hanscom housing historic impact background report 2010
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Historical Impact Background ReportLincoln Historical Commis]onLincoln, Ma{{
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Hanscom Hou]ng & Minute Man National Historical Park
Paul Revere Capture Site, looking east in 1890{
John C. MacLeanPreservation ConsultantMay 27, 2010
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Historical Impact: Hanscom Housing & Minute Man National Historical Park
SUMMARYOn February 5, 2010, the Massachusetts Historical Commission determined that a Historical
Impact Review should be conducted for proposed demolition and construction work at the
Hanscom Air Force Base privatized housing, currently owned and being conducted by HP
Communities under a 50-year lease of the land from the Air Force. This housing project abuts
Minute Man National Historical Park, a National Landmark, and most of the project is located
within the bounds of Lincoln, Massachusetts. The Lincoln Historical Commission was asked to
comment on the proposal. To provide background for that comment, this study provides: a brief
review of the project proposal as presently presented; a review of the historical setting of the
abutting housing and Park, with historical maps and photographs used for comparisons with
current conditions; a review of past efforts and mechanisms applied by the Town to protect theviewshed of the Park as well as the impact of traffic on the Park from adjoining developments;
and a concluding citing that demolition and construction work has been conduction prior to the
Historical Impact Review process and any potential Memorandum of Agreement, potentially
limiting the proper scope of such a process and creating concerns over precedent.
A site visit at the Paul Revere Capture Site of Minute Man National Historical Park
was held on April 21, 2010, with representatives of the Lincoln Historical
Commission, the Lexington Historical Commission, the Massachusetts Historical
Commission, Minute Man National Historical Park, and the developer. This report
precedes a regional HATS meeting on the Hanscom housing, scheduled May 27,
2010, with representation from the developer, as well as a planned meeting by the
Lincoln Historical Commission with representation from the developer.
CONTENTSProject Proposal 2
Section Summary 4
Historical Setting 5
Historical Images, Area of Minute Man Park and Hanscom Housing Boundary 7
Minute Man Park Photographs 10
Section Summary 15
Lincoln Policies & Practices and the Park Setting 15
Section Summary 18
Demolition at Hanscom 20
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PROJECT PROPOSALOn January 6, 2010, the Massachusetts Historical Commission received a Historical Impact
submission for the Hanscom Air Force Base Family Housing, now known as The Landings at
Hanscom, regarding demolition and construction work planned as part of their development
project. On February 5, 2010, the Massachusetts Historical Commission determined that, This
project location abuts Minute Man National Historical Park, a National Historic Landmark. The
U. S. Air Force and MHC must consider the potential effects of this project on this important
historic resource and other historic resources in the project vicinity. The developer was advised
to provide the Lincoln Historical Commission and other parties with project materials for
comment. A majority of the housing is within the bounds of the Town of Lincoln, as are
potentially affected abutting lands of Minute Man National Historical Park.1
The official web site of Hanscom Air Force Base provides a background summary on this project:
Hanscom's base housing was privatized in October 2004 under the authority of the
Military Housing Privatization Initiative in the 1996 National Defense Authorization Act.
The goal of privatization is to provide military families safe, quality, affordable and well-
maintained housing in a community where they will choose to live. Hanscom's housing
privatization initiative is a real estate transaction that conveyed ownership of all the
Government-owned housing and all associated improvements to a private developer
including the roads and utilities. The Government is then leasing the land in the housing
area to the private developer for a period of 50 years. The developer will finance, plan,design, construct, own, operate and maintain the privatized housing development for
military families for 50 years. The developer is HP Communities, LLC.2
The Hanscom housing had initially been leased to another developer, American Eagle
Communities. American Eagle had demolished some buildings and built or partly constructed
new housing before their financial position forced them to stop construction and to pull out of
the project. American Eagle had not made a Historical Impact submission to the Massachusetts
Historical Commission prior to their undertaking this demolition and construction work.
