The Globe acknowledges that Brookline is being swamped by Chapter 40B projects (“State can’t shield Brookline from housing law,’’ Editorial, Dec. 12). You acknowledge the gold rush mentality driving the current inundation of projects. However, by concluding that a pause would establish an unhealthy precedent, you have clearly not understood the utterly unprecedented nature of our situation.

If any other community were to experience the same overwhelming volume and concentration of proposals, it too should get a temporary hold. What we are witnessing is an abuse of the 40B statute. Carpetbagging 40B consulting teams are scouring the woodwork to find property owners willing to play this game. Cookie-cutter project proposals that are at least twice as large as they should be are being thrown together and hastily rushed to Town Hall.

There are six concurrent projects within a quarter-mile radius, and none of them has followed Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development design guidelines. There are another four to five projects queuing up for approvals.

The citizens of Brookline believe that the state does not support such abuse of the 40B law, and we hope that officials will work with Brookline to achieve our 10 percent affordable housing goal through thoughtful planning and development.

Linda Olson Pehlke

Brookline

The writer is a Brookline Town Meeting member.