Greetings,
It finally feels like spring, and young men’s and women’s thoughts turn to – Town elections? We hope so, anyway. For all the wisdom of the old, Town affairs are excessively dominated by those of us who, literally, have less of a future here.
One update we wanted to lead with: the sponsor of Warrant Article 16, a rezoning of 26 Pleasant Street for more housing, will not move it in Town Meeting, choosing instead to refine the plan ahead of Fall Town Meeting. We’ll let you know as the project returns to our agenda.
Brookline’s May 5 Election is Three Weeks Away
Campaign season is now in high gear for Select Board and Town Meeting races, as well as the Yes for Brookline campaign for the override. You can find the full list of Brookline for Everyone Endorsements here, beginning with Amanda Zimmerman and Anthony Buono for Select Board.
WE NEED YOUR HELP! You can volunteer with B4E by clicking here, donate to B4E’s campaign efforts, and encourage your friends and neighbors to vote for B4E backed candidates. Now is the time to make a difference.
A parking survey worth a few minutes of your time
The Town is completing its parking studies for Washington Square and Brookline Village, and is asking residents to complete a quick survey about parking needs. It’s important for the Town to hear from voices that recognize the tradeoffs involved in setting aside valuable land for automobile parking. The draft studies show that the supply of parking is generally adequate but inefficiently used for lack of wayfinding and appropriate pricing. The survey is here; an overview of the studies is here (as presented to the Transportation Board in March).
A One Minute Action Alert for Biking Safety
Brookline is about to repave Harvard Street this summer, but it seems that current plans are moving forward without fixing well-known bicycle safety hazards, and without meaningful public input. (See this Brookline.News article for background.) This is a missed opportunity. A coalition of advocates is urging the Town to incorporate simple, low-cost safety upgrades into the project now, consistent with Brookline’s Vision Zero commitments. Please take a moment to sign this Biking Brookline petition and make your voice heard. You can also comment by email to the Select Board at selectboard@brooklinema.gov and the Transportation Board at transportation@brooklinema.gov.
And lastly, Meetings of Note this Week, including three on the Chestnut Hill Commercial Area. Please speak at the public hearing, or write the Committee or Board to show your support for these important warrant articles.
- On Monday (April 13), at 5 pm, the Advisory Committee’s Land Use Subcommittee holds its public hearing on STM Warrant Articles 1 and 2 to rezone the Chestnut Hill Commercial Area. Agenda and Zoom registration here.
- On Tuesday (April 14), the Select Board will return to the same topic at about 7 pm during its regular meeting. Agenda and Zoom registration here.
- Then on Thursday (April 16), the Planning Board meets again 7:00 pm to further consider those Warrant Articles 1 and 2 for Chestnut Hill Commercial Area, and also to consider Warrant Article 16, finalizing our Accessory Dwelling Unit rules, and Warrant Article 15, which amends the Brookline Zoning By-Law to restore allowing cash payments instead of inclusionary on-site units, for new developments with fewer than 20 apartments. Agenda and Zoom registration here.
On other matters:
- On Monday (April 13), the Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee meets at 7:00 pm, in hybrid format, at Town Hall and on Zoom, for a Thematic Map Workshop as it begins to put its recommendations into geographical form. Agenda and Zoom registration here.
- On Wednesday (April 15), at 7 pm, the Zoning Board will return to the 40B application for a six-story building at 429 Harvard St., with a public hearing on a “design peer reviewer’s” report. Agenda and Zoom registration here.
What we’re reading this week
A very positive reading of the effects of new housing construction in places where it’s been unleashed (that is, not here). And a more thoroughly documented essay that makes some of the same points but adds a cautionary note about the difficulty in making the same thing happen in cities like Boston. For even more local depth, this second article cites a UMass Dartmouth paper on The Costs and Hidden Benefits of New Housing Development in Massachusetts, which counters the frequently heard claim that new housing is a net fiscal drag on towns.
Thanks, and have a great week,
Brian Ladd, for Brookline for Everyone