Lincoln Planning Board approves draft mall zoning for public review

LINCOLN — January 23, 2024 — Lincoln Planning Board sends mall zoning draft to public review with 33 percent commercial floor. The board voted 5-0 Tuesday to advance draft village-center zoning requiring at least 33 percent of floor area to be commercial, capped once a development reaches 45,000 square feet — roughly today's commercial footprint at the Rural Land Foundation-owned mall. The draft also requires 80 percent of ground-floor frontage along Lincoln Road or the first 100 feet of the primary access road be commercial or "street-activating," split 60 percent commercial and up to 20 percent residential amenities. Co-Chair Lynn DeLisi called the street-activating definition "fuzzy" but voted yes. RLF's Jeff McGann said current concept sketches show about 7,000 square feet of new ground-floor commercial against roughly 10,000 today. The board also approved a fence permit for member Rob Ahlert at 185 Lincoln Road and accepted DeLisi's withdrawal as liaison to the Community Center Building Committee.