Greetings,
We want to start out with a thank you and an update on the Chestnut Hill Commercial Area Rezoning. We are grateful to each one of you who signed the petition urging the Select Board to place the Chestnut Hill Commercial Area articles on the May Town Meeting Warrant without change. The response was tremendous: 118 Town Meeting Members and 111 additional Town Residents signed on in just a few days — a clear demonstration of broad, town-wide support. The petition was formally presented at the Select Board meeting on February 10, alongside many thoughtful public comments. And a special thank you to everyone who took the time to attend and speak. Your presence underscored the importance of this opportunity for Brookline’s fiscal stability, housing production, and long-term vitality.
Opponents also spoke, with most concerns focused on the height of the tallest proposed building at 14 stories. While height seems to be a central point of debate, it is important to be clear: reductions in height would necessarily reduce overall benefits — likely resulting in diminished commercial activity, lower net tax revenue, and reduced capacity to fund public benefits such as open space improvements, traffic mitigation, and contributions to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund.
After reviewing comments from the public hearing, the issue is back on the Select Board Agenda for discussion and a vote this coming Tuesday, Feb. 24, most likely around 7:30 pm (after a 7:00 public hearing on tree removal). The discussion will include a review of the “net fiscal impacts” (see this memo) and a possible alternative plan which would lower the height of the tallest building from 14 to 12 stories with a significant reduction in public benefits; you can review the background memo on tradeoffs here. While we don’t expect an opportunity for public comment, if you are available and interested it would certainly help for as many supporters as possible to be “in the room,” either physically or on Zoom, to let the Select Board know we care and support the best result for the Town as a whole; you can register for the Zoom meeting here.
Meetings of interest this week
- The Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee has a one-hour Zoom-only meeting on Monday, February 23 at 7 pm for a “debrief” on the February 9 public engagement event; the Agenda is here and Zoom registration is here. More important (we think), if you haven’t done so already, please fill out the Comprehensive Plan Survey (link is here) which is due by March 2. Some parts of the survey are lengthy and may feel technical, but don’t let that stop you. You can skip questions if you’d like, just make sure your core priorities and main points are clearly reflected. Early questions, asking about your top goals for Brookline’s future, are important. The second section, beginning on page 3, asks more detailed questions about where and how many more homes should Brookline add. If you believe like we do that Brookline needs more homes at all price points, especially mixed-use and transit-oriented development that supports fiscal stability, strong schools, vibrant commercial areas, and climate progress, be sure that perspective is part of the record. Please do it now, before you forget!
- The Zoning Board of Appeals meets on Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 7:00 pm via Zoom only (register here) for updates on the proposal under Chapter 40B to replace the vacant Citizens’ Bank building and parking lot at 429 Harvard Street with a mixed-use building including ground floor commercial space plus 40 residential units (8 of which will be income-restricted at 50% AMI). You can read more about this development Brookline for Everyone’s August 5th comment letter encouraging the state to grant its preliminary approval — which it did — allowing the Brookline ZBA hearing to proceed. This is one of multiple hearings, which will extend over several more months, to hear about updated plans from the developer and staff’s zoning analysis.
Two reminders: BCDC and Town Elections
- It’s Not Too Late to Sign Up for the BCDC Gala. Come join with the Brookline CDC to celebrate their 45th anniversary with an evening honoring local affordable housing champions and connecting with each other. The party will be at Esmai’s in Coolidge Corner on Saturday, February 28 at 6:30pm. Learn more and buy your tickets (or become a sponsor!) here.
- And, There is Still Time to Run for Town Meeting. We’re excited about so many candidates throughout Brookline, but there’s room in nearly every precinct for new, pro-housing Town Meeting Members. Let us know if you’re planning to run (or even just thinking about it, and reach out with any questions you may have about the process or to get connected with past B4E-endorsed candidates! Email us at BrooklineForEveryone@gmail.com. And if you are able to contribute to our campaign efforts, you can donate here.
Finally, what we’re reading this week
- Rethinking the “Two-Staircase” Rule to Unlock More Housing. A recent Boston Globe article highlights a promising state effort we’ve been following to modernize Massachusetts building codes by studying whether certain mid-rise residential buildings can be safely constructed with a single staircase instead of two. The long-standing two-stair requirement can make small and mid-sized multifamily projects financially infeasible, especially on tight urban lots. With modern fire suppression systems, improved materials, and updated safety standards, many housing experts believe single-stair designs can be both safe and far more efficient. If adopted, this reform could help unlock more “missing middle” housing — the kind of modest, multi-unit buildings that fit comfortably into existing neighborhoods and meaningfully expand supply.
- The MBTA Communities Law Was a Start, Not a Finish. In CommonWealth Beacon, Luc Schuster offers a thoughtful assessment of the MBTA Communities Act. While the law has been an important “fair-share” zoning reform — legalizing multifamily housing in many communities for the first time — it has not yet produced the level of transit-oriented development or housing production needed to address the state’s serious housing shortage. In addition, much of the early zoning has not been tightly concentrated around transit stations, and overall production remains well below what is required to meet statewide goals. Schuster’s conclusion: while the MBTA Communities law was a meaningful first step, Massachusetts will need stronger, more focused policies to truly align housing growth with transit and solve the housing crisis.
Thanks, and have a great week,
Jonathan Klein for Brookline for Everyone