The Hunt-Pinnacle joint partnership took over Hanscoms housing in November 2008. They also
own and operate the housing at a number of other military bases under the Military Housing
Privatization Initiative.
1Brona Simon, Executive Director, Massachusetts Historical Commission to Rita Walsh, VHB, letter (February 5,
2010), cc: Lincoln Historical Commission.2http://www.hanscom.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=10297(May 27, 2010).
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Prior to HP Communities taking over the project, the official web site of Hanscom Air Force
reported:
A new project owner may complete the project based on a revised project scope that
reflects the October 2007 Housing Requirements Market Analysis results that determine
the demand for on-base housing. For Hanscom, the recently released HRMA data shows aminimum housing requirement of 459 homes, a reduction from the previous requirement
of 784. Using that number (459) as a baseline, the objective will be to provide high-
quality, marketable housing, said Colonel Tom Schluckebier, 66th Air Base Wing
commander.3
Housing standing at the time of the original agreement consisted of about 850 units dating from
the 1960s through a 1995-97 development (Scott Circle). A majority of the housing was under
Air Force management, but some of it was previously under a privatization agreement through
2017. The 2004 American Eagle plan called for the demolition of all existing units and the
construction of 784 new units, all projected to have three or four bedrooms and two-car
garages.4
The 2008 agreement with HP Communities came after the reduced calculation of housing needs
at Hanscom Air Force Base to 459 units. Characterizing the project appears to be complicated by
the complexity of representing work completed or started by American Eagle and proposed work
to be completed by the current developer. As represented on March 23, 2010, to the Lincoln
Historical Commission on behalf of HP Communities, The entire subdivision will have an end
state of 122 single family; an increase of 114 (this number is due to conversion of some duplex
units to single family).The entire subdivision will have an end state of 59 duplexes; an increase
of 52.The entire subdivision will have an end state of 44 four plex buildings; an increase of 3
buildings (totals given here equal 416 units). In addition to their renovating many existing units
and taking over newly constructed units by American Eagle, HP Communities representatives
also reported plans to construct 165 new units as part of this project, including 77 new single-
family units. It was reported that all new construction would have attached garages, detailing
that, New construction consists of 158 single car and 55 two car garages [these figures may not
include new units and garages previously constructed under American Eagle]. Renovated
buildings will in some cases change the number of units; for example, plans include converting
182 two-bedroom adjoined units into 91 separate homes. Materials provided also included site
plans and a chart of square-feet figures for specific units, although total square-feet comparisons
with the pre-construction conditions were not provided.5
Hunt Companys web site currently continues to describe the project with some partly differingfigures from those provided to the Lincoln Historical Commission. It states:
3http://www.hanscom.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123075846(May 27, 2010).
4Ben Aaronson, Hanscom opens new housing,Bedford Minuteman (April 11, 2007) at
http://www.wickedlocal.com/bedford/local_news/x1643281699(May 27, 2010).5Rita Walsh, Senior Preservation Planner, VHB, to Lucretia Giese, Chair, Lincoln Historical Commission, email (March
23, 2010).
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Project Size: 702 Units
Project Status: Under Construction
OVERVIEW
Hanscom Air Force Base, located in Bedford, Massachusetts, is one of four bases included
in the Falcon Group military housing privatization project. This part of the projectconsists of 353 renovated units, demolition of 153 units, construction of 177 new homesand completion of work in progress on 88 homes. Hunt is acting as the co-developer,asset manager and general contractor for this project.6
Planned specifics on the proposed construction project as provided to the Lincoln HistoricalCommission on March 23, 2010, are shown in Table 1.
