Guidelines for Maintaining Rural Character

Who does what? What the Town does, what is property owner responsibility and how we can work together.


GENERAL GUIDELINES
for both private and public property owners for all Lincoln roadsides

Cleanup — Trash removal is the first step. Then learn how to identify and remove invasive plants, shrubs and volunteer trees blocking views or growing in and around stone walls.

Plantings — After a roadside area is cleaned up, property owners and the Town share a responsibility for plantings. Here are some planting guidelines and examples of recommended roadside plants.

Stone Wall Maintenance — Lincoln's drystone walls have no mortar. Gravity keeps everything in place. Here are some tips to help keep them from crumbling and tumbling to the ground.

Fences — A fence marks a boundary, provides screening or provides security from noise, wind or dust. Fences adjacent to ROWs are regulated by Lincoln Zoning Laws. Here are some examples of different Lincoln fences.

Roadway "Hardware" — Other elements of the roadside can impact the rural character of Lincoln. Lighting, guardrails, storm water management, signs, and utility poles and lines are not historic, but are necessary to Lincoln's roads.



SPECIAL GUIDELINES
for specific roadside types

Natural roadsides guidelines for areas of older residences that are interspersed in the woodlands and well integrated into the natural landscape.

Agricultural roadsides guidelines for areas with extensive fields often lined with mature trees, stone walls, providing contrast with the natural, wooded areas.

Historic roadsides guidelines for areas mostly near Lincoln's center.

Suburban roadsides guidelines for areas with newer houses and tended lawns.

Commercial roadside guidelines for Lincoln Station area.



To identify your road type, see Roadside Types Definitions and Map.

Of the five roadside types, three - Natural, Agricultural, and Historic - have overlaps with the roads shown on the maps Old Roads of Lincoln and the Scenic Roads. Taken together these three maps can guide efforts to preserve the rural character of key roads.

For a complete list of guidelines, see the Lincoln Roadside
Report, pp. 18 - 38