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Select Board approves MBTA amended grants of location for C‑branch accessibility amid tree‑removal concerns
Summary
After a lengthy presentation and public hearing, the Select Board approved amended grants of location allowing the MBTA to widen and raise platforms at seven Beacon Street C‑branch stops to meet accessibility standards; the project will remove mature trees and will include replanting and a town‑MBTA memorandum on operations and maintenance.
The Brookline Select Board voted March 10 to approve amended grants of location that allow the MBTA to reconstruct and raise platforms at seven Green Line C‑branch stations along Beacon Street to meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards.
MBTA staff described a plan to widen and raise platforms, remove platform obstructions, add lighting and signage, and upgrade crossings at Dean Road, Fairbanks/Brandon Hall (to be consolidated), Summit Avenue, St. Paul Street, the Haw Street area and related sites. MBTA deputy chief Gwen Dunlevy said the project will accommodate the MBTA’s Type 10 trains and modernize stations that, in many locations, were built “under a grant of location” that dates to 1897 and does not reflect modern station footprints.
The MBTA acknowledged the project will require removing trees: staff estimated removal of 50 young trees and 46 mature trees along Beacon Street, and said $ for replanting had been set aside to replace the canopy (MBTA staff told the board that 98 trees would be replanted and any remaining funds could be used at town direction). The MBTA also said construction would remove some on‑street parking, reconfigure lanes at Haw Street and adjust crossings; the Transportation Board has asked DPW to study lane arrangements and preserve a possible eastbound U‑turn at Haw Street where feasible.
Neighbors and environmental advocates urged stronger ecological protections. Alisa Plazanja, representing precinct 8 signers of a 176‑resident petition, asked the board to require more comprehensive ecological restorations beyond tree replacement and to secure an explicit MBTA commitment that nesting animals would not be harmed during work. The MBTA answered that it will follow state and federal environmental regulations, that an environmental biologist has reviewed the sites, and that MBTA environmental staff will be present during tree work; MBTA staff said they could not “guarantee no wildlife will be harmed,” but that they will use best practices and schedule large removals to reduce impacts to nesting seasons.
After the hearing, the Select Board voted to approve the amended grants of location “conditioned on the assurances the MBTA has provided the town during development of the C‑branch accessibility project,” and authorized the Town Administrator to sign the final amended grant documents. The board also authorized the Town Administrator to finalize a memorandum of understanding with the MBTA clarifying operations and maintenance responsibilities within the Beacon Street corridor, including snow removal, sidewalk and platform responsibilities, and tree/landscape ownership.
Board members repeatedly praised MBTA and town staff for negotiation and outreach, while acknowledging the community’s concern about tree loss and ecological impacts. MBTA staff said construction is expected to start shortly after the Boston Marathon in late April and that the town will receive a pre‑construction briefing in April with details on staging, traffic and tree mitigation.
Provenance: Project presentation and technical detail (SEG 2353–2530; SEG 2499–2671); public comment and ecological questions (SEG 2731–2910; SEG 3090–3160); amended grant vote and MOU authorization (SEG 3296–3318; SEG 3453–3589).
