Residents at about 200 properties in Brookline got notices last week that may be alarming. They state that pipes on their properties may contain lead, and that the residents should take certain precautions. The notices were sent out after an inventory that the town has been working on for several years. It was required by… Continue reading Town inspection finds 200 water pipes with unknown materials, officials say risk is low
Category: Environment
Town Meeting preview: Zoning changes aim to curb demolitions, increase housing
When Brookline’s Town Meeting begins on Nov. 19, elected members will consider several proposals that could change zoning rules for large portions of the town. Wondering what Town Meeting even is? Start here: our new guide to Brookline town government. Article 7, put forth by Brookline’s Planning and Community Development Department, proposes to set a… Continue reading Town Meeting preview: Zoning changes aim to curb demolitions, increase housing
Brookline’s turkeys, explained
Wild turkeys: They roam sidewalks alongside Brookline residents, graze in backyards and are so ubiquitous that they’ve become the town’s unofficial mascot, recently making a splash as the theme of Brookline’s “I voted” stickers in the presidential election. Despite their abundance today, the native species was once considered extinct in Massachusetts. Habitat loss and overhunting… Continue reading Brookline’s turkeys, explained
Talking trash: Apartment buildings, not restaurants, top Brookline’s waste violations
Earlier this month, photos of a giant pile of trash outside a block of new restaurants on Beacon Street near St. Mary’s went viral on Brookline’s social media pages and caught the attention of a local TV news channel. The spectacle earned quick attention from town officials, too, who fined the building owner $600. Incidents… Continue reading Talking trash: Apartment buildings, not restaurants, top Brookline’s waste violations
Data: See waste violations from the past two years in Brookline
Sort or search this list to see waste disposal violations issued by the town’s Department of Public Works over the past two years. To read more about this project, click here. Note: Street names are abbreviated. For example, to search for Beacon Street, type “Beacon St”
Town opens new food waste collection bins
Brookline residents have a new way to get rid of their food waste. Town officials launched a pilot program last week which will allow residents to drop off food scraps at four food waste collection bins located across town. The rodent-proof bins, which will be accessible 24/7, will be available at no cost to residents,… Continue reading Town opens new food waste collection bins
How Brookline is using new science to try to save its beech trees
As a new disease advances among Brookline’s beloved beech trees, town officials and environmental experts are turning to scientific research to save them — while also leaning into the acceptance that all trees eventually die, and a changing climate will mean changing flora in Brookline. Longwood Mall, a linear park between Beacon Street and the… Continue reading How Brookline is using new science to try to save its beech trees
News in brief: Parks director out after one month, town ditches pool study, and DPW asks for help watering trees
Parks and Open Space director out after a month The town’s new director of parks and open spaces has left the position after just over a month on the job. Alexander Mezzatesta, who started the position on Aug. 5, left on Sept. 13, just 40 days later. In an email to Brookline.News, Town Administrator Charles… Continue reading News in brief: Parks director out after one month, town ditches pool study, and DPW asks for help watering trees
Developer pauses demolition on Coolidge Corner site after community outcry over asbestos
Demolition of a historic garage near Coolidge Corner has been paused until at least Monday after a barrage of criticism from neighbors and elected town officials, who alleged that developer Chestnut Hill Realty did not adequately inform abutters and the community about the risks from asbestos in the building. Work at the Waldo-Durgin site, two… Continue reading Developer pauses demolition on Coolidge Corner site after community outcry over asbestos
Taking ‘baby steps’ to net-zero: Local groups aim to educate residents on electrifying their homes
In June 2022, local climate group Mothers Out Front convened for a regularly scheduled brunch to tackle a problem. Brookline had set a goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. But residents who wanted to phase out home appliances powered by fossil fuels were unsure of where to begin. A year later on Brookline… Continue reading Taking ‘baby steps’ to net-zero: Local groups aim to educate residents on electrifying their homes
News in brief: Mandatory sessions for Community Preservation Act funding, Porchfest applications open
Mandatory sessions for Community Preservation Act funding The town’s Community Preservation Act Committee, which helps decide how to direct funding from the property tax surcharge known as the CPA, is holding information sessions this month for potential recipients. The sessions are mandatory for any organization or town department to be eligible to apply for CPA… Continue reading News in brief: Mandatory sessions for Community Preservation Act funding, Porchfest applications open
Is Brookline’s fight against rats putting other wildlife at risk?
