LINCOLN – The town of Lincoln has received a certificate of recognition from the Rhode Island State Planning Council and Division of Statewide Planning for the successful completion of the Lincoln Comprehensive Community Plan update, found here.
The certificate recognizes Lincoln’s elected and appointed officials, staff, and community members for their dedication, professionalism, and community involvement in completing a plan that will serve as an important roadmap for the town over the next decade.
The comprehensive planning process began in 2023 after the Town secured grant funding, supplemented by local funding, to undertake the extensive update. Lincoln’s previous Comprehensive Community Plan was last completed in 2004, making this the Town’s first comprehensive update in more than two decades.
“This was a tremendous undertaking and the culmination of more than three years of work by a lot of dedicated people,” said Town Administrator Philip Gould in a release. “This is not simply a document we were required to complete. It is an important tool that allows Lincoln to establish its own vision for how our community should grow and develop while protecting the character and quality of life that our residents value.”
Gould specifically recognized Josh Berry, who served as Lincoln’s town planner when the process began, and Stephanie Davies, the town’s current planner, who helped guide the plan through its final stages and state approval.
“Josh helped get this process underway and Stephanie did a tremendous amount of work to get us over the goal line,” Gould said. “Both deserve a great deal of credit for reaching this important milestone.”
The town also recognized the work of the Comprehensive Plan Committee, which brought together a broad cross-section of the Lincoln community. The committee included Administrator Gould, Town Council President Keith Macksoud, Councilor TJ Russo, representatives from the Planning and Zoning Boards, members of the Conservation Commission, local business owners, residents, and other community stakeholders.
Working with the town’s consultants at Weston & Sampson, the committee conducted community surveys and public engagement meetings and spent countless hours reviewing the 2004 plan, examining how Lincoln has changed over the past two decades, and developing updated goals and policies addressing housing, economic development, transportation, infrastructure, natural resources, recreation, land use, and other important community priorities.
Protecting Lincoln’s ability to guide its own future
One of the town’s priorities throughout this process has been maintaining as much local control over future development and land-use decisions as possible.
“Lincoln recognizes that we have a responsibility to provide housing opportunities and to meet the requirements established by the state,” Gould said. “At the same time, I strongly believe decisions about how and where Lincoln grows should remain, to the greatest extent possible, with the people who live here and the local boards and officials who understand our community.”
An approved and up-to-date comprehensive plan is an important part of accomplishing that goal. Rhode Island’s housing and land-use laws can provide developers with alternative permitting mechanisms and additional density opportunities under certain circumstances. Maintaining an approved comprehensive plan, keeping local zoning consistent with that plan, and making continued progress toward the state’s affordable-housing goals place the town in a stronger position to guide development locally rather than simply react to it, said Gould.
That same philosophy has been behind Lincoln’s efforts to increase its inventory of affordable housing. In just the past several years, the town has increased its affordable-housing percentage from approximately 6.2 percent to 8.35 percent, moving Lincoln significantly closer to the state’s 10 percent threshold.
“We have been very deliberate about making progress on affordable housing,” Gould said. “We want to create housing opportunities for seniors, young families, teachers, nurses, police officers and other working people who want to live in Lincoln. But there is another important reason for making that progress: local control matters.”
“When communities do not meet certain state planning and affordable-housing benchmarks, state law can limit the ability of municipalities to control density and development through their traditional local zoning process,” Gould continued. “Our objective is to continue moving toward the 10 percent affordable-housing threshold while maintaining an approved Comprehensive Plan so that Lincoln is in the strongest possible position to make thoughtful decisions about its own future.”
Gould emphasized that maintaining local control does not mean opposing development or affordable housing.
“It means planning rather than reacting,” Gould said. “There is a balance between creating needed housing and economic opportunities and protecting our neighborhoods, infrastructure, open spaces and rural character. This comprehensive plan gives us a roadmap for achieving that balance.”
The town’s recent affordable-housing efforts have also sought to distribute opportunities throughout the community rather than concentrate them in any one neighborhood. Together with the newly approved comprehensive plan, those efforts are part of a broader strategy to meet Lincoln’s obligations while preserving the town’s ability to determine how growth fits into the community.
“This recognition really belongs to everyone who participated,” Gould said. “I want to thank Josh Berry, Stephanie Davies, the members of our Comprehensive Plan Committee, Weston & Sampson, our boards and commissions, and especially the residents and business owners who participated in surveys and community meetings. They gave countless hours to this process.”
“The result is a plan that reflects where Lincoln has been, where we are today, and where we want to go. After more than 20 years, Lincoln once again has an updated roadmap for its future, and, just as importantly, a stronger ability to make decisions about that future here in Lincoln.”
