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Select Board asks MassHousing to approve 429 Harvard project-eligibility letter only if design meets Harvard Street scale, tree-mitigation
Summary
The Brookline Select Board voted Aug. 19 to ask MassHousing to approve a project-eligibility letter for 429 Harvard Street only if the proposed design is consistent with the Harvard Street four-story scale constraints and includes mitigation for the sites significant tree loss.
The Brookline Select Board on Aug. 19 instructed town staff to send MassHousing a statement that a project-eligibility letter (PEL) for 429 Harvard Street should be approved only if the proposals design is consistent with the Harvard Street zoning districts four-story scale constraints, meets applicable comprehensive-permit design rules, and includes mitigation for significant tree loss.
Why it matters: The request seeks to influence the states review under Chapter 40B (MassHousing) by identifying specific design and environmental concerns the town wants addressed if MassHousing issues a PEL. The debate reflected competing priorities: preserving the towns recently adopted Harvard Street form-based zoning and the practical goal of producing affordable housing.
Board discussion: The item drew extended debate over strategy. Several board members urged a…
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