CONSTRUCTIONTYPE SingleFamilyHome Duplex
Tri
Plex FourPlex FivePlex SixPlex EightPlex NetChange EndStateTotal UnitsAMEGL Demo (5) (14) (142)Hunt Demo (8) (7) (1) (23) (1) (1) (3) (152)Musket Meadows ASIS 4 16 112AMEGL Completed 2 3 1 17 17Work in Progress (WIP) Units 4 4 12 4 88 88Minor Renovation 19 23 37 213Moderate Renovation 1 4 10 49Conversion Renovation (25) (33) (182)Conversion Renovation 25 33 91 91New Construction 77 18 13 165 165
Net Change 114 52 6 21 3 10 (17) (115) 735
Table 1: The Landings at Hanscom, Construction Types (provided by HP Communities, March 23, 2010)
Summary: Prior to privatization, the number of housing units at Hanscom Air Force Base was
reported to be 850, although a number of them were evidently not being utilized. At the time of
the 2004 50-year privatization agreement with American Eagle, the minimum housing
requirement for Hanscom was given as 784 units; the American Eagle project was intended to be
784 new units, while all existing units were going to be demolished. Although they did not make
a Historic Impact submission to the Massachusetts Historical Commission, American Eagle hadinitiated demolition and construction work. HP Communities took over the privatization project
in 2008. Rather than demolishing all existing units, they plan a combination of renovation and
demolition/new construction. At the time of the agreement with HP Communities, the minimum
housing requirements for Hanscom needs had been reduced from 784 to 459. While sources
differ, the table provided March 23, 2010, shows the total number of end units at 735. This is a
6http://www.huntcompanies.com/property.php?id=96 2010 Hunt Properties (May 27, 2010).
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reduction of 49 units from what was planned by American Eagle, but 276 units in excess of the
revised minimum requirement needs for Hanscom. It is an increase of 33 units over the 702 units
planned when the Hunt Companies website information was last posted. Compared with pre-
privatization conditions, the average size of the units and the quality of the buildings are
anticipated to increase, with more bedrooms, garages, and square feet per average unit.
Hanscom Housing
Demolition/Construction Area
Minute Man National Historical Park
The area of Hanscom housing that is today defined by Hanscom Drive on the west, the Park lands on the south, and
the historic area of the Wellhead Pond (see historical maps below) on the east is a focal area of demolition and new
construction by HP Communities and, previously, by American Eagle.
HISTORICAL SETTINGThe current Hanscom Air Force Base had its beginnings during World War II when the Armys
79th
Fighter Group was headquartered here in 1942. This was a year after the Bedford Airport(later Hanscom) was constructed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. During the war, the
base worked closely with MIT on radar-technology developments, and in 1944 MITs Radiation
Laboratory testing facilities moved to Hanscom. The Air Base would become a national center for
technology developments between the military and its local university and corporate partners,
soon leading to major advances in radar, microwave, and computer technology as well as air-
defense systems. Contributing significantly to the growth of the region, Hanscom and the
surrounding Route 128 area became a leading center for technology innovation. In 1994 and
again in 2005 Hanscom was under consideration for closure in the Base Relocation and Closure
(BRAC) reviews, with local communities acting strongly to support the Base. While the BRAC
Commission in 2005 ultimately made recommendations that would expand the Base with over
1100 added personnel, the final determination resulted in a projected reduction in personnel.Hanscom Air Force Base remains as an important center for the local economy and for
revolutionary technological advance. Lincoln has had a long-standing close relationship with the
Base, including operating the Hanscom K-8 school system.
Along all of its southern boundary, Hanscom Air Force Base and its housing is adjacent to
Minute Man National Historical Park (MMNHP), which commemorates and interprets the events,
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people, and motivations that started the American Revolution, including the Lexington Green,
Old North Bridge, and Battle Road settings where that War of Independence began in 1775. The
Park was created by an Act of Congress in 1959. A trail runs the length of the Battle Road unit of
the Park, with Hanscom housing visible from sections of that trail, while sites closest to the
housing include: the Captain William Smith House (c. 1693, home of the Captain of Lincolns
Minute Man Company in 1775, who was also a brother of future First Lady, Abigail (Smith)Adams); the Paul Revere Capture Site and Monument (marking where Revere was captured by
British guards during his famous ride); and the restored Nelson Road section of the Battle Road,
with archaeological remains of Nelson homes from 1775 (see historical photographs below).
