Carol, The state is only looking at the parcels of land and what could potentially be built on them if they were empty. It doesn’t require any units to be built, and doesn’t take into account any units that are currently there. It just requires rezoning to a higher density allowed “by right”. So a developer wouldn’t need to take a building proposal to town meeting like they do now in almost all of Lincoln.
However, it’s worth noting that the RLF is currently working with the oriole landing developer to get the 25 units per acre at the mall- making it possible to built 100 apartments with businesses on the first floor and apartments on the second and third floors. Once this rezoning passes, they will sell to the developer and the development will happen (this has been stated by numerous members of the HCAWG). The Commons refers to the assisted living/55+ community. It is about 30 acres of land and no wetlands, so it is ideal to rezone for the HCA. (When you include wetlands you have to keep adding more acres and higher density to balance out the average ‘units per acre’ to be above the minimum required 15). This also would benefit the commons, who want to add more units (but a reasonable amount), so rezoning could allow them to do so without going to town meeting. If the Commons are included in rezoning, only 12 other developable acres of land would need to be rezoned- 8.4 of which need to be within 1/2 mile of the train station. Sarah On Sat, Oct 28, 2023 at 2:42 PM Carol Bickford via Lincoln < lincoln@lincolntalk.org> wrote: > Thank you Colleen. > > I am late to learning about all these options and I was wondering: Do > currently occupied units count? > > It seems that would take a lot of pressure off? Or is this housing > already in the current proposals? > > Also, by “The Commons” are you (and many others) referring to the > independent and assisted living facility, The Commons in Lincoln? Or > Minuteman Commons which is close to Battle Farm Road? > > Carol Bickford > Virginia Rd > > On Oct 28, 2023, at 1:40 PM, Colleen Katsuki <coll...@shadowtracks.org> > wrote: > > > > The discussion about the HCA needs some clarification as to why some folks > are upset with this process. The HCAWG has given the town proposals that > only include large new buildings in the center of town. Initially that was > because the law required 100% of the new housing to be near the commuter > rail. But then the guidelines changed. Now Lincoln and other towns only > have to have 20% by an enclosed bus station or near the commuter rail. At > present, building 20% near the enclosed bus station at Hanscom, some at > Battle Farm Road and some at the Commons *would completely fulfill* t*he > letter of the law.* The bus there is cheaper and runs on time and is more > frequent than the commuter rail. But HCAWG has not given us any option like > that. I understand why some folks think that building only in the center of > town is the right thing but I do not agree with them. I would like to have > another choice on which to vote in which the build out is not in the center > of town. Is it not called the Housing Choice Act for a reason ? > > > > Colleen Katsuki > -- > 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.
