Boylston Street Corridor Study Committee Hosts Neighborhood Forum

BROOKLINE, MA — The Boylston Street Corridor — The area of Boylston Street roughly between Brookline Hills MBTA stop and Brookline Village — has been under review since 2018. Now, the study committee tasked with coming up with recommendations on everything from streetscape, to housing to development is edging close to a final recommendation.

In an effort to get feedback on the latest, the committee is hosting a virtual community meeting to share the results of its study on housing commercial and quality-of-life potential of the Corridor.

The June 9 forum will include a brief presentation from Toole Design Group regarding initial concepts of complete street alternatives for that stretch of Route 9.

In July 2019, the Select Board voted to create the Boylston Street Corridor Study Committee to focus on development in the area immediately surrounding Boylston Street from Brington Road to Brookline Village at High Street. This Study Committee was tasked with examining housing stock preservation, area redevelopment, and infrastructure improvement opportunities that can help transform the Boylston Corridor into a place defined by walkability, multi-modal transportation, and contextually appropriate urban design.

Since 2018 the committee has:

• Reviewed the community input, prioritization of issues, and preliminary recommendations developed through the 2018 Boylston Street Visioning Group and community visioning process;
• Reviewed existing conditions in the Corridor, including zoning, parking, infrastructure capacity, connectivity, open space, existing housing stock, market opportunities and current development projects.
• Studied area maps, parcel geometry and zoning rules to identify opportunities for redevelopment.
• Conducted a survey of residents and business owners to understand their needs, priorities, experiences, and vision for the Corridor.
• Interviewed business owners along the Corridor to understand their needs, priorities, and vision for business growth and perceived opportunities in the Corridor.
• Developed conceptual building massing of redevelopment scenarios that integrate community interests and what the town has laid out as its main objectives to stimulate community ideation and provide direction for rezoning and development efforts.
• Commenced conceptual design work for this portion of Boylston Street with Toole Design Group, building on top of work already completed by MIT students and Central Transportation Planning Study.

To learn more about the committee's task and objectives visit the committee's website.

To register for the forum: 7 p.m.-8:30 pm June 9 Forum