Until that proof arrives, along with an ironclad guarantee, I'll just keep signing those petitions. And I don't mean proof of an increased tax base. More money pouring into Brookline might be a reasonable argument for some sort of development somewhere, but as others have pointed out in these pages it's never a good argument for any one particular project. Each project must stand or fall on its own merits. I have to admit, though, that my anti-builder position doesn't lead to the same emotional reaction every time.
Some bad ideas are even worse than others.
During my year in Brookline I've paid most attention to the proposals for the Webster Street hotel in Coolidge Corner and the extension of 10 Brookline Place over the Brookline Village MBTA station. I frequently walk past both locations. Both proposals are bad ideas and should be opposed. But the truth is that if both were enacted, only one would cause me real pangs of regret. Manipulating the process should mandate starting over again at an initial needs assessment, with full community participation and all the cards on the table.