Brookline school officials have taken the position that the formula for determining the allowable size of the proposed Runkle School expansion is in keeping with historical precedent (“Question on Runkle School expansion,’’ Globe West, Oct. 25).
In fact, Runkle’s expansion marks a radical departure from the formula Brookline has traditionally adhered to, which was originally adopted in 1965. This departure can lead to negative, unintended consequences for Brookline.
The long-used formula, which calculates a school’s maximum physical space, increases a ratio by a percent, and when increasing something by a percent you must multiply, not add, the percent. Historically the town has always multiplied, but in the case of Runkle it added. In essence, a computational mistake was made, one which Brookline’s Planning Department has seen before and has always corrected, until now.
The difference is significant. The proposed Runkle building is 54 percent, or 41,000 square feet, larger than allowed by zoning. If applied elsewhere in Brookline the difference is startling. For example, Pine Manor College currently can build 535,000 square feet using the traditional formula. But using Runkle math, Pine Manor could build an incredible 1,785,000 square feet without seeking town approval. Boston’s Prudential Tower by comparison is 1,200,000 square feet.
And the issue is townwide. The Dover Amendment allows religious and educational organizations to bypass local zoning rules to prevent “exclusionary snob zoning.’’ There are more than 100 such parcels in Brookline. But the Dover Amendment is not a free ride, and this formula is part of a bylaw controlling expansions of these organizations. If Runkle’s calculation is not corrected, new development could be almost four times what is now allowed, rendering the bylaw useless.
If Brookline wants to retain zoning control, it must fix the error and make design changes to provide a rational basis for the granting of a special permit. Given the extent of overbuilding, the town needs to demonstrate further mitigations that can be used as a precedent for future projects.
Town Meeting votes in a few weeks on Runkle’s construction bond and is being asked to ignore zoning. But this issue affects everyone and the ramifications will be permanent.
Michael Oates
Brookline 
