Planning Board drafts diversity-roundtable slides, eyes accessory-apartment fix

LINCOLN — September 22, 2020 — Lincoln Planning Board drafts diversity-roundtable slides and revisits accessory-apartment limits. Member Margaret Olson volunteered to circulate a four- or five-slide draft before the Oct. 7 Diversity, Equity and Anti-Racism Roundtable, where the board has a 10- to 15-minute slot to describe its land-use tools. Co-Chair Lynn DeLisi said the board should acknowledge Lincoln's zoning as "exclusionary"; member Rob Ahlert pushed back, arguing density and affordability are weakly linked and citing Lexington's higher prices despite smaller lots. Ahlert proposed updating his 2011 housing-affordability study, which found a $140,000 household could afford half of Lincoln's stock. Co-Chair Gary Taylor, newly elected SLPAC chair, reported the South Lincoln committee will meet Tuesday evenings and Friday mornings at 7:30. Town planner Paula flagged a Zoning Board reading of Section 14.3.2(c) that blocked an accessory unit at 58 Tower Road, which DeLisi called untenable for aging-in-place residents. The board approved Aug. 11 minutes 5-0.