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Updated 12/27/2022:
After nearly a year of committee meetings and public engagement to review and evaluate the proposed rezoning and use modifications to 10 Brookline Place, on Tuesday, December 20, 2022, the Brookline Select Board has accepted the 10 Brookline Place Committee’s recommendation to postpone indefinitely further committee work on this rezoning and new use proposal. In the absence of an imminent project and given the uncertainty of any redevelopment project timeline due to the long-term lease of 10 Brookline Place’s current tenant, the committee is unable to recommend Town Meeting actions at this time.
However, the Town of Brookline will continue to lay the groundwork for laboratory life science use in Brookline. These efforts will include establishing a public health and safety regulatory framework for life science laboratory operations, as well as zoning provisions allowing for research and development laboratory uses, which would limit Bioscience uses to Biosafety Levels 1 and 2, by special permit in appropriate major commercial corridors in Brookline.
The Town looks forward to the opportunity to build upon the foundation laid by the 10 Brookline Place Committee as Bulfinch’s redevelopment plans are refined in the future.
Charge
The 10 Brookline Place Committee (“10BPC”) is charged with the responsibility of reviewing, analyzing and proposing modifications to the redevelopment proposal presented by the owner of 10 Brookline Place for laboratory Life Science and other related uses. The formation of this committee is recommended by the Economic Development Advisory Board’s (EDAB) Lab and Bio/Life Sciences Report, presented to the Select Board on November 9, 2021. The purpose of that report was to investigate and evaluate the addition of Research & Development and/or Laboratory Life Science to the Brookline Zoning By-Law as well as a biosafety public health regulatory scheme for the licensing and oversight of Bio-safety level 2 laboratories.
The 10BPC will review and gather information with respect to the specific Site, including but not necessarily limited to the new development’s potential impacts on sustainability, livability, and the tax base. The 10BPC will use zoning and impact on the public realm as its main lens for review and analysis, including negotiation of community benefits and consideration of commercial linkage fees. Additional issues the 10BPC shall address shall include but not necessarily be limited to:
- traffic impacts
- visual impacts
- shadow impacts
- financial feasibility
- public realm enhancement and linkage opportunities
- infrastructure, design elements and materials that advance the Towns' climate action goals
- design guidelines
- net fiscal impact to the Town
Recommendations of the 10BPC shall be advisory to the Select Board; the Select Board retains the sole authority to negotiate agreements on behalf of the Town of Brookline as authorized by Town Meeting. Town Staff will coordinate with the Select Board and involve Committee members in negotiation as needed, with the 10 Brookline Place site’s owner, the parameters for a Memorandum of Understanding regarding the potential redevelopment of this property.
The Committee will be advised by a real estate consultant and shall work with the Planning Director or her designee(s), as well as the Office of Town Counsel and other Town departments as required, regarding terms for the Memorandum of Agreement that will address key design, financial, operational, environmental and other matters relative to the Project and the Site including a potential Tax Certainty Agreement. Due to the nature of issues to be discussed, ranging from conceptual massing with design guidelines to negotiating financial and other commitments to the Town, this Committee should not focus on architectural design since that is the responsibility of the Planning Board and their designated Design Advisory Team that would follow any zoning changes adopted by Town Meeting as informed by the design guidelines.
The 10BPC will engage the community throughout all stages of its activities. It will also maintain an easily accessible and promoted website with all presentations, minutes and other documents used in its deliberations. Representatives of the 10BPC shall regularly liaison with the Chair of the Select Board or her designee. It is expected that the ultimate deliverables of the 10BPC shall be a proposed Zoning Amendment to create an Overlay District, a Memorandum of Agreement between the Town and the owner, and other associated documents to be submitted for approval by the fall 2022 Special Town Meeting. This timing assumes that the owner will be responsive to requests of staff, consultants, and the 10BPC. Accordingly, the 10BPC shall endeavor to present its findings and recommendations to the Select Board one month prior to the close of the fall 2022 Town Meeting Warrant in order that its recommendations for any zoning amendments and related agreements are filed in a timely manner.
10 Brookline Place Committee Meeting Recordings:
- December 14, 2022 10BPC Meeting Recording
- November 9, 2022 10BPC Meeting Recording
- September 21, 2022 10BPC Meeting Recording
- June 22, 2022 10BPC Meeting Recording
10 Brookline Place Architectural Subcommittee Meeting Recordings:
- December 7, 2022 10BPC Architectural Subcommittee Meeting
- October 26, 2022 10BPC Architectural Subcommittee Meeting
- October 12, 2022 10BPC Architectural Subcommittee Meeting Recording (Incomplete recording - started late)
- September 14, 2022 10BPC Architectural Subcommittee Meeting Recording
- August 31, 2022 10BPC Architectural Subcommittee Meeting Recording
No upcoming meetings.
On December 20, 2022, the Brookline Select Board accepted the 10 Brookline Place Committee’s recommendation to postpone indefinitely further committee work on this rezoning and new use proposal. In the absence of an imminent project and given the uncertainty of any redevelopment project timeline due to the long-term lease of 10 Brookline Place’s current tenant, the committee is unable to recommend Town Meeting actions at this time.