Brookline Select Board approves tree‑preservation rules, 3.5% water/sewer increase and $106.33M bond; delays Vision Zero adoption

The Brookline Select Board on June 10 approved detailed rules to implement the town’s new tree preservation bylaw, adopted water and sewer rate changes that raise bills by about 3.5% on average, authorized a $106.33 million general obligation bond sale and approved a payment‑in‑lieu‑of‑taxes (PILOT) agreement with Boston University. The board granted a noise‑bylaw exemption and a related roofing contract for Brookline High School and extended, for a limited period, the license for Mission MA, a local cannabis retailer while the board considers a hearing officer’s report.

The actions follow public hearings, multi‑department presentations and extensive public questions, particularly about the town’s new tree permit process and the details of the water and sewer rate model. Town officials emphasized implementation steps and the need to pair regulations with outreach and staffing to enforce them.

Why it matters: The tree rules create a stand‑alone permit for removal of protected trees and a mitigation framework that will change how private property owners and builders handle significant removals and construction near trees. The water and sewer vote preserves the enterprise’s reserve trajectory while keeping rate growth below recent national averages. The bond sale funds school and fire‑station projects; the BU agreement locks in a predictable PILOT payment stream. The Mission MA action preserves administrative options while the board schedules further review.

Tree preservation rules and permit process

The Select Board voted to adopt the rules and regulations that implement the tree preservation bylaw passed at Town Meeting earlier this year and approved by the Attorney General. Erin Chute, commissioner of public works, and Alexandra Vecchio, director of sustainability and natural resources, described the new, stand‑alone tree‑removal permit, the mitigation formula and reporting requirements.

“The tree preservation bylaw . . . has been in effect since 03/27/2025,” Vecchio told the board as she outlined permit filing, abutter notification and mitigation options. Under the bylaw, privately owned trees 6 inches DBH (diameter at breast height) or larger are “protected” and cannot be removed without a permit; the rules establish a sliding permit fee and require mitigation by replanting or payment to a tree fund unless an exemption applies.

Board members asked detailed implementation questions about: who counts as a direct abutter and how notice is proved; how tree save areas that cross property lines will be handled; the definition of excavation (the bylaw defines excavation as…