Arlington Redevelopment Board - Oct 7th, 2024

Review of Minutes

The board approves minutes from their September 9, 2024 meeting.

Docket 3810 - 149 Pleasant Street

(Claire Ricker, Planning Director) Ms. Ricker informs the board that the project architect requested a continuance to November 7th.

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

(Eugene Benson, ARB) Mr. Benson says the property is a mess, with vegetation slopping over onto the sidewalk. He requests that the owner be asked to address this.

Docket 3798 - 821 Mass Ave

(Claire Ricker) Mr. Ricker says the continuance of 821 Mass Ave is necessary, so that the board can co-open the 2009 CVS special permit, which mentions the Atwood house in its conditions.

The board votes to continue the hearing to October 21st, 5--0.

Docket 3819 - 2 Reservoir Road

(Claire Ricker) Ms. Ricker says the applicants are proposing to renovate a non-conforming single-family home which is adjacent to the Minuteman Bikeway. They're planning to add an addition and a dormer. She says her office received a single-family LEED checklist. She's also received a clarification from Inspectional Services that the renovated property will conform to the Zoning Bylaw's open space requirements; the conservation area at the rear of the property is countable as open space.

(Linnea Berggren, Applicant) Ms. Berggren says her home is adjacent to the Minuteman Bikeway, and she's already received approval from the Conservation Commission. The existing home has two bedrooms and a Bathroom on the first floor. They're planning to do a complete restoration, but intend to preserve the architectural features of the front facade. The first floor addition will be set back on the side, and they've reduced the size of the driveway to offset the new impervious space from the addition. These changes will result in the addition of 316 square feet of hardscape. She says they've added a drip line to the property edge to retain stormwater.

(Steve Revilak, ARB) Mr. Revilak wants to confirm that the applicants are adding less than 350 square feet of impervious surface.

(Linnea Berggren) Ms. Berggren says that's the case.

(Eugene Benson, ARB) Mr. Benson says it's unusual for single-family home renovations to come before the ARB; the applicants are here only because their property abuts the Minuteman Bikeway. He says the board needs to look at the facade, but he couldn't figure out what the facade would look like, based on the plans submitted.

(David Mullen, Architect) Mr. Mullen says they're planning to use wooden shingles, in keeping with the original house. They haven't decided on a color, but it may be a gray or gray-green. He says they'll use asphalt shingles on the roof.

(Eugene Benson) Mr. Benson asks how the view from the bike path will change.

(David Mullen) Mr. Mullen describes the form of the rear addition and dormer. He says the window frames are likely to be black, with an off-white trim.

(Eugene Benson) Mr. Benson says there are a number of errors in the application, but he doesn't feel they're relevant to the board's ability to make a decision. For example, the application lists the actual lot size, where it should list the minimum lot size required by zoning.

(Shaina Korman-Houston, ARB) Ms. Korman-Houston says she visited the property and saw what looks like an informal access to the bikeway.

(Linnea Berggren) Ms. Berggren says there is an informal access path.

(Shaina Korman-Houston) Ms. Korman-Houston asks if they plan to continue that access.

(Linnea Berggren) Ms. Berggren answers in the affirmative.

(Kin Lau, ARB) Mr. Lau thinks this is a nice project. He asks why the architectural drawings show clapboard when the applicants are going to use shingles.

(David Mullen) Mr. Mullen says the drawings were done that way for simplicity, but they do state the exterior will be shingles.

(Kin Lau) Mr. Lau asks if this is just a simple addition and a dormer.

(David Mullen) Mr. Mullen answers in the affirmative.

(Kin Lau) Mr. Lau notes that Arlington has adopted the state's enhanced stretch code.

(David Mullen) Mr. Mullen says they're planning to use a Zip wall system, with taped thermal joints.

(Kin Lau) Mr. Lau says it can be challenging to meet the efficiency requirements in older building renovations.

(Rachel Zsembery, ARB Chair) Ms. Zsembery notes that Inspectional Services will review the construction plans.

The chair opens the hearing to public comment.

(?) A neighbor at 22 Norse Street says he's very excited and supportive of the project.

There are no further comments from the public.

(Steve Revilak) Mr. Revilak suggests changes to the conditions suggested in the staff memo, as some aren't applicable to a single family renovation. He motions to strike the first half of condition 6, along with conditions 8 and 10.

(Eugene Benson) Mr. Benson suggests striking condition 5 as well, and adding language from Section 3.1.D of the Bylaw.

The board votes to approve the special permit, 5--0.

Debrief of Joint Select Board/Redevelopment Board Meeting

(Claire Ricker) Ms. Ricker believes the meeting went well. She'd like to get final thoughts from the board.

(Kin Lau) Mr. Lau asks how we'll follow up on suggested actions.

(Rachel Zsembery) Ms. Zsembery suggests reviewing next steps when we review the minutes from that meeting.

(Shaina Korman-Houston) Ms. Korman-Houston says she's looking forward to the conversation about next steps. Overnight parking was a topic of interest, and she's surprised there's so little use of the Select Board's overnight parking pilot program.

