Many participants were pleased with the housing forum sponsored by our friends at Yes! in Brookline last Wednesday, at which Brookline residents Zeina Talje and Amy Schechtman explained the procedural and personal hurdles they face in order to provide us with new housing. If you were unable to join us, or you would like to review the discussion or invite others to hear it, you can find a recap and a recording of the discussion here. Yes! in Brookline has also added a Housing Glossary to its website in case you need more information about any of the terms that were used.
Brookline CDC’s Annual Community Gala
Brookline Community Development Corporation CELEBRATES THE IMPACT of affordable housing champions in OUR COMMUNITY and the need to do more. The Annual Community Gala will be held on Saturday, October 19, 2024 from 6:30 – 10 pm. They will be celebrating the significant contributions residents are making in solving real-world affordable housing problems, connecting communities, and improving peoples’ lives. Addressing Brookline’s housing needs is a task that extends beyond BCDC, and it is a collaboration between community leaders, tenants, philanthropists, and all stakeholders who are striving to make affordable housing abundant in Brookline. The gala is their chance to say thank you and create a financial basis to do even more work.
We encourage everyone to support this fantastic community organization, and attend what is sure to be a fun evening. Learn more about sponsorship opportunities or purchase your ticket here!
Updates on Important Ongoing Planning Processes
The Fisher Hill West Uses Advisory Committee will meet on Monday, Sept. 23, in hybrid format – at Room 103, Town Hall, and online (register here) — to begin planning the future of the Town-owned parcels at the former Newbury College campus on Fisher Avenue and Hyslop Road. We strongly encourage them to prioritize space for a significant new affordable housing development. More information on the project is here, and the meeting agenda is here.
The Washington Street Design Review Committee will meet on Wednesday, Sept. 25, at 6:00 pm. This project promises to unlock substantial outside grant money to fund a “Complete Street” offering better pedestrian access, along with a protected bike lane, to make this central Town corridor a safer, healthier, more pleasant, and more climate-friendly place to live and shop. However, the proposed reduction in the number of parking spaces has sparked considerable opposition. Supporters need to make their voices heard. More information on the project is here; the meeting agenda is here; and the Zoom registration is here.
The Chestnut Hill Commercial Area Study Community Advisory Group will also be holding a hybrid meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 6:30pm, at the Public Health Building (11 Pierce St.) and on Zoom (register here) to hear City Realty’s Chestnut Hill Office Park (1280-1330 Boylston St) redevelopment proposal. The project webpage is here; the agenda is here.
Other Meetings of Interest This Week
Among the cases the Planning Board will take up on Monday, Sept. 23, at 7:30 pm is a continued discussion of 97-103 University Road, a proposed three-story multi-family residential building with nine dwelling units replacing two 2-family houses. Agenda is here; Zoom registration is here.
At the Planning Board’s meeting on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024 at 7:30 pm, it will continue its discussion of the Little Children Schoolhouse’s proposal to replace a one-story bank building at 264 Washington Street with a four-story childcare facility. Many residents welcome the consolidated facility as well as the more efficient use of a Brookline Village storefront, in line with our new Harvard Street area zoning. Others have expressed worries about parking and shadows. Agenda is here; register on Zoom here.
And a Live National Event
The national organization YIMBY Action will host the New York Times’ Ezra Klein in conversation about pro-housing laws and abundant communities on Wed., Sept 25., in Washington, DC, from 5 to 9 pm. You can register for the livestream here.