> From: sally kindleberger <[email protected]
> <mailto:[email protected]>>
> Subject: Re: [LincolnTalk] Impending Real Estate Tax Increase and the
> Proposed Community Center
> Date: October 25, 2022 at 6:00:24 PM EDT
> To: Seth Rosen <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>>
> Cc: Lincoln Talk <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>>,
> Sara Mattes <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>>
>
>
> Many of us have been waiting and/or working on the development of a community
> center for over 10 years. We supported the new school construction even
> though we have no children in our schools! And we willingly paid higher taxes
> for the betterment of the whole community.
> Many of the surrounding towns have incredible community centers - much bigger
> and fancier than what is proposed for Lincoln!
> One must note that this building will be ear-marked for the entire town - the
> COA and Human Services and the Recreation department will be
> housed there and other groups in town will make good use of it.
> I feel strongly that the town should support the construction of a community
> center! And I hope that I will live to see it.
I share this sentiment. It is common for large projects to be sized based on
the need when first proposed, making the new building too small when it opens
10+ years later. Designing the building to accommodate future needs means
making it larger than we need right now.
My children were in LS for 2 years before graduating; never attended Lincoln
elementary schools, but I have been paying taxes for those schools and the $93
million school project all the time I’ve lived here. I’ve never complained, but
I would like support for a construction project that I would use, too.
The long article by Seth Rosen contains many compelling points, but presents
its argument in a vacuum as if this has not been discussed for 10 years. A more
balanced presentation would incorporate some of the past discussion, such as
those collected in the Squirrel. All of these points should have been made to
the CCPPDC which has been meeting all Summer. Were these points made to the
CCPPDC? What was their response? This article feels like an end-run around the
process established by the town for developing the community center proposal.
For example:
"The Council on Aging and the Parks and Recreation Department both have
well-documented needs for more and better space, and a community center would
answer those needs and would also “connect the generations in town,” said
Selectman Jonathan Dwyer, the board’s liaison to the CCPPDC.
The year 2023 is “wide open for a project like this,” since the school project
will be completed, and the Finance Committee says the town has additional
borrowing capacity of $27 million, Dwyer said. ” (Squirrel, May 11, 2021:
"Environmental measures, name changes to go before voters on Saturday”)
I strongly support Lincoln’s great educational system and I supported the $93
school project, which I will never use. I believe that a new community center
will make this great town even better.
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