Greetings,
The beginning of Passover on Wednesday evening marks many things, including a relatively quiet week for Town affairs. So let’s begin by noting what happened last week.
On Tuesday, the Select Board approved placing a $23.25 million override on the ballot for the May 5 Town election.
Brookline is facing the same significant fiscal challenges hitting communities across Massachusetts. But we have great leadership and we have a clear path forward. Yes for Brookline has extensive information about why this override gives us the power to protect the Brookline we all cherish.
Brookline for Everyone supports the override and urges you to vote for it on May 5. As part of the path forward, the Select Board has put the rezoning of the Chestnut Hill Commercial Area on the May Town Meeting agenda. If approved, these Warrant Articles will allow upgrades to underutilized property, adding significant financial benefits to the Town. In particular, the 5+ acre Chestnut Hill Office Park parcel’s proposed development represents a good plan for that area, emphasizing mixed uses, walkability, commercial growth, open space, neighborhood connectivity, and at a scale appropriate for this unique location. Projects that replace moribund sites of this scale with walkable 21st century urban design are how Brookline stabilizes our finances, and reduces the Town’s need for large overrides in the future.
The B4E Book Club also met this week for a lively discussion of parking, which is, yes, a fascinating topic. If you missed it, just take a look at Henry Grabar’s Paved Paradise – there will be copies floating around. And stay tuned for news on our June meeting, and its book: J. Anthony Lukas’ classic Common Ground.
A Meeting and a Learning Opportunity
If there are any important Town decisions during this slow week, they will probably take place at the Select Board on Tuesday, March 24. Starting at 8 PM, the Board will hold public hearings and possibly vote on several Warrant Articles, including Community Preservation Act Fund Appropriations; regulating the use of surveillance technology; and Town restrictions on ICE activities. (See the complete list of Spring Warrant Articles here.) After those hearings, the Select Board will return to its proposed Warrant Articles on the Chestnut Hill Commercial Area, for possible revisions. Agenda and Zoom link here.
If you would like to learn how we evaluate state housing policies, on Friday, Apr 3, at 1 PM, the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University is sponsoring the noted housing expert Jenny Schuetz, who will discuss the empirical challenges in evaluating state pro-housing policies and strategies for generating more reliable analyses. Learn more and register here.
Brookline’s May 5 Election is Just Five Weeks Away!
As March turns to April, campaign season kicks into high gear for Select Board and Town Meeting candidates, as well as the Yes for Brookline campaign for the override. We encourage everyone reading this to get involved in whatever way they can. You can volunteer with B4E by clicking here, donate to B4E’s campaign efforts, or encourage your friends and neighbors to vote for B4E backed candidates (see our endorsements here!). The efforts we make now will have a real impact on Brookline going forward!
What we’re reading this week
With fewer meetings, some of us have more time to read about housing and planning. Here is a thoughtful examination of how setback rules (front, side, and rear) typical of American zoning actually hamper our ability to build enough housing while providing adequate and usable open space.
Locally, the Boston Globe documents how Boston-area communities are falling short of goals to build more housing. (Scroll down to the table that shows how poorly Brookline fares.)
[NOTE: free Globe access is now available with your library card, at https://www.brooklinelibrary.org/elibrary/all/.]
Finally, the Wall Street Journal invites you to draw your own conclusions about a fight in a rich Napa Valley town, where the local government’s plans to build workforce housing have been met with outcry from owners of famed restaurants and resorts: “People would love to make this a kind of us versus them, you know, affluent business people trying to keep out workers,” said one opponent. “Nothing could be further from the truth.”
Thanks, and have a great week,
Brian Ladd, for Brookline for Everyone