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Select Board approves conditional water and sewer extension for 78 Main Street housing proposal
Summary
The Lincoln Select Board voted to approve a developer-funded water and sewer line extension for a proposed 30-unit project at 78 Main Street, subject to a third-party engineering review, agreed pipe sizing and slope, and a maintenance agreement. Staff will draft a final agreement for board sign-off.
The Lincoln Select Board voted to approve a developer request to extend the town’s water and sewer lines to serve a proposed 78 Main Street housing project, with conditions that a third-party engineering review be completed, pipe size and slope be agreed, and a maintenance agreement be executed.
The developer (speaker 4) told the board the project would include about 30 long-term rental units—studios through three-bedrooms—and a co-living floor with shared kitchen and living spaces. He asked the town to accept ownership of the extension once built and said the developer would fund the construction, subject to state Department of Transportation permitting and town DPW requirements. “The line extension is for the benefit of the town, and it would be an extension of the town's lines that they currently accept,” the developer said during his presentation.
Chair (speaker 1) moved the approval with the stated conditions: a third-party review of engineering and pipe size, agreement on slope and valving, and a maintenance agreement that would remain in place until any future connection occurred. “I’ll make the motion that we, agree to extend water and sewer as proposed with a 3rd party review, an agreement ... on pipe size, appropriate slope, a ... and a maintenance agreement,” the Chair said. A committee member (speaker 2) seconded; the board voted in favor and directed staff and DPW to finalize the written agreement for a future vote.
Board members had pressed for technical safeguards before approving the extension. Staff raised questions about grades and the need for manholes at a 90-degree turn, appropriate pipe-sizing for future connections, and whether a pump chamber might be needed because of low slope in one segment. The town’s engineer and DPW will be part of the third-party review and will confirm specs and construction methods required by DOT and the town.
The developer also raised affordability and rent goals, saying fair-market rents would likely require grants or subsidies and that he welcomed future conversations about town partnerships to support workforce housing.
Next steps: staff will work with the developer, DPW and the third-party reviewer to produce a final extension agreement for the Select Board to review and ratify at a future meeting. The transcript records the board’s voice vote in favor; exact vote tallies were not specified in the meeting record.
