Brookline Town Meeting May 2018: Pot Shops, Gateway East

BROOKLINE, MA — It's not over, folks. On night two of the annual Brookline Town Meeting some 240(ish) legislators filled the auditorium of the Brookline High School and voted to push the Gateway East project ( a dozen years in the making) forward and passing rules related to zoning of marijuana including a 3 percent tax on the sale of it in town.

The group of 240 elected town legislators got together Tuesday and spent most of their time (ahem) mowing through the budget, including a rather lengthy debate about whether Cypress Field should be grass or turf (grass).

Voters in the state, including Brookline, supported legal sales of recreational marijuana in November 2016. but the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission said it expected to allow sales to start later this year. Brookline has a moratorium on recreational marijuana establishments, but has one medical marijuana establishment.

Here's what looks set to be discussed Thursday night:

Gateway East:

Article 8: Acceptance of certain modifications to public ways and authorization for the
acquisition of permanent easements related to the Gateway East project. (Department
of Public Works)
Vote: Passes Unanimously

Article 9: Authorization for the acquisition of and funding for certain temporary and permanent
easements related to the Gateway East project. (Department of Public Works)
Vote: Passes, unanimously

Article 10:Release of a pedestrian bridge easement related to the Gateway East project.
(Department of Public Works)
Vote: Passes, unanimously

Article 11. Authorization for the grant of a permanent easement for parking related to the
Gateway East project. (Department of Public Works)
Vote: Passes, unanimously

Article 12. Authorization for funding a portion of the Town’s construction match related to the
Gateway East project. (Planning and Community Development)
Vote: Passes, unanimously

Article 13. Authorization for the grant of a permanent easement over the main entrance at 2-4
Brookline Place for the construction of a canopy. (Children’s Hospital)
Vote: Passes, unanimously.

Read more about Gateway East here: Gateway East Plan

Article 14: Authorization for the grant of a preservation restriction at Brookline Reservoir Gatehouse so that it can accept a grant and turn it into a public bathroom but keep the historical aspect. (DPW Commissioner)

• Vote: Passes unanimously.

Article 15. Amendment to Section 8.26 of the Town’s General By-Laws – Erosion and Sediment
Control. (DPW Commissioner)

• Vote: Passes unanimously.

Article 16.

Amendment to Section 7.00 of the Town’s Zoning By-Law -- Sign By-law (Planning)

• Vote: No motion, no vote.

Marijuana establishment related votes:

Article 17. Amendment to Section 2.13 and addition of new Section 4.13 to the Town’s Zoning By-law pertaining to Marijuana Establishments (Planning and Community Development)

Vote: Passes. 200 yes, 5 no, 5 abstaining.

Article 18. Amendment to the Town’s General By-Laws adding new Section 8.37 pertaining to local licensing of Marijuana Establishments. (Select Board)

Vote: passes, unanimously.

Article 19. Amendment to Section 8.37.4 of the Town’s General By-Laws – limiting the maximum number of Marijuana Retailers limiting to 3 only. (Frawley motion)

Vote: Fails, 59 for, 146 no, and 3 abstaining.

Article 20. Amendment to the Town’s General By-Laws adding new Article 8.38 pertaining to the use, cultivation and processing of Marijuana and Hemp (Select Board)

Vote: Unanimous pass

Article 21. Amendment to Article 10.2 of the Town’s General By-Laws – Prosecutions and Enforcement of By-laws related to Marijuana Establishments and Marijuana use. (Select Board)

Vote: Unanimous pass
Article 22. Acceptance of General Laws Chapter 64N, Section 3 – a Local Tax Option pertaining to the sale of marijuana and marijuana products. (Select Board)

Vote: Passes, Unanimously.

Article 23 on the possible renaming of the Devotion School postponed to Tuesday.

Article 24: Legislation authorizing a Brookline Land Bank study committee (Lescohier, TMM11)

• Vote: Passes with a majority vote.

Article 25: Legislation authorizing a Senior Circuit Breaker tax exemption (Granoff, TMM7)

• Vote: Passes 169 to 1.

Previously on Patch:

Brookline Town Meeting May 2018: What Happened Night 1

Photo at top by Jenna Fisher/Patch