Town Meeting goes hybrid Brookline’s Town Meeting will move to a fully hybrid model for its fall meeting in November, aiming to accommodate members participating both in-person and remotely via Zoom. The town’s legislative body started meeting remotely in 2020, and continued to do so until its meeting in May of this year, which was… Continue reading News in brief: Town Meeting goes hybrid, new community app, solid waste regulation hearing
Category: Town government
Town hands over emails from Town Meeting listserv after Brookline.News request
Emails from a private group used exclusively by Brookline Town Meeting members and other town officials are being shared with the public for the first time in response to a public records request by Brookline.News. Town Meeting meets in formal sessions twice a year, but its work continues year-round. On a regular basis, sometimes dozens of… Continue reading Town hands over emails from Town Meeting listserv after Brookline.News request
Town Meeting emails: Charter change discussion
Earlier this month, Town Meeting members engaged in an extensive discussion on their email listserv about the campaign to include a question about forming a charter commission on the town’s May 2024 ballot. The commission, if approved by the voters, would look at issues of town governance, including whether Brookline should become a city. In… Continue reading Town Meeting emails: Charter change discussion
News in brief: Trash amnesty, free lunch and surveys
Trash Amnesty week The town is providing a “trash amnesty” pick up during the first week of September. From Sept. 4-9 2023, residents who use town trash pickup services will be allowed to dispose of extra household waste and up to four bulky items along with their town-issued trash cart on their scheduled pickup day.… Continue reading News in brief: Trash amnesty, free lunch and surveys
Only a third of tax-exempt organizations in Brookline make payments in lieu of taxes, report finds
Brookline is missing out on roughly $2 million dollars in potential revenue from tax-exempt organizations that own property in town but do not participate in the payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) program, according to a new draft report. Only 31% of the eligible organizations in town currently participate in the PILOT program, found a committee created by Town… Continue reading Only a third of tax-exempt organizations in Brookline make payments in lieu of taxes, report finds
Select Board signs off on rezoning which could create 800 new housing units
Brookline’s Select Board signed off on a two-part proposal (pdf) Tuesday night which would rezone Harvard Street and the town’s existing multi-family districts. The plan is meant to comply with the state’s MBTA Communities Act, which requires 177 cities and towns to relax zoning rules for multifamily housing near transit stations. The plan developed by… Continue reading Select Board signs off on rezoning which could create 800 new housing units
Town Administrator details “consensus” zoning plan: compliance in M-Districts, more housing on Harvard Street
Brookline’s Town Administrator Chas Carey released details on Thursday of a “consensus” zoning plan developed by the town’s staff to meet the requirements of the MBTA Communities Act. His plan is the most detailed and specific look yet at how the town aims to comply with the law, and it will be taken up by… Continue reading Town Administrator details “consensus” zoning plan: compliance in M-Districts, more housing on Harvard Street
After year-long delay, town says utility debt relief coming soon for 1,000 Brookline households
Fifteen months after the town promised to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars of residents’ utility debt, the relief has yet to come. The town says it is working to get the money out and hopes to distribute it soon, but the plan’s proponents worry that the moment of highest need may have come and… Continue reading After year-long delay, town says utility debt relief coming soon for 1,000 Brookline households
Select Board poised for key decision on multifamily zoning law
Editor’s note: Since this story was published, more details have emerged about the town’s plan for a zoning proposal. Click here to read our updated story. Brookline’s town leaders face critical deadlines this month to move toward complying with a state law that mandates zoning changes aimed at paving the way for more multifamily housing.… Continue reading Select Board poised for key decision on multifamily zoning law
Climate board eyes major changes to meet 2040 zero emissions goal
A board tasked with moving Brookline to zero carbon emissions by 2040 has begun planning how the town might get there, and is eyeing what may seem like drastic changes to how people live. Among its early ideas discussed at a meeting in July: banning gas cars from traveling through Brookline, placing electric vehicle chargers… Continue reading Climate board eyes major changes to meet 2040 zero emissions goal
