Brookline Town Meeting Nov. 2018: What Passed, What Failed

BROOKLINE, MA — At the first night of the Brookline Special Town Meeting Tuesday night the first order of business, just after the test vote about whether the Patriots should trade Tom Brady, was an resolution proposed by a local troop of Girl Scouts.

After some remarks from the girls, the Town Meeting Members voted unanimously to support Warrant Article 21, which asks the town to get behind encouraging businesses in town not to throw out unused merchandise, but to donate it to those in need.

The surprise talker of the evening? A proposed easement for the gas company at the fire department's station 6. (check out the video of the conversation below).

There were technically 23 warrant articles that Brookline's elected town legislators were set vote on, but a warrant about leaf blowers (yes they were almost back), and a series of Hancock Village articles filed in an anticipation of an agreement with the Town that didn’t happen were taken off the table, so the Town Meeting may not last as long as previous Town Meetings.

In addition to the warrant articles and resolutions, Town Meeting Members considered an amendment to the town’s zoning bylaw for recreational marijuana establishments.

And here are the items up for a vote starting November 13 in the Brookline High School Auditorium. You can also follow along by watching Brookline Interactive's live coverage of the night.

Article 1: Unpaid Bills

• Vote: no action

Article 2: Unsettled Labor Contracts

• Vote: No action, none before the Town Meeting

Article 3: Budget Balancing, Funding for Brookline Reservoir repairs.

Based on higher than projected State Aid, appropriate ride-share revenue and schematic design
funding for the 9th School project, re-allocate funds, to amend the cap set for the Recreation
Revolving Fund and to amend the Water and Sewer Enterprise Fund.

In addition, the article will seek funding for the Brookline Reservoir. Repairs are needed to the
Brookline Reservoir low-level outlets, to bring the facility into compliance with current
Massachusetts regulations, which require that the dam have a means to drain the impoundment.
Repairs include installing new outlet values or gates in the gatehouse and repairing the intake
conduit. This work has to happen before other planned work.

• Vote: the amendments both passed.

Article 4: 9th School

This article allows the Town to move into the schematic design phase for one of the two building projects that are currently in the feasibility study phase.

• Vote: No action

Article 5: More liquor licenses

The form of this warrant article is the result of discussions with the legislature, and requests 12 additional on premises liquor licenses in areas of the Town as shown on the maps provided in the warrant article.

• Vote: No action

Articles 6 - 9: Carlton Street Footbridge Restoration

This Warrant Article seeks Town Meeting authorization for the Select Board to secure a

temporary easements, and expend funds, as necessary, from existing appropriations for the Carlton Street Footbridge Restoration.

• Vote: Passes 209 to 1.

Article 10: Fire station gas easement

A new gas service is required for the new training facility at Station 6. During the design phase, the Town asked the gas company if it could extend the existing service to the proposed facility and the town was informed a new service would be required. The gas company is responsible for providing the new service from the road to in front of the gas meter. The Town owns all gas piping after the meter. The easement will provide the rights and privileges for both parties.

• Vote: fails 134 no, 44 yes.

Articles 11 – 16: Hancock Village and Chapter 40B blocking
Town Meeting members voted down a group of zoning articles related to the South Brookline development last year. That enabled Chestnut Hill Realty to pursue the planning and building of the Residences of South Brookline and Puddingstone at Chestnut Hill, both under Chapter 40B.

A new series of zoning articles is now back on the warrant. If passed they would establish a zoning overlay district that would allow for the construction of 85,000 square feet of additions to existing townhomes. The development would also include affordable units with at least 148 eligible for Brookline’s Subsidized Housing Inventory, according to the article explanation.

Other articles would allow the town to accept around 3.5 acres of greenspace as a buffer area from Chestnut Hill Realty, would authorize the Select Board to enter a Master Development Agreement with Chestnut Hill Realty and would allow the board to enforce a deed restriction that would block current and future owners of the development from taking advantage of Chapter 40B.
Vote: off the table

Article 17: Nondisclosure agreements

The article is an amended version of one that was defeated at the May Town meeting. If passed, the article would bar the Select Board or the Town from entering agreements that prevent people from speaking publicly about certain claims against the town. The article would require the town to publish the settlements on the town website within 14 days of reaching the settlement. It would also require the town to publish an annual report listing the settlements. The big difference from the previous version: This article would allow the victim or claimant to remain anonymous.

• Vote: Fails: 104 no votes, 83 yes, 9 abstentions

Article 18: Demolition Delay, hearing extension and other Preservation By-Law changes

The Commission is proposing to add a new section making applications for demolition permits non-transferable. If a building is sold, the new owner would have to reapply for a demolition permit, and the delay period would restart, in an effort to prevent a wholesale demolition without working with the Preservation Commission when selling a home.

• Vote: Passes unanimously

Article 19: Leaf Blowers

Brookline, we just can't stay away from the leaf blowers. This article would ban the use (other than by the Town) of leafblowers on public sidewalks and ways, and ban the blowing of leaves and other debris from private property onto public sidewalks and ways.
Vote: Expected to be taken off the table.

Article 20: Parking in North Brookline overlay districts

• Vote: No motion offered.

Article 21: A Resolution to encourage businesses to donate overstock rather than trash it

A Brookline Girl Scout Troop is asking the town to adopt a resolution that would encourage commercial entities operating in the Town to donate unopened and unused, non-expired stock to appropriate non-profit charities, instead of throwing them in the store dumpster.

Vote: Resolution carries unanimously.

Article 22: A Resolution on Tax Reductions

The resolution calls for the General Court of Massachusetts to reinstate the effect of State
And Local Tax (SALT) deductions.

• Vote: Motion fails.

Article 23: A Resolution Calling For the Town To Reopen The Olmsted Bridle Path
This resolution calls for the feasibility study of restoring the Olmsted bridle path along the Beacon Street median in town. The study would look at the impacts and options for creating a protected path.

• Vote: Motion passes unanimously.

Article 24: Housekeeping

Any reports from Town Officers and Committees are included under this article in the Combined
Reports. Town Meeting action is not required on any of the reports.

No motion.

The Town Meeting Within The Meeting: On Marijuana Establishment Zoning

The bylaw that Town Meeting passed in May, stipulates that two retailers can't be within 200-feet of each other if they are both at storefront level. But as two recreational pot shops are vying to open one almost on top of the other on Comm Ave, this amendment would take aim at that loophole by requiring a 200-foot distance between pot shops regardless of whether they were at storefront level or not.

• Vote: Passes unanimously

Photo by Jenna Fisher/Patch Staff