Restoring the landscape to approximate its appearance in 1775 is recognized as an essential
element for understanding the battle that took place here and for interpreting the people, their
lives, and homes. Unlike most battle sites, understanding the people who lived hereviewing the
farms where these embattled farmers and their families livedis essential to understanding the
battle itself. Here, it was not a chance battlefield. It was not a conflict of two passing armies. It
was the people who lived herethe Smiths and Hartwells and other local residents of Lincoln
and other nearby townswho fought on this hallowed farmland. Restoring the land to its
appearance in 1775 has been a Park priority, but this objective can be limited by the needs for
screening and for dealing with modern roadways. Recently, the Battle Road from Arlington to
Concord has been designated by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation as the Battle
Road Scenic Byway: Roads to Revolutions. This recognizes its role not only in the American
Revolution, but also in the literary, environmental, and technological revolutions that have
occurred along this historic corridor. Traffic impact along this scenic byway remains a high
priority concern for the Park, town, and region, and state.
While a boundary line now divides Minute Man National Historical Park from the Hanscom Base
housing, historically, these properties were connected. Dating from before Lincoln was a town, a
1750 deed from Nathaniel Whittemore to Josiah Nelson, for example, described the southernbounds of a 20-acre lotwithin the Hanscom housing area as, Beginning at a brook [Shawsheen
headwaters] in Ebenezer Lamsons line Runing Easterly by the Brook to a stake & Stones Near a
Spring Called the well head Running Still Easterly by a Black oak tree Marked to a heap of
Stones in Lexington line. Whittemore (living in the William Smith House), Lamson, and
Nelson all lived within the current-day Park along what would be the Battle Road, but their
Battle Road farms all extended into the area where the Hanscom housing is now located. The
Well Head (or Wellhead), here identified as a natural spring, appeared in nineteenth-century
maps as a pond that fed into the Shawsheen River; that pond was evidently filled in before the
Hanscom housing was first constructed. A comparison of current conditions and the 1943 USGS
map of the area also suggests that much of the sharp declivity that currently exists from the Park
down to the housing site has been dug out and altered from the natural, historical contours of
the landscape. That 1943 survey also shows how a number of farm trails extended north from
Nelson Road, North Great Road, and Virginia roads to access related farmland located where
Hanscoms housing stands today (see historical maps below).7
7Deed, Nathaniel Whittemore to Josiah Nelson (March 2, 1750), 2002.006.1.4, Nelson Family Papers, Lincoln Vault
Historical Collection, Lincoln Public Library.
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Detail from 1894 USGS map. Map shows Wellhead (or Well Head) Pond with Shawsheen River heading out of it;
buildings were not depicted. The northernmost roadways depicted here are the Battle Road of 1775; Wellhead Pond
to their north is within the present-day Hanscom housing, but the pond no longer exists.
Detail from 1943 USGS map (edited 1947). Wellhead Pond was then reduced in size from its late-nineteenth-century
bounds; buildings are shown, as well as farm paths extending off of Virginia, North Great, and Nelson roads. The
increased number of contour lines provides a more accurate representation of the sloped area in the center of the map
than what appeared in the 1894 USGS map.
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William Smith House Nelson Farm
Revere Capture Site
Aerial photograph of area prior to Hanscom housing privatization and demolition. Running west to east through thePark, North Great Road/Route 2A is in part the Battle Road of 1775. This road and Hanscom Drive off of it provides the
primary access route to the Hanscom housing, only a portion of which is shown here. Viewed from the air, the Park
lands north of the roadincluding the William Smith House, Revere Capture Site, and Nelson farm siteseem to
form a narrow strip between the road and the housing development ( 2010 Microsoft Corp.).
