Precinct 3, 4 Meeting - Apr 9th, 2026

Meeting held via remote participation. Materials were available from https://www.arlingtonma.gov/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/39393/.

Articles 50, 51 - St. Camillus Property

(Doug Manz, HYM Investments) Mr. Manz says his group is proposing two articles related to the St. Camillus property near Dow Ave and Route 2. The church is looking to do something with their excess land and parking lot, and they've partnered with HYM Investments to propose an assisted living facility. The facility will have 145 units and be three stories high. The land is currently zoned R1 (single-family residential) and they're proposing to rezone it to R6, which allows assisted living facilities. The facility will be operated by Experience Senior Living.

Mr. Manz says this is only the first step of the process. Rezoning will allow them to apply for a special permit to build the facility, and the special permit is a separate approval process.

This parcel is currently untaxed. Building an assisted living facility would put the parcel on the tax rolls and generate approximately $600,00/year in taxes.

HYM has held several community and neighborhood meetings. They've also met with the Town Manager, Fire Department, and Department of public works. The church will remain, but an old rectory building would be demolished.

(Nina Paynter) Ms. Paynter asks if this is only housing, or if it would be a businesses.

(Doug Manz) Mr. Manz says it would be taxed as residential.

(Laurel Kayne) Ms. Kayne asks Mr. Manz to consider planting native plants.

(Doug Manz) Mr. Manz says they typically use native species in their developments, because the plants are hardy and do well.

(James Fleming) Mr. Fleming asks if there will be changes to dimensional regulations.

(Doug Manz) Mr. Manz says there's one article for a map change and a second article for dimensional changes. They're proposing a height limit of 50' in order to get the design to work out.

(Jennifer Litowski) Ms. Litowski asks if the height increase would apply to all of R6, or just this property.

(Doug Manz) Mr. Manz isn't sure; he'd have to check with their attorney.

(Steve Revilak) Mr. Revilak says the second article would add dimensional regulations for assisted living facilities on lots of 20,000 feet or greater. The 50' height limit would apply anywhere that use is proposed in R6.

Article 53 - MBTA Communities Mixed-use bonus

(Joanne Cullinane, Petitioner) Ms. Cullinane says the zoning bylaws for the mixed use bonus are very strict, but new terms have crept in and the redevelopment board is using terms and language that don't appear in the bonus section. She suggests having the 60% of the ground floor requirement be measured against any part of the building that's underneath a roof. Measuring against the interior area means that commercial space comes last, and Ms. Cullinane thinks it should come first. Builders can build four-story apartment buildings by right. The commercial space originally proposed for 126 Broadway was too small. The developers of 259 Broadway proposed too little commercial space there. The developers of 126 Broadway purchased the house next door, and now they're proposing a larger building. She says her article would require larger commercial spaces, and that direct proportionality was what down meeting allowed.

(Ezra Fisher) Mr. Fisher asks if we'll get more or less development with this article.

(Joanne Cullinane) Ms. Cullinane thinks we'll get more development either way. She wants to make sure thresholds are followed.

(Jennifer Litowski) Ms. Litowski asks what kinds of things were being excluded from ground floor measurements.

(Joanne Cullinane) Ms. Cullinane says the ARB was excluding things like elevators and utility rooms.

(Jennifer Litowski) Ms. Litowski asks if Ms. Cullinane's proposal for ground floor area would include auto and bike parking in the area that the 60% is measured against.

(Joanne Cullinane) Ms. Cullinane says it would.

(Jennifer Litowski) Ms. Litowski doesn't think it makes sense to include parking.

(James Fleming) Mr. Fleming asks if the state building code has a definition of ground floor.

(Joanne Cullinane) Ms. Cullinane says she wants the 60% to be measured against the building code definition for building area.

(James Fleming) Mr. Fleming think this will lead to less commercial development.

(Joanne Cullinane) Ms. Cullinane says that mixed use is a bonus, and bonuses should be hard to attain.

(Carmine Granucci) Mr. Granucci says the ARB voted to recommend no action on this article. He asks how it's going to get to town meeting.

(Joanne Cullinane) Ms. Cullinane says she plans to file a substitute motion.

ARB Zoning Articles

(Steve Revilak) Mr. Revilak summarizes zoning articles that the ARB has put on the warrant.

Article 39 involves accessory dwelling units. Arlington requires a special permit when an ADU is built within 6' of a lot line; this provision was added to allow non-conforming garages to be turned into ADUs. The Attorney general's office has informed the town that we cannot require a special permit in conjunction with a by-right use, so we propose changing the requirement to a finding.

Article 40 involves changes to the zoning map. Right now, anyone wishing to propose a map change has to send notices to all owners and abutters by certified mail, which is $6.08/letter. Article 40 would change this to first class, which is $0.78/letter. The intention is to make the notice requirement less financially burdensome, while preserving the requirement that notice be sent.

Article 41 involves the multi-family housing overlay. When we adopted the overlay in 2023 the state hadn't approved the town's request to use our existing affordable housing requirements, so there's conditional language to the effect of "until the state approves our request". The state has approved our request, so the conditional language is no longer necessary and Article 41 would remove it.

Article 42 proposes a change to parking standards. It would reduce drive aisle widths from 24' to 22'. In mixed use buildings, there's always a conflict between space for the ground floor -- which includes the commercial space -- and space for parking. Narrowing the drive aisle allows for slightly more commercial space on the ground floor.

Article 43 would allow digital display technology to be used on Marquee signs. Arlington has two theaters, and both have old marquee signs. Digital displays would allow these signs to change without the need to manually swap out individual letters. A special permit would be required, and there are standards to require auto-dimming technology and to prohibit animated displays.