As the town and residents try to combat Brookline’s continued rodent problem — which includes a recent instance of rats coming up through a woman’s toilet — some advocates are pushing for alternatives to rat poison that minimize harm to other wildlife. Second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) are a common treatment for rat infestations and can… Continue reading Is Brookline’s fight against rats putting other wildlife at risk?
Town government launches new sustainability division, funded by anonymous donor
The town has created a new sustainability division within its Department of Public Works, funding it with an unusual anonymous gift from a donor. The division, which has been in the works for a year, will expand or reimagine jobs that previously existed in town government. Alexandra Vecchio, Brookline’s director of parks and open space,… Continue reading Town government launches new sustainability division, funded by anonymous donor
A guide to spring bird watching in Brookline
Spring bird migration is peaking in New England, with tens of thousands of birds passing through Norfolk County each night. Brookline has a rich tradition of bird watching. Want to get in on the action? Brookline.News asked local birding experts how to make the most of this spring’s migration. Where to go Hall’s Pond Sanctuary… Continue reading A guide to spring bird watching in Brookline
Brookline’s first tree preservation bylaw takes root, with new regulations aiming to protect urban canopy
Nearly 20 years in the making, Brookline’s first Tree Preservation Bylaw officially became law at the end of November. Despite that long, sometimes controversial path to enactment, the bylaw’s first few months on the books have been relatively uneventful. Based on a similar tree bylaw adopted in Concord, Mass., the Brookline bylaw is designed to… Continue reading Brookline’s first tree preservation bylaw takes root, with new regulations aiming to protect urban canopy
Brookline takes in the solar eclipse at Larz Anderson Park
Hundreds of people from around the Boston area came to Larz Anderson Park in Brookline to see the historic partial solar eclipse on Monday. The parkgoers were adorned with blankets, kites and eclipse glasses handed out by the Friends of Larz Anderson Park and the Brookline GreenSpace Alliance. Wondering what to do with your leftover… Continue reading Brookline takes in the solar eclipse at Larz Anderson Park
Climate change is coming for Brookline’s parks
Climate change is impacting beloved parks and green spaces throughout Brookline. For evidence, look to the trees, which are becoming more and more vulnerable to weather and disease. Increasingly intense storms and droughts due to climate change have rendered trees like the historic red oaks in Olmsted Park more susceptible to unpredictable damage, according to… Continue reading Climate change is coming for Brookline’s parks
Hanging in Boston’s City Hall, a Brookline artist’s work makes a statement about sustainability
Walk into Boston City Hall and look up. Suspended above the ground in the cavernous concrete building hangs an art installation, woven from colorful synthetic materials leftover from a convention center trade show. The installation curves in the air, hanging above employees and visitors at City Hall as they sip coffee. It’s the art of… Continue reading Hanging in Boston’s City Hall, a Brookline artist’s work makes a statement about sustainability
Brookline, Newton state Rep. Ruth Balser is retiring after 25 years in the State House
Ruth Balser, who represents parts of Brookline and Newton in the state legislature, will retire from her position at the end of this year. Balser, 75, has been the state representative for the 12th Middlesex District for 25 years, representing southern Newton and at times parts of Brookline. Most recently, because of redistricting in 2022,… Continue reading Brookline, Newton state Rep. Ruth Balser is retiring after 25 years in the State House
Bus-only lanes coming soon to stretch of Route 9 near Brookline Village
After years of debate, Brookline and the MBTA have finalized an agreement to try out a bus-only lane for a year on a busy stretch of Route 9 near Brookline Village. The Gateway East Bus Priority Lane, first proposed in 2020, is set to launch in the coming months. The MBTA will paint one lane… Continue reading Bus-only lanes coming soon to stretch of Route 9 near Brookline Village