Town of Lincoln
Community Preservation Committee
Meeting held on June 10, 2003
A regular meeting of the Community Preservation Committee was held at the Town offices on Tuesday June 10, 2003. The meeting was convened at 7:50 P.M. The following members of the committee were present at the commencement of the meeting:
Susie Collins
John L. Koenig
John Robinson
John L. Koenig served as Secretary and kept the minutes of the meeting.
The Committee members first heard a presentation from John Dumont and Dan Periera of the Lincoln Recreation Committee.
The Recreation Committee’s primary concern is to provide new athletic fields. Dan distributed a summary of athletic field needs, which is attached. The current fields are used to such an extent that there is no rest between uses. As the Town policy is not to use technical products on the fields, it is difficult to maintain the grass on the fields. Adequate watering is also a problem. An underground irrigation system was installed at the Town Hall Field (though it is not yet hooked up to a water supply). The Recreation Committee would like to see irrigation installed on other athletic fields. Cost to install irrigation at the Town Hall field was $14,000, which does not include the cost of a new well. That field is about 1/3rd the size of the
new field the Recreation Department anticipates is needed.
To irrigate the Codman field, one idea is to use backwash from Codman pool.
Other sports that might be played in town, were there more room, could include lacrosse and field hockey. Demand is rising for more playing fields.
The Codman field was originally intended for baseball only, and now is used also for soccer. This is just one example of overuse of existing facilities. Overuse can lead to bad surface conditions, which could lead to liability. Maximum usage of the fields behind the Smith School is limited because of a drain pipe manhole cover in the middle of the field. Similarly, use of the circle field is limited to one certified soccer field because the slope over the septic field is too steep.
The Recreation Department is looking at a 4 year plan to get a new athletic field.
The school has no budget allocated to maintenance of the fields. Lincoln Youth Soccer pays for grass seed. LYS has a specific line item in its budget for improvements. The Recreation Department picks up all other costs
120 x 80 yds needed for a soccer field.
One potential location for new athletic fields is in the fields behind Donelan’s.
A rough estimate of the cost for a new athletic field is from $160,000-240,000.
The second major issue that the Recreation Committee is looking into is the need for new playgrounds. Currently, there is no playground “approved” for children under 5 years old, according to Consumer Product Safety Commission standards. Playgrounds have been under the purview of the Recreation Committee since 1997-98.
The Recreation Committee estimates that the Strats playground has a maximum of 6 years of life left.
Five years ago, the cost of materials for the green playground at the Smith School was about $85,000.
That concluded the presentation of the Recreation Department.
At this time, the following committee members joined the meeting:
Ken Hurd
Colin Smith.
The committee then heard a presentation from the Historic District Commission. Appearing on behalf of the Historic District Commission were: Eleanor Fitzgerald, Stephania Jha, David Reis, and Mary Spindler. Also appearing was Jack Maclean, unofficial town historian, and an advisor to the HDC.
The role of the HDC is to supervise and administer the Town’s three historic districts, which are located at the Town center, extending outwards along Bedford Road (north and south), Trapelo Road and Sandy Pond Road, around Woods End Road (Gropius House), and the Codman House. The HDC would like to create more historic districts in town. Homeowners can opt out of an Historic District designation that would otherwise include them. It is possible to create Historic Districts on one house.
The HDC has the authority to deny or approve any changes, to the extent visible from the road, to buildings that are part of an Historic District, thereby preserving the historic look of the Historic District.
The HDC also functions as the Historical Commission, pursuant to Town bylaws, which oversees demolitions of historic buildings in town. Proposals for demolition of any structure in Lincoln must go before the Historical Commission. If a building proposed for demolition is determined to have historical significance, the Historical Commission can delay the demolition to find alternatives.
Currently, the HDC’s financial needs are for money to conduct a survey of all town structures to determine which are historic and worthy of preservation through designation as an Historic District.
That concluded the presentation of the Historic District Commission.
There being no further business, a motion was made and seconded to adjourn at 9:30 p.m.
_________________________
John L. Koenig, Secretary
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