Planning Board adds Nov. 20 working session after losing access to draft zoning files

LINCOLN — November 14, 2023 — Lincoln Planning Board sets emergency Nov. 20 working session after file-access failure blocks zoning review. The board could not open its most recent draft Housing Choice Act zoning bylaw from the planning department's shared drive, with staffer Jennifer unable to retrieve it and IT staffers Dan Piera and Mike Dolan unable to restore access during the meeting. Co-Chair Margaret Olson scheduled a 7 p.m. session for Monday, Nov. 20 — the night before the board's Nov. 21 Lincoln Commons public hearing — and required members to email written issues to staff by Monday morning, grouped by topic. Member Craig pressed for floor area ratio as a density backstop and form-based code to harden design controls; Joel called form-based zoning "novel for most people" but endorsed FAR. Resident Sarah warned that unresolved disputes "will appear on town meeting floor as amendments." The board approved minutes from four prior sessions and adjourned without acting on zoning text.