Planning Board approves 320-foot Codman Road fence over abutter objections

LINCOLN — January 12, 2021 — Lincoln Planning Board approves 320-foot Route 117 fence 4-1 and moves to overhaul accessory-apartment rules. Applicant Benjamin Pless won approval for an eight-foot cedar fence at 112 Codman Road over the objection of abutter Dennis Fox, who called the structure "unfriendly" and "out of character" with the corridor leading into the South Lincoln business district. Co-Chair Gary Taylor warned against the board second-guessing designs that meet the bylaw: "The last thing that I would like to see is us devolve into us as a board deciding, regardless of the compliance with the zoning, that we like this design or that design." The board then directed staff to draft amendments eliminating the 10-year structure-age requirement for accessory apartments and introducing a townwide cap, with 10 percent of dwellings floated as the working figure against an estimated current base of roughly 90 legal units, or about 4 percent. Members also unanimously appointed Rachel Drew to SLPIC, replacing Alan VanderMeulen, and endorsed an updated MAPC scope of work for South Lincoln.