Brookline Compliance With The MBTA Communities Act

What is the impact of requiring Brookline to create a zoning district which allows multi-family housing as of right?

The MBTA Communities Act (MBTA-CA) and EOHLC Guidelines require that all lots within a specified multi-family zoning district are permitted to build multi-family housing by right. Requiring a special permit for any reason is prohibited.

Risks of poorly specifying a multi-family zoning district include:

  1. Ground floor shops, such as those in Coolidge Corner, might be replaced by expensive condos that are more profitable to build.
  2. Buildings might not meet aesthetic, size, safety, environmental or other standards of their neighborhoods.

What is Site Plan Review?

What is the difference between multi-family buildings and multi-use buildings?