It is important to understand the context for Brookline: - Brookline followed a 2-pronged approach: the technical compliance with the law is being done through the first prong, what they call the "M-District+" portion. It changes the zoning rules in districts in town that are already zoned for multi-family housing, and rezones a few other specific sites. From the article linked below: "*There’s general agreement that this will not actually lead to much, if any, new development specifically springing from the rezoning.*" *According to their planning board, at the most, this rezoning would lead to a ~2.5% increase in housing stock.* - They had a second prong to rezone Harvard street. According to Brookline's own planning board, this prong is expected to add 800 units. *The Harvard St rezoning will likely only add ~3% to the existing housing stock.* - By contrast, we are being asked to vote on rezoning proposals that could potentially increase Lincoln's housing stock by 25%-30%.
*Additional important nuances:* - Brookline is considered a "rapid transit" community. The deadline to comply for this type of community is *December of 2023*, which is why they had to vote on it now. Lincoln, as a "commuter rail" community, has a deadline of December 2024. *If we were to follow Brookline's timing, Lincoln would be able to vote November of next year.* - *Brookline passed their zoning with 15% affordable housing. Lincoln has confirmed we can only require 10%.* - The Brookline Selects worked very closely with 2 advocacy groups in Brookline: "Brookline by Design" and "Yes! In Brookline" and multiple civic groups, including the Chamber of Commerce. From the article: "(...) over months of conversation, culminating in weeks of intense negotiations led by Select Board Member Paul Warren, Brookline by Design and its frequent sparring partner, the housing advocacy group Yes! In Brookline, came to an agreement on a set of amendments that both felt met the moment." Consesus-driven process at work. https://brookline.news/explainer-brooklines-mbta-communities-law-rezoning-plan/ [image: image.png] > ---------- Forwarded message --------- > From: John Mendelson <johntmendel...@gmail.com> > Date: Wed, Nov 15, 2023 at 09:27 > Subject: Re: [LincolnTalk] Brookline passes HCA rezoning > To: pamontie montie.net <pamon...@montie.net>, LincolnTalk < > lincoln@lincolntalk.org> > > > The 800 unit figure for Brookline is not accurate. The theoretical total > fror Brookline is 6,990 units with the Globe citing 1,540 as possible per > town officials. See: > > > https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/11/15/metro/brookline-overwhelmingly-accepts-plan-rezone-its-major-commercial-corridor-allow-multifamily-housing/ > > And Brookline is planning to submit with a higher percentage of affordable > housing (15%) which is something I am hopeful we will do also. > > *For example, the town plan now calls for 15 percent of all housing built > in the newly rezoned area along Harvard Street to be affordable. That’s the > same share in the rest of town, under Brookline’s inclusionary zoning > policy, which covers projects of four to 10 units; however, that policy > allows developers to contribute the money to a housing fund for the units > to be built elsewhere. This will require actual construction of affordable > housing units along Harvard Street.* > > John > > On Wed, Nov 15, 2023 at 9:00 AM pamontie montie.net <pamon...@montie.net> > wrote: > >> Hi All, >> >> A lot to think about with Brookline’s response to the HCA. >> >> Just to put things in perspective, Brookline (a town with over 26,000 >> housing units) has just passed rezoning that could result in “up to 800 >> units” raising their existing housing stock by “nearly 3%” and is >> characterized as going "well beyond the basic requirements of complying >> with the law.” >> >> If Lincoln were to do the same, a 3 percent increase in housing stock >> would be roughly 63 units. Lincoln (currently 2,078 housing units-excluding >> Hanscom) is being asked to rezone for 635 units which is a housing increase >> of around 30%? >> >> I’m not necessarily opposed to housing increases but it makes you wonder >> what is appropriate for a town our size. As it stands our multifamily >> *existing* housing stock is around 860 units, which is roughly 40% of >> Lincoln’s total housing stock. >> >> Trying to figure this out along with everyone else in town... >> _ >> Paul Montie >> >> >> On Nov 15, 2023, at 7:39 AM, Bob Mason <robertma...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >> >> https://brookline.news/town-meeting-passes-major-rezoning-likely-to-reshape-harvard-street/ >> -- >> The LincolnTalk mailing list. >> To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org. >> Browse the archives at >> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. >> Change your subscription settings at >> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. >> >> >> -- >> The LincolnTalk mailing list. >> To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org. >> Browse the archives at >> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. >> Change your subscription settings at >> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. >> >> -- > The LincolnTalk mailing list. > To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org. > Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/ > . > Change your subscription settings at > https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. > >
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