Let’s start with some very good news this week: 50 very affordable, income-restricted rental apartments will soon be available in Brookline! Known as Puddingstone at Chestnut Hill, these are part of a brand-new 250-unit Chapter 40B development at Hancock Village, and include 8 units for households with incomes up to 30% of area median income (AMI) and 42 units at up to 50% AMI. Since the demand will exceed the supply, the affordable units will be distributed by a lottery including a “local preference” for Brookline residents. Information sessions (via Zoom) for prospective residents will be held this Tuesday, March 26 at 12:30 pm and May 1 at 5:00 pm. For more information, including household income limits, how to apply, and links for the two information sessions, click here.
Next, many of you (10,000, to be exact) will be receiving a postcard in the mail with a survey, including some important questions about housing, from our friends at Brookline for Racial Justice and Equity (BRJE), being led by former Select Board member Raul Fernandez. If you receive the postcard, we encourage you to follow the QR code to the online survey, which will be open until mid-April. You can find more information here.
Brookline Town Board Meetings this Week
There is a lot going on this week:
The Community Preservation Act Committee (CPAC) will be meeting on Monday, March 25, at 6:30-8:00 pm to review the remaining “Community Housing” applications, and two weeks later on April 8, also at 6:30, to make final decisions an all the applications (meeting link for both meetings is here; no registration required). The agenda for this meeting includes a continuing discussion of an Open Space Reserve Fund, and then four housing proposals, including three from the Brookline CDC and one from a new group called Housing Economic Equity Plan (HEEP). The full agenda is here.
The Land Use, Zoning and Sustainability Subcommittee of the Advisory Committee meets on Tuesday, March 26 at 3:30 to review the HAB’s proposed Warrant Article to make ADUs (accessory dwelling units) more feasible in Brookline. (The meeting is called for 3:30, but they will be finishing discussion of Warrant Article 14 first, so may not get to the ADU Warrant Article until 4:00 or a little after). We urge anyone who is able to attend to support the HAB’s version of WA 13, and oppose any proposed amendment that will make it more difficult to create ADUs in Brookline. You can register here, and get the full agenda here.
The Chestnut Hill Commercial Area Study Community Advisory Group Kick-Off Meeting is on Wednesday, March 27, from 6:00-8:00 pm. The Chestnut Hill Commercial Area Study will examine opportunities to incentivize significant net new commercial tax growth, and enhance the livability and identity of the Chestnut Hill commercial area. The study will be led by the Planning Department, and informed by the work of the Community Advisory Group, chaired by Select Board member Mike Sandman. You can find more information here, including a list of committee members, and can register here to attend the first meeting.
Preview of Coming Attractions
“Harnessing Climate Fears into Positive Action” on Wednesday, April 3, from 7:00-8:00 pm, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Brookline in collaboration with Brookline Mothers Out Front, Climate Action Brookline, the Brookline Health Department, the Friends of Brookline Public Health, and Elders Climate Action-Massachusetts Chapter. The program will be in person at the main branch of the Brookline Public Library at 361 Washington Street. You find more information and register here.
GBIO Housing Justice Lobby Day is coming up on Thursday, April 11, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. This is the follow up to GBIO’s very successful event several weeks ago where over 1,700 of us (including 100+ from Brookline) showed up to support housing justice. Join GBIO on the steps of the State House (24 Beacon Street, Boston) to remind our legislators of their commitments and ensure the critical legislative and budget asks to support public and other affordable housing get across the finish line. If you can make it, please register here.
What We’re Reading This Week
How Does Paris Stay Paris? The answer, it turns out, is by spending billions on public/social housing and by actively managing much of the small retail space that many people think is so charming (the City owns 19% of them City wide). Of course, Brookline is not Paris (and neither is Boston), and we are in a very different political environment, but there are lessons here for us, including the importance of both lots of affordable housing and vibrant, local retail for a successful city.
Finally, watch this space later this week for B4E’s upcoming endorsements for Select Board, Town Meeting, and other relevant Town offices soon. We also continue to need your financial help to run a strong campaign to elect our pro-housing candidates, so please consider a generous donation to the Brookline for Everyone PAC (and thank you to everyone who has contributed so far!).