Town committee gears up to give out millions for housing, open space, preservation
A town committee is about to start taking applications for nearly $10 million in state funds, as Brookline gets ready to finally begin allocating money from the Community Preservation Act. The funding comes from a 1% local property tax surcharge, plus some matching state funds. The town became eligible after a town-wide vote in 2021,… Continue reading Town committee gears up to give out millions for housing, open space, preservation
Beacon Street Bridle Path moving forward as town enters design phase
The town’s ambitious plan to build a bike and pedestrian path down the entire length of the Beacon Street median, reimagining the corridor in the style of the original Frederick Olmsted design, has taken a major step forward. The project, which involves creating a multiuse path next to the MBTA tracks on Beacon Street, is… Continue reading Beacon Street Bridle Path moving forward as town enters design phase
Crime, arrests increased in first half of 2023, police chief says
The Brookline Police Department made nearly twice as many arrests in the first half of 2023 compared to the same period last year, chief of police Jennifer Paster reported to the Select Board on July 25 in a wide-ranging discussion of the state of policing in Brookline. Overall, reported crimes increased by 7% over the… Continue reading Crime, arrests increased in first half of 2023, police chief says
Brookline set to fall under 10% affordable housing, triggering 40B applications
Brookline is likely to dip below an affordable housing threshold this fall, which will mean housing developers will again be able to appeal decisions of the town’s zoning board to the state, according to town officials. If less than 10% of the housing in a city or town is affordable, a state law, Chapter 40B,… Continue reading Brookline set to fall under 10% affordable housing, triggering 40B applications
Town declares heat emergency, opens cooling centers
The town of Brookline has declared a heat emergency this week and is opening up cooling centers around town. Temperatures are forecast to be in the 90s from Wednesday through Saturday, with “oppressive” heat expected Thursday and Friday, according to the town’s Department of Public Health and Human Services. “High temperatures, along with high humidity… Continue reading Town declares heat emergency, opens cooling centers
Brookline libraries eliminate late fees
Brookline’s public library system has eliminated late fees, following a national trend as libraries look for ways to make their materials more accessible to the public. Brookline’s three libraries stopped charging patrons for overdue materials on July 1 and also wiped clear any unpaid past fines for late returns. With fines tending to bring in… Continue reading Brookline libraries eliminate late fees
Town still weighing options for deteriorating ice rink
The town of Brookline is moving slowly toward answering a question that has lingered more than three years — what to do with the Jack Kirrane Ice Skating Rink at Larz Anderson Park. The rink has run on temporary refrigeration since 2020 and now needs substantial maintenance, according to Wendy Sheridan Ames, the chair of… Continue reading Town still weighing options for deteriorating ice rink
School officials likely violated campaign finance laws, Town Counsel says
Several Brookline school officials likely violated campaign finance law by sending out emails to parents with information about ballot questions ahead of the May election, according to Brookline town counsel Joseph Callanan. By sending “unsolicited” emails to various school email lists about the operating override and Pierce school rebuild ballot questions, Superintendent Linus Guillory and… Continue reading School officials likely violated campaign finance laws, Town Counsel says
New campaign wants to put Brookline’s system of government on the ballot
Should the town of Brookline consider becoming a city? That question could be on the ballot next May if a group of residents can collect thousands of signatures in the next few months. A campaign is underway to create a charter commission to reexamine the structure of Brookline’s government. It’s the first stage of what… Continue reading New campaign wants to put Brookline’s system of government on the ballot
Carlton Street Footbridge set to reopen in July after decades of debate, delay
[metaslider id=17338] Update: The bridge is now open. Read more here. The Carlton Street Footbridge, which links Brookline’s Longwood neighborhood to the Riverway Park and the Emerald Necklace, is weeks away from reopening, 46 years after decades of decay forced its closing. The ensuing bitter debate about whether to rebuild it made this restoration a… Continue reading Carlton Street Footbridge set to reopen in July after decades of debate, delay