Greetings, everyone.
A week ago we were pleased to see many of you at B4E’s summer garden party, a chance to celebrate our progress, lament some setbacks, and mostly to enjoy a moment of low-key solidarity. Thanks for coming!
Crucial meetings this week
Actually, there aren’t any that I know of. It must really be summer.
Two town surveys on parking
However, there are still surveys to fill out. The Town has launched Brookline Village and Washington Square Parking Surveys (open through September). This is your opportunity to register your thoughts about how best to get to and enjoy the many gems of these two business districts.
A few thoughts about parking: Many residents will certainly ask for more of it. If you ever drive, you know the comfort of a parking space in front of the store. It’s important to remember the unavoidable tradeoffs, though. Each parking space takes up valuable public street space that might otherwise be available for pedestrians and bicycles; for trees, grass, and permeable drainage; or for outdoor dining and other ways to linger and enjoy public space. More parking also encourages people to drive when they don’t have to. Better parking does not always mean more parking: it can mean better signage and accessibility, and even careful pricing that directs those who want to save a little money to a parking lot a few steps farther away. The Town’s two surveys (one for each study area) offer you a chance to submit your own thoughts on the best use of our precious public land.
Some thoughts from our neighbors to the west
Greg Reibman, the hard-charging president of the Charles River Chamber of Commerce, takes Wellesley to task for its failure to push for more housing opportunities. Brookline is more diverse than Wellesley, but you, too, may see lessons that apply to us in his warning about endangering our future when we do not make homes for young families and renters.
Meanwhile, our friends at Newton for Everyone look at the bright side. They examine statewide polling that shows strong support for more, and more affordable, housing, even when respondents have to choose between it and “protecting the character of neighborhoods” or strict local control. So why does this majority view often carry little weight in local decisions? “The loud opposition that often show up at local planning meetings are actually a minority.”
Thanks, and have a great week,
Brian Ladd, for Brookline for Everyone