June 7, 2026

Good morning,

Max Woolf here.

This May, Brookline Town Meeting overwhelmingly approved sweeping zoning changes in Chestnut Hill that could pave the way for major residential and commercial development.

Just a month before that, voters elected two pro-housing candidates to the Select Board.

Both votes sent the same message: Brookline needs to grow. With hopes to avoid another large override, the town also needs the tax base that comes with that growth.

But in a town that's already largely built out, what's next?

At a recent Select Board meeting, the town’s leadership eyed a laundry list of new growth opportunities, including redevelopment of municipal parking lots in Coolidge Corner and Brookline Village, as well as further rezoning along Route 9. Just as importantly, there was broad agreement that the town needs to move faster. 

The Chestnut Hill rezoning alone required five separate committees, various subcommittees and what felt like 100 public meetings. While public engagement is great, this is an unsustainable model if Brookline hopes to keep pace.

Select Board newcomer Anthony Buono hoped the board would take a more active approach in establishing "hard deadlines for public engagement.” 

"At a certain point," Town Manager Chas Carey added, "the board has to say we are satisfied with the process...and we are sorry if you were not."

Meanwhile, in the pipeline

As the Select Board decides which project to sink its teeth into next, Brookline's current development pipeline is anything but quiet. 

Here's a look at the major projects currently making their way through the permitting process. Together, they would add more than 350 homes and various new commercial spaces to town.

654–678 Brookline Avenue

• Claremont Companies has filed plans for a 12-story mixed-use building with approximately 150 apartments above ground-floor commercial space in Brookline Village. The project, which would connect to the Hilton Garden Inn also owned by Claremont.

429 Harvard Street

• Oak Hill Properties is proposing a 40-unit mixed-use building with ground-floor retail at the corner of Harvard and Coolidge streets. The Chapter 40B proposal will be discussed at the Zoning Board of Appeals tomorrow night.

40 Kent Street

• DND Homes is proposing a 116-unit mixed-use redevelopment that would preserve and relocate the historic building at 40 Kent while constructing a new five-story residential building blocks away from the Brookline Village MBTA station.

1180 Boylston Street

• Chestnut Hill Investments is seeking to remove the 55+ age restriction from its soon-to-be-completed 50-unit Chapter 40B mixed-use development in Chestnut Hill. The developer says the change is needed to fully lease the building.

Nourishing Wellesley serves its 7,000th meal

Our Nourishing Wellesley program, which provides meals to neighbors in need while supporting local independent restaurants, just wrapped up another successful season.

That brings the program's total meals served to 7,000 since it launched in 2021—not bad for an initiative that began as a pandemic-era response.

It's the kind of win-win we love, helping families while supporting local businesses. Meals are prepared by independently owned Wellesley restaurants and distributed through a partnership led by Maura Renzella, the Wellesley Youth Commission, and the Wellesley Housing Authority.

This year's restaurant partners were Captain Marden's Seafood, Comella's Wellesley, Express Gourmet, Fiorella's Trattoria, The Great Wok Wellesley, Mark's Pizza & Subs, Mortadella Head, Old School Pizza, Papa Razzi, Riceburg, Tutto Italiano, and Wellesley North End Pizza.

Nourishing Wellesley is funded through a state grant secured by Sen. Cindy Creem, who also supports companion programs in Newton and Brookline.

Nourishing Newton reached a milestone of its own this spring, completing its fifth year with 3,040 meals delivered through local nonprofits and food pantries. Together, the programs have now provided more than 25,000 meals from local restaurants since the pandemic.

Tuesday grab bag

• Representative Jake Auchincloss’ office is searching for a constituent services rep. Apply
  
  
• WBUR’s Zeninjor Enwemeka finds that Boston’s bars are booming from World Cup games.
  
  
• Amid a crippling housing shortage and with housing prices remaining the state's top affordability challenge, Beacon Hill has yet to advance any major housing legislation this session. CommonWealth Beacon
  
  
• However, that could soon change. The House is expected to vote tomorrow on Gov. Healey's economic development bill, which now includes provisions for YIGBY ("Yes In God's Backyard"), which would make it easier for faith communities to build housing on their property and potentially enable up to 500,000 new homes. State House News
  
  
• Despite recent layoffs and loss of federal funding. GBH News will launch a new statewide radio show following its merger with New England Public Media of Western Massachusetts, and thanks to new funding from Beacon Hill. Boston Globe
  
  
• Sadly, the U.S. men’s team exited the World Cup last night. But there’s still plenty of action left, including France vs. Morocco this Thursday in Boston*. Use our directory to find a local venue to watch the rest of the games.
  
  
• In a Beacon op-ed, Vice Chair of Newton's Economic Development Commission Chuck Tanowitz explains how the design of I-95, combined with decades of planning decisions, has left Newton at a disadvantage in attracting large corporate tenants.
  
  
• Another op-ed helps make sense of the differing opinions on the Washington St. Road Diet. Newton Beacon

What's left on the ballot

Last month, the Supreme Judicial Court struck proposed ballot questions on both cutting the income tax and rent control—ruling the income tax question's official summary misleading and the rent control proposal unconstitutional.

The decisions created some unusual alliances, with lawmakers, labor groups and business organizations finding themselves on both the winning and losing sides.

So, with those two off the ballot, what's left for voters in 2026?

Quite a bit, actually. Voters could still face a record-breaking number of statewide questions this November, including:

• Repeal of the state's 2024 gun control law
• Same-day voter registration
• Public records access for the Legislature and the Governor's Office
• A new conservation fund financed with existing sales tax revenue
• Re-banning recreational marijuana sales
• Allowing public defender employees to unionize
• Limiting minimum lot-size requirements for single-family homes (please vote yes)
• Institution of all-party primaries

Finally, the same business coalition behind the income tax cut still has one more proposal in play. Their measure to limit how much tax revenue the state can retain before issuing taxpayer refunds is expected to qualify for the ballot.

A welcome surprise for Needham nonprofits

Robert Murray is not necessarily a name that looms large in Needham's psyche.

But the estate of the World War II veteran, industrial engineer, patent holder and longtime Needham resident delivered a welcome surprise when they gifted a little more than half a million dollars each to a four local nonprofits.

Following Murray's passing at the age of 99 in 2025, the Needham Free Public Library, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital–Needham, the Charles River Center and St. Joseph Parish all received the unexpected donations, reports Peter O'Neil of the Needham Observer.

We still don't know exactly why Murray chose these organizations. His attorney hypothesized that he "may have been influenced to donate to institutions that were meaningful to people who were meaningful to him."

Whatever the reason, we're grateful for an extraordinary act of generosity that will strengthen the Needham community for years to come. 

Thank you, Mr. Murray.

FYI, you can volunteer at Needham (or other Charles River Regional Chamber) nonprofits on our website.

That’s what you need to know for today, unless you need a timeline to help you untangle the Folarin Balogun red card saga.

Max Woolf (he, him)

Public Policy and Government Affairs Manager

Charles River Regional Chamber

617-431-6101

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