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Volunteers say 'Landscape' app shortened property-monitoring reports by up to 75%
Summary
Brookline property monitors Jerry Jaworski and Greg Martin told the Hollis House Conservation Commission that the Landscape app centralizes deeds, photos and boundaries and cut their post-inspection reporting time by an estimated 50%–75%; members discussed adopting the tool for Hollis monitoring and involving volunteers and students.
Visitors Jerry Jaworski, a volunteer with the Brooklyn Conservation Commission, and Greg Martin of the Brookline Conservation Commission demonstrated how they use the Landscape property-monitoring platform during the commission’s March 4 meeting. "So my name is, Jerry Jaworski. I'm on the, Brooklyn Conservation Commission," Jaworski said when he introduced the presentation and described how his group switched from the Gaia app to Landscape.
Jaworski and Martin said Landscape centralizes parcel records, deeds and restrictions with photos and GPS tracks, which they said simplified reporting. "It cut it by at least 50%, if not 75%," Jaworski said, describing the time they formerly spent assembling post‑inspection reports from multiple apps and file types.
Members asked about cost and licensing. Jaworski said pricing tiers are by number of parcels and estimated a tier for about 100 parcels at roughly $1,200–$1,500 per year, with prorated increases for additional parcels; he said Landscape permits multiple volunteer users. The visitors also said the platform makes it easier to flag encroachments (dumping, sheds, lawn equipment) and preserve a baseline record for later comparisons.
Chair (speaker 1) and other commissioners discussed possible next steps for Hollis, including joint monitoring walks with volunteer property monitors and recruiting high‑school students for assistance. Jaworski said volunteers who monitor parcels typically remain unpaid and that PLC (the land‑conservancy program he referenced) asks volunteers to sign conflict‑of‑interest waivers when they work on easements.
Commission members agreed the software could help reduce paperwork and maintain a consistent archive of inspections. They asked the visitors to share more details about account tiers and recommended the commission consider a limited pilot or shared training session in the fall.
The presentation closed with a request by commissioners to follow up on licensing tiers and the prospect of training Hollis volunteers and students to assist with property monitoring.
