> now called Option E. While I have not contributed to the website, I have >>>>>> taken a strong interest in the analysis presented there. To my >>>>>> knowledge, there is no ‘special interest’ that unites the group other >>>>>> than >>>>>> basing their opinions on data and analysis and showing where that leads. >>>>>> >>>>>> And that leads me to Option E, which is entirely compliant with HCA >>>>>> rezoning rules. Its main difference compared to Options C and D, is that >>>>>> it >>>>>> excludes the Lincoln Mall from HCA development. It excludes the Mall >>>>>> because many of us, listed as supporters >>>>>> <https://sites.google.com/view/lincoln-hca-info/who-are-we> on the LRHA >>>>>> website, believe it is the most likely to be developed and we want >>>>>> it to be developed subject to Town approvals: we want more affordability >>>>>> and better control of the layout and design than a ‘by right’ developer >>>>>> might give us. >>>>>> >>>>>> As a 20-year member of the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust and a >>>>>> supporter of the RLF, I want to see the Mall filled with wonderful >>>>>> condos, >>>>>> one of which I might buy when we are ready to downsize! I do not >>>>>> criticize the Town staff, the RLF, and the appointed Working Group >>>>>> members. >>>>>> They have done a great job getting us to this point. But everyone has >>>>>> their own lens for Lincoln’s response to the housing crisis. Let’s >>>>>> not criticize those residents who have invested their time and >>>>>> volunteered >>>>>> their skills to create alternatives. We will all meet on December 2nd >>>>>> to make the best choice we know how to make for Lincoln’s future. See you >>>>>> there! >>>>>> Lynne Smith >>>>>> 5 Tabor Hill Road >>>>>> Lincoln, MA 01773 >>>>>> cell: 781-258-1175 >>>>>> ly...@smith.net >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> -- >>>>>> 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. >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>> 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. >>> >>> -- >> 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. > > -- > 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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