Option C is a no go until all options are represented by a 3D stacking diagram in context
Only then can proper choices be made! On Wed, Nov 29, 2023, 12:28 PM Ken Hurd <[email protected]> wrote: > Hello LincolnTalkers, > > In case you haven’t had a chance to see what I submitted to the Lincoln > Squirrel, the following appeared this morning under the heading of “My > Turn”. > > In Support of Option C > > At one of the recent forums hosted by the HCAWG (Housing Choice Act > Working Group), one particularly insightful resident posed a poignant > question to the proponents of an Alternative Option E. > > > She asked,* "What is it you stand for?"* > > > Although there was no immediate response, we now know the answer according > to the mailing most residents recently received about a meeting planned by > proponents of Option E. You can find it on the back of the flyer under the > label, "Our Guiding Principles”, and I would like to highlight what I see > as some inconsistencies. > > *- Create more affordable housing* > > Many proponents of an Alternative Option E express concern that the HCA > limits the percentage of affordable housing to 10%. Because Lincoln > normally requires 15% affordable units in any multi-family development, the > delta of their concern is 5%. In Lincoln's case, the HCA requires zoning > that will allow 635 units, 5% of which would be 32 units. As a reminder, > the HCAWG responded early on to the residents of the Ridge Court > Condominium property, aka the "Flying Nun Apartments”. Despite the fact > that this property is one of the most logical to include in the rezoning, > they asked to be excluded in order to preserve the 36 units of relatively > affordable apartments that already exist. The HCAWG agreed, and the delta > of this exclusion represents more than the 5% about which the alternative > proponents are so concerned. > > > *- Protect commercial retail in our Village Center* > > To anyone who has paid any attention to the state of retail services in > Lincoln Station over the last ten years, they might have noticed a decline > or turnover in establishments and an increase in vacancies. This is > occurring not just at the mall but in the entire Lincoln Station area, and > as noted in the 2010 Comprehensive Long Range Plan, "the town needs to be > receptive to more housing near the train station", and as was predicted in > 2010, “small businesses currently operating around the train station may > find it very difficult to survive in the future unless the area includes > more housing and ironically, more businesses.” Absent more housing, > existing retail will most likely continue to wither away. > > > *- Safeguard Lincoln’s wetlands protection bylaw* > > As noted multiple times by the HCAWG, all underlying regulations required > by the bylaws of Lincoln will continue in effect, and that includes all > wetland protections currently in place. > > *- Focus on locations with existing infrastructure while minimizing the > need for greenfield construction* > > If this means rezone Battle Road Farm, it would appear that this is no > more than a tactic to subvert the intent of the Housing Choice Act since > condominium regulations make it nearly impossible to create new housing in > that location. > > > *- Preserve historically significant properties* > > A worthy goal, but with the few significant properties that exist in the > Lincoln Station area, this could most likely be accommodated by any of the > options with a minor adjustment. > > > *- Honor the legacy of past generations’s work to create a variety of > housing choices and multi-family housing* > > Most Lincolnites will agree with this statement, particularly those who > know its history. Time and again, previous generations have stepped up to > do more than Lincoln's fair share in preserving open space while also > increasing our housing stock to accommodate a variety of needs. In my > opinion, it would be a slap in their ancestral faces to shirk our > responsibility to the region by raising the drawbridge and rezone for the > least amount of new housing possible while claiming compliance. > > > *- Save our key in-town parcels from HCA’s 90% market rate zoning > mandate, **allowing funds from Lincoln’s limited Affordable Housing Trust > to be more wisely spent for much needed low and moderate income housing > units in Lincoln* > > To me, there is no correlation between saving in-town parcels and using > AHT funds for needed housing. This “principle” advocates for nothing more > than kicking the can down the road toward inaction. > > > Finally, I think we can all agree that the Housing Choice Act is forcing > our hand no less that in many our surrounding communities. I hope that we > can rise to meet this challenge as past Lincoln residents have done so many > times before. There is no question in my mind that we can be as creative > as our forbears and find solutions that will maintain the town’s character > that we all cherish. I sincerely believe that this will be best achieved by > voting for Option C. > > So, please* join me in standing for and supporting Option C *as the best > way to revive the Lincoln Station area as well as to meet our > responsibility to the region by creating more actual housing consistent > with our Town Vision Statement, namely: > > “Fostering economic, racial, ethnic, and age diversity among its citizenry > through its educational, housing and other public policy." > > > Respectfully submitted, > Ken Hurd > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > 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. > >
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