Compromised Club (2).
By Jim Conley • May 30th, 2007 • Email This Post to a Friend •
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Gee, for a board made up of “zoning experts” Brookline’s Zoning Board of Appeals sure does make a mess of things. The recent flap over a building on Somerset Road is only the recent entry in the Board’s distinguished service to developers. And why not? Many of the ZBA’s members spend their days representing the interests of the real estate trade.
Member Enid Starr [bio] advertises her services as including expertise in zoning. Board newcomer Jesse Geller’s [bio] practice is focused on “real estate law” and Lawrence (911) Kaplan (according to his bio) is “a former vice president of the New England Chapter of the National Association of Corporate Real Estate Executives.”
The purpose of a culture is to acculturate. And the Brookline Selectmen have seen to it that all relevant levers of town government adopt the culture of real estate development. I can think of no worse business to emulate.
Jim Conley is publisher of On Brookline.
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Of the total of seven (7) ZBA members (regular and alternate), six (6) are attorneys. The 7th is an architect. This is a “developing” story that will soon be added to The World of Brookline Zoning. By the way, viewers might wish to check the Brookline ZBA’s website available via the Town Clerk’s website.
It may be time to clean house - as they say in real estate circles - and ask all members of ZBA to resign - the conflicts of interest are astounding - there is no one impartial on the board - and those conflicts have created a serious breach of trust in the institution of the ZBA