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Chronology of Current Hancock Village Development Proposal
2005: Brookline Comprehensive Plan. Amongst key recommendations:
- “Neighborhoods and districts: The unique and attractive qualities of Brookline’s neighborhoods and districts will be maintained. Town actions and policies should improve the livability of the Town for residents.”
- “Affordable housing: To provide for the needs of residents and to help preserve and enhance the diversity of the Brookline community, an appropriate variety of housing... will be made available.”
- Open space: “To the extent possible, efforts will be made to preserve and protect private open spaces.”
- “Land use and housing: Any new developments... will demonstrate that they complement existing uses and the character of the Town as a primarily residential community...”
Jan 13, 2009: Ed Zucker of Chestnut Hill Realty and his architect Joe Geller present their idea to develop Hancock Village to the Board of Selectmen. They reference the Brookline Comprehensive Plan as the basis for their proposal.
Jan 27, 2009: Board of Selectmen agree to assemble a Hancock Village Planning Committee charged with “implementing the recommendations of the Comprehensive Plan by working with the community, the property owner, and other interested stakeholders to develop:
- Planning goals for the future of Hancock Village, related to affordable housing, historic preservation, open space, other issues of Comprehensive Plan.
- Realistic scenarios for future development of Hancock Village following these planning goals.
- Any proposed zoning language for a Planned Development District or other appropriate zoning changes that may follow from that work.
Feb 3, 2009: The Board of Selectmen appointed the members of the Hancock Village Planning Committee. In March, Bobby Allen completed his term as Selectman, having not run for re-election. He then became appointed co-chair of this committee.
April 2009: First meeting of the HV Planning Committee. CHR presents their proposal. Among the highlights: 460 new units, S-7 road/parking lots, new 3 story buildings near the S-7 border. 7 story building (200 units) near Boston line on West side and 4 story building (125 units) on East site.
July 2009: CHR presents second plan, which they claim is modified from the first in response to community and HV Planning Committee input. Much to the disappointment of the community and HV Planning Committee members, the changes were minimal:
- “where possible” there will be at least a 20 foot space from the road/driveway to the property line.
- Buildings near the S-7 areas will be 2 stories and only contain 1 BR flats.
- There will be no 3 BR units.
August 2009: Town Counsel reviewed the title search. She stated her belief that there were no encumbrances on the title and that the 1946 agreement was not enforceable under Mass Gen Law 184 sec 23 (30 year limit on Land Use Agreements without explicit time limit). She also believes that the agreement was not properly registered at the Registry of Deeds so that it would not move with the title. Whether or not this was an oversight is unknown.
However, it remains to be determined if an agreement made in contract zoning and voted into the Town Warrant is subject to Mass Gen Law 184 sec 23 or required entry at the Registry of Deeds.
August 25, 2009: Chestnut Hill Realty invited Hancock Village East abutters to a closed door meeting Sept. 1 and Hancock Village West abutters to a separate meeting Sept. 2. A majority of abutters of both East and West joined to ask Chestnut Hill Realty to reschedule the meeting in a public forum. Click here for correspondence.
September 2009: The Board of the South Brookline Neighborhood Association unanimously indicated its strong opposition to Chestnut Hill Realty's proposed expansion of Hancock Village. The board cited the neighborhood consensus of the sustained and negative impacts of the proposal:
- A large increase in the student population in the Brookline Schools, which are already over capacity
• Loss of green space and parkland - Increase in traffic
- Strain on the Town’s financial resources
- Destruction of the buffer zone between the development and neighboring single family houses, which is incorporated into the current zoning for the property and was committed to by the original owner in exchange for neighborhood support of the already existing development
• Buildings that are out of character and out of scale with the neighborhood in which the property is located. - Loss of the aesthetic appeal of Hancock Village, due partly, but not only, to replacing green space with parking spaces
- Decrease in the property values of our homes
November 2009: The South Brookline Neighborhood Association and PreserveBrookline have formally joined forces to oppose Chestnut Hill Realty's proposed expansion of Hancock Village. SBNA and PreserveBrookline will share an informational email list, and will coordinate their activities to protect Brookline from this harmful development.
Dec 2009-Jan 2010: CHR (John Connery Associates) and the Town (Judy Barrett) worked to prepare financial impact studies. Currently the Town estimates that it loses about $2,000,000 per year on Hancock Village because the costs of infrastructure support and public schooling outweigh its tax revenue. Part of the financial impact statement will be an estimate of the impact on the schools.
February 2010: CHR did not release its financial analysis, but acknowledged that its proposal would have a negative impact on the town's finances. It is now revising its proposal. This is discussed in correspondence from Joe Geller (development planner) and Jeff Levine (Brookline Director of Planning and Economic Development), which indicates that CHR recognizes the financial loss that their development plan will cause the Town.
August 2010: In a Brookline Tab article, CHR indicates its plans to proceed with a development of the same scope. CHR's Zuker inaccurately portrays the neighborhood and Town as dragging its feet in the process rather than the need to for CHR to substantially alter its proposal to address negative impacts on the Town's finances and schools before any meaningful conversation could continue. He also inaccurately protrays the prior proposal as consistent with current zoning. It is not. This is presented in followupLetters to the Editor from the SBNA, PreserveBrookline, a Town Meeting Member, and concerned neighbors.
September 2010: Financial impact statements released. Both concluded that the proposed expansion would lead to a net loss for the Town of between $500,000 - $1,000,000 per year, on top of an already estimated $2,000,000 per year net loss. The largest cost to the Town was a projected additional 80-120 students in public schools. Given than the current Hancock Village generates over 230 students per year, this projection appears low. Therefore the cost to the Town would likely be much higher than estimated in the financial impact statements.