The town can not dictate a specific tenant to a property owner through any process. The town can approach a property owner with an appealing offer. All discussions to date of the proposed mall zoning will permit a use such as a community center, and I will be very surprised if they do not continue to do so.
[Note: I am not making any statement about where the community center does or does not belong, only clarifying what is and is not theoretically possible] On Fri, Dec 1, 2023 at 3:03 PM Peter Buchthal <pbucht...@gmail.com> wrote: > I respectfully disagree. I don't believe the Planning Board can specify > the tenants and the terms for a future community center at the Lincoln > Mall as the Mall under Options C and D1-D3 will be developed by right and > won't require a Town Meeting for a building permit. I am not an attorney, > but using google, I did not find any examples of a Town being able to > pre-reserve space in a development built by right for the Town's use. If > you want the possibility of a community center at the Lincoln Mall, choose > Option E. > > Peter Buchthal > Weston Rd. > > On Fri, Dec 1, 2023 at 2:53 PM Margaret Olson <s...@margaretolson.com> > wrote: > >> The likelihood or not of the community center at the mall is irrelevant >> to which option is chosen. It is equally likely or unlikely with C as with >> E, or with any of the D options. >> >> On Fri, Dec 1, 2023 at 2:38 PM Karla Gravis <karlagra...@gmail.com> >> wrote: >> >>> Why would including the Community Center as part of the mall be a >>> "project killer"? We could sign a 10/20/30 year lease. Wouldn't a developer >>> jump at the chance to have a stable tenant instead of having to deal with >>> constant retail turnover? Or is this comment an indictment of the viability >>> of any commercial space at the Mall area? >>> >>> According to the town's economic feasibility study, a developer could >>> consider charging ~$3 per sqft in monthly rent. For a 10,000 sqft CC, that >>> would mean $360K in yearly rent. Compare that to the town's yearly debt >>> service payment of $0.77M - $1.54M for the proposed CC designs. The >>> savings come from the fact that public buildings are much more costly to >>> build than what private developments cost. >>> >>> In relation to the argument that the CC cannot be in the mall area >>> because of LEAP, there is no need to have LEAP move to the mall. Remodeling >>> Pod C (where LEAP is currently hosted) has been estimated at $3.5M. The >>> non-LEAP portion of the community center designs being put to vote will be >>> costing the town $12.5M - $21.5M. If the annual cost of the community >>> center is $360k instead of $1M+, there will surely be some left to renovate >>> LEAP. >>> >>> To be clear, this is not Civico's plan for the mall. If Option C is >>> chosen, this synergistic combination will likely not happen. However, with >>> Option E, this could very much be part of the project presented to the >>> Town. We could tap TCB (The Community Builders - pun intended) to build a >>> community center and truly affordable housing. >>> >>> >>> >>>> >>>> On Fri, Dec 1, 2023 at 12:47 Paul Shorb <paul.sh...@gmail.com> wrote: >>>> >>>>> The CCBC has an FAQ linked here >>>>> <https://lincolncommunitycenter.com/2022/11/11/why-would-the-community-center-be-on-the-hartwell-campus/> >>>>> that explains >>>>> why the community center should be located at Hartwell campus (as the Town >>>>> has voted to approve multiple times) rather than at the Mall. >>>>> >>>>> Putting a community center at the Town center would be much more >>>>> expensive, if it could be accomplished at all. As I noted in another >>>>> post just now, shared spaces are efficient, since (A) seniors tend to >>>>> use the facilities in the day and (B) school children do so in the later >>>>> afternoon, walking from the school buildings to participate in Lincoln's >>>>> Parks & Rec programs or LEAP. Building a separate community center >>>>> at the town center would still leave the town with the need to renovate >>>>> the >>>>> spaces that would remain at Hartwell; I have heard the estimate of about >>>>> $3.5 million for each of three pods at Hartwell. >>>>> >>>>> Also, I'm not sure how a community center at the Town center could >>>>> actually be achieved. The Town center does not have sufficient >>>>> available Town-owned space to build a community center. You therefore >>>>> suggested including the Community Center as a required accessory use >>>>> in the development of a future residential project at Lincoln Station. >>>>> However, despite the rosy theory provided by your urban planning contact, >>>>> that >>>>> sounds like a project-killer to me. >>>>> >>>>> Dealing with climate change is a big motivator for me. That pushes me >>>>> in the direction of Option C, much more than getting a community center >>>>> somehow forced into a future development of the Mall. If I'm right that >>>>> "required >>>>> accessory use" would be a project-killer, then we would thus not only >>>>> fail to get a community center built there, but also fail to get the >>>>> Mall redeveloped with higher-density near the rail stop and shopping, >>>>> which would be the biggest potential climate win here. >>>>> >>>>> Paul Shorb >>>>> (a member of the RLF Board but expressing my personal views here) >>>>> >>>>> On Fri, Dec 1, 2023 at 7:54 AM Ken Hurd <kenh...