This isn’t about opposing housing or conservation. It’s about making sure Lincoln gets a fair, transparent deal, that truly balances housing diversity, neighborhood impact, and responsible land use. To that end, here are five key facts that voters deserve to know about the Nature Link Proposal:
1. Conservation need not be tied to this housing deal The proposed zoning change links limited conservation gains to a permanent development easement, but this tradeoff is not inevitable. - Farrington could apply directly to the state for Route 2 access, a process that takes no more than 40 business days, instead of relying on a permanent easement across the Panetta land. [See here <https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NQgym_rT_RQ9qKMhRSTr92i8WWD9IoqRIc7nSdBTzCM/edit?tab=t.0> ]. - A better deal, one that protects more of Farrington’s dry upland, could have been proposed and still can be. Lincoln has not been presented with meaningful alternatives. 2. Most of the "Conserved" Land Was Never at Risk Based on the town's GIS map, of the 77 acres being placed under conservation, fewer than 20 are buildable. The rest are wetlands already subject to environmental protection. [See an estimate here <https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1nc0gBbIZ2STyfg8bcXD5YnpIE2r3IqZP>] - As part of this deal, over one third of Farrington’s usable land (about 10 acres) will be cleared for housing and septic infrastructure. - Before committing public money, we should be asking the project sponsors to carry out a wetland delineation exercise, which will help us determine the project’s true payout. - The project will also create a 14-acre Nitrogen-Restricted Area, where water quality is especially vulnerable to pollution from on-site sewage systems. - The trail on Farrington’s property is neither new nor 1.5 miles long. Despite promotional claims, the trail is not a new amenity. It already exists and is merely being “officialized.” Its actual length is only 0.7 miles. [See proof here <https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1nc0gBbIZ2STyfg8bcXD5YnpIE2r3IqZP> ]. 3. Town Money Is Enabling a Private Land Transfer Although town funds don’t go directly to the developer, they enable a land transfer to Civico that otherwise wouldn’t happen. - The town will pay $950,000 to Farrington, which is granting Civico land for five units and a septic system serving 20 homes. - Civico is paying only the assessed value of $3.3 million for the Panetta parcel, a price that would typically allow just three homes under current zoning. - This amounts to an indirect public subsidy of private development. 4. This is not “mixed-income housing” by Lincoln’s standards Of the 20 homes: - 14 will likely sell for $1.1 million or more - 3 for around $400,000 (affordable units) - 3 for over $2 million The $990,000 “average price” estimate for the smaller homes appears crafted to suggest they’ll sell for “under a million”, but these figures aren’t binding and offer no affordability guarantee. - For context: Lincoln’s median home price is $1.1 million. This development does not expand the price range of local housing in any meaningful way. [Comparable sales data available here <https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NQgym_rT_RQ9qKMhRSTr92i8WWD9IoqRIc7nSdBTzCM/edit?tab=t.0> ]. - Also, only one teardown has occurred in Lincoln in the past two years, according to the building commissioner. Claims of disappearing affordable homes are overstated. 5. This development is pitting neighbors against each other Residents near Route 2 and the Panetta land will bear the brunt of increased density and disruption. Meanwhile, residents further down Page Road who abut Farrington benefit from new conservation restrictions behind their homes. - The Farrington abutters were involved in early planning discussions, long before the public was informed, and are now among the strongest supporters of the deal. - This raises serious questions about fairness and public process. David Cuetos Weston Rd
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