Veteran planner stepping down

Friday, February 26, 2010

BROOKLINE – Michele Hakala will be leaving her position as co-chair of the Brookline Planning Board at the end of her term in March after almost a decade of service to her community.

Hakala has served as a volunteer on the board for nine years, and feels the timing is right for her to make room for new and different ideas.

“We have a lot of great people on the board, and I think they are going to move forward,” Hakala said. “They don’t need me anymore.”

Alan Rosenberg has served alongside Hakala as co-chair and said her presence will be missed.

“She has been very level-headed, asks good questions, and she thinks of things in ways that maybe some other folks on the boards may not see right away,” Rosenberg said.

Hakala believes she has been a “servant to the town” and is proud of the work the board has done in getting citizens involved with their projects. She says the board’s practice of “visioning” projects and hosting community meetings has brought forward the “silent majority” in the town.

“We have to create some sort of forum to make it easy for them to get involved,” Hakala said.

She empathizes with those hesitant to volunteer since she had to be coerced to volunteer on the Planning Board but has made good friends working on the board and feels honored to serve her community with them.

“She is very low-key and encourages members to participate. She’s a good leader,” said Richard Randlett, a volunteer on the planning board.

After her departure, Hakala wants the board to focus on updating the Brookline Master Plan, which should guide the development of planning and zoning ordinances. It is a single source for all the boards in the town but is now overdue for an update.

“The last time it was updated, it was typewritten,” Hakala said. “It was also on a floppy disk.”

The Planning Board will begin the process filling the position and hopes to have a replacement by the end of March.