Last week saw elections in many places. Although Brookline and other Massachusetts towns did not vote, local cities did, and the business publication Banker and Tradesman sees the results as strongly pro-housing. Elsewhere, it’s worth noting that New York’s new mayor will be able to make use of three winning ballot propositions that smooth the path to new housing construction, all of which passed by large majorities. (Details here and here.)
Tuesday marks Veterans’ Day, a federal holiday that originally commemorated the ceasefire that ended the horrors of World War I in 1918, but later became an occasion to honor all who have served in the US armed forces. The Town’s commemorative program, at 11 am at Town Hall Plaza, is here.
Don’t forget our Fall Happy Hour!
Fall Town Meeting starts on November 18. Next week, we’ll give you a snapshot of what decisions matter to us. And amid the final preparations for Town Meeting, though, this week offers a lull in meetings.
So come to B4E’s Fall Happy Hour instead! Join us for Brookline for Everyone’s Fall Happy Hour, on Tuesday, November 11, at 5pm at Esmai’s in Coolidge Corner. Come for a drink, for conversation about housing and the upcoming Town Meeting, and for the chance to connect with the Brookline for Everyone community. Register here, or just stop by.
When you arrive at Esmai’s, be sure to enter our raffle! Three winners will get a copy of our next B4E Book Club book, Abundance, by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson. Hopefully, you’ll have plenty of time to read it by the Book Club’s next meeting in January.
Get Involved
Please sign up here if you’re interested in volunteering for future Outreach events. We’ll be in touch.
What We’re Thinking About:
- Thinking about parking: Len Wholey has been doing that as a member of the Centre Street Lots Committee, and he has made a three-minute video identifying the houses and other buildings that the Town has demolished over the years to make room to park cars at Centre Street and elsewhere. His video reminds us that parking lots carry a steep price.
- Thinking about big projects: While Brookline has only a few locations suitable for large new housing and taxpaying commercial development opportunities (requiring instead legalizing infill opportunities across wider areas to add more homes and businesses),the Globe reports Everett has taken the opportunity to turn its waterfront area, anchored by the Encore casino, into a housing hotspot.
Thanks, and have a great week,
Brian Ladd, for Brookline for Everyone