Arlington Redevelopment Board - Jun 1st, 2026

Meeting held at 27 Maple Street. Materials were available from https://arlingtonma.primegov.com/Portal/Meeting?meetingTemplateId=4641.

Review Meeting Minutes

The board approved minutes from their May 4th meeting.

Docket 3899 - 856 Mass Ave

This is an application to replace signage for Beacon Bank (formerly Brookline Bank).

(Claire Ricker, Planning Director) Ms. Ricker says this is an application for a sign change, from Brookline Bank to Beacon Bank. The Zoning Board of Appeals approved the existing signage in 2011 via special permit. The applicants are would like to replace the existing signs with new branding.

(Kin Lau, ARB Chair) Mr. Lau asks why the signs were initially permitted by the ZBA.

(Sarah Suarez, Assistant Planning Director) Ms. Suarez says the ZBA was the sign permitting authority in 2011, and the property had a different freestanding sign. The ZBA allowed the parapet sign and the relocation of the standing sign.

(Pete Hadger, Representing the applicant) Mr. Hadger says he's seeking a double-faced standing sign, 20 square feet in size. There will be a face change to the drive-in teller sign, which is 5.1 square feet. The proposed wall sign is 28 square feet and the old one was over 40 square feet. The total sign area is 48 square feet, down from 63 square feet.

Mr. Hadger says the bank is proposing to continue the use of the sign permitted in 2011, which means continuing the nonconformity. The free-standing sign will not be relocated. Brand consistency is important to the bank. A monument sign would block visibility, and there's no place to located one outside the sight triangle without removing parking spaces.

(Rachel Zsembery, ARB) Ms. Zsembery has no questions at this time.

(Shaina Korman-Houston, ARB) Ms. Korman-Houston asks about the width of the wall sign.

(Pete Hadger) Mr. Hadger says it's 18 feet, two inches wide.

(Shaina Korman-Houston) Ms. Korman-Houston asks if the backing material from the old Brookline Bank sign will be removed.

(Pete Hadger) Mr. Hadger says the wrap structure will remain.

(Steve Revilak, ARB) Mr. Revilak asks if what the applicants plan to do with the drive-thru teller sign, other than refacing and repainting.

(Pete Hadger) Mr. Hadger says that's all they're planning to do with that sign.

(Kin Lau, ARB Chair) Mr. Lau asks if there will be any changes to the color scheme of the building.

(Pete Hadger) Mr. Hadger isn't aware of any. He believes the bank is only interested in changing out the signs.

The chair opens the hearing to public comment. There is none.

(Rachel Zsembery) Ms. Zsembery says the board has been trying to determine when applicants have to meet the requirements of the current sign bylaw, and when pre-existing signs can continue to be used. She doesn't like the pylon sign, and would like the board to discuss whether to eliminate the non-conformity. She notes that nearby businesses are findable without freestanding signs.

(Shaina Korman-Houston) Ms. Korman-Houston says the pylon sign would not be permitted if this were a new application. It was allowed by special permit and the applicants aren't requesting substantial changes.

(Vince Baudoin, ARB) Mr. Baudoin says he doesn't mind the unique sign here, but he might feel differently if they were all up and down mass ave.

(Steve Revilak) Mr. Revilak says that some of the non-conforming signs the board has seen have had questionable permitting provenance, but this one was allowed via a special permit. The changes aren't substantial, and he's willing to allow the applicants to keep the pre-existing nonconformity.

(Kin Lau) Mr. Lau is okay with the pre-existing nonconformity as well.

(Rachel Zsembery) Ms. Zsembery wants to note that sign was originally permitted by the ZBA, and she feels that's significant.

Sign permit approved, 5--0.

Docket 3879 - 26 Dudley St

This docket involves an addition to an industrial building on Dudley St.

(Claire Ricker, Planning Director) Ms. Ricker says the applicant proposes to demo a garage and a storage shed in order to add a warehouse addition. The ZBA has already granted a variance for the setbacks, due to the irregular shape of the lot. The project is also in front of the conservation commission, due to its proximity to Mill Brook. Ms. Ricker says the applicants recently met with the conservation commission and their hearing was continued to June.

(Fred Gilgun (?), Attorney) Mr. Gilgun says the expanded building will substantially be occupied by the Santini company. It will revitalize an industrial property and the ZBA has already granted variances for the setbacks. This is a 12,150 square foot property that's irregularly shaped and next to Mill Brook. It has a building on Dudley St. and a dilapidated garage to be removed. It's always been used as a mixed use building. Mr. Gilgun says the owners propose to build a new warehouse, improve stormwater management, and improve accessibility.