1943 USGS map superimposed over aerial view (before demolition). Today, a sharp slope divides part of the Park from
the housing to its north. This superimposed view suggests that the landscape along the current north border of Minute
Man National Historical Park (in the Paul Revere Capture Site area) was altered after 1943, as the contour lines from
1943 differ from those of the sharp slope of today. Today, Hanscom housing is located in a flat area (see Liberty Ln.
and Hill Terrace area on aerial view) that was represented in 1943 by contour lines. This suggests that portions of the
natural slopes had been cut back after the 1943 survey was made to create the current slope further south of its
historic location. Part of the Shawsheen River remains today, but the location of Wellhead Pond has been filled in.
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Construction
William Smith
House Liberty Lane Nelson Road
Revere Capture Site
2008 aerial photograph. This 2998 view shows the area of construction by American Eagle in center, while the
buildings and landscape of the Liberty Lane area is undisturbed.
[Wellhead Pond]
1894 USGS map superimposed on 2008 aerial photograph. (The 1943 USGS map suggests Wellhead Pond was
actually somewhat to the west of where it appears here, and that the Shawsheen River ran somewhat further to the
south of the line shown in the 1894 depiction.)
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(left) Historical view of the c. 1693 Captain William
Smith House, with the land behind it cleared of trees;
above the drive, it can be seen that there was an open
view to a distant rise in the land.
(below) Today, rather than the historic landscape
being open around the house, Park land is devoted to
providing screening from Hanscom Drive and Hanscom
housing, with trees growing up close to the rear and
sides of the house (April 2010 photograph).
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(above) View in 1899 looking west along the Battle Road from the Paul Revere Capture Site.
(below) View in 2010 looking west along the Battle Road from the Paul Revere Capture Site; this road (North Great
Road. Route 2A), is also the primary access for vehicles going in and out of the Hanscom housing.
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Historical view published in 1930 of the Paul Revere Monument, looking northeast.
(above) View north in April 2010 with Paul Revere
Monument (monument has been turned to face Park
trail in background).
(right) View north in 2010 from Park trail towardsHanscom housingtaken from Park trail north of Paul
Revere Monument.
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(above) Josiah Nelson House on north side of Nelson Road in about the 1890s, looking northwest.(below) Looking north from roadway in April 2010, towards the Josiah Nelson archaeological site. Trees within the
Park screen most of the Hanscom housing, although some houses are visible in background. The need for a growth of
trees for screening limits options for restoring the Park landscape to its 1775 appearance.
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(above) The landscape north of Nelson Road looking east toward the historic Josiah Nelson House was once open.
Now Park land, this area is currently wooded, providing screening between Nelson Road and Hanscom housing.
(below) View from Park lands (between Revere Capture Site and Josiah Nelson House Site) looking northerly towards
housing that is not planned for demolition.
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Summary: Minute Man National Historical Park and Hanscoms housing share a common
boundary. The events and local society of 1775 that the Park interprets are critical in Americas
history and the formation of our nation and its values; recreating the landscape and setting of
the events of 1775 are critical to the effective interpretation of those events and to an
understanding of the people who began the American Revolution. At the same time, Hanscom
Air Force Base has also been at the center of the regions revolutionary history of technologicalinnovations. These revolutions and the corridors literary and environmental contributions are
recognized in the recent Battle Road Scenic Byway: Roads to Revolutions designation. While the
land where the housing is located was historically associated with the farmhouses that stood
along the Battle Road in 1775, part of its natural landscape appears to have been modified since
Hanscom was developed; this includes a sharp slope along the north side of the Park that helps
to minimize the view of the housing. Park properties of particular sensitivity for visual impact,
however, include the William Smith House, the Paul Revere Capture Site, the restored Nelson
Road and the archaeological Nelson house sites, and the connecting trail. The need for screening
within Park lands restricts opportunities to more accurately represent the landscape of 1775,
limiting the Park experience for visitors. Likewise, the Battle Road (North Great Road/Route 2A)
is currently the primary access into Hanscom Drive and the housing, creating concerns over
potential impact of related traffic upon the Hanscom Drive/Route 2A intersection, the Park, and
the visitors experiences.
