Planning Board defers Mill Street fence vote, approves accessory apartment draft

LINCOLN — September 27, 2022 — Lincoln Planning Board delays Mill Street fence decision, advances accessory apartment draft. The board voted to continue a permit request for a 130-foot-long, six-foot-tall log-and-stone fence at 94 Mill Street to its Oct. 11 meeting so members can visit the site. Co-Chair Lynn DeLisi called the proposed structure "very imposing"; abutter Tina Grozer of 90 Mill Street questioned linseed-oil treatment near the Cambridge Water Department watershed, and nearby resident Jackie Apsler called it "incredibly imposing." Member Margaret Olson defended the design as more visually interesting than typical stockade fencing. Separately, the board voted 4-0 to approve a draft accessory apartment bylaw subject to town counsel edits, allowing such units by right within single-family homes, retaining the 1,200-square-foot cap and 35 percent size limit, and barring condominium separation. Planning Director Paula said revised state math puts Lincoln's Housing Choice Act unit requirement between 575 and 635 units.