Protecting Open Spaces in Arlington
The Arlington Land Trust, Inc. has as its mission the permanent
protection of open spaces for the benefit of our community’s quality of
life, environmental health, and all our citizens.
- Mugar Update
On April 10, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) issued a Superseding Order of Conditions approving the Thorndike Place project, including approval of the stormwater and groundwater management systems proposed by the developer. ALT members may recall that the Arlington Conservation Commission’s split 2-2 vote in March 2025 led to the developer’s appeal to DEP.
DEP’s Superseding Order of Conditions is very disappointing, especially considering that the extensive monitoring and testing data collected and documented by ALT and our consultants has shown that the developer’s proposed stormwater management system does not meet the DEP’s own regulations and standards, and is not in keeping with prior DEP policies for similar projects.
Due to the critical nature of these deficiencies, including the anticipated impact that improperly managed stormwater would have on the surrounding land, the ALT Board voted to appeal the DEP’s Superseding Order to the Office of Appeals and Dispute Resolution (OADR), which is the next level of administrative review for these types of decisions. Our attorneys filed the appeal to OADR on April 24, 2026, based on the grounds that DEP’s Superseding Order improperly permits a project that does not comply with the Massachusetts Stormwater Standards and the Massachusetts Stormwater Handbook, and that the project’s design is based upon unreliable groundwater data submitted by the developer.
We appreciate your continued support of the Land Trust’s advocacy on this project, and we will provide further updates as more information becomes available.
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