LINCOLN POLICIES &PRACTICES AND THE PARKSETTINGThe Lincoln Comprehensive Plan, adopted by Town Meeting in 2009, provides the following
description of the Park:
Some of Lincolns most evocative historic landscapes, buildings, and structures are
located within the Minute Man National Historical Park (MMNHP). The 971-acre Park,located in Lincoln, Concord, and Lexington, includes original unpaved sections of the
Battle Road (former sections of Old Bedford, Virginia, and Nelson roads in Lincoln) and
portions of North Great Road (Route 2A) in Lincoln. The Battle Road was designated a
State Scenic Byway in 2007. The Minute Man Battle Road trail and other ancillary trails
within the park provide an unparalleled way to experience the landscape that hosted the
events of April 19, 1775. The parks historic buildings and structures include the Noah
Brooks Tavern (1798), the Hartwell Tavern (1732-33), the Captain William Smith House
(ca. 1693), period stone walls, and restored landscapes. A Visitor Center is located in
Lexington near the Lincoln line. The entire park is a National Historic Landmark and
listed in the National Register of Historic Places.8
The Comprehensive Plan studyfound that the Park is planning to restore landscapes in certain
areas to their 1775 appearance by removing trees and that theywere developing plans to add
and improve trail systems within the Minute Man National Historical Park. The Plan set Goals
for the Town to Promote stewardship of Lincolns cultural and historic resources [Goal CH.3],
8Lincoln Comprehensive Plan (2009), p. 87.
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specifically citing the MMNHP property and the desire to promote an understanding of land use
and historically significant landscapes, including conservation lands, Walden Woods, and Minute
Man National Historical Park. Likewise, the Town set the goal of strengthening its collaboration
with the Park and its other cultural and historical institutions [Goal CH.1], specifically including,
Developing further mechanisms for protecting the vital viewshed surrounding MMNHP, and
working to abate the impact of traffic and noise on the Park experience.9
Recognizing the national importance of the Park and the delicate balance in restoring that
property to its 1775 appearance while operating within a modern-day setting, the Town has
made many efforts in the past to protect the Parks viewshed. Along the southern bounds of the
Park, the Town purchased for conservation 104 acres associated with the 1775 Battle Road home
and farmstead of Aaron Brooks (Parcel 17 6 0). To its east, the Town also owns over 36 acres
(Parcel 18 6 0) used for the Transfer Station. The Town has sought to site that facility so that it
would not be visible from the Battle Road, while it presently maintains the remainder of the lot
as open land; this lot abuts and has access through the Park, but currently it is not subject to any
conservation restrictions, including any conservation buffer zone. The Town also owns another
Conservation lot of almost 43 acres that likewise abuts the southern bounds of the Park (Parcel
16 1 0). Connecting trails within the Towns Conservation land with trails within MMNHP has
been identified by both bodies as a desired objective.
In 1986, 47 acres north of the Park were developed into the Lincoln North office building and a
120-unit Battle Road Farm mixed-income housing development. Preconditions set by the Town
included that, Any alterations to the terrain of the 47 acres should not be visible from any
portion of the Minuteman National Historical Park. To comply, the plan included a 200-foot-
wide conservation buffer between the housing and Park, with the office developer contributing
$150,000 towards the costs for that buffer zone. The Town reported that, A key ingredient of
the North Lincoln Planned Development district is the allocation of approximately 7 acres fromthe 31 acre McHugh parcel [the housing parcel] for a buffer strip of permanent open space
between the proposed housing development and the Minuteman National Park. Additional
conditions to benefit the Park were also worked out with the office building developer. Five
existing non-historic houses, a barn, and the existing paved portions of Old Bedford Road on the
Lincoln North office building site are now within view of the National Park but will be removed.
