Planning board approves $117,200 remediation bond for Lincoln Metals

The Lincoln Planning Board voted to approve a $117,200 remediation bond for Lincoln Metals after the town engineer recommended the amount and confirmed the estimate.

Town planner Stephanie told the board members they had a recommendation from town engineer Brian Feldman, who provided a site plan showing erosion-control locations and a table of unit costs. "He's provided a copy of the site plan illustrating, you know, the locations of the erosion controls," Stephanie said. Feldman told the board he used DOT 2022 values and "escalated the cost with a 3.34% annual inflation rate to 2026," the year he said the work is expected to occur, and limited the estimate to the area that is already disturbed.

Board members asked whether the estimate left any undefined variables; Feldman said it was "pretty straightforward." With no further questions, Chair (speaker 1) called for a motion. The motion to approve the remediation bond for $117,200 was made, seconded and the board voted in favor; the chair announced, "The ayes have it."

Why it matters: remediation bonds guarantee that required erosion-control and site-restoration work will be funded and completed if the applicant does not finish required work. The board’s approval sets the financial security amount now so the developer can move forward toward permitting.

Next steps: The board’s vote authorizes the town to require the bond as a condition of permitting and site work; no additional board action on the bond was noted in the meeting.

Sources: remarks by the town planner Stephanie and town engineer Brian Feldman during the Lincoln Planning Board meeting.