(Bryan Poisson, Architect) Mr. Poisson says there are currently three curb cuts on the property and they're proposing to reduce this to one curb cut. Some parking will be located in the new warehouse addition. The new building will have two egress stairs, an elevator, and a fire suppression system. Bike storage will be in the interior. A new lobby on Dudley St will provide more transparency. The warehouse addition will be double height. They're proposing solar on the upper roof only, since the lower roof is often shaded, and they may want to add another story in the future.

(Fred Gilgun) Mr. Gilgun says he's seeking relief from several zoning requirements as part of the special permit. They're looking for relief from the solar energy systems requirement and for parking minimums. They're proposing 13 parking spaces, where there are currently 10 on site. Removing two of the curb cuts will add two or three on-street parking spaces. Mr. Gilgun thinks that nearby trees provide sufficient shading to mitigate heat island effects, and he's asking for relief from the industrial district parking standards pertaining to heat island mitigation. They plan to install underground conduit to support future EV charing stations. He thinks the new building will be beneficial and code compliant. It will allow a long-standing business to upgrade an aging property.

(Rachel Zsembery, ARB) Ms. Zsembery asks if the applicants have done a solar study. Section 6.4.2 has exemptions to the solar energy system requirements, and she says the applicants will need to state which exemption they are requsting. She asks if lighting fixtures are shown on the elevation plan.

(?) One of the applicants says "no".

(Rachel Zsembery) Ms. Zsembery says that section 6.1.11.F(2) lists several reflective strategies for parking lots, and she suggests the applicants consider one of them.

Ms. Zsembery notes that there is also a ground floor transparency requirement, and the board would need to make a finding if the ground floor facade isn't changing.

(Shaina Korman-Houston, ARB) Ms. Korman-Houston asks if the applicants submitted a transportation demand management (TDM) plan.

(?) (They did not)

(Shania Korman-Houston) Ms. Korman-Houston asks for information about the bike racks they plan to install.

(Bryan Poisson) Mr. Poisson says the bike parking would be in the basement, and accessible via ramp. They'd be single-level racks.

(Shaina Korman-Houston) Ms. Korman-Houston asks if all of the parking spaces will be EV ready.

(Bryan Poisson) Mr. Poisson says they will.

(Shaina Korman-Houston) Ms. Korman-Houston says there are a few places along the property line where the photometric study shows higher illumination. She thinks it would be helpful to understand light spillage onto nearby residential properties. She asks about the dimensions of the snow storage area.

(Bryan Poisson) Mr. Poisson says he doesn't have the dimensions handy, but this is something they're discussing with the Conservation Commission.

(Vince Baudoin, ARB) Mr. Baudoin thinks the board can apply the mixed-use exemption for parking, so the applicants would need to provide 12 spaces rather than 18. He has some concerns about the geometry of the parking area and the width of the drive aisle. He wonders if angled spaces might work better, and if it would be possible to put solar panels over the parking area.

(Steve Revilak) Mr. Revilak notes the plans show planting locations for several street trees. The sidewalk is very narrow, and Mr. Revilak wonders if a contribution to the tree fund might make more sense.

(Kin Lau, ARB Chair) Mr. Lau agrees with Mr. Revilak regarding the street trees and narrow sidewalk. He would like the applicants to have a solar study done. A study would provide documentation, if solar isn't viable for the site. He asks the applicants to think about how doubling the size of the building will affect neighbors. He notes that the board paid attention to the rear of the neighboring self-storage facility when that was being permitted. He asks if they plan to remove any trees at the rear of the site.

(Bryan Poisson) Mr. Poisson says they haven't touched any of the trees along the brook, and that area is outside of their property. The existing shed is close to the property line, and they plan to replace it with a warehouse addition.

(Kin Lau) Mr. Lau asks the applicants to consider what the view from Wellington Park will look like. He has some issues with the parking configuration, and says the board can provide some relief for the number of spaces. He questions whether an 18' drive aisle will work.

(Bryan Poisson) Mr. Poisson thinks the new parking arrangement will improve the driveway.

(Kin Lau) Mr. Lau asks about the status of their variance for the setback requirements.

