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Town Of Brookline Invites Residents To Attend Community Visioning Kick-Off For Harvard Street Zoning

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The Department of Planning and Community Development would like to invite residents to attend the Community Visioning Kick-off for Harvard Street Zoning, hosted by the Brookline Planning Board.

The meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 15, 2023, at 07:30 pm via Zoom, and will focus on Section 5.3 of a study conducted by the Department of Planning and Community Development (DPCD) on regulatory barriers to and recommendations for facilitating multifamily and mixed-use development in Brookline.

The first installment of the study is Harvard Street, an urban mixed-use neighborhood celebrated as a focal point for neighborhood retail, services, entertainment, and housing.

A core component of the study is a block-by-block analysis of the Harvard Street neighborhood’s physical characteristics. The logic behind this approach is to identify positive and appealing characteristics to inform design standards in the updated zoning. The findings will be shared at the Community Visioning Kick-off to get feedback on if these characteristics represent the walkable urban environment preferred by community stakeholders.

The full DPCD study is posted here.

Register in advance for this meeting by visiting here.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

The MBTA Communities Act (MBTACA), passed in 2022, requires municipalities like Brookline to create a zoning district that allows multi-family development without special permits. More information about the MBTACA can be found here.

Because of the Harvard Street study’s foundational work, staff recognized an opportunity to both remedy Harvard Street zoning and comply with the MBTACA using sound planning principles.

Those that need reasonable accommodations or modifications related to this notice should contact Sarah E. Kaplan, ADA Compliance Officer at skaplan@brooklinema.gov or call 617-730-2329. Town ADA information can be found here.

Senior Planner Maria Morelli is also hosting Zoom Office Hours on Mondays, 12:00 – 05:00 p.m., and Tuesdays 08:30 a.m. – 01:00 p.m. throughout March, which can be accessed here. Those with questions should contact her at 617-730-2670 or by e-mail at mmorelli@brooklinema.gov.