Article 44 has the longest main motion of all the zoning articles. It would adopt model language from the Department of Conservation and Recreation, which is a requirement for the town's continued participation in the National Flood Insurance Program.

Article 45 involves portable and temporary signs. Currently there is no limit on the number of A-frame signs a business could have and Article 45 would establish a limit of one per business. It would also limit businesses to one temporary wall banner, which could be displayed for a maximum of 30 days. The intent is to encourage businesses to replace temporary signs with permanent ones.

Animal daycare is currently allowed in the industrial district, and Article 46 would allow it in all of the business districts. There are people interested in starting these kinds of businesses in Arlington, and allowing the use in more places should make it easier for them to do so.

Article 49 proposes a change to the definition of building height in the Floodplain Overlay District. In the floodplain overly, height would be measured from the curb or the base flood elevation, whichever is higher. This would allow new buildings to be constructed, and existing buildings to be raised above the base flood elevation. It's a resiliency measure.

Article 48 is a change to residential parking standards. It basically says that they'd apply to the multi-family overlay district too. It includes things like the requirement for a vegetated buffer around driveways.

(?) Someone asks if there was a specific project that motivated the change to drive aisle widths.

(Steve Revilak) Mr. Revilak says no. This issue comes up in just about every mixed use development.

Article 92 - Transitioning to Clean Heat

(Anne Wright) Ms. Wright says that Article 92 is a resolution and it proposes to send a message to the state government that we want to transition away from fossil fuels by 2050. Gas utilities are not doing their part to support this transition.

State laws require every utility to evaluate every pipe before replacement. In the last few years, gas utilities have proposed to retire three pipeline segments but have replaced hundreds. It feels like National Grid is slow-walking this effort. Repairing leaks can reduce emissions as much as replacement.

This article doesn't require electrification but it signals support for future electrification. Ms. Wright wants to ensure that our infrastructure investments are in line with climate goals.

(Scott Mullen) Mr. Mullen ask if other communities have passed similar resolutions.

(Anne Wright) Ms. Wright says that Somerville has, and a number of other communities are working on it. In most cases, replacing a pipe costs more than electrifying homes served by the pipe.

(?) An attendee asks where the electricity will come from.

(Anne Wright) Ms. Wright says the state is working seriously to expand the electric grid.

(?) The attendee asks how gas utilities retire gas lines. He thinks we're moving more quickly than the infrastructure. 50% of the electricity generated in Massachusetts comes from fossil fuels. What happens to people that use heating oil?

(Anne Wright) Ms. Wright says there are laws that require electric companies to expand their renewable mix every year, and there are groups working to expand the electric grid. It's not an easy process.

Article 93 - Designating Arlington a 4th Amendment Workplace Community

(Anju Joglekar) Ms. Joglekar says this resolution has to do with what ICE has been doing, and protecting the people they've been targeting. Our duty as a community is to support our community members. We should be free of unconstitutional searches of private areas, and searches should require judicial warrants. We are preparing for the possibility of ICE activity in Arlington. The resolution does two things. First, it designates Arlington as a fourth amendment workplace community. Second, we're trying to educate businesses on how to protect themselves and their workers. The Arlington Human Rights Commission has supported this resolution.

(Michelle Phelan) Ms. Phelan suggests creating stickers or some sort of emblem that businesses could use to show their support for this effort.

(Anju Joglekar) Ms. Joglekar says they have created signs for businesses.

Article 49 - Home Occupations

(James Fleming) Mr. Fleming has filed a zoning article on Home Occupations. If one is trying to start a small business, there are not many options for commercial spaces in Arlington. Our rules for home occupations are very restrictive, and there's a big risk in signing a multi-year commercial lease. Article 49 would allow home occupations to have one employee, a sign, and to sell goods that they produce.

(Michele Phelan) Ms. Phelan asks what the limitations are. Would this apply to things like pet daycare, music studios, and light manufacturing? She says that some kinds of businesses might be less-wanted.

(James Fleming) Mr. Fleming says the definition excludes pet daycare, and the bylaw restricts how the business can affect the surrounding neighborhood. There are limitations on noise, traffic, deliveries, hours of the day, and generic retail would not be allowed.

(Michelle Phelan) Ms. Phelan wonders if it would make sense to review applicants on a case-by-case basis. She's thinking about potential pitfalls.

(James Fleming) Mr. Fleming says this is meant to be a small incremental step from where we are today.

(Joanne Cullinane) Ms. Cullinane likes the idea of letting people start businesses in steps. She's wondering why the ARB suggested expanding the hours of operations. She says there may be small children living near one of these home occupations.

(James Fleming) Mr. Fleming says the allowed hours could be up for debate.

(Scott Mullen) Mr. Mullen asks if Mr. Fleming filed a similar article last year.

(James Fleming) Mr. Fleming says he did file a similar article, mostly to see what kind of discussion it generated at town meeting.

Open Q & A

(Adam Lane) Mr. Lane would like to provide an update on the Crosby Courts. The Parks and Recreation department only got about half the money they were asking for. The plan is to redo the court with an inferior product -- asphalt rather than concrete -- which might last for three to five years. This means we'll get serviceable courts, but for a shorter period of time. The basketball court will be reconfigured as a multi-sport court.

(Angelique Bradford) Ms. Bradford says the town is collecting feedback on the draft comprehensive plan until April 12th. She encourages people to send in their comments.

Meeting adjourned around 21:00.