Thanks to everyone who came out to say hello and share a drink at last Monday’s Happy Hour. It was fantastic to see so many friends, new and old. Check out our post on Instagram (link ) and like our page while you’re there!
Save the date now for our March Happy Hour, on March 31st at The Washington Square Tavern – more info and a link to RSVP coming soon!
Make an Impact in Brookline!
We also want to thank everyone who took the time to attend one of our info sessions on running for Town Meeting and applying for local boards and commissions. We’re still looking for folks interested in running for Town Meeting in a few precincts, so if you missed an info session and still want to learn more, please reply to this email and we’d be happy to connect. If running for Town Meeting isn’t in the cards for you this year, we’re always looking for precinct team members to help with the campaign – from knocking on doors, talking to voters at the park, spreading the word on social media, and more. Sign up here. Or you can help the campaign financially by contributing here!
In Case You Missed It
Our friends at Brookline for Racial Justice & Equity (BRJE) hosted a phenomenal panel this past Monday night titled “Racial Justice & The Courts – Legal Challenges & Strategies for the Next Four Years.” In just over a month in office, the current president has mounted an attack on civil rights and racial justice efforts across the nation. This excellent panel discussion “explore[d] the critical role of legal advocacy organizations in shaping the fight for racial justice over the next four years. [The] discussion…focus[ed] on critical challenges and strategies for combating systemic racism, protecting civil rights, and advancing equity in an era of policy rollbacks.” You can watch the video here, and we encourage you to do so.
Meetings This Week
Brookline’s Economic Development Advisory Board (EDAB) will be meeting on Monday, March 3 at 7pm. Meredith Mooney, the Town’s Economic Development Director, will be presenting updates to the department’s 5-year strategic plan. While the presentation and conversation will get down into the weeds, the vision presented here will play a crucial role in Town-directed zoning and planning efforts. The meeting will also touch on the upcoming Spring Town Meeting and updates about ongoing efforts. Agenda and Zoom Registration can be found here.
“Building for Tomorrow: Recommendations for addressing Massachusetts’ housing crisis”
Just over a week ago, Governor Healy’s Unlocking Housing Production Commission released a new report, “Building for Tomorrow,” which outlines more than 50 recommendations aimed at increasing housing supply across the Commonwealth. These recommendations cover a ton of ground related to zoning and land use, building codes, tax policy, planning, and more. We want to highlight 4 policy proposals championed by our friend and Abundant Housing MA Executive Director Jesse Kanson-Benanav – expanding housing choices to make townhomes, triple deckers, and small apartment buildings easier to build; eliminating minimum parking requirements; reforming minimum lot sizes; and legalizing single-stair buildings up to six stories. The report recognizes the scale of the problem, proposes concrete and meaningful solutions, and is also clear-eyed about what it will take to implement. We hope that Governor Healy takes these proposals seriously and pushes the legislature to move on as many of the recommendations as possible. In the meantime, and recognizing that transformational change is often politically difficult, Brookline should incorporate at least some of these ideas into our comprehensive planning conversations and Town Meeting should consider what we can implement locally. Brookline often prides itself on leading the state on many vital topics, and housing and land use can be a great opportunity to join our neighbors in Cambridge and Boston in taking bold action for a better future. You can find the full report here.
Thanks and have a great week,
Jeff Wachter, on behalf of Brookline for Everyone