(Eugene Benson) Mr. Benson agrees that it was important to have that conversation.

(Steve Revilak) Mr. Revilak was happy to see the Select Board's receptiveness to the idea of rezoning the Arlington Heights business district. He thinks the parking conversation will continue, and it was good to get it started.

New Business

(Claire Ricker) Ms. Ricker says that the RFP period for the Master Plan update has closed. We received six proposals, which the AmpUP advisory committee will discuss them on Thursday. She says we may need to establish a selection committee.

Mr. Ricker says there will be a meeting about the Arlington Heights business district on October 29th, at the Pierce school.

(Eugene Benson) Mr. Benson says the applicants at 882 Mass Ave still need to fix their exterior vents, and provide a lighting plan. He asks if there's been any progress in this area.

(Claire Ricker) Ms. Ricker says they've selected new vents, and the existing ones will be changed out.

(Sarah Suarez, Assistant Planning Director) Ms. Suarez says that she's been working through the Town Manager's office on a lighting plan.

(Eugene Benson) Mr. Benson notes that the board received a correspondence regarding the transparency of the ground floor windows.

(Rachel Zsembery) Ms. Zsembery says the board has allowed window frosting in the past, but the applicants have to ask.

It's now 20:15, and the board takes a 15 minute break, as the next hearing was advertised for 20:30.

Docket 3717 - 80 Broadway

(Rachel Zsembery) Ms. Zsembery says this hearing comes in response to the applicants request to re-open docket 3717 to discuss modifications.

(Claire Ricker) Ms. Ricker says the 80 Broadway applicants would like to move the common outdoor deck area from the fifth floor to the second. In exchange, they're willing to designate an additional affordable unit.

(Robert Costello, Applicant) Mr. Costello says the 80 Broadway project has been moving along. They layout of the fifth floor turned out to be very tight because of egress requirements, and they felt like it wasn't working. The top floor had started to feel like more of an afterthought. Mr. Costello says they've always planned to sell the top-floor unit as a condo, in order to get the debt service coverage ratio to a reasonable place. He and his partner had the idea of taking the second floor outdoor space, and making it common. Outdoor space on the fifth floor would become private to the fifth floor apartment.

(Rachel Zsembery) Ms. Zsembery says it's good to see the building coming long.

(Steve Revilak) Mr. Revilak asks how much the additional affordable unit will increase rents on the market rate units.

(Robert Costello) Mr. Costello says he isn't expecting the additional affordable unit to affect the market rate rents. He says those rents will ultimately be decided by the market.

(Eugene Benson) Mr. Benson asks if there will be any changes to the first floor.

(Robert Costello) Mr. Costello answers in the negative.

(Eugene Benson) Mr. Benson says he made a table of unit sizes, and most are a little different than what the board approved.

(Robert Costello) Mr. Costello says that was partially due to a mistake in the architect's calculations. Some units are a little smaller, and some are a little larger.

(Eugene Benson) Mr. Benson says that Mr. Costello will need to find two units with at least 700 square feet, in order to satisfy the inclusionary zoning requirements. He notes that some of the one-bedroom apartments are slightly smaller than that, and asks if they can be enlarged.

(Robert Costello) Mr. Costello says he'll have to defer to his architect for the specifics, but he believes they can adjust the hallway a bit. He understands that he has to find a way to get to 700 square feet.

(Eugene Benson) Mr. Benson asks about the railing around the second floor outdoor space.

Ms. Ricker shows a rendering with the outdoor railing.

(Eugene Benson) Mr. Benson asks if there's any change to the parking configuration.

(Robert Costello) Mr. Costello answers in the negative.

(Shaina Korman-Houston) Ms. Korman-Houston asks if there will be changes to the exterior aesthetic.

(Robert Costello) Mr. Costello answers in the negative.

(Shaina Korman-Houston) Ms. Korman-Houston asks if the second floor outdoor space will be shared between the residential and second-floor commercial units.

(Robert Costello) Mr. Costello says yes, the commercial space will also have access. It involves changing a wall into a window.

(Shaina Korman-Houston) Ms. Korman-Houston asks about the windows of the apartment next to the second floor space, and if they'll be tinted.

(Robert Costello) Mr. Costello says he'd be willing to tint the windows, if a tenant asked him to do so.

(Kin Lau) Mr. Lau has a question about the deck division shown on the plan.

(Robert Costello) Mr. Costello says that's an error in the plan. It will be one space, without division.

(Kin Lau) Mr. Lau notes that the elevator opens directly into the fifth floor unit. He says that elevator shafts tend to transmit sound and smells. He asks Mr. Costello to consider introducing a set of doors there.

(Rachel Zsembery) Ms. Zsembery says she'd prefer to have the outdoor space divided as shown in the plans, so a portion would be private to one apartment, and the rest common.

The other board members are okay with this; the applicant is too.

(Rachel Zsembery) Ms. Zsembery says she'd like to include a condition that the affordable units meet the square footage requirements in state guidelines.

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

The board approves the permit modifications, 5--0.

Open Forum

There are no members of the public in attendance for tonight's open forum.

Meeting adjourned.