@keha.com> wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> Hello LincolnTalkers, >>>>>> With apologies for expressing yet again my strongly held opinion as >>>>>> an architect concerned with what we build in Lincoln, I want to remind >>>>>> everyone why I and many others believe we should not build a community >>>>>> center on the school campus. I still believe it should be located in >>>>>> Lincoln Station, particularly now that our small commercial area is in >>>>>> play >>>>>> because of the Housing Choice Act. >>>>>> >>>>>> As I wrote last year, "I fully support building a new facility, but >>>>>> it has long been my opinion that such a major investment by the town >>>>>> should >>>>>> be deployed where it is most needed - namely in the Lincoln Station area. >>>>>> For more than ten years since Town Meeting approved the Comprehensive >>>>>> Long >>>>>> Range Plan, in which the revitalization of Lincoln Station was >>>>>> overwhelmingly one of the highest priorities, the area has lain dormant >>>>>> and >>>>>> in serious need of a catalyst to jumpstart its transformation into the >>>>>> compact, vital, walkable village center that was a stated goal at the >>>>>> time. A community center in such a location would be the equivalent of >>>>>> an >>>>>> anchor store in a retail setting, and by virtue of attracting more people >>>>>> on a regular basis, it would create more opportunities for a clustered >>>>>> cross-current of activities spawning greater social interaction." >>>>>> >>>>>> As many will recall at last year’s Town Meeting, there was serious >>>>>> concern about the cost to build it, and I am of the opinion that there >>>>>> are >>>>>> better ways to accomplish this than spending anywhere from $18 to $24 >>>>>> million of taxpayer money to do so. As was recently suggested to me by >>>>>> an >>>>>> experienced urban planner, why not include the Community Center as a >>>>>> required accessory use in the development of a future residential >>>>>> project at Lincoln Station? >>>>>> >>>>>> As he said, “With clear program requirements and project parameters >>>>>> to guide the design of a new project, developers can be very efficient in >>>>>> realizing a good project on time and within budget.” Moreover, “It >>>>>> would be a plus to any potential developer's proforma to have a confirmed >>>>>> tenant (assuming COA long-term lease) for … an active community use in >>>>>> purposely designed ground level space. This strategy would minimize the >>>>>> cost to Lincoln upfront financing for design and construction, replace >>>>>> public project inefficiencies with professional development expertise, >>>>>> and >>>>>> as such the new Community Center facility may be more affordable to the >>>>>> town's stressed taxpayers." >>>>>> >>>>>> As I also wrote last year, I believe it would constitute the >>>>>> classic suburban planning error to create a new facility that stands >>>>>> alone >>>>>> at the school and, like the suburban mall, accessible only by car. In >>>>>> addition, because of school protocols, there would be very limited >>>>>> inter-generational co-mingling until after school hours, if at all. And, >>>>>> even if there weren’t a greater awareness about the effects of climate >>>>>> change, wouldn’t it make far more sense to locate a community center >>>>>> where >>>>>> there are already other crucial services such as the post office, grocery >>>>>> store, cleaners, a cafe and restaurant, not to mention the potential for >>>>>> more housing? >>>>>> >>>>>> Earlier this week I wrote the Selects about including an option to >>>>>> vote for “None of the Above” at tomorrow’s Town Meeting. Absent any >>>>>> response, I plan to vote for Option 3 ($12.5 million project cost) that >>>>>> has >>>>>> already been characterized as not sufficient to provide services >>>>>> comparable >>>>>> to what we already have at Bemis. >>>>>> >>>>>> Please join me in rejecting the more expensive options 1 and 2 in >>>>>> order to redirect our efforts to take advantage of this moment in time to >>>>>> be far more creative, innovative and holistic in how we design and fund a >>>>>> Community Center that can also help transform Lincoln Station to its full >>>>>> potential as a truly vital, walkable village center. Remember, >>>>>> >>>>>> we humans *shape our environments* at a moment in time, >>>>>> >>>>>> and *then they shape us* for decades to come. >>>>>> >>>>>> Respectfully, >>>>>> Ken Hurd >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> -- >>>>>> 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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