Lincoln Neighbors, My name is Craig Nicholson, and I am a candidate for one of the two open seats on the Lincoln Planning Board in the upcoming election on March 27. As a resident of Lincoln since 2013 (along with my wife and three daughters), I would consider it a privilege to serve the town in this capacity.
In my professional career as Director of Operations for a real estate development consultancy, I spend my days working closely with building owners, architects, designers, planners and contractors in carrying out our clients’ vision for their projects. I am accustomed to working with a variety of stakeholders including abutters and municipal agencies, and I feel that this experience would serve me well in assisting the Town of Lincoln’s Planning Board in carrying out its mission and critically evaluating those proposals that come before it. I currently serve as an Associate Member of the Lincoln Planning Board where I was initially appointed by the Planning Board and Board of Selects in 2018. As an Associate Member, the Chairperson of the Planning Board may designate me to sit on the Board for the purpose of acting on a special permit application in the case of absence, inability to act, or conflict of interest on the part of any member of the Planning Board or in the event of a vacancy on the Board. I was reappointed to this position in 2021. I also served as a member of the South Lincoln Planning Implementation Committee from 2017 to 2020, as a member of both the Placemaking and Village Planning and Zoning Teams. Additionally, as a member of the Lincoln School Building Committee and former lead of Washington Gateway Main Street (an organization that worked closely with residents, landowners, developers and businesses, along the Washington Street corridor in Boston’s South End Neighborhood), I understand the importance of hearing a range of community voices to inform planning direction within a community. Lincoln, in particular, has highly active residents who want to be heard, and I believe my experience in participatory community planning makes me an ideal candidate to join the Planning Board. My practical experience in development furthers my ability to support Lincoln in this capacity. I am excited by the opportunities Lincoln is faced with in strategic planning for our future. I see tremendous opportunities for our community to collectively roll up our sleeves and continue to work together on our path forward on The Housing Choice Act, the impacts of Climate Change, the changing dynamics in retail, proposed expansion of Hanscom Field, improvements to our transportation network and a desire for long-term affordable living in Lincoln. I hope that you will find me uniquely qualified to work with you and on your behalf as a member of the Planning Board for the next three years as we carefully move our way forward preserving the Lincoln we know while thoughtfully planning the Lincoln of the future. I welcome hearing from you to listen to your opinions and answer any questions you have about where I’d like to see the town head. I hope through my experience, knowledge of Lincoln, and passion for impactful planning to earn your support on March 27. All the best, Craig Nicholson If you’re further interested in my experience, the following summarizes my background: - I hold a Master’s in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning (UEP) from Tufts University, which I obtained in 2008. The UEP program is a hybrid planning program which combines traditional planning with a focus on social justice and sustainability – a focus I believe aligns well with the pulse of Lincoln. - For over 15 years, I have worked in the development industry and currently manage the operations of Ajax Consulting Services, LLC, a real estate consultancy that oversees large renovation and construction projects across the country. As Director of Operations, I oversee project planning, scheduling, budgeting and implementation for the firm. Projects range in size from small tenant fit-out projects and mechanical projects with budgets starting in the $50K range to large renovation and ground up construction projects with budgets of $70M plus. Earlier in my career, I worked as an environmental consultant overseeing site assessments, soil testing and air quality investigations as well as longer term remediation projects. - I have served as a member of the Lincoln School Building Committee since 2017, demonstrating my deep commitment to serving the interests of our town, dedicating significant time and energy to ensure we were able to deliver on this complex multi-year effort. With the winding down of the School Building Committee in 2023, I am able to redirect this capacity to the Planning Board. - In addition to service in Lincoln, my past municipal experience includes volunteer service on the Town of Hanson Conservation Commission and President of the Board for Washington Gateway Main Street, an organization that worked closely with residents, landowners, developers and businesses, along the Washington Street corridor in Boston’s South End Neighborhood, to implement the long-term planning vision aimed at creating a sustainable mix of housing, commercial and office uses in the district.
-- The LincolnTalk mailing list. To post, send mail to [email protected]. Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. Change your subscription settings at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln.
