Greetings, Happy October.
As we ramp up toward November Town Meeting, this week brings two public hearings on Warrant Article 7, the most important housing issue on the warrant this fall. WA 7 would rezone a former part of the Maimonides School (and former BEEP location) at 2 Clark Road so the building can be renovated to allow approximately 33 units of much needed multifamily housing, including five permanently affordable units under the Town’s Inclusionary Zoning bylaw. (A vacant lot behind the building, fronting on Philbrook Road, would also be rezoned to allow up to four townhouses in a second phase.) Brookline for Everyone is excited about this opportunity to renovate an unused, vacant (and tax-exempt) building into so many new homes for our community. It supports the Town’s goals of broadening housing options, encouraging reuse over demolition, and expanding affordability with much needed rental housing.
There are two important public hearings where you can support WA 7 this Wednesday, October 8, back-to back:
- At 5:00 PM, the Housing Advisory Board will discuss Warrant Article 7 (and other items on its regular agenda, including its investment policy and its application to the Community Preservation Act Committee for $1 million for the Affordable Housing Trust). The agenda is here, and Zoom registration is here.
- Then at 6:00 PM, the Advisory Committee’s Land Use Subcommittee will hold its public hearing on Warrant Article 7. The agenda, with detailed additional materials on WA 7, is here, and Zoom registration is here.
If you can’t attend either meeting, or prefer to make comments in writing rather than in person, you can send a comment letter to Emily DeHoog (for the HAB) at edehoog@brooklinema.gov and David Pollack (for the AC Land Use Subcommittee) at dpollak@abacusarchitects.com. It doesn’t have to be long; just say who you are, where you live, and that you support the proposal to allow this vacant building and lot at 2 Clark Road to be renovated to help address our severe housing shortage in Brookline.
Reporting on Housing Victory — 429 Harvard Street 40B Moves Forward
Brookline for Everyone’s August letter to MassHousing in support of the Project Eligibility Letter (PEL) for 429 Harvard Street has paid off: the PEL was approved, allowing the project to move forward to the Zoning Board of Appeals. The developer’s timing proved critical — the full application was submitted just one week before Brookline crossed the 10% affordability threshold under Chapter 40B, meaning it remains eligible under the state’s comprehensive permit process. The proposal calls for 40 new apartments, including eight affordable homes, on a walkable, transit-connected site between Coolidge Corner and Allston. It would bring new housing to our Harvard Street corridor that has yet to see any housing built under the Town’s MBTA Communities zoning and adds to the Town’s mixed-income housing stock. The outcome is a clear win for inclusive, transit-accessible housing, and a reminder that timely advocacy can make a real difference in moving good projects forward. Thanks to everyone who spoke up in support!
Reminders of Upcoming Events
- The Brookline Charter Campaign signature collection effort is looking for volunteers in their final push. They plan to submit signatures in November and need a final surge of effort to make sure there are enough signatures to put a Charter Commission question on the May 2026 ballot. While Brookline for Everyone hasn’t taken a formal position on the initiative, we know many of our supporters have strong views on the campaign. If you’re interested in helping, you can click here to sign up for an upcoming canvass in October or other signature-gathering opportunity.
- It’s still not too late to sign up for the first meeting of the Brookline for Everyone Book Club (October 15 at 7pm at United Parish Brookline, sign up here), where we’ll dive into Jeff Speck’s Walkable City.
- Mark your calendars for Abundant Housing Massachusetts’ annual Celebration of Abundance on October 23 at 5:30pm at Broken Records Beer Hall in Allston. Join AHMA to mingle with and celebrate pro-housing advocates, leaders, and champions across the Commonwealth. Get your tickets here.
Thanks and have a great week,
Jonathan Klein,
on behalf of Brookline for Everyone