The relocated Old Bedford Road and the office building parking will be terraced into slopes and
be landscaped to avoid being seen from the National Park. The setback from the current Virginia
Road alignment will be increased and properly landscaped to provide an improved sight
easement from the park. In addition, the developer agreed to, Dedicate approximately one (1)
acre as a permanent open space buffer to the Park, including an extension of the 200 foot
buffer line along their site. They would, Transfer in fee to the National Park Service this
permanent open space at such time when the National Park Service can accept this land and
after the abandoned Virginia Road and Old Bedford Road has been restored to 1775 condition by
[the developer]. Their building would be sited to minimize visibilityfrom the perspective of the
9Lincoln Comprehensive Plan (2009), pp. 95-96, 93.
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Park, including avoiding mechanicals on the roof, and applying, Extensive use of trees, bushes,
and other landscaping as shields and green buffers throughout the project.10
Concern was also expressed within this 1986 plan over the traffic impact of the developments.
The Town set as a precondition that, Any change in land use on the 47 acres should not
exacerbate existing commuter traffic conditions. Arrangements were made for regulatingbusiness hours at the office building to mitigate peak-hours traffic, while its developer funded
new road construction designed to be part of a proposed loop road that would incorporate
Hanscom Drive and take through traffic off of the existing North Great Road/Battle Road.11
Conclusions drawn from the traffic study for this project included:
Bringing the Route 2A/Hanscom Drive intersection to an acceptable level-of-service in
1991, with or without the Lincoln North Office Park development, would require two
lane Route 2A approaches to the Hanscom Drive Intersection. A significant widening of
this magnitude would require land takings that are unacceptable to both the town of
Lincoln and the National Park Service. The installation of traffic signals with these
roadway widening would result in improved traffic operations.12
These projections suggest current concerns over traffic impact. The proposed Hanscom housing
density includes about 276 units in excess of the Hanscom Air Force Bases revised requirement.
Units are currently being marketed to off-base renters under a prescribed formula, and many
residents could work off-base, adding peak-commuter-hours traffic. Given the projected change
in occupancy from on-base renters to a mix of on-base renters off-base market-rate renters and
the potential scale of these off-base rental units, the 1986 study demonstrates that the potential
historical impact of traffic changes from this shift in usage should be addressed. The 1986 study
suggests that this includes any potentially adverse historical impact on the Hanscom Drive/Battle
Road interchange within the Park, including the previously suggested needs for road widening
and traffic signals at that intersection.
Under revisions to the Towns Demolition Delay Bylaw adopted by Town Meeting in 2007, the
Town has also applied a 200-foot review area around the Parks boundaries. Under that bylaw,
any time 25 percent or more of a building or structure within 200 feet of the Park is proposed for
demolition, it is deemed to be a significant building or structure due to the sites potential impact
on the Park, and the Lincoln Historical Commission must review what is proposed to replace it. 13
Since the adoption of this provision, two proposed demolitions of houses within 200 feet of the
Park have been reviewed (Parcels 12 11 1 and 12 14 0), with one of the applicants withdrawing
plans for a larger house. In another instance not involving a demolition, the Planning Board
reviewed a proposed house that would be visible from the Park. This resulted in a smallerbuilding being approved than what was initially planned (Parcel 12 11 0).
1047 Acre Land Use Concept Plan (1986), pp. 31-32.
11 47 Acre Land Use Concept Plan (1986), p. 29.
12Traffic Analysis Summary, 47 Acre Land Use Concept Plan (1986), n.p.
13Demolition Delay By-Law, Section 2.11(A) (March 24, 2007).
