Lincoln boards begin zoning drafting after voters back Option C

LINCOLN — December 4, 2023 — Lincoln boards regroup after voters back Option C zoning with 55 percent support. The Select Board, Planning Board and Housing Choice Act Working Group met jointly Monday and confirmed Lincoln will not submit an alternative MBTA Communities plan to the state. Select Board Chair Jim Hutchinson called the result "a majority, but not an overwhelming majority" and asked colleagues to find changes that could win over March voters. Planning Board Chair Margaret Olson said the board will draft zoning topic by topic — covering commercial percentage at the Mall (capped by the state at 33 percent), heights, setbacks and inclusionary requirements — and will hold at least four public hearings beyond the one legally required. Resident Peter pressed for electronic clicker voting after Saturday's roughly 12 percent turnout; Hutchinson said the topic will appear on an upcoming Select Board agenda. No votes were taken on substance.