Brookline commissions and Select Board back home‑rule petition to place geothermal wells under Pierce Playground

The Town of Brookline’s Conservation Commission, Park and Recreation Commission and Select Board voted unanimously April 2 to support a home‑rule petition that would allow a narrow column of subsurface soils under a portion of Pierce Playground to be used for geothermal wells serving the adjacent Pierce School.

The move clears a local step required by Article 97 and state policy and advances a home‑rule petition and MEPA review that project backers say is needed to keep the school project on schedule and avoid multimillion‑dollar cost increases.

Why it matters: advocates said installing a ground‑source heat pump system beneath the park is the most cost‑effective and low‑carbon way to heat and cool the planned new school, and that losing the geothermal option could add several million dollars to the project. Opponents and some commissioners urged clearer answers on alternatives, timeline certainty and long‑term subsurface impacts; town counsel and consultants said the Article 97 and MEPA processes are designed to review those trade‑offs and require public outreach and state review.

Design and mitigation: project architect Margaret Clark said earlier siting studies evaluated three well‑field options and settled on a park‑side field after weighing constructability, cost and neighborhood impacts. The current engineering concept calls for about 80 vertical boreholes approximately 600 feet deep. Clark said the pipework will be buried and that only a small manhole vault for the piping splice would be visible above grade; construction zones and the ball field and basketball court would be restored and rebuilt to new condition when work finishes.

Legal and review steps: Town Counsel Joe Callanan explained that local unanimous votes by the conservation and parks commissions (and later two‑thirds approval at Town Meeting and by the Select Board) are required before a home‑rule petition can be filed with the Legislature for Article 97 disposition. Adrienne Lennon, senior scientist at BSC Group, said the project will also follow MEPA review at the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, including enhanced outreach because Brookline falls partly within environmental‑justice census block groups; she listed two public forums (April 24 and May 22) and a park tabling event on May 10 as part of the outreach plan.

Federal funding constraint: Lennon noted the parcel is subject to the Land and Water Conservation Fund and National Park Service requirements that surface closure for construction not exceed 12 consecutive months; that limit was included as a condition in the motions that the municipal boards approved.

Public reaction: more than two dozen speakers took part in the hearing. Supporters included parents, town meeting members and climate and civic groups who emphasized climate benefits, lifetime cost savings and the need to keep MSBA and other project funding on track. Speakers who opposed or urged caution raised questions about whether wells could instead be placed under the school building, the adequacy of alternatives analysis, possible long‑term subsurface constraints for future park uses, and litigation risk; town counsel and the design team said alternatives were evaluated in prior stages and that Article 97 and MEPA submissions must document alternatives and justification.

Votes and next steps: the Conservation Commission, Park and Recreation Commission and Select Board each voted unanimously to take favorable action on Article 1 (the home‑rule petition) and to authorize the temporary transfer of care, custody and control to the Pierce School Building Committee for construction with the LWCF 12‑month closure limit and an explicit requirement that the park be returned to the parks commission in the same condition after construction. The Select Board recorded its favorable recommendation for the special Town Meeting warrant on May 28, 2024; the town will then seek two‑thirds approval at Town Meeting and pursue the home‑rule petition through the Legislature and final MEPA review.

What remains: town staff and the project team will prepare the Article 97 application package and the MEPA ENF/EIR submissions, continue community outreach forums, and work with the Legislature (Representative Tommy Vitolo said he is prepared to shepherd the petition) and EOEEA staff on required materials and potential PLPA (Public Lands Preservation Act) consequences such as replacement land or funding‑in‑lieu determinations.

Motions and outcomes: municipal motions include authorization to permanently disposition the subsurface column under the parcel assessed as 171‑27‑00 for geothermal use, temporary transfer of care/custody to the Pierce School Building Committee during construction, and explicit LWCF/PLPA compliance language limiting surface closure to 12 months and requiring restoration. Each motion passed unanimously by roll call.

Quotes: Town Counsel Joe Callanan said, “This is exactly what the Article 97 process is for” to document the change in use of protected public land and to make sure local and state protections are satisfied. State Representative Tommy Vitolo told commissioners, “If… the completion of this Article 97 process will not have a permanent material negative impact on the use of the Pierce Park ball field, you should feel empowered to vote yes tonight.”

The project team will announce the dates and materials for the April and May outreach forums and continue to post design and MEPA materials to the project page; the Select Board’s favorable recommendation sends Article 1 to the May 28 special Town Meeting and begins the legislative home‑rule petition path.