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Historical Impact: Hanscom Housing & Minute Man National Historical Park
Summary: Minute Man National Historical Park is a National Landmark that stands at the
forefront of the nations history, but it is also part of Lincolns history. The Town has sought to be
a good steward of the Park, and it has pledged through its comprehensive plan to further its role
of stewardship. Development and change will continue in the region, but in formulating a series
of strategies to safeguard the viewshed around the Park, the Town helps to enable the Parks
mission. Past strategies have included:
protecting land surrounding the Park through a range of conservation approaches, with aparticular focus on safeguarding the 200 feet immediately adjacent to the Park as a
viewshed buffer zone;
efforts to limit construction surrounding the Park that would be visible from the Park,also particularly within 200 feet of the Park;
vegetative screening, landscaping treatments, and siting to minimize visibility ofbuildings and roadways/ parking;
compensatory financial contributions to fund protections of the Parks viewshed(includes $150,000 1986 donation agreement to support costs of a 7-acre buffer zone);
awareness of the historical impact of traffic and noise on the Park, including requiringactions to prevent exacerbating existing commuter conditions.
Through the 2009 Comprehensive Plan, the Town has set the goals of furthering its stewardship
efforts on behalf of the Park, and to develop further mechanisms for protecting the vital
viewshed surrounding MMNHP, and working to abate the impact of traffic and noise on the Park
experience. The Towns past study and the projected changes in Hanscom housing usage suggest
a study of the potential historical impact from resulting traffic changes.
A Hunt Pinnacle construction worker demolishes a housing structure on July 23 [2009] to make way for newly
constructed units for Hanscom housing residents. The housing landscape is being transformed as Hunt Pinnacle moves
forward with the construction of new homes and the renovation of existing units. (U.S. Air Force photo by Rick Berry).
[Source: http://www.hanscom.af.mil/shared/media/photodb/photos/090723-F-5136B-037.jpg(May 27, 2010)]
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http://www.hanscom.af.mil/shared/media/photodb/photos/090723-F-5136B-037.jpghttp://www.hanscom.af.mil/shared/media/photodb/photos/090723-F-5136B-037.jpghttp://www.hanscom.af.mil/shared/media/photodb/photos/090723-F-5136B-037.jpg -
7/31/2019 Hanscom Housing Historic Impact Background Report 2010.
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Historical Impact: Hanscom Housing & Minute Man National Historical Park
.
Liberty Lane housing in 2008 aerial photograph above; arrow at lower right of that photograph is the location within
Minute Man National Historical Park where the photograph below was taken on April 21, 2010, showing the Liberty
Lane housing demolished and the land cleared.
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7/31/2019 Hanscom Housing Historic Impact Background Report 2010.
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Historical Impact: Hanscom Housing & Minute Man National Historical Park
DEMOLITION AT HANSCOMDuring the period when American Eagle had been operating the housing at the Hanscom Air
Force Base, demolition and construction went forward even though a required Historical Impact
submission was not submitted to the Massachusetts Historical Commission. While HP
Communities made such a submission in January 6, 2010, and the Commission determined that,
The U. S. Air Force and MHC must consider the potential effects of this project on this important
historic resource and other historic resources in the project vicinity, further demolition work has
been conducted, including the demolition of the Liberty Lane housing north of the Park. Some
potential terms for a Memorandum of Agreementsuch as preparing an archival-quality
photographic record of the buildings to be demolished, or actions to safeguard potential
prehistoric archaeological resourcesare thereby moot. While the Wellhead spring and pond
area (disturbed by American Eagle) could have been one of high probability for archaeological
evidence, the current review suggests that at least some portions of the housing site had probably
been significantly disturbed during earlier construction. Still, that evidence does not apply to all
areas disturbed by the current project, and such potential past alterations to the landscape and
possible archaeological materials had not been identified prior to demolition.
The actions taken prior to the Historical Impact Review process and potential Memorandum of
Agreement set a precedent that jeopardizes the effectiveness of that national process for
documenting and preserving sites and materials of historical significance. Such a precedent,
taken within feet of a National Historic Landmark preserving the land where the American
Revolution began, should be of concern and consideration at the local, state, and federal levels if
this Review and future Historical Impact Review processes to be effective.
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