Planning Board previews accessory apartment, stormwater bylaws for May 15 Town Meeting

LINCOLN -- April 27, 2021, Lincoln Planning Board lines up two May 15 warrant articles and revises Housing Choice Act webpage. Member Margaret Olson presented a proposed Section 14.3.2 revision that would drop the 10-year minimum building age for accessory apartments, cap them at 5 percent of housing units (about 120, against 64 today), and impose a 30-day minimum rental term; resident John Carr, an accessory-apartment permit holder, said he would vote against the package because of the rental floor. Consultant Nick Christofori of Comprehensive Environmental warned that the town must adopt an illicit-discharge and stormwater bylaw by June 30 or face EPA consent orders. The board approved a 20-module Revision Energy ground-mount solar array at 125 South Great Road and a 15-by-15-foot screen porch at 6 Page Farm Road. After a sharp exchange, members voted 5-0 to bold the webpage bullet noting that loss of Housing Choice and MassWorks grant eligibility is the "ONLY" penalty for non-compliance with the MBTA Communities law.