Arlington Redevelopment Board - Jul 14th, 2025

Meeting held at 27 Maple Street. Materials were available from https://arlington.novusagenda.com/agendapublic/MeetingView.aspx?MeetingID=2314&MinutesMeetingID=1657&doctype=Agenda.

Review Meeting Minutes

The board approved minutes from their July 2 and July 16, 2025 meetings.

Docket 3849 - 259 Broadway

Docket 3849 is a site plan review application to convert a four unit dwelling into a five-unit dwelling.

(Claire Ricker, Planning Director) Ms. Ricker informs the board that the applicant has requested a continuance, because they need more time to work out details with the Historical Commission.

(Rachel Zsembery, ARB Chair) Ms. Zsembery says the Historical Commission had an informal discussion about 259 Broadway, and informally supported an enclosed rear stair. The Historical Commission continued their hearing to later and July; the applicant will return to the ARB sometime after than point.

The board votes to continue the hearing, 5--0.

Docket 3857 - 225 Broadway

Docket 3857 is a site plan review application to construct a four-family dwelling at 225 Broadway. The parcel is currently occupied by a fire-damaged two-family dwelling.

(Claire Ricker, Planning Director) Ms. Ricker tells the board that the applicant wishes to demolish the two-family dwelling at 225 Broadway, and construct a four-family dwelling in its place.

(Rachel Zsembery, ARB Chair) Ms. Zsembery explains how the hearing will proceed. The applicant will present, the board will ask questions, the public will be provided with an opportunity to comment, and then the board will discuss the application.

(Peter Lewandowski, Architect) Mr. Lewandowski says the building is in an R2 zone and was damaged by fire. His client purchased the building because it was in the Mass Ave/Broadway Multifamily (MBMF) District. He believes the plan submission complies with the MBMF regulations. There are four units and four parking spaces. Mr. Lewandowski says the original concept was a mixed use building with 9--10 units, but they've scaled it back to four.

(Kin Lau, ARB) Mr. Lau asks about the choice of exterior materials.

(Peter Lewandowski) Mr. Lewandowski says he's planning on black-framed windows, clapboard siding, and brick trim to match nearby buildings.

(Kin Lau) Mr. Lau asks if the tan area will be horizontal planks.

(Peter Lewandowski) Mr. Lewandowski says the tan area will be siding. Likely Hardy plank with a 4" exposure. The building cornices will be made of a composite material.

(Kin Lau) Mr. Lau asks Mr. Lewandowski to document the materials for the next hearing, along with providing a landscaping plan. He believes that one of the four units will need to be ADA compliant.

(Peter Lewandowski) Mr. Lewandowski the requirement is for one of the units to be potentially ADA compliant.

(Kin Lau) Mr. Lau doesn't think that's adequate, and he asks Mr. Lewandowski to confirm with the building inspector. Mr. Lau doesn't believe that any of the parking spaces can be adapted to an accessible space.

(Peter Lewandowski) Mr. Lewandowski believes such adaptation is possible, and he explains his plan for doing so, if the need for an accessible space arises.

(Kin Lau) Mr. Lau advises Mr. Lewandowski to check with the building inspector regarding the requirements for accessible parking spaces. He suggests reducing the amount of unprogrammed interior space in order to increase the building setbacks. He suggests moving the fourth floor balconies from the center of the building to the corner. He thinks there are a lot of stairways, and that a different configuration could require fewer stairs. Mr. Lau says that a sprinklered four-story building only requires one means of egress. He thinks the building is too big and the front elevation is very dull. He'd also like to see a better location for trash receptacles.

(Shaina Korman-Houston, ARB) Ms. Korman-Houston has some concerns about the parking layout; she thinks it might not be entirely functional, and asks Mr. Lewandowski to look at turning radiuses. She asks if bicycles will be able to get in and out of the bicycle parking area in the garage. She believes the project needs to provide a short-term bicycle parking space, and asks that this be included on the plans. She asks what stormwater management measures will be employed.

(Peter Lewandowski) Mr. Lewandowski says the stormwater management system could be placed under the patio in the rear of the building.

(Shaina Korman-Houston) Ms. Korman-Houston thinks that shrinking the patio area might make a difference. She asks about the location of mechanical systems.

(Peter Lewandowski) Mr. Lewandowski says they could be mounted on the roof, or the south side of the property.

(Shaina Korman-Houston) Ms. Korman-Houston would like to see the location of the mechanical systems indicated on the plans. She notes that the applicants plan to locate the utilities underground. She encourages Mr. Lewandowski to check with the utility companies. In her experience, utility companies are sometimes reluctant to allow underground service for smaller buildings. Ms. Korman-Houston agrees that the rendering looks very flat. She suggests adding trim board, or something to articulate the facade.

(Eugene Benson, ARB) Mr. Benson asks if the units will be rented or sold.

(Peter Lewandowski) Mr. Lewandowski says they'll be sold.

(Eugene Benson) Mr. Benson asks how each unit will be accessed.

(Peter Lewandowski) Mr. Lewandowski explains where the outside entrances are, and which stairwell services each unit.

(Eugene Benson) Mr. Benson asks if units one and two are three-level units.

(Peter Lewandowski) Mr. Lewandowski answers in the affirmative.

(Eugene Benson) Mr. Benson doesn't see how either of them can be adapted to an accessible unit, though that decision lies with the building inspector.

Mr. Benson would like to see a solar energy assessment for the project. The assessment contains a greater level of detail than what's shown for the roof.

Mr. Benson thinks there needs to be some sort of barrier between the bicycle racks and the automobile parking spaces. He asks about a utility wire that's connected to the back of the building.

(Peter Lewandowski) Mr. Lewandowski isn't sure what that wire is.

(Eugene Benson) Mr. Benson says the board received a letter from Chris Loreti saying that this project did not comply with the town's zoning bylaw. One of the claims involved having to back out of parking spaces; that provision only applies to parking areas with more than five spaces that aren't within a structure. He believes the requirement for a 50' front yard width isn't applicable here; that requirement is for the R0, R1, and R2 districts, but this application is using the MBMF overlay.

(Steve Revilak, ARB) Mr. Revilak says he reviewed Mr. Loreti's letter, and came to the same conclusions as Mr. Benson.

Mr. Revilak understands the original concept was for a 9--10 unit mixed-use building. He asks why the applicants decided to go with a four-family instead.

(Peter Lewandowski) Mr. Lewandowski says the MBMF district has a generous mixed-use bonus, but they felt a smaller building would fit better with the neighborhood.

(Steve Revilak) Mr. Revilak asks if the entire building will be sprinklered.

(Peter Lewandowski) Mr. Lewandowski answers in the affirmative.

(Steve Revilak) Mr. Revilak asks if two of the parking spaces are compact. Full-sized spaces are 8.5' wide, and the plans indicate that two of them are only 8' wide.

(Peter Lewandowski) Mr. Lewandowski says that all four of the parking spaces would be full-sized. He's not proposing any compact spaces.

(Steve Revilak) Mr. Revilak asks why the building doesn't have an elevator.

(Peter Lewandowski) Mr. Lewandowski says that each unit has its own staircase, so an elevator isn't required.

(Steve Revilak) Mr. Revilak heard that the mechanicals might be located on the south side of the building. He asks if Mr. Lewandowski was referring to the front side of the building.

(Peter Lewandowski) Mr. Lewandowski says he was referring to the side of the building; the side facing 223 Broadway.

(Steve Revilak) Mr. Revilak says he appreciates the private balcony space on the fourth floor. He thought that was a nice amenity.

The chair opens the hearing to public comment.

(Asia Kepka, 17 Silk Street) Ms. Kepka says she received her new trash receptacles, and they're big. She's not sure how eight of them will fit in front of this property. There's also a bus stop in front of the house, and people waiting for the bus might have a hard time navigating the trash receptacles.

(Adam Rodriguez, Mass Ave) Mr. Rodriguez says Arlington is in a housing crisis, and he'd like to see Arlington do its part to address that. He understands the concerns people are raising, but thinks we should find a way to fit at least four units on this property.

(Joanna Cullinane, 69 Newland Road) Ms. Cullinane says the parking doesn't seem fully functional, and she thinks it will be difficult for drivers to maneuver in and out of the garage. Even experienced drivers. She worries about kids and drivers backing out of the driveway. She worries about the lack of visibility. There might not have been as may cars there before.

(Cathy McFarland, 227 Broadway) Ms. McFarland is disappointed with the plans. It seems like a waste to knock down the existing house. She has several concerns: (1) shadows and lack of sunlight, (2) privacy, because there will be entrances along the side of the building, (3) parking, because it's hard to back out onto Broadway, and (4) trash and recycling, because there won't be room for the bins.

(Claudia Hughes, 20 Webster) Ms. Hughes says her uncle lives at 223 Broadway. He's 100 years old and doesn't like the idea of this house being knocked down. His father helped build the house at 225 Broadway. The proposed house isn't a good fit and it looks cheap. She doesn't know why the new building is a different format, and it could blend in better. She doesn't think it can be made ADA compliant, and it will be an eyesore.

(Andi Wong, 58 Adams St) Ms. Wong's uncle lived in an apartment on Broadway. She thinks the proposed house is perfectly fine. Broadway has an eclectic set of buildings, which includes houses, apartment buildings, and stores. She doesn't see how a generically-colored building will be congruent. The bus stop in front of the house is only two blocks away from the end of the line in Arlington Center. Ms. Wong thinks that people are more likely to walk to the center than wait for the bus. People wait for the bus on the other side of the street.

(Anna, 227 Broadway) Anna agrees with Mr. Lau - the house is maximizing space and taking away from the neighborhoods yard. She doesn't think it fits with the neighborhood. The two-family home she lives in has four cars; they park two in the driveway and two in the street. She doesn't believe a four family home will only have four cars.

There are no more comments.

(Rachel Zsembery) Ms. Zsembery lists the items that have been mentioned, which include

• the functionality of trash removal
• parking
• architectural context
• some concerns related to massing
• documentation of the building materials
• landscaping plans
• providing a material board
• the need for an accessible unit
• the configuration of the parking area, and need for an accessible space
• location of EV chargers
• location of short-term bike parking
• details on how bicycles will be maneuvered into the long-term spaces
• a more efficient layout to address massing
• checking the size of the town's new standard trash receptacles
• providing a stormwater management plan
• providing the location of mechanical units
• confirming whether the utilities can be run underground
• providing a solar study

(Kin Lau) Mr. Lau would encourage the building mechanicals to be located on the roof, so there's not a compressor blowing hot air against the neighbor's building. Mr. Lau thinks Mr. Lewandowski can reduce the size of the building by reducing unprogrammed space. He encourages the balconies to be moved to the front of the building, rather than in the middle. He says that four stories are allowed by right, but he'd like to see them in context.

(Eugene Benson) Mr. Benson notes that vegetation along the front property line has to be 3' or less in height.

(Steve Revilak) Mr. Revilak suggests that venting be done through the roof, where possible.

The board votes to continue the hearing to September 8th, 5--0.

Docket 3831 - 1323 Mass Ave

This docket involves signage for a restaurant called Fiesta Bites.

(Claire Ricker, Planning Director) Ms. Ricker says Docket 3831 was opened in January and the applicant has shown effort towards meeting the board's conditions. The windows were replaced. The applicant is working with a contractor on replacement signage, and is attempting to seek restitution for the unpermitted signage that was installed by a previous tenant. Mr. Ricker recommends that the board close the hearing and allow DPCD to work with the applicant on compliance.

(Steve Revilak, ARB) Mr. Revilak is fine with Ms. Ricker's suggestion.

(Eugene Benson, ARB) Mr. Benson says an alternative would be to continue the hearing for 2--3 months so we have an active docket, in case things don't work out.

(Shaina Korman-Houston, ARB) Ms. Korman-Houston thinks Mr. Benson's suggestion makes sense. She asks if Economic Development has any resources available to facilitate removal of the non-compliant signage.

(Claire Ricker) Ms. Ricker says she can connect the applicant, Mr. Sanchez, with her department's Economic Development Coordinator.

(Kin Lau, ARB) Mr. Lau agrees with Mr. Benson. He appreciates Mr. Sanchez's efforts. He'd like to keep the docket open, to spare the applicant the expense of submitting another sign application.

(Mr. Sanchez, Applicant) Mr. Sanchez says his landlord has been a little hard to work with. He'd like to remove the signs that have pictures of pizza.

(Rachel Zsembery, ARB Chair) Ms. Zsembery thinks the improvement so far have been significant. She asks if the white panels on the side will be fixed.

(Mr. Sanchez) Mr. Sanchez says he's working on that. In the interim, he was thinking of removing the existing sign letters and replacing them with smaller ones.

(Rachel Zsembery) Ms. Zsembery thinks that's okay as an interim measure.

(Eugene Benson) Mr. Benson asks how long it will take to get the sign replaced.

(Mr. Sanchez) Mr. Sanchez isn't sure.

(Eugene Benson) Mr. Benson suggests continuing the hearing for three months.

The board votes to continue the hearing to October 6th, 5--0.

Discussion of 882 Massachusetts Avenue

This agenda item involves compliance with special permit conditions for a mixed-use building at 882 Mass Ave.

(Claire Ricker, Planning Director) Ms. Ricker says the circulated a draft letter to the applicant, which tried to provide a full list of concerns. She says the department has been approached by the commercial tenant, regarding the transparency film applied to the windows. They're a physical therapy office, so privacy is a concern for them. She's also had a conversation with Mr. Murphy, the project manager, and he will be responsive to he board.

(Rachel Zsembery) Ms. Zsembery says the board has dealt with other commercial tenants that were concerned about privacy. She thinks there are other alternatives available

(Kin Lau) Mr. Lau suggests adding two more bullet points to the letter. One involves the first-floor elevations, where there are exposed concrete masonry units; they need to be finished. He believes the first floor tenant installed a compressor, and that should have been approved by the board.

(Rachel Zsembery) Ms. Zsembery agrees that new mechanicals on the facade need to be approved by the board.

(Kin Lau) Mr. Lau says the trim on the first floor is deteriorating, but that may be a product defect. He thinks there's an issue with the flashing by the cornice.

The board approves the letter, with modifications, subject to Ms. Zsembery's final review.

Open Forum

(Alex Bagnall, 10 Wyman St) Mr. Bagnall suggests that "by right" be explained for future site plan review hearings. Given the comments he heard, Mr. Bagnall suspects that some members of the public might have thought this was a special permit.

New Business

(Claire Ricker) Ms. Ricker says she's been looking at the Newton Village Overlay zoning district. She thinks it could be a helpful precedent for the heights rezoning.

(Kin Lau) Mr. Lau asks about the timing for the next board retreat.

(Rachel Zsembery) Ms. Zsembery says we'll discuss that at the next board meeting.

Meeting adjourned at 21:00.