On Brookline

In an earlier post I mentioned that the St. Aidan’s Design Advisory Group will be meeting on September 6th.  Now, according to the Town’s Web site, the Group has not yet confirmed its meeting time [see listing].

Uh oh.

According to the settlement agreement reached between 75 residents and the developer for the Boston Archdiocese, if the DAG fails to meet the Town’s Planning Director, Jeff Levine, is empowered to act as if he were the Advisory Group.  Here’s the actual language - drafted by the developer - from the settlement agreement:

“The Planning Director shall make best efforts to convene a quorum of the DAG within fifteen (15) business days of receiving notice of a Plan Change. The Planning Director shall provide notice to counsel for the Plaintiffs of the DAG’s first meeting to consider such Plan Change. If the Planning Director is unable to convene a quorum of the DAG within such fifteen business-day period, the Planning Director may approve or disapprove the Plan Change in lieu of the DAG.

The DAG or the Planning Director acting in lieu of the DAG, as the case may be, shall approve or disapprove such Plan Change within twenty (20) business days of the Planning Director’s receiving notice of such Plan Change. In the event that the DAG or the Planning Director acting in lieu of the DAG fails to approve or disapprove such Plan Change within such twenty business-day period, the Plan Change shall be deemed to have been approved by the DAG. “

Oh mercy, we really are screwed.  Should the Design Group fail to act, the future of the neighborhood is in the hands of the flunkies who - along with the Brookline Selectmen - have wasted $6 million in affordable housing funds, mangled the permitting process and served as snitches to lawyers for the developer.

How hard will Levine work to convene a quorum?  We shall find out.

An aside: There’s another issue brewing on the demolition of the Church’s rectory building, which I’ll report on later.  And if there’s any doubt as to the antiquated nature of the town meeting system for Brookline, I hope to put it to rest.