(Fred Gilgun) Mr. Gilgun says the variance was granted by the zoning board of appeals.

The chair opens the hearing for public comment. There is none.

(Rachel Zsembery) Ms. Zsembery says the applicant's narrative mentioned another source of parking. She asks for more information about hat.

(Fred Gilgun) Mr. Gilgun says the Santini family owns other properties on Dudley St. They could juggle parking if necessary, but didn't want to have the permit conditioned on it.

The board discusses what they'd like the applicant to provide at the next hearing. Items included:

• Addressing the parking lot configuration
• Providing a solar study
• Providing information on light spillage onto adjacent properties.
• Considering other measures for cooling impervious surfaces
• Considering paying into the tree fund, rather than planting street trees on the narrow sidewalk
• Providing a rendering of the rear of the property

(Steve Revilak) Mr. Revilak suggests a few TDM measures, should the applicants need to provide a TDM plan. He suggests adding a shower to one of the hallway bathrooms, and providing outlets in the bike room, so that e-bikes can be charged. Mr. Revilak says the site is 1,712 feet -- about a third of a mile -- from the 77 bus stop at Mt. Vernon St and Mass Ave. The bylaw allows proximity to a bus stop as a TDM measure for residential uses, but he thinks that proximity should qualify as a TDM measure here.

(Shaina Korman-Houston) Ms. Korman-Houston understands the applicants are still meeting with the Conservation Commission. She'd like the applicants to come back to the ARB if the Conservation Commission makes any material changes.

The board is okay with granting relief from the 50% transparency requirement, as the applicants aren't redoing the facade.

(Kin Lau) Mr. Lau suggests doing something with the lower 8--10' of the EIFS finish, to provide something more durable.

The board votes to continue the hearing to July 20th, 5--0.

Macaluso substitute motions - Articles 53 and 55

Mr. Baudoin explains the changes that town meeting adopted with Article 53, with slides for illustration. Article 53 affects the requirements for the MBTA district mixed-use bonus and Article 55 applies to the affordable housing bonus.

(Vince Baudoin) Mr. Baudoin explains that "60% of the ground floor" was clarified to mean "60% of the ground floor's gross floor area", which is the interior space. Parking spaces would not be included in the denominator. Article 53 also added a backstop to disallow minimally-sized commercial spaces; the commercial space must be 50% of the building footprint, which is the structural outline of the building.

Joint Board/AHOD Committee Working Session

(Kin Lau) Mr. Lau would like to have a joint meeting with the Affordable Housing Overlay District Committee. He'd prefer an interactive setting where we can go back and forth about site selection.

Board members are in favor of having a working session with the committee. Staff will work with the AHOD Committee to find potential dates.

Summer Board Schedule

(Claire Ricker) Ms. Ricker summarizes the board's hearing schedule for the summer.

• 6/15/2026. Two hearings, and Farina Roofing will appear to provide the board with an update
• 7/6/2026. Nothing scheduled so far.
• 7/20/2026. 1--2 hearings (potentially)
• 8/10/2026. No hearings schedule

(Steve Revilak) Mr. Revilak suggests setting aside time for the board to discuss TDM standards. For example, the amount of additional long-term bicycle parking that an applicant would have to provide in order to have the additional parking counted as a TDM measure.

(Shaina Korman-Houston) Ms. Korman-Houston asks about returning to the usual 7:30 pm meeting time.

The board agrees to hold future meetings at 7:30pm, rather than 7:00.

Open Forum

There are no speakers for tonight's open forum.

New Business

(Steve Revilak) Mr. Revilak noticed that the town had issued an RFP for design guidelines. He asks if staff can elaborate on what that will entail.

(Claire Ricker) Ms. Ricker confirms that an RFP has been issued. We have commercial design guidlines from 2015, and these are due for an update. The RFP work will focus on guidelines for mixed-use and commercial, including mixed-use in the multi-family overlay district.

(Vince Baudoin) Now that we've adopted the new comprehensive plan, Mr. Baudoin would like to see the board discuss priorities and near-term action items.

(Rachel Zsembery) Ms. Zsembery suggests scheduling a joint meeting with the Select Board. She thinks the Select Board should be part of the short-term strategy discussion.

(Claire Ricker) Ms. Ricker says she'll try to schedule a joint meeting with the Select Board for sometime in September. She's received several applications for the upcoming ARB vacancy and hopes to have someone seated in June.

Meeting adjourned.