Happy First Snow! We hope that tonight’s little dusting is just enough to be beautiful, and not so much to cause traffic and other hassles. Enjoy!
Fall Town Meeting is finally over (whew!) after eight nights on Zoom. We want to thank all the 255+ Town Meeting Members who work hard on behalf of the Town, with a special shout out to the three B4E Board Members who are TMMs: Amanda Zimmerman (P7), Lisa Shatz (P11), and Paul Saner (P13). We also want to celebrate and thank B4E Board Member Deborah Brown, a former TMM in P1, who was a co-petitioner and driver of the Affordable Housing Overlay resolution, which passed with an 88% YES vote! This article tasks the Housing Advisory Board with forming a Study Committee to explore what an Affordable Housing Overlay District (giving special zoning relief to 100% affordable developments) could look like and accomplish in Brookline, so this will now proceed. Thanks also to many of you who contacted your TMMs to support this important step forward, which of course B4E strongly endorsed.
This week, we highlight two important hearings before the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA), which is the Town’s decision making body for approving all Special Permits, Variances, and “40B” Comprehensive Permits required to build new multifamily housing in Brookline:
- ZBA Meeting No. 1: On Monday, Dec. 12 at 7:00 PM, the ZBA will continue its extended “hearing” on the Chapter 40B application to build 40 apartments including 10 affordable homes on a vacant lot at 845 Boylston Street (Route 9). This meeting will include reviewing significantly revised plans from the developer. You can register here, and find all the project background and materials here. B4E has sent a comment letter to the ZBA urging approval, and we urge everyone to do the same; letters/emails can be very short, even a few sentences, and should be sent to the ZBA c/o Brookline Senior Planner Maria Morelli.
- ZBA Meeting No. 2: On Thursday, Dec. 15 at 7:00 PM, the ZBA will re-consider allowing the renovation and construction of a new, 13-unit multifamily development along St. Paul Street near the corner of Beacon. The project will retain the Bertram Inn, at the corner of St. Paul and Sewall, and merge it with the neighboring lot at 153 St. Paul Street, and will allow renovation of the Inn to accommodate three units and construction of an attached 10-unit building next door. This development, in a neighborhood with many much larger buildings nearby, will either include two affordable units or contribute approximately $2.5M to Brookline’s Affordable Housing Trust. In either case, it will be a big win for housing. You can register here and find the ZBA’s file of materials here. If you can’t make it, consider sending a short support letter/email to the ZBA c/o Madison Anthony. You can see B4E’s Sept. 29 support letter here.
Thanks for your continuing interest in creating a Brookline that is diverse, welcoming, sustainable and affordable — and have a great week!
Jonathan Klein, for Brookline for Everyone