I did not support Paul Warren in his campaign for Select Board earlier this year. So I am delighted to be writing to you and your readers with praise for his leadership on the MBTA Communities Act warrant article that recently passed Town Meeting with an astounding 83% of the vote. That successful vote, which marks an important step to making our town more diverse, vibrant, and welcoming, is directly attributable to Mr. Warren’s efforts to bring together — and broker compromise between — civic groups Brookline for Everyone and Brookline by Design, who have often been on opposite sides of housing and zoning issues.
Advocates for the warrant article tell me that Mr. Warren also personally reached out to dozens of potentially reluctant Town Meeting members to ask them to support it. All in all, Mr. Warren’s efforts were one of the most impressive acts of political leadership I have seen in my more than decade as a Brookline Town Meeting member. Bravo and thank you to Paul for his exceptional work to move Brookline forward through thoughtful compromise.
Chris Dempsey is a Town Meeting member in Precinct 4.
Read the original article, Town Meeting passes major rezoning plan likely to reshape Harvard Street