TOWN OF LINCOLN
PLANNING BOARD MINUTES
November 8, 2006
7:00PM SITE WALK: LINCOLN FUELS AND ARTHUR’S OIL CO, 110 Concord Road, Map 61/Lot 7, special permit for new signs under Section 16
The Board conducted a site walk.
PRESENT: K.Hurd (Chairman), R.Domnitz, B.Wolf, J.Snell
STAFF: M.Whitehead, C.Perry
7:30PM BUSINESS:
Lincoln Housing Commission, 26 Sunnyside Lane
The Chairman signed a letter authorizing the amendment to the approved site plan for a house and accessory apartment.
Brooks, 39 North Great Road
An executive session with the Selectmen and Town Counsel has been arranged for Monday November 13 at 9:00pm.
WORKSHOP:
The Board discussed some potential items to work on for action at the March 2007 Town Meeting, as follows.
Lighting
The Board considered that there may be benefit in setting out more clearly how much outdoor lighting is appropriate and what types of designs are preferred. This might be a policy rather than a bylaw change. Mr. Domnitz offered to review the subject. The Board acknowledged that town street lighting and school parking lot lighting set a poor example in some cases.
Institutional Uses under MGL c.40A, s.3
Mr. Whitehead previously drafted some changes to the zoning bylaw. He outlined the significant points: firstly to require site plan review, and secondly to give the Board more time to consider requests for zoning exemptions. Copies will be sent to the Board again by email.
“Mullin Rule”, MGL c.39, s.23D
Mr. Whitehead reported that it has become clear from several sources of advice on the new provision, that in order for a Board member to miss a session of a hearing and still vote, there must be a recording (TV or audio) or a full transcript available; minutes will not suffice. For the rule to apply, it must be accepted by Town Meeting with a simple majority. Other Boards may also wish to be covered by the rule so a warrant article would need to be coordinated. The Planning Board expressed a wish to have the “Mullin Rule” option available for long running hearings on special permits (where 4 votes are needed for approval), and to use a tape recorder when a member is absent.
North and South Lincoln Overlay Districts
The Board discussed the differences in voting majorities needed for the two recent cases before Town Meeting, and the lack of clarity in the definition of North Lincoln, but did not wish to propose changes at this time, except possibly to rename North Lincoln Planning District as North Lincoln Overlay District.
G.I.S. Version of Zoning Map
Mr. Whitehead reported that he is working on putting the zoning map into the town’s Geographic Information System. As zoning district boundaries do not always follow property lines, work is needed to transpose them. A paper map must still be kept. The map could also be updated to show the South Lincoln Overlay District.
‘Housekeeping’ Changes
A few minor changes were suggested to the wording of the zoning bylaw, including:
In section 6.5.1 b), make reference to fig. 5 illustrating the meaning of half story;
In section 6.3 a), refer to ‘basement’ instead of ‘cellar’.
Accessory Apartments
The Board noted that there had been few applications for accessory apartments this year, and did not feel that the subject needed to be revisited urgently.
Commonwealth Capital Fund
Potential work to establish a base score for Lincoln in the State’s ‘Commonwealth Capital’ funding system was discussed. It has not been done so far due to pressure of other work. The score would form part of the logic in the State’s assessment of bids for specific grants. Mr. Snell thought there may be some prospect of funding for trail connections with Concord; for redevelopment of the DPW site under the ‘brownfields’ initiative; or for technical assistance with the master plan. However, developing the score involves a significant effort with no guaranteed payoff as Lincoln generally scores low on assessments of needs in relation to resources. The Chair suggested that this work should not be considered highly urgent.
New England Deaconess Development
The work of the Steering Committee will continue, and the Planning Board will review a definitive development and use plan. NEDA hopes to make rapid progress, possibly with a start on site in fall. There is a potential need for a Clerk of Works, reporting to the Building Inspector. Funding for this could be requested from the developer.
The Mall
Similarly, work will continue on the Mall project.
Cell Towers
Mr. Domnitz suggested that some issues could potentially be added to the list in the zoning bylaw, for example:
Lights – shielding of any lights required by the FAA, and providing copies of any correspondence;
Noise – to be inaudible on the property line.
Mr. Whitehead also suggested clearer language on tree cutting, either in the bylaw or in special permits.
Deposited funds
There may be a need to consider the appropriate treatment of some old funds and to be more rigorous in the collection of new ones provided for in the bylaw.
OTHER BUSINESS:
Minuteman Commons, Virginia Road
The set of documents supplied by the applicant had been emailed to the Board. Members pointed out that there was still some incorrect language e g. continued reference to the Boston Redevelopment Authority. Members had questions on some matters, including the proposed interpretation of ‘proportionate interests’ and practical details of some procedures. Mr. Whitehead reported that Kathleen O’Donnell of Kopelman and Paige is reviewing the documents for the town, and said that he would check DHCD’s position.
Lincoln Fuels/ Arthur’s Oil, 110 Concord Road
Mr. Whitehead provided copies of previous permits for this site, and noted that there is no reference to signs, lighting or hours of operation.
Comprehensive Long Range Plan
The Chairman mentioned that the CLRP Committee will be meeting on November 16 to discuss ‘hot issues’ that the plan may need to address. Boards have been invited to put forward suggestions. Mr. Hurd asked for issues that Board members thought were important. Mr. Domnitz offered the idea of designating a historic district along Route 2A now that it has been recognized as a scenic road. Further suggestions can be sent to Mr. Hurd before the meeting.
Minutes
Board members were asked to review the outstanding minutes and email comments.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:20pm.
Submitted by Catherine Perry
